TORONTO (AP) — Mike Napoli and Allen Craig both homered in a seven-run 11th inning, Dustin Pedroia homered and had four RBIs and the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-7 Tuesday night.
Boston broke away from a 4-all tie for its second straight victory following an eight-game losing streak.
Toronto fell to 6-16 in August and, at 66-66, dropped to .500 for the first time since May 15.
Mookie Betts singled off Casey Janssen (3-2) to begin the 11th and was called out at second on Christian Vazquez’s sacrifice, with the call overturned after a challenge by Red Sox manager John Farrell. Janssen was charged with an error when he bobbled Brock Holt’s bunt, loading the bases for Pedroia, who singled through the drawn-in infield to score a pair.
Sergio Santos came on and struck out Yoenis Cespedes before Napoli, who was hit on the helmet by a pitch earlier in the game, crushed with a towering three-run homer into the fifth deck. It’s the 17th upper deck homer in the 25-year history of Rogers Centre, and the seventh by an opponent.
Daniel Nava doubled before Craig homered, his first with Boston.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who’d already used all his available relievers, responded by calling designated hitter Steve Tolleson out of the dugout to take the mound. Tolleson struck out Will Middlebrooks and got Betts to fly out to the warning track. Junichi Tazawa (3-3) worked one inning for the win. Heath Hembree allowed three runs in the 11th, but Boston held on.
Pedroia homered off R.A. Dickey in the first and Middlebrooks made it 3-0 with a two-out double, but Craig was thrown out trying to score from second for the third out.
Melky Cabrera hit an RBI grounder in the third, Munenori Kawasaki had an RBI single in the fourth and Toronto tied it on Edwin Encarnacion’s fielder’s choice in the fifth, chasing Rubby De La Rosa.
The Red Sox reclaimed the lead against Dustin McGowan in the seventh on an RBI single by Cespedes, but Jose Bautista led off the bottom half with a tying homer off Alex Wilson, snapping an 0 for 17 slump.
Napoli was hit on the brim of the helmet by a wayward knuckleball from Dickey in the fifth, knocking it off his head. His face showing concern, Dickey held his hands up in apology.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
