Blue Jays 2, Red Sox 1
TORONTO -- Left-hander Mark Buehrle pitched seven innings and pinch hitter Mark DeRosa hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Thursday.
The victory before a crowd of 40,477 at Rogers Centre was the second in a row for the Blue Jays as they took the three-game series 2-1. The Red Sox completed a 10-game road trip at 4-6.
Red Sox right-hander Jake Peavy (9-5) came into the game undefeated in five career outings against the Blue Jays at 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA.
He kept the Blue Jays under control until the seventh when three singles sent him from the game. He allowed two runs on five hits in six-plus innings.
Buehrle (9-7) danced in and out of trouble for his seven innings. He allowed 10 hits but only a fourth-inning run in stranding 10 Boston runners he faced Peavy, a former teammate with the Chicago White Sox.
Casey Janssen pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
The Blue Jays did not have two runners on base at one time until the seventh when they scored twice. Jose Bautista led off with a single past third baseman Will Middlebrooks. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a single to center.
Brett Lawrie singled to center to tie the game and leave runners at the corners for left-hander Craig Breslow, who replaced Peavy.
DeRosa put the Blue Jays into a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to deep center.
Toronto left-fielder Kevin Pillar picked up his first assist in his second major-league game. It happened in the first inning when he threw out Dustin Pedroia at home as he tried to score from second with two out on a single by Jonny Gomes.
It was the major-league leading 23rd time this season that a Red Sox player has been thrown out at home.
The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Daniel Nava led off with a double and Will Middlebrooks singled him to third. Nava scored when Jacoby Ellsbury forced Middlebrooks at second.
NOTES: An MRI on Blue Jays RHP Josh Johnson indicated a strain in his right forearm. He was put on the 15-day disabled list this week retroactive to Aug. 7. ... The Blue Jays will open a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday. RHP R.A. Dickey (9-11, 4.46 ERA) will start the opener against Rays' RHP Jeremy Hellickson (10-6, .93 ERA). ... The Red Sox open a three-game series at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees with LHP Felix Doubront (8-5, 3.66 ERA) starting against Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte (7-9, 4.62 ERA). ...The Red Sox are 6-3 against the Yankees this season.
