Rays light up Jays' Ricky Romero, bullpen

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays rebounded after a pair of bad losses.

Matt Moore won his sixth straight decision to start the season, Evan Longoria drove in three runs, and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-4 on Wednesday night.

Tampa Bay lost the first two games of the series, blowing a seven-run lead Monday and a three-run advantage Tuesday.

``It's been kind of difficult lately,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. ``But I believe we came to play every day after those tough losses. I don't think we just mailed anything in after tough losses and that's what I really appreciate about this group.''

Moore (6-0) overcame control issues, allowing two runs, six hits and four walks in five innings. The left-hander threw 104 pitches, including 56 strikes, during his seventh start of the year.

``You go back and look at this game, it wasn't pretty,'' Moore said of his performance. ``I think there's, maybe, two back to back hitters that I put some nice sequences together. But I just felt like from hitter to hitter it was changing. I was fighting a lot of different things tonight, mostly my control.''

Longoria had a two-run homer and RBI single, and Kelly Johnson had three hits, including a two-run shot.

Struggling Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero (0-2) gave up three run-scoring singles and got just one out during his second outing this year. The left-hander lost his rotation spot after a poor spring training and remained in Florida when the season began to work on mechanics.

``I thought he was a little tentative tonight,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ``It was a struggle for him. It's tough on everybody. You feel for the guy, but he's a survivor. He'll figure it out. He's got to figure it out.''

Gibbons said he plans to have Romero make his next scheduled start.

``A little setback, but it's not going to keep me down,'' Romero said. ``I'll come back and go to work tomorrow and we'll see what we can get better at.''

Less than 24 hours after he was hit on the head by a line drive and carted off the field, Toronto pitcher J.A. Happ was back at Tropicana Field.

The 30-year-old said he had a skull fracture behind his left ear that doctors believe will heal on its own, as well as a sore right knee that he tweaked when he dropped to the ground Tuesday night. He does not have a concussion.

``I feel really fortunate,'' Happ said after limping into a room at the ballpark for a news conference and climbing a couple steps to sit down behind a table.

After Edwin Encarnacion put the Blue Jays up 2-0 with a two-run homer, Tampa Bay took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first on bases-loaded singles by Longoria, James Loney and Luke Scott off Romero.

Tampa Bay went ahead 4-2 in the second on Ben Zobrist's RBI single. Longoria made it 6-2 on his two-run drive during the fourth.

Johnson's homer came in a four-run sixth that extended the Tampa Bay lead to 10-2. He has 13 RBIs over his last 10 games.

Toronto loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but failed to score when Moore struck out Mark DeRosa on a 3-2 pitch.

Encarnacion drove in his third run with a sacrifice fly in a two-run seventh.

Thursday night's series finale will have Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (2-5) going against Tampa Bay's David Price (1-3) in a matchup of reigning Cy Young Award winners and friends.

``Neither one of us are probably where we want to be at this part of the year,'' Dickey said. ``I think he would say the same thing, but it's special anytime the reigning Cy Young Award winners face each other.''

The Rays say it's just the third time since the Cy Young was awarded to both leagues (1969) that a pair of winners faced each other the following season. Tom Glavine of Atlanta beat the New York Yankees' Roger Clemens on July 15, 1999, while New York Mets left-hander Frank Viola bested the Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser on Aug. 28, 1989.

``I first met R.A. in the offseason of 2008 when we played catch together and we worked out at the same place a couple of times,'' Price said. ``Just being around him, I didn't know how funny he is, how personable he is, how easy he is to talk to. He's just a really good dude.''

NOTES: Romero has lost 15 of his last 16 decisions. ... Maddon won his 600th game as Rays manager, but wasn't around to see the end after being ejected by plate umpire Scott Barry in the sixth. It was the second straight game Maddon was tossed by the umpires. ... The Blue Jays placed Happ on the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contract of RHP Edgar Gonzalez from Triple-A Buffalo. ... Loney and Scott both had two RBIs.

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Blue Jays send former stalwart Ricky Romero back to Triple-A

The Toronto Blue Jays have sent left-hander Ricky Romero to triple-A Buffalo and designated right-hander Edgar Gonzalez for assignment.

Romero lasted just one-third of an inning as Toronto dropped a 10-4 decision at Tampa Bay on Wednesday night. It was the shortest start of his career and the quickest exit by a Toronto pitcher since Esteban Loaiza got only one batter out on July 2, 2001.

Romero, who gave up three run-scoring singles in the defeat, lost his rotation spot after a poor spring training and remained in Florida when the season began to work on mechanics. He was called up earlier this month when right-hander Josh Johnson went on the 15-day disabled list.

Romero is 0-2 this season with a 12.46 earned-run average. He has a 51-45 career record and 4.14 ERA.

Romero posted solid numbers in his first three seasons with the Blue Jays but struggled last year with a 9-14 record and 5.77 ERA.

Also Thursday, the Blue Jays selected the contracts of right-handers Ramon Ortiz and Mickey Storey from the Bisons.

Ortiz returns to the big leagues after making a relief appearance with Toronto last month. He has a 2-0 record and 2.18 ERA in four appearances with Buffalo.

