Jul 1, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins (17) leads third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) and first baseman Justin Smoak (14) as they high five with teammates after beating the Boston Red Sox 11-2 at Rogers Centre. (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)
TORONTO — Justin Smoak hit home runs from each side of the plate and Mark Buehrle pitched seven strong innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 11-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson also homered for the Blue Jays on Canada Day, snapping Boston’s three-game winning streak.
Encarnacion, Smoak and Bautista each drove in three runs and shortstop Jose Reyes had four singles.
Buehrle (9-4) held the Red Sox (36-44) to four hits and one run. The left-hander struck out seven in winning his fourth straight decision over his past seven starts.
Boston center fielder Mookie Betts hit his ninth homer of the season, in the eighth inning against left-handed reliever Aaron Loup.
Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello (4-9) allowed three home runs among seven hits and seven runs in two innings. He walked none but hit a batter and had a wild pitch while striking out three in a 44-pitch outing.
The Blue Jays (42-38) erupted for five runs in the first inning on a three-run homer by Encarnacion, the designated hitter, and a two-run shot by Smoak, the first baseman.
Reyes started the first with a single and Donaldson, the third baseman, bunted for a single and Encarnacion hit his 17th homer of the season to left field.
Catcher Russell Martin was hit by a pitch and Smoak hit his first homer of the game into the second deck.
A one-out single by Reyes and a two-out homer by Bautista, the right fielder, pushed the lead to 7-0 in the second. Bautista’s 16th homer of the season, a drive to left on the first pitch, snapped his 0-for-25 drought at the plate — two short of his career high. Bautista had been hitless in his seven previous games.
Smoak, who hit his first homer of the game batting left-handed, hit his second right-handed against left-hander Robbie Ross in the third.
The first-pitch homer, a towering shot to left, gave Smoak his seventh homer of the year and his third career multi-homer game; it was the second time he had homered from both sides of the plate in the same game.
Smoak became the sixth Blue Jay to homer from each side of the plate in the same game. Outfielder Melky Cabrera had been the most recent, doing it last season.
The Blue Jays added to their lead in the sixth when Bautista’s sacrifice fly followed Reyes’ single and Donaldson’s double.
The Red Sox scored in the seventh when left fielder Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to six with a triple and scored on a groundout to shortstop by third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Donaldson’s 19th homer of the season followed a single by Reyes against right-hander Jonathan Aro in the eighth.
NOTES: Red Sox LF Hanley Ramirez (sore left hand) returned to the lineup after missing six games. OF Alejandro De Aza, who has taken his place in left, returned to right field. … The Blue Jays activated INF Steve Tolleson (left groin) from the disabled list and designated him for assignment. … Red Sox INF Deven Marrero, whose major-league debut for Boston came Sunday as a substitute, made his first start Wednesday at second base. … Boston C Ryan Hanigan (fractured right hand) was eligible to come off the DL Wednesday, but his flight was delayed in Philadelphia and C Sandy Leon started. Hanigan, who went on the DL May 2, completed his rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Portland on Monday. … Boston LHP Wade Miley (7-7, 4.38 ERA) will start the series finale Thursday against Toronto LHP Matt Boyd (0-1, 5.40).
