TORONTO — Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello hit solo home runs, Aaron Sanchez pitched a career-high seven innings and Toronto beat the struggling Boston Red Sox 7-0 on Friday night, the 3,000th win in Blue Jays history.
Donaldson connected off the facing of the third deck in the first inning and Colabello added an opposite-field shot in the second. Both homers came off Wade Miley (1-4), who lost his third straight start.
UP NEXt
WHO: Red Sox (Kelly 1-1) vs. Blue Jays (Hutchinson 2-0)
WHEN: 1:07 p.m. Saturday
TELEVISION: NESN
Sanchez (3-2) allowed two hits, walked five and struck out three to win for the third time in his last four starts.
The Red Sox lost for the sixth time in seven games. They have scored just 15 runs in that span.
Things didn’t go much better against the Blue Jays. Dustin Pedroia’s one-out single in the first was their only hit through the first seven innings, and Pedroia was immediately erased on a double play.
Boston used two walks and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs in the fourth, but Sanchez escaped by striking out Blake Swihart looking, then getting Xander Bogaerts to ground into a double play. Those were the first two in a streak of 11 consecutive batters retired by Sanchez.
The Red Sox went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against Toronto and are 4 for 52 this month.
Sanchez left after giving up a walk and a single to begin the eighth. Aaron Loup came on and retired Pedroia, Pablo Sandoval and Mike Napoli. Steve Delabar finished in the ninth.
The Red Sox were without slugger David Ortiz, who lost his appeal of a one-game suspension for bumping umpire John Tumpane in an April 19 game at Fenway Park. Boston recalled first baseman Travis Shaw from Triple-A Pawtucket to start at first base, while Napoli was the DH.
Miley allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. He struck out a season-high eight.
TRAINER’S ROOM
RED SOX: OF Hanley Ramirez (left shoulder) hit off a tee and in the cage before the game. He’s scheduled to take regular batting practice Saturday. Manager John Farrell called it “an encouraging day” for Ramirez and said a DL stint is less likely than before, but acknowledged there’s still no timetable for Ramirez’s return.
BLUE JAYS: INF-OF Danny Valencia returned after sitting out two games because of a sore ankle but fell awkwardly after overrunning second base and was replaced by Ezequiel Carrera in the seventh. … SS Jose Reyes (left ribs) was cleared to resume baseball activities after an MRI on Thursday. He took ground balls and hit off a tee.
UP NEXT
RED SOX: RHP Joe Kelly (1-1, 5.72) is winless in his last four starts but struck out a career-high 10 in an April 27 start against Toronto.
BLUE JAYS: RHP Drew Hutchison (2-0, 7.47) has allowed six earned runs in each of his last two starts, including an April 28 outing at Boston.
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