In 297 career major-league games, Ortiz has an 86-84 record with a 4.93 ERA.

Storey has made nine relief appearances in Buffalo this season, posting a 0-1 record with a 3.93 ERA.

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Lively bats have Blue Jays pursuing 4th straight win

The Toronto Blue Jays will not lose an 18th consecutive series at Tropicana Field.

Winning a third straight game there is far less certain with Matt Moore taking the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Toronto will try to extend its season-best winning streak to four - and clinch its first series win at St. Petersburg in six years - Wednesday night when Moore could tie the major league lead with a sixth victory.

With no series wins visiting the Rays (14-18) since April 6-8, 2007 - that skid was the third-longest in an opponent's park in AL history - the Blue Jays (13-21) will at least split this four-game set after rallying to win each of the first two. After J.P Arencibia's two-run ninth-inning homer capped a seven-run comeback in Monday's 8-7 win - which ended Toronto's eight-game skid at Tropicana Field - Maicer Izturis hit the go-ahead solo shot in a two-run ninth in Tuesday's 6-4 victory.

The win was the Blue Jays' season-best third in a row, but their only concern was starter J.A. Happ, who was hit on the head by Desmond Jennings' line drive in the second inning and had to be wheeled off on a stretcher. He was taken to a hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

"It's devastating. ... I could barely watch it," Toronto pitcher R.A. Dickey said. "... It's really, really scary. I just started praying in the spot. That's all I knew to do."

Happ will still be in their thoughts, but the Blue Jays have to turn their attention to Moore (5-0, 1.95 ERA) as they go for their first four-game win streak since Sept. 5-9.

The young left-hander has a chance to become the first Rays starter since Jeff Niemann in 2010 to win his first six decisions. Moore failed to do that in a 7-4, 10-inning victory at Colorado on Friday when he yielded season highs of four runs and seven hits in five innings while walking four.

"Overall command of all my pitches (was the issue)," he told the Rays' official website. "I figured something out there with the breaking ball, but it didn't turn into a weapon for me until I was ahead in the count."

The left-hander has gone 1-1 with a 3.26 ERA against Toronto in four starts - all last season.

The Blue Jays will give the ball to Ricky Romero (0-1, 6.75) as they go for a season-best third straight road win. The left-hander, an All-Star in 2011, makes his second appearance of the season after getting called up to replace Josh Johnson (triceps soreness) on Friday. Romero retired the first nine he faced before giving up three runs in the fourth inning of a 4-0 loss to Seattle.

The southpaw took a one-hopper to the forearm in that frame and didn't return for the fifth inning. X-rays were negative.

"Nothing to hang my head about," said Romero, who has won once in his last 15 decisions. "Just looking forward to getting some rest and preparing for my next outing."

Ben Zobrist, 1 for 4 on Tuesday in his return from the bereavement list, leads active Tampa Bay players with nine hits - including two homers - off Romero in 30 at-bats.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, 7 for 24 with a triple and a double against him, is batting .450 with two homers and 10 RBIs in his last six games versus Toronto.

Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus has a two-run homer in each of the last two games, but he's hitless in seven at-bats versus Moore.

Toronto hasn't won three in a row at Tampa Bay since a four-game run May 13-June 3, 2006.

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Blue Jays expect J.A. Happ to be released from hospital Wednesday

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ is expected to be released from hospital later today after being hit in the head with a batted ball Tuesday night.

The left-hander was hit squarely on the left side of his head by Desmond Jennings' second-inning liner during Toronto's 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

He was immobilized on a backboard, lifted onto a stretcher and wheeled off the field.

He was taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where the Blue Jays say he was "responsive and doing well."

The team says he has a head contusion and a laceration to his left ear.

The Jays say they expect he will be discharged later in the day after further testing.

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J.P. Arencibia homer caps Blue Jays' rally

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Down seven runs, Toronto easily could have conceded another disappointing loss. Instead, the struggling Blue Jays chipped away until they found a way to pull off their biggest comeback in nearly six years.

J.P. Arencibia hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning off Fernando Rodney, giving the last-place team an 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

``I think this game kind of evens itself out and if guys keep coming with positive attitudes and keep coming ready to work, it's going to turn. That's the way this game is, and you've got to continue to stay positive and come ready to play every day,'' Arencibia said after the Blue Jays won for just the fourth time in 14 games.

The last time Toronto rallied from at least seven runs down to win was June 5, 2007, when it overcame an 8-1 margin to beat Tampa Bay 12-11, STATS said.

Tampa Bay last lost a lead of at least seven runs on May 25, 2009, when Cleveland came back from a 10-0 deficit to win 11-10, STATS said.

This time, Evan Longoria hit his third career grand slam as Tampa Bay built a 7-0 lead that Jeremy Hellickson and four Rays relievers failed to protect before a season-low crowd of 9,952 at Tropicana Field.

Colby Rasmus and Mark DeRosa also hit two-run homers for Toronto.

``In a lot of ways we were due, but you don't expect it to happen that way,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

``They've got a pretty good pitching staff over there, and when they put seven on the board they're usually going to have a pretty good night,'' Arencibia added. ``Fortunately, we were able to come back and answer.''

