Bradley's homer lifts Red Sox over Blue Jays
BOSTON -- The Red Sox scored four runs in the second inning on their way to a 5-2 win over the Blue Jays at Fenway Park Sunday afternoon. Jackie Bradley provided the big blow, belting a three-run homer.
Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey took the loss for Toronto, falling to 13-13. He went eight innings, giving up five runs on six hits while recording 11 strikeouts.
"Yeah, it was just a perfect union of a flat knuckleball and a good swing," Dickey said of Bradley's home run. "It was an unexpected blow, two outs, I had been throwing good ones. Even the three previous hits were good ones. ...
"It's just kind of a bizarre way to lose a ball game. I had a good knuckleball and have had one for a long time. I kind of expected better from what I felt."
"He gives up fly balls," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "That's part of being a knuckleballer. But he threw a tremendous game, two home runs. You can't take away the home runs. We battled, but we just couldn't get anything going against (Boston starter Felix) Doubront."
The left-hander Doubront improved to 11-6 as he earned the win for Boston. He went seven innings, giving up two run on four hits, including a home run. He issued two walks and recorded two strikeouts and a wild pitch.
"He was very good, much more powerful than the last few times out," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "His fastball was live. A lot of strikes, maybe not the number of strikeout we're used to seeing from Felix but I thought he carried his delivery through seven innings. They were efficient. He went to his changeup when he needed it. He was just much more fresh and rested. A solid seven innings of work."
Toronto scored first, getting a run in the second when Mark DeRosa walked with one out, followed by singles from Ryan Goins and Kevin Pillar.
With one out in the second, Daniel Nava singled, before Will Middlebrooks flied out. After singles by Stephen Drew and Ryan Lavarnway, scoring Nava, Bradley's home run gave the Red Sox a three-run lead.
Pillar, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, led off the fifth with his second home run of the season, cutting Toronto's deficit to 4-2.
But David Ortiz, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, led off the sixth with his 29th home run of the season, putting Boston ahead, 5-2.
Koji Uehara earned his 21st save of the season with a perfect ninth.
NOTES: Farrell is hopeful CF Jacoby Ellsbury can return to the lineup Wednesday at Colorado. Ellsbury has been sidelined since Sept. 6. He fractured the navicular bone in his right foot fouling off a pitch on Aug. 28. ... Doubront is expected to move into the bullpen for the postseason. He won't be available until the final series of the season in Baltimore Sept. 27-29, though. ... 1B Mike Napoli was not in the starting lineup for the second straight day Sunday. With an off-day Monday, Farrell was looking to get some rest for Napoli, who dealt with plantar fasciitis in August. ... Blue Jays right-hander Ramon Ortiz has resumed throwing at the team's complex in Dunedin, Fla. He suffered an elbow injury June 2. He was expected to need Tommy John surgery but has avoided the surgery. He is now throwing from a mound. Ortiz, who turned 40 in May, will be a free agent after the season.
