TORONTO – Rick Porcello became the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this season as the Boston Red Sox crushed the Toronto Blue Jays 13-3 in the opener of a key three-game series Friday night at Rogers Centre.
Xander Boegarts hit a solo shot and Hanley Ramirez smacked a three-run homer in Boston’s six-run seventh inning as the Red Sox extended the Blue Jays’ losing skid to four games.
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Porcello (20-3) worked seven solid innings to become Boston’s first 20-game winner since Josh Beckett went 20-7 in 2007. The right-hander struck out seven and allowed two earned runs, six hits and a walk.
Dustin Pedroia drove in four runs as the first-place Red Sox moved two games ahead of the Blue Jays in the American League East.
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Boston outhit Toronto 18-9. The Blue Jays have dropped six of their last seven games.
Toronto’s Marco Estrada (8-8) looked out of sorts from the start on a warm evening in front of a sellout crowd of 46,953.
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