Toronto trailed 7-6 when Adam Lind drew a leadoff walk in the ninth from Rodney (1-1), who entered the game with one out in the eighth. Pinch-runner Emilio Bonifacio stole second and continued to third on catcher Jose Molina's throwing error with no outs.

Rodney, eyeing a five-out save, retired the next two batters before Arencibia lined a 2-2 pitch into the left-field seats. Arencibia, who pinch-hit in the sixth inning and stayed in the game to catch, hit his ninth home run.

``I really would hope that people understand that he was extended beyond his normal moments right there, and that's pretty much why that happened,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said, noting his bullpen was short coming off a nine-game, 11-day road trip that ended Sunday. ``I thought we had no other options.''

Darren Oliver (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning and Casey Janssen worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save.

Longoria's seventh homer of the season was the biggest blow in a seven-run third inning against Mark Buerhle.

Rasmus hit a two-run homer off Hellickson in the fourth and DeRosa added a two-run, pinch-hit shot off reliever Jake McGee in the sixth.

Down 7-5, Toronto had the potential tying runs in scoring position in the seventh and eighth, but was only able to get one runner home - on Jose Bautista's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the eighth off Rodney.

Mark Buehrle allowed seven runs and nine hits in six innings. He has now yielded eight home runs over his last three starts.

Luke Scott also homered in Tampa Bay's burst. The third inning was helped by Kelly Johnson's fly ball that landed over the head of Rasmus in center field for a RBI single, as well as Ryan Roberts' check-swing infield single that loaded the bases for Longoria.

Maddon asked the umpiring crew to review Johnson's single to see if it had bounced off one of the catwalks that support the roof at Tropicana Field and therefore should have been ruled a home run. The crew returned to the field after looking at the video and the play stood.

Despite being staked to the seven-run lead, Hellickson only lasted five innings. The right-hander yielded Rasmus' homer and Melky Cabrera's RBI single in the fourth and was replaced by McGee after throwing 101 pitches.

``It's a difficult loss, no question. But it's about how we react tomorrow,'' Maddon said. ``You lose a game like this and it's tough. Everybody is going to go home very upset. It's how you bounce after the fall.''

NOTES: Longoria's grand slam was his first since May 1, 2009 against Boston. ... Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game with a bruised left hand. He entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. ... Rays 2B Ben Zobrist is due to return Tuesday after leaving the team for two games following the death of his grandmother. ... Gibbons decided to start C Henry Blanco instead of Arencibia. ``I just want to run one game like that,'' Gibbons said. ``It's just something I want to look at.'' Blanco's previous six starts this season came with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey pitching. Arencibia pinch-hit for Blanco in the sixth.

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Rockies' Todd Helton gets community service, probation for DUI

Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton has been sentenced to a year of probation and 24 hours of community service after pleading guilty to driving while ability-impaired.

The Denver Post reported that Helton entered his plea Tuesday in an Adams County courtroom in the northeast Denver suburb of Brighton.

Helton was arrested Feb. 6 in Thornton, another suburb. Police said he told officers he had had two cups of wine. He issued a public apology later that day and again two weeks later when spring training opened.

Helton is a career .320 hitter, a five-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the Gold Glove. He has spent his entire career with the Rockies and is one of the most popular and recognizable players on the team. Helton's hitting .267 this season.

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Blue Jays try to build momentum in Tampa Bay

The Toronto Blue Jays have been among baseball's biggest disappointments, but they're hoping their most complete performance thus far can provide some momentum going forward.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays - one of the majors' best teams at home - are likely looking forward to returning to Tropicana Field for 10 straight games, beginning with the opener of a four-game series Monday night against Toronto.

The Blue Jays (11-21) had lost four in a row and 14 of 18 before a 10-2 home win over Seattle on Sunday. It was the most lopsided victory of the year for the team with the AL's second-worst record, as Toronto matched its highest-scoring game of 2013 and had a season-best 15 hits.

"We were desperate for that. We needed something like that," manager John Gibbons said. "It's not like we're just waiting to get on a roll. We needed a win and they're hard to come by."

Mark DeRosa and Melky Cabrera both provided homers after the team hit one in the previous four games combined. Starting pitcher Brandon Morrow, who allowed three hits in eight innings, called the win a "morale booster."

A victory Monday would give Toronto back-to-back wins for just the second time.

Tampa Bay (14-16) is coming off a 4-5 road trip, capped by winning two of three games at Colorado after an 8-3 victory Sunday.

While they're 6-12 away from home, the Rays are 8-4 in St. Petersburg as they kick off a 10-game homestand. They've allowed no more than one run in six of the last nine at Tropicana Field.

Scheduled starter Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 4.71 ERA) won his last start at home, throwing seven scoreless innings against the A's on April 20, but has since been roughed up in two outings on the road. He gave up a combined nine runs in 11 innings, including a 9-8 loss at Kansas City on Wednesday that saw him yield a season-high nine hits over five frames.

"Defense and offense came to play tonight and I didn't," Hellickson told the team's official website. "It was as simple as that."

