Red Sox Defeat Blue Jays 11-8
TORONTO -- David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to provide the go-ahead runs as the Boston Red Sox came back to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-8 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Ortiz's homer against reliever Joaquin Benoit brought the Red Sox (80-62) from behind into a 10-8 lead as they extended their advantage over the Blue Jays (78-64) in the American League East to two games.
Benoit was with the Detroit Tigers in 2013 when he allowed an eighth-inning grand slam by Ortiz that tied Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Boston went on to win the game and eventually the series.
Jackie Bradley Jr. also hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox and Hanley Ramirez added a solo shot.
Troy Tulowitzki hit a grand slam and Edwin Encarnacion added two homers for the Blue Jays.
Each starting pitcher gave up six runs with Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez allowing five hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings and Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz allowing four hits and four walks in three innings.
Robbie Ross Jr. pitched two-thirds of an inning to pick up the win. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 25th save of the season. Bo Schultz (0-1) took the loss, allowing two hits and two runs.
Encarnacion led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk and, with one out, Russell Martin hit a drive down the right-field line that was ruled foul after a review. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected for arguing.
A wild pitch moved Encarnacion to second with Martin still at the plate. Martin took a called third strike and Tulowitzki lined out to right to end the game.
The Red Sox scored once in the first when Ortiz walked and came home on a double by Mookie Betts, a liner that went over the head of center fielder Kevin Pillar, who first broke in on the ball.
Encarnacion tied the game in the bottom of the first with his 38th homer of the season.
Bradley hit a three-run homer in the second to give Boston a 4-1 lead. It scored Brock Holt and Sandy Leon, who had walked.
The Blue Jays took a 6-4 lead with a five-run lead capped by Tulowitzki's 23rd homer of the season and his third career grand slam.
Josh Donaldson walked, Encarnacion singled and Jose Bautista walked to load the bases. Russell Martin walked to force in a run and Tulowitzki hit a first-pitch homer.
The Red Sox tied the game 6-6 in the fourth in three straight two-out hits -- a single by Bradley, a double by Dustin Pedroia and a two-run single by Xander Bogaerts.
Brett Cecil finished the inning on a fly to left by Ortiz.
The Blue Jays regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth against Heath Hembree on Encarnacion's second homer of the game following a two-out walk to Donaldson to make the score 8-6.
Ramirez hit his 23rd homer of the season in the fifth against Joe Biagini. Holt walked with two out and took third on an errant pickoff attempt. Leon was hit by a pitch. Aaron Loup replaced Biagini and caught Holt trying to steal home for the third out.
Loup struck out Bradley to open the sixth. Schultz took over and allowed singles to Pedroia and Bogarts. Schultz was replaced by Benoit who allowed the 32nd homer of the season by Ortiz.
The Red Sox scored once the seventh when Danny Barnes walked Holt before allowing an RBI double to Leon.
