Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3

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[July 01, 2015]  TORONTO -- David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit home runs as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Tuesday night.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2) allowed four hits, two walks and one run with four strikeouts in six innings, helping Boston beat Toronto for the second game in a row to start a four-game series.

Right-hander Koji Uehara pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save of the season.

The Red Sox (36-43) won their third in a row.

Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada (5-4) allowed three hits -- including two home runs -- four walks and four runs (two earned) in 2 1/3 innings. Estrada won each of his previous four starts.

Shortstop Jose Reyes homered for the Blue Jays (41-38).

The Red Sox scored two unearned runs in the first inning without a hit. Center fielder Mookie Betts reached first on a throwing error by second baseman Devon Travis to open the game.
 


Shortstop Xander Bogaerts walked with one out, and third baseman Pablo Sandoval, first baseman Mike Napoli and left fielder Alejandro De Aza each walked to force in two runs.

Bradley led off the second with his first homer of the season, hitting a 3-2 pitch to right field. It ended a run of 248 at-bats for the right fielder without a home run. His previous homer was May 31, 2014, against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ortiz led off the third with a homer into the second deck in right. It was the designated hitter's 13th long ball of the year.

Estrada, who lost a no-hitter and a perfect game respectively in the eighth inning of his previous two starts, was removed for Redmond after a one-out single by Napoli in the third.

After walking right fielder Jose Bautista with one out in the first, Rodriguez retired nine batters in a row before first baseman Edwin Encarnacion hit a ground-rule double to left center with one out in the fourth.

Left fielder Chris Colabello singled to center to cut the lead to 4-1.

Travis led off the home fifth with a double to right center. He took third base when Reyes grounded out to third. Third baseman Josh Donaldson struck out and Bautista grounded out to third to end the threat.

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Left-hander Tommy Layne replaced Rodriguez in the seventh and allowed a one-out single to center fielder Kevin Pillar and a two-out home run to Reyes, his fourth of the season, to cut the lead to one run.

Right-hander Alexi Ogando replaced Layne and retired all four hitters that he faced.

After Estrada's early departure, the Blue Jays got a combined 6 2/3 scoreless innings from right-handers Todd Redmond, Bo Schultz and Steve Delabar to keep the game close.

NOTES: OF Shane Victorino (left calf strain) was scheduled to continue his minor league rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Portland on Tuesday and Wednesday. He could rejoin the Red Sox this weekend. ... Red Sox LF Hanley Ramirez (bruised left hand) missed his sixth straight game but could return to the lineup on Wednesday. ... Blue Jays RHP Aaron Sanchez (right lat strain) will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday in Dunedin, Fla., and will follow with another session on Saturday before going on a minor league rehabilitation assignment. ... The Blue Jays used 3B Josh Donaldson at DH on Tuesday with INF/OF Danny Valencia at third base against Boston LHP Eduardo Rodriguez. Valencia entered Tuesday batting .404 (19-for-47) against left-handed pitching. ... The Red Sox will start RHP Rick Porcello (4-8, 5.54 ERA) against LHP Mark Buehrle on Wednesday.

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