Hellickson is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA in six starts versus Toronto, which counters with struggling left-hander Mark Buehrle (1-2, 6.43).

Buehrle has surrendered seven hits, five runs and three homers in each of his last two outings and lost both. He issued a season-high three walks in 6 2-3 innings of a 10-1 home loss to Boston on Wednesday.

He's allowing 2.3 home runs per nine innings compared to a 1.0 career average.

"I have to make better pitches," Buehrle told the team's official website. "(I) have to keep the ball down, execute pitches and stay low in the zone."

The only current Rays player to homer off him is Jose Molina - that came in 2006 - and Buehrle is 8-3 lifetime against them with a 4.19 ERA.

Tampa Bay's middle infield is shorthanded. Shortstop Yunel Esocbar, a former Blue Jay, didn't play Sunday after getting hit on the hand by a pitch Saturday and is expected to miss a few days, manager Joe Maddon said. Second baseman Ben Zobrist will miss a second straight game after flying home to Illinois on Sunday following his grandmother's death.

James Loney is 17 for 34 over his last eight games with five three-hit performances, but he's 4 for 24 (.167) in six games versus the Blue Jays.

Toronto hasn't won a series against Tampa Bay since Aug. 6-8, 2010, with the Rays going 30-12 in meetings since then. Tampa Bay won last year's series 14-4 as Evan Longoria hit .360 with 14 RBIs in 13 contests.

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Blue Jays hope things change for better in a hurry

A season that started with loads of promise is quickly turning into a year to forget for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The team acquired plenty of big-name talent in the off-season and was expected to contend in the American League East. Instead the Blue Jays are stuck in last place in the division and are among the worst clubs in Major League Baseball.

Toronto was flat out of the gate and has been unable to win more than two games in a row. The Blue Jays appear to have the talent, but the team has been consistently outplayed and has an 11-21 record as a result.

"We're digging a pretty good hole right now, no question about it," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said during a pre-game availability Sunday.

The Blue Jays went on to blow out the Seattle Mariners 10-2 to finish their six-game homestand with a 2-4 record. Toronto will try to build on the victory this week with a four-game series beginning Monday at Tampa Bay.

It's still early May, but the reality is the Blue Jays' chances of reaching the post-season appear slim at best.

A 93-win total was needed for an American League wild-card berth last year. Toronto would need to play at a .631 clip the rest of the way to reach that plateau.

To put that in perspective, only the National League East champion Washington Nationals — at .605 — finished the 2012 MLB season over the .600 mark.

The Blue Jays need an immediate improvement in almost all areas of their game to have any hope of getting back in the mix in the AL East.

Their starting pitching has been poor and for the most part, the bats have been quiet. Team defence has been suspect and the bullpen mediocre.

The Blue Jays caught a bad break when a severe ankle sprain sidelined leadoff man Jose Reyes, who was off to an excellent start. His absence magnified the team's lack of infield depth and took a major sparkplug out of the lineup.

There have been a few positives in the early going.

Sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have shown some pop at the plate. Catcher J.P. Arencibia is off to a solid start and closer Casey Janssen has delivered.

However, the list of negatives is a long one.

The retooled starting rotation has been weak. The big-name additions have been disappointing with inflated numbers the norm.

Ace knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is 2-5 with a 5.36 earned-run average. Josh Johnson, currently on the disabled list with inflammation in his right triceps, is 0-1 with a 6.86 ERA, while Mark Buehrle is 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA.

The offence hasn't been much better.

A glance at Sunday's starting lineup revealed just one batter who was hitting over .236 (Rajai Davis at .277). The Blue Jays are near the bottom of the major-league rankings in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging).

'Keep hoping'

Hopes were high that Toronto would make its first playoff appearance in two decades this year. The season is just over a month, old but fans are already letting the players know what they think.

The boobirds were out at Rogers Centre during the recent homestand, with the Blue Jays getting a Bronx cheer from the crowd when a 23-inning scoring drought ended Saturday.

"The best thing we can do is keep hoping and ask our fans to keep fighting this battle with us," Davis said. "Because it's not over."

The Blue Jays had some swagger and a spring in their step when the season started. The smiles are more infrequent now, often replaced by looks of frustration.

"As hard as it is, I'm always optimistic for the most part I think," Gibbons said. "I know how the game works.

"Things can change in a hurry and get really good. But we've been saying that a while now and it hasn't happened.

"But I still believe that's going to be the case."

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Blue Jays blown out by Mariners

It was a beautiful day for baseball at Rogers Centre on Saturday as the 35,754 fans in attendance bathed in spring sunshine for a matinee between Seattle and Toronto.

The Mariners changed the vibe on the second pitch of the day and didn't let up in an 8-1 rout of the Blue Jays.

Canadian Michael Saunders led off with a home run and Dustin Ackley hit his first career grand slam in the fourth inning. Saunders added another solo homer in the fifth as Seattle stretched its winning streak to three games.

The defeat was the latest in a string of uninspired efforts by the 10-21 Blue Jays.

They are mired in a four-game skid, have yet to win a series at home this year and sit 28th out of 30 teams in the overall standings.

