BOSTON – Anthony Gose hit his first major league homer and drove in five runs, and the Toronto Blue Jays moved out of the AL East’s basement by beating the free-falling Boston Red Sox 9-2 in a game twice delayed by rain totaling 2 hours, 3 minutes Saturday night.
Yunel Escobar added a solo homer to spark a five-run second inning for Toronto, which has won five straight in Fenway Park, its longest streak since winning all six games in 1989.
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It was the first time since July 29 that the Blue Jays haven’t been in last place after they won their third straight to climb over the Red Sox.
Scott Podsednik and Pedro Ciriaco had RBI singles for Boston, which lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
With Toronto leading 5-2 and two outs in the fifth — one away from an official game — heavy rain started when Jacoby Ellsbury was at bat. Aaron Laffey threw two balls before crew chief Jeff Nelson called for a tarp for the second time.
After a 65-minute delay, Laffey became ineligible for the victory when he was replaced by Brad Lincoln, who got Ellsbury to ground out. Under baseball rules, the starter must go five innings to get a win.
Lincoln (1-0) worked 21/3 scoreless innings for the victory, his first with the Blue Jays since being acquired from Pittsburgh in July.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5) took the loss, going four outs, giving up five runs and five hits.
The Blue Jays chased Matsuzaka with the five-run second. Escobar belted the first pitch of the inning into the first row of seats above the Green Monster. Adeiny Hechavarria had an RBI double, and Gose followed with a two-run single before Rajai Davis added a sacrifice fly. Colby Rasmus then singled and Manager Bobby Valentine came out to loud boos to lift Matsuzaka. Both walked off nearly together, with Valentine slightly behind to a spattering of more boos.
At one point in the ninth, there were chants of “Fire Bobby.”
Alfredo Aceves entered and Rasmus helped end the inning by forgetting how many outs there were and running on a fly to center with one out, easily getting doubled up.
Laffey gave up two runs and four hits in 42/3 innings.
As bad as Matsuzaka was, it wasn’t his shortest start of the season. On July 2, he lasted just one inning in Oakland, allowing five runs, and the next day was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained neck muscle.
Boston didn’t have a hit until Ellsbury opened the fourth with a single, a liner over the head of shortstop Escobar.
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