|
 Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 6-4 on Friday night in Farrell's return to Toronto.
The crowd of 45,328 let Farrell have it all night. The former Toronto manager left the Blue Jays last fall to replace Bobby Valentine in Boston.
"They were there for us," Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes said about the fans. "They had a lot of energy but we let them down. We wanted to win."
Reyes went 4 for 5 with two RBIs and Josh Johnson gave up nine hits over six innings in his Toronto debut. Second baseman Emilio Bonifacio made three errors and struck out four times as the Blue Jays went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
"We haven't put it all together yet," manager John Gibbons said. "Too many mistakes tonight. Very rarely are you going to win those kind of games."
Farrell was jeered during batting practice and booed when he came to home plate to exchange lineup cards. He doffed his cap on his way back to the bench.
"Anytime you get this kind of atmosphere at home or on the road, this is what guys thrive on," Farrell said. "To have that kind of atmosphere, we'll take it every night."
The ill will continued throughout, with Farrell booed when he came out to check on injured shortstop Jose Iglesias, and again when he made a pitching change in the sixth.
Even pitching coach Juan Nieves heard it when he came to the mound, a possible case of mistaken identity.
"I think anybody in a gray uniform was going to take it in some form or fashion," Farrell said.
Will Middlebrooks added a solo shot for Boston and Junichi Tazawa (1-0) got the win despite allowing a tying homer to Reyes in the seventh.
Napoli's opposite-field shot in the fifth was Boston's first home run of the season.
Andrew Bailey pitched the eighth and Joel Hanrahan finished for his second save.
Pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes drew a one-out walk from Esmil Rogers (0-1) in the eighth and went to third on Dustin Pedroia's double off the wall. Napoli followed with a grounder to third that was gloved by Maicer Izturis, who fell down on the play and couldn't recover quickly enough to throw home.
The Blue Jays put runners at second and third with one out in the bottom half, but Bailey got Adam Lind and Izturis to fly out.
[to top of second column] |
Middlebrooks gave the Red Sox some insurance with a line-drive homer to left off Jeremy Jeffress in the ninth.
Toronto's Mark DeRosa hit a solo homer in the fifth, his first in three years, a drive that bounced off the top of the center-field wall and went out.
Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was held out of the lineup with a sore right ankle and replaced by Rajai Davis. The two-time major league home run leader hurt his ankle stepping on first base while beating out a double play Thursday.
Boston opened the scoring in the second when Shane Victorino scored on Jacoby Ellsbury's bases-loaded single, but Toronto tied it in the bottom half on DeRosa's sacrifice fly.
Back-to-back errors by second baseman Emilio Bonifacio gave the Red Sox runners at first and second with one out in the fourth, and pinch-hitter Pedro Ciriaco followed with an RBI single.
Napoli's first homer of the year made it 4-1 in the fifth, but DeRosa cut it to 4-2 by leading off the bottom half with his first homer since April 5, 2010, when he went deep for San Francisco at Houston.
Izturis followed with a single and scored when Jackie Bradley Jr. couldn't come up with Reyes' double into the left-field corner. Reyes was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
Toronto tied it in the seventh when Reyes hit a one-out homer off Tazawa, his first with the Blue Jays.
Johnson allowed four runs, three earned. He walked two, one intentional, and struck out six.
"I've got to be more efficient with pitches and get deeper into that game," Johnson said.
Boston left-hander Felix Doubront allowed three runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. He walked none and struck out six.
NOTES: Iglesias left in the fourth with a bruised right arm, two innings after he was hit near the elbow by a pitch. He was replaced by Ciriaco. ... Red Sox SS Stephen Drew (concussion) went 1 for 3 in seven innings with Double-A Portland. ... Boston DH David Ortiz (right Achilles) ran in the outfield in Florida and remained on track to play in extended spring training games starting Monday. ... Gibbons said Bautista will DH if he returns to the lineup Saturday.
[Associated
Press; By IAN HARRISON]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