"We're all pretty beat up mentally right now," said manager John Gibbons. "But you've got to get through that. It's professional baseball, there's a lot of season left. You get tested and you find out what you're made of. That's basically what it comes down to.

"There's no question, there's talent in the room. It's just what are we going to do with it."

The Blue Jays did not take advantage of the few opportunities they had against Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma (3-1), who allowed five hits and one earned run over seven innings.

Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but couldn't bring a run home. The Blue Jays managed just six hits on the day and finally ended a 23-inning scoring drought with a run in the seventh.

The scoring play generated a stiff round of mocking applause from the crowd, who peppered the Jays with boos throughout the game and broke into the occasional chant of "Go Leafs Go."

"I did hear them, it was hard not to," Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey said of the fans' boos. "They were pretty animated. You can't blame them. We've played well below our expectation. We're booing ourselves. It's tough. We're trying to hang onto the hope that we're too good of a ball club for this to continue.

"It's one thing to say it but we've got to be actively pursuing ways for us to get better."

Ackley broke the game open in the fourth inning when he belted a 3-2 pitch from Dickey over the wall in right-centre field.

"I just said, 'He's going to throw a strike, he's not going to try to walk me,"' Ackley said. "I just told myself to let it get as deep as I could and try to put a put a good swing on it. When I hit it, it was kind of disbelief at first that I hit it as well as I did."

The homer provided more than enough support for Iwakuma, who trimmed his sparkling earned-run average to 1.61. The Mariners (15-17) had eight hits on the day and have won six of their last seven games.

The Blue Jays have now dropped five series at home this year and split the other. They will try to avoid the three-game sweep in the series finale Sunday.

Dickey (2-5) pitched six innings, allowing six hits, seven earned runs and two walks. He struck out five and his ERA rose to 5.36 from 4.50.

He said he felt fine physically and was not bothered by the neck and back soreness that troubled him over his last few starts.

However, he did raise a few eyebrows when the word "dysfunctional" came up as he discussed the team's slump in his post-game media availability. Dickey later clarified what he meant by the term.

"Dysfunctional in the sense of baseball team, on the baseball field," he said. "Not because guys are fighting in here or bickering or second-guessing each other, because I don't feel that."

Dickey, who won the National League Cy Young Award last year with the New York Mets, retired nine straight after the leadoff homer. But he got into trouble in the fourth inning.

Kendrys Morales hit a one-out single and moved to second on a Michael Morse grounder. Raul Ibanez and Kelly Shoppach drew walks to load the bases before Ackley launched his first homer of the year.

Seattle added another run in the sixth. Ibanez tripled and scored when Shoppach doubled down the left-field line.

The Blue Jays finally got on the board in the seventh when Rajai Davis walked, moved to third on a Henry Blanco double and scored when Munenori Kawasaki hit a sacrifice fly.

Saunders, from Victoria, struck again in the eighth inning with an RBI double off reliever Brett Cecil that scored Robert Andino.

The Blue Jays have lost 10 of their last 12 games. The game took two hours 28 minutes to play.

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Mariners go for 1st sweep of Jays in 12 seasons

The Seattle Mariners have silenced the slumping Toronto Blue Jays this weekend.

If Joe Saunders' latest outing is any indication, the Blue Jays could be in for another long day at the plate in Sunday's series finale.

Seeking a season-high fourth straight win, Seattle turns to Saunders as it tries to complete its first sweep in Toronto in 12 seasons.

After Felix Hernandez baffled the Blue Jays (10-21) in Friday's series opener, Hisashi Iwakuma outpitched R.A. Dickey in Saturday's 8-1 victory. Michael Saunders - a native of British Columbia - hit two homers and Dustin Ackley connected on a grand slam as the Mariners (15-17) cruised to their sixth win in seven games.

Seattle has compiled a 2.00 ERA over that stretch - nearly two runs lower than its season mark of 3.96.

The Mariners have also posted a 2.54 ERA in taking seven of eight from the Blue Jays, but they haven't swept them north of the border since winning all three matchups May 11-13, 2001.

While Seattle continues to roll, Toronto hasn't seen much go its way of late. The Blue Jays have lost eight of nine, including all four games this month by a 25-3 margin.

Third baseman Brett Lawrie saw his average drop back down to .197 after going 0 for 3 on Saturday. Slugging right fielder Jose Bautista is batting just .207.

"We're somewhat of a dysfunctional team right now," Dickey said. "We're kind of searching for a way to score runs, a way to pitch well. We're doing a lot of things poorly.

"We've got a group of great guys. And the chemistry in here, nobody is blaming other people. We're all trying to own what ours is to own in this. But we're not very good right now and everybody knows it."

Getting on track could prove difficult against Saunders (2-3, 5.25 ERA), who scattered four hits while throwing his eighth career complete game Monday in a 6-2 win over Baltimore.

"We knew what Joe was going to do," Orioles catcher Matt Wieters told MLB's official website. "Everyone sort of knows what Joe is going to do. That's why he's good and that's why he's pitched for so long. He's able to make the ball move late and get ground balls and get weak contact."

While Saunders improved to 2-0 with a 0.81 ERA at home, he's 0-3 with a 12.51 mark on the road.

