TORONTO — First baseman Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run home run, right-hander Drew Hutchison pitched five innings and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-1 on Saturday.
Hutchison (3-0) allowed seven hits, one walk and one run in five innings to pick his first win since April 23.
The Blue Jays (16-15) have won the first two of the three-game series and go for the sweep of the Red Sox (13-17) as they end a six-game homestand on Sunday.
Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly (1-2) allowed four hits, seven walks and six runs in 5 2/3 innings and has not won since April 11.
The Blue Jays scored a run in each of the first two innings but left the bases loaded each time.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson singled with one out in the first, and designated hitter Jose Bautista and Encarnacion each walked to load the basis. Catcher Russell Martin hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 1-0.
Right fielder Chris Colabello led off the second with a walk and, with one out, second baseman Devon Travis was safe when Kelly was charged with obstruction on a play at first base. Donaldson singled for a 2-0 lead.
A fine catch by shortstop Ryan Goins on a soft liner by right fielder Allen Craig kept the Red Sox off the board in the fourth. It came with one out and runners at second and third after third baseman Pablo Sandoval singled and first baseman Mike Napoli doubled.
The Blue Jays increased their lead to 5-0 on the fifth homer of the season by Encarnacion, a three-run blast to the second deck in left. Encarnacion’s first homer since April 21 scored Travis and Bautista, who both walked and executed a double steal.
The Red Sox scored a run on a single in the fifth by second baseman Dustin Pedroia that scored center fielder Mookie Betts, who had doubled with one out.
Manager John Gibbons visited Hutchison at the mound after designated hitter David Ortiz beat the shift with a single to left. Hutchison retired left fielder Hanley Ramirez on a fly to right, walked Sandoval to load the bases and ended the inning on Napoli’s fly to right.
Right-hander Liam Hendriks took over in the sixth and held the Red Sox to a single in three innings.
Bautista’s two-out single in the sixth against right-handed reliever Matt Barnes gave the Blue Jays a 6-1 lead. It followed a wild pitch that put Donaldson, whose infield single chased Kelly, at second base.
Travis snapped an 0-for-13 drought with an RBI single in the seventh to bump Toronto’s lead to 7-1. Right fielder Ezequiel Carrera, who entered the game in the top of the seventh, doubled with two outs, and Goins walked to bring Travis to the plate.
Right-hander Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for Toronto.
NOTES: LF Hanley Ramirez (left shoulder) returned to the Red Sox lineup Saturday for the first time since leaving Monday’s game in the first inning with a shoulder sprain. … DH David Ortiz returned to the Boston lineup after serving a one-game suspension Friday, the result of bumping an umpire in a game on April 19. … Boston recalled RHP Matt Barnes from Pawtucket Saturday and returned INF Travis Shaw on option to the Triple-A club. … Red Sox OF Shane Victorino (right hamstring strain) was 0-for-3 Friday as he started a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Portland. … OF Michael Saunders (sore left knee) returned to the Blue Jays lineup Saturday after the knee was drained and he had a cortisone injection Monday. … The three-game series ends Sunday with Boston starting RHP Clay Buchholz (1-4, 6.03 ERA) against RHP R.A. Dickey (1-3, 4.38 ERA).