 gave up the three runs in the first. The Red Sox scored one in the first and three in the second and then took a 9-4 lead in the third to chase Marco Estrada (10-9) and snap a two-game losing streak.Porcello allowed five runs, seven hits and two walks, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings. A year after winning a career-high 22 games to earn AL Cy Young honors, the 28-year-old right-hander posted the most losses in his career. With a chance to become baseball's first 20-game loser since 2003, Porcello went 2-0 with a no-decision in his last three starts.''After a rough start to the ballgame, he settled down just enough,'' Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ''And the offense covered it.'' Price pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings, striking out three, as he works his way back from left elbow problems that kept him on the disabled list for most of the year. It was his third relief appearance since returning on Sept. 14; he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, striking out nine in six innings.''The three appearances he's made for us out of the bullpen, they've been extremely consistent and powerful,'' Farrell said. ''Hopefully he's getting adapted a little bit more to the role.'' Mitch Moreland homered for the Red Sox. Bogaerts had three hits and drove in four runs, including a three-run homer in the third to make it 9-4.Estrada allowed eight runs - seven earned - nine hits and a walk, striking out two while recording just seven outs and losing for the first time in six decisions. He had only allowed two earned runs in his previous three starts against Boston this season.LONG BALLJose Bautista, Darwin Barney and Teoscar Hernandez homered for the Blue Jays, who hit 10 home runs in the three-game series. Hernandez has eight since he was called up on Sept. 1 - a franchise record for rookies in the month.''We hung in there. We scored some runs,'' Gibbons said. ''We just couldn't stop them.'' CHALLENGING SLIDEBogaerts scored two runs, the first when he came around from first on Dustin Pedroia's single in the second inning and slid in under the tag head first. Home plate umpire Larry Vanover ruled him out, but Bogaerts came up signaling emphatically for Farrell to challenge; replays showed Bogaerts got his hand on the plate before catcher Russell Martin caught his thigh with the tag.''They're all competitors,'' Farrell said. ''They all think they're safe.'' TRAINER'S ROOMRed Sox: RF Mookie Betts (sore left wrist) and INF Eduardo Nunez (right knee injury) were out for the second straight game. Farrell said before the game that Betts was ''improved'' and they hoped to have him available if needed to pinch hit after further treatment. . Nunez did some running and said he was trying ''everything to get back on the field.'' UP NEXTBlue Jays: Off Thursday before opening their final series of the season Friday afternoon at the New York Yankees.Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-6, 3.91 ERA) is set to start the opener of a four-game series Thursday night in Fenway Park against AL West champion Houston. He's 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA in his last four starts as he bids for a start in the postseason rotation.)
Red Sox's Porcello tries to prevent sweep vs. Jays 1h ago• 3 min read BOSTON -- Rick Porcello's last outing really couldn't have started any worse.Four batters, four runs -- all on Scooter Gennett's grand slam in Cincinnati on Friday, the latest dip in the roller coaster season for the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.On Wednesday night, with a chance to help the Red Sox move closer to the AL East title, the veteran right-hander faces the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of a three-game series at Fenway Park.Porcello (10-17, 4.55 ERA) forged his way through four innings at Cincinnati, allowing no more runs in a game his team came back and won. He comes into this start leading the major leagues in losses and the AL lead with 229 hits allowed as he fights for his spot in Boston's postseason rotation -- should the Red Sox hang on to win the division.Last year, Porcello, who faces Marco Estrada on Wednesday, was 22-4 and gave up only 193 hits as the Red Sox gave him more run support -- 6.67 runs per game -- than any starting pitcher in the major leagues.A look at his past four starts show the ups and downs of his season. He allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings against Toronto, then two runs in 12 1/3 innings over his next two starts before his first-inning nightmare in Cincinnati.When he faced the Blue Jays again Wednesday, Porcello will try to put a stop to Boston's two-game losing streak. The first-place Red Sox lead the second-place New York Yankees by three games with five to play."We know where we stand, we know what's ahead of us," Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Boston's 9-4 loss to Toronto on Tuesday. "We've gotta go out and take care of business tomorrow with Rick on the mound." Porcello is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA against the Blue Jays this season, 8-9 with a 4.83 in 20 career games (19 starts).Estrada (10-8, 4.70 ERA) is having a strong finish to his season. He brings a three-start winning streak and eight-start unbeaten run (5-0) into his Wednesday night start.The right-hander recently avoided imminent free agency by signing a one-year, $13 million contract for 2018.He has faced the Red Sox three times this season but hasn't earned a decision despite allowing only two earned runs in 17 1/3 innings with scoreless outings of six and seven frames. He is 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) against the Red Sox and 3-2, 3.30 in eight appearances (six starts) at Fenway Park.Asked after Estrada threw seven inning of one-run ball Friday against the Yankees if the effort would help the pitcher heading into the offseason, manager John Gibbons quipped: "Probably not much. He's already signed his contract. If he hadn't, it might have been more important." Following Toronto's victory at Boston on Monday, winning pitcher Brett Anderson said: "You don't want a team to clinch in your faces." Now the Jays won't have that happen to them, not in Boston, anyway. They could be part of some drama in the Bronx over the weekend if this thing gets closer.The Blue Jays took two out of three from the Yankees in Toronto last weekend.Toronto's Jose Bautista is 17-for-48 (.354) with five homers and 12 RBIs lifetime against Porcello, while Darwin Barney is 7-for-17 (.412) and Kevin Pillar 10-for-33 (.303). On the flip side, Michael Saunders is 1-for-16 (.063), Russell Martin 3-for-26 (.115) and Kendrys Morales 7-for-36 (.194).Dustin Pedroia, who missed the first two games of the series with left knee inflammation, is 13-for-29 (.448) against Estrada, but the other Boston numbers are fairly ugly.Brock Holt is 1-for-16 (.063), Xander Bogaerts 2-for-24 (.083), Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are each 1-for-10, Mitch Moreland is 3-for-16 (.188), Jackie Bradley Jr. 3-for-14 (.214) and Chris Young 2-for-9 (.222).Boston right fielder Mookie Betts won't play Tuesday night due to left wrist inflammation. He is day-to-day. Infielder Eduardo Nunez also is likely to be sidelined due to a right knee injury.
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