"I don't know what's going on," he said. "I pride myself on being a good road pitcher, and haven't done that well this year. In my mind, I need to be a lot more consistent."

The left-hander, though, has won his last two starts at Rogers Centre while allowing two unearned runs over 14 1-3 innings. Edwin Encarnacion is 0 for 6 in their matchups and Bautista is 2 for 9.

The Blue Jays counter with Brandon Morrow (0-2, 5.29). The right-hander allowed three runs, six hits and three walks over five innings but didn't factor in the decision of Tuesday's 9-7 win over Boston.

Morrow, who spent the first three years of his career with Seattle, is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA against his former team. He's struck out 32 in 23 2-3 innings during those outings.

Morrow will need to be wary of Jason Bay, who figures to be back in the lineup after getting the day off Saturday. The veteran left fielder is batting .435 with two homers and seven RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.

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Ricky Romero unravels early in season debut

Toronto Blue Jays fans got to see both sides of Ricky Romero on Friday.

The left-handed starter pitched three scoreless innings in his season debut before a tough fourth inning cost him the game as Toronto fell to the visiting Seattle Mariners 4-0.

Romero (0-1) struck out four but gave up three earned runs and three walks in the fourth. He was hit in the forearm by a hit from Jesus Montero, but still made the play at home to get a forced out. A popfly by Brendan Ryan ended the inning and Romero was pulled with a knot forming from the shot to his pitching arm.

'Felt good, had some good stuff, had a lot of live movement on the fastballs.'— Jays' Ricky Romero on his first 3 innings

It was a disappointing outcome for the 28-year-old who started the season in the minor leagues after struggling through spring training.

"[The start] felt like the guy I'd been working on this past month in Florida. Felt good, had some good stuff, had a lot of live movement on the fastballs," said Romero. "That fourth inning just kind of got away from me a little bit and unfortunately I got hit by that ball and it got me in a pretty good spot."

Blue Jays (10-20) manager John Gibbons said that X-rays came back negative on Romero's forearm.

"He ran into trouble and he survived that inning," said Gibbons. "He got a couple big outs there late and he got that come-backer, it hit him, but he made a nice play at the plate.

"He ought to feel real good about that game."

Romero has 126 career starts with Toronto, earning a career 51-44 record. He was called up from single-A Dunedin on Thursday after Josh Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed right tricep.

Struggles at home

Romero has lost eight straight decisions over nine starts at Rogers Centre, stretching back to last season.

Felix Hernandez (4-2) pitched an eight-inning shutout with seven strikeouts for Seattle (14-17), while third baseman Kyle Seager led the Mariners with three hits, including a two-run homer.

"[Hernandez is] special. He goes about his business," said Seager. "You give him a couple of runs and you know he's going to take care of the rest."

Jason Bay of Trail, B.C., also had a home run for Seattle.

After three scoreless innings, Romero began to struggle with ball control.

He walked Victoria's Michael Saunders to start the fourth inning, then gave up a home run to Seager. He hit Kendry Morales with a pitch, who advanced to second on a wild pitch.

At this point, Romero seemed bothered by his throwing hand and coaches and a trainer came out to the mound. After a brief meeting, Romero stayed in the game.

"He's got a callus and he kept looking at that, which is why we went out there the first time, but that's no big deal," said Gibbons.

Romero insisted that the callus didn't affect his pitching and that he would've continued the game if he hadn't been struck by the ball.

"[The callus] is something that I've had and we've just been taking care of it," said Romero. "I think I just lost control of where the fastball was going. Almost seemed like I was spiking it.

"One of the things we've been working on is pitching down in the zone and I think that at times I was a little bit too down."

Control problems

Romero's troubles returned after striking our Michael Morse as he walked Bay and Justin Smoak to load the bases.

A single by Dustin Ackley cashed in Morales and the come-backer by Montero forced an out at home. Brendan Ryan then popped out to second to end the fourth but the damage was done: Romero had faced all nine Mariners hitters in a single inning and Toronto trailed 3-0.

"I thought he was great, I really did," said Gibbons of Romero. "He ran into some trouble there that last inning with some walks and hitting the batter, but overall I thought he should feel good about that outing, something to build off of.

"At the beginning of the game I thought he was dynamite. I know he's a little disappointed in that, but I think it's a good starting point.

Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup got through the fifth without any trouble, but then gave up a solo home run to Bay in the sixth after Morse grounded out. Smoak and Ackley hit back-to-back singles to put runners at first and second.

Montero hit a ball to deep right field, but Jose Bautista caught the ball at the wall and fired it in to second base to keep either runner from advancing. Ryan then hit into a forced out at second to end the inning.

Reliever Esmil Rogers had a three up, three down seventh inning for Toronto, but Hernandez stayed dominant. Bautista singled to left field, but Edwin Encarnacion hit into a double play. Hernandez then struck out J.P. Arencibia to retire the side and maintain Seattle's 4-0 lead.

The Blue Jays threatened again in the eighth inning as first baseman Adam Lind hit a double to deep centre-right field. He advanced to third when Colby Rasmus singled into right field.

Toronto was neutralized when Maicer Izturis hit the ball directly to Ryan, who threw Rasmus out at first. Munenori Kawasaki then ground out to short to end the Blue Jays' inning.

"I wish I could've gotten deeper into the game, especially the way the bullpen's been worked these past few games," said Romero. "Just looking forward to working for my next one."

Tom Wilhelmsen came in to pitch the Mariners' ninth inning, inducing a ground out and a pop fly before walking Bautista. He then ended the game by striking out Encarnacion.

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Blue Jays look to R.A. Dickey vs. Mariners

Some back and neck pain won't keep R.A. Dickey from making his next start.

The knuckleballer looks to avoid a third straight defeat while trying to help keep the Toronto Blue Jays from a fourth consecutive loss Saturday against the surging Seattle Mariners.

Dickey (2-4, 4.50 ERA) underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed mild inflammation in his neck and back. Manager John Gibbons opted to give the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner an extra day of rest.

"The doctors indicated that it's just a matter of time before it goes away," Gibbons told the Blue Jays' official website. "But you keep irritating it when you throw it, but we need him out there and he wants to be out there. Plus, they looked at it and there's nothing serious at all."

The right-hander has allowed seven runs and walked six over 13 innings to lose two straight after he yielded a run and three walks in 12 1-3 innings to win the previous two. Dickey, who gave up three runs on two homers and two other hits in seven innings of a 3-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, understands he must work through his health issues.

"If I have to battle it for a while, I'll battle it for a while until it goes away," he said. "It gets marginally better between starts. It's just that when I have to start it breaks down again."

Dickey, who went 5-8 with a 5.21 ERA in 32 games for Seattle in 2008, is 3-1 with a 4.43 ERA in nine appearances against the Mariners. His only start came in 2005 with Texas when he gave up six runs in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-6 victory.

He will try to help the Blue Jays (10-20) find a way to regroup after being outscored 17-2 in three games since Tuesday's 9-7 win over Boston. Toronto managed five hits against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez and closer Tom Wilhelmsen while losing for the seventh time in eight games, 4-0 on Friday.

The Blue Jays have dropped six of seven against the Mariners (14-17) and could have a hard time against Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1, 1.67), who is 0-1 in his last three starts despite allowing two earned runs and striking out 21 in 17 innings.

His teammates have scored one run during that span with the right-hander on the mound.

Iwakuma yielded an unearned run, three hits and fanned eight in six innings of a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. He said a blister that he's had on his middle finger all season was not much of a problem.

"It's a lot better than the last start," Iwakuma told the Mariners' official website. "So hopefully we're making progress from here on."

Iwakuma faced Toronto twice in 2012, including one start when he gave up a leadoff homer to Rajai Davis and three other hits while striking out 13 in eight innings of a 4-1 home win July 30.

Kyle Seager hit a three-run homer for one of his three hits Friday as the Mariners won for the fifth time in six games.

Seager is batting .370 with four home runs and 14 RBIs while hitting safely in 20 of 21 games. He's batted .514 (18 for 35) during a nine-game hitting streak against the Blue Jays.

Teammate Dustin Ackley is batting .395 in his last 12 contests.

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Ricky Romero returns to start for Blue Jays

After getting off to a so-so start, Felix Hernandez is back to being a dominant pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. That has hardly been the case when he's faced the Toronto Blue Jays in his career.

Hernandez has been pounded in his last two starts against Toronto, but he enters Friday night's opener of a three-game series on his best run of 2013.

The right-hander went 1-2 with a 3.05 ERA in his first three outings this season before turning things around over his last three. He's 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA over that span, allowing 15 hits and two walks while striking out 28 in 22 innings.

Hernandez (3-2, 1.90 ERA) gave up one earned run and five hits in eight innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Saturday.

"Like always, he throw an invisible ball. It's unbelievable," catcher Jesus Montero said. "He settled in so great."

Hernandez's pitches haven't been so invisible to the Blue Jays. He's gone 3-4 with a 5.13 ERA in nine starts against them - easily his highest ERA versus a team he's faced more than once - and his last two matchups have been particularly one-sided.

Hernandez has allowed seven runs in each outing while giving up 22 hits over 10 innings. He lasted four innings and lost 8-3 at Toronto on Sept. 13 in his last start in the series.

He'll be looking to end those struggles while helping the Mariners (13-17) stay hot. They beat Baltimore 8-3 on Wednesday for their fifth victory in seven games following a 2-7 stretch.

"I feel like our guys have taken significant steps and what you are seeing now is more the norm in regard to what our guys are capable of," manager Eric Wedge said. "The way we're going to go about doing it is to be a complete team and to be able to count on all areas of our club."

Michael Morse hit his third homer in four games, a two-run shot, to become the first Mariner to have nine home runs in the team's first 30 games since Mike Cameron in 2002. Morse is 6 for 15 with four RBIs in the past four games.

Seattle now plays five straight and 14 of 17 on the road, where it has lost seven of eight.

The Mariners were scheduled to face Josh Johnson on Friday night, but the Blue Jays (10-19) placed him on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of inflammation in his right triceps.

Ricky Romero will take his place after struggling in spring training and beginning the season in the minors to work on his mechanics. The left-hander was an All-Star in 2011, but he went 9-14 with a 5.77 ERA in 32 starts last season.

