BOSTON — The sizzling Toronto Blue Jays earned their 11th straight win to match the longest winning streak in franchise history, earning a 13-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Second baseman Ryan Goins led the way with a career-high five RBIs as the Blue Jays completed a sweep of the three-game series and sent the floundering Red Sox (27-37) to their sixth straight loss.
The Jays romped by scoring nine runs off rookie Eduardo Rodriguez in 4 2/3 innings in his first poor outing in four major league starts. Getting no help from his defense, the left-hander gave up six runs in the fourth inning and was then gone in a four-run fifth.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia clearly lost two pop flies and may have lost a third, right fielder Alejandro De Aza misjudged a pop fly and then also fumbled around on the ground for the ball which let another run score. In addition, Hanley Ramirez continued his not-so-excellent adventure in left field by playing a double poorly off the wall to allow a run to score. A loud chorus of boos followed the Ramirez misplay.
Goins hit a three-run homer to cap the six-run inning and left fielder Danny Valencia greeted right-hander Steven Wright by hitting a two-run homer — the second home run of the season for both. Goins ripped a two-run double in the seventh, taking third on an error by center fielder Rusney Castillo, the first actual error charged to the home team.
Rodriguez, who struck out seven in each of his first three starts, fanned only one, as his record dropped to 2-1 and his ERA ballooned from 0.44 to 3.55.
The Jays (34-30) scored 88 runs during their streak.
Staked to a 10-0 lead, starter Marco Estrada gave up five runs in the fifth, an inning capped by a three-run homer by David Ortiz. Estrada (4-3) last three innings in his third straight June win after a winless May.
Right-hander Ryan Tepera and lefty Phil Coke, in his debut with his new team, finished up with two scoreless innings apiece.
The Jays got three hits from catcher Russell Martin and two hits apiece from five other players in a 16-hit attack.
Pedroia and third baseman Pablo Sandoval had two hits apiece in the loss.
NOTES: Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval, who left Saturday’s game with right thigh tightness, was in the lineup but the club recalled INF Travis Shaw from Triple-A Pawtucket as insurance. With Shaw up, RHP Matt Barnes, Saturday’s losing pitcher after a rough outing on Friday, was optioned to Pawtucket. … Boston RHP Justin Masterson, rehabbing a shoulder injuring, will make at least one more start, Tuesday night. It is not clear what happens to him after that. … The Blue Jays move on to New York, for an inter-league series with the Mets, with LHP Mark Buehrle seeking his eighth win on Monday night — the first of four games against that team, two in New York and two in Toronto. … The Red Sox play four straight with the Atlanta Braves, the first two in Boston — with RHP Rick Porcello hoping to end a four-start losing streak Monday night — before the series shifts to Atlanta Wednesday and Thursday.