Sox Beat Jays 14-3
[photogallerylink id=32843 align=right]Jon Lester pitched six innings to win his third consecutive start and the Boston Red Sox hit four homers in a 14-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron and Bill Hall connected for Boston, which snapped a four-game skid and improved to 6-1 against the Blue Jays this season. Hall finished with three hits and four RBIs.
Lester (11-3) allowed two runs and four hits, struck out six and walked two. He is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his last three starts and has won 11 of 12 decisions overall.
John McDonald and Jose Molina went deep for the Blue Jays, who lead the major leagues with 132 homers. Boston is second with 116.
The 14 runs were the most allowed this season by Toronto, which lost 13-12 to the Red Sox on April 26.
Hall hit a two-run homer off Ricky Romero in Boston's three-run second and the Red Sox broke it open with seven runs in the third, sending 12 men to the plate. Youkilis and Hall each hit a sacrifice fly, Cameron drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk and Marco Scutaro had a two-run single.
Boston added three more in the fourth, all on homers. Youkilis led off with his 18th and Beltre followed with his 13th, the third time this season the Red Sox have hit consecutive shots. One out later, Cameron drilled a homer to left, his third.
In the outfield hotel, a fan wearing a Blue Jays jersey responded by waving a white towel out his window.
Toronto right-hander Casey Janssen was ejected in the sixth for arguing with third base umpire Mark Carlson, even though the umpires later ruled Janssen was correct.
Cameron hustled home from first on Hall's double down the right-field line but the ball was touched by a fan. Janssen argued Cameron should have been stopped at third.
After the pitcher left the field, the umpires huddled to discuss the play and sent Cameron back to third. Left-hander David Purcey came in and got Kevin Cash to fly out.
Romero (6-6) allowed nine runs, five earned, and five hits in 2 1-3 innings. It was the second straight poor start by Romero, who allowed eight runs over 2 2-3 innings in an 11-3 loss to the Yankees on July 3.
NOTES: Boston OF Jacoby Ellsbury rejoined the team after being away for over a month while he worked out in Phoenix. Limited to just nine games this season with fractured ribs, he'll be examined by team doctors this weekend. ... Red Sox C Victor Martinez (fractured left thumb) will not be ready to return immediately after the All-Star break, manager Terry Francona said. Martinez will be examined Wednesday. ... Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty attended the game.
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