Romero, who made one start for Class A Dunedin and allowed one run in seven innings, is 1-3 with a 3.88 ERA in eight starts against the Mariners.

"Everything we've seen, it's been really good," manager John Gibbons told the Blue Jays' official website. "... He's had a lot of work, he just hasn't had a lot of game action."

Toronto lost for the sixth time in seven games Thursday, 3-1 to Boston at home. The Blue Jays also scored once in falling to the Red Sox on Wednesday.

"If we keep beating ourselves up it's going to be a long year," third baseman Brett Lawrie said. "I think it's time we start putting stuff behind us and just come here and play baseball."

Seattle had won five in a row against the Blue Jays until they roughed up Hernandez in September.

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Mark Buehrle bitten by long ball in Jays' loss

recap

Red Sox homer 5 times in 10-1 rout

The Canadian Press

Posted: May 1, 2013 10:21 PM ET

Last Updated: May 2, 2013 1:49 AM ET

 

The Toronto Blue Jays were hoping Wednesday's game against Boston would allow them to build off an impressive comeback win in the series opener the night before.

Instead the Red Sox showed why they have the best record in the major leagues.

Boston slugged five home runs and starter Clay Buchholz was masterful over seven shutout innings as the Red Sox crushed the Blue Jays 10-1 at Rogers Centre. Mike Napoli's second homer of the game came in Boston's four-run seventh inning as the Red Sox improved to 19-8.

"Really we didn't get anything going to stay in the game," said Jays manager John Gibbons. "But like I said it was still manageable and we were still within striking distance going into the seventh inning and it exploded.

"And then it was out of hand."

Stephen Drew, Daniel Nava and Mike Carp also homered for the Red Sox. Buchholz (6-0) allowed just two singles over seven shutout innings, lowering his earned-run average to 1.01.

"It's fun pitching good," he said. "I'll try to ride the wave as long as it's there."

First to 6 wins

The right-hander walked three and had eight strikeouts, throwing 66 of his 101 pitches for strikes. Buchholz leads the major leagues with six victories on the season.

"When you're able to command both sides of the plate and cut it and sink it on both sides of the plate, you know that's why he's been doing as (well) as he's been doing," said Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia.

Toronto (10-18) opened the three-game set Tuesday with a 9-7 victory that offered a glimmer of hope that this might be the series where they turn things around. But the Blue Jays were handcuffed by Buchholz and simply could not put a rally together.

The Blue Jays scored their lone run in the eighth off reliever Alex Wilson when Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., tripled to score Maicer Izturis.

Boston got to Toronto starter Mark Buehrle (1-2) in the second inning. Will Middlebrooks reached after being hit by a pitch and Drew followed with his first homer of the season, pulling a 1-0 fastball into the second deck beside the right-field foul pole.

Munenori Kawasaki hit a one-out single in the third for Toronto's first hit but was left stranded when Lawrie and Colby Rasmus struck out.

The Red Sox used the long ball again in the fourth inning.

Homerfest

Napoli crushed a no-doubt blast to deep centre field for his fifth homer of the season. Nava followed with a solo shot of his own, also his fifth homer on the year, to make it a four-run game.

The Red Sox loaded the bases in the sixth but Buehrle got out of the jam with a double play.

The veteran left-hander was pulled with two outs in the seventh after issuing a walk to Jonny Gomes. Buehrle gave up five earned runs, seven hits, three walks and had one strikeout.

'When the roof is closed and it's warm in here, the ball definitely flies.'— Red Sox 1st baseman Mike Napoli

Reliever Esmil Rogers came on and gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia to put runners on the corners. Rogers then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Gomes to score Boston's fifth run.

Pedroia advanced to second and Ortiz was intentionally walked. Napoli followed with a monster blast into the third deck in left-centre field to make it 8-0.

"When the roof is closed and it's warm in here, the ball definitely flies," Napoli said. "We've got guys that obviously can hit some good fly balls that carry here. This is a very good hitter's ballpark and we were able to put some good swings on pitches."

The Blue Jays threatened in the bottom half of the frame. Adam Lind drew a one-out walk and moved to third when Melky Cabrera singled to right field.

Cabrera tried to stretch it into a double but Nava threw a strike to second base to get him by a few feet. Arencibia struck out to end the threat.

Izturis singled off Wilson in the eighth inning for Toronto's third hit of the game. Wilson was pulled after walking Jose Bautista.

Clayton Mortensen came on in relief and got Edwin Encarnacion to ground out.

Carp hit a solo shot off reliever Justin Germano in the ninth inning. Napoli added a ground-rule double and scored on a Nava single.

Boston outhit Toronto 15-4. The game took two hours 52 minutes to play and announced attendance was 21,094.

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Blue Jays in tough with Ryan Dempster, Red Sox

Finally getting some run support, Ryan Dempster picked up his first win in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

The veteran right-hander could be in line for another if the MLB-leading Red Sox can continue their power surge versus the Blue Jays.

Dempster, a native of British Columbia, will make his first start in Toronto and first in Canada in a decade on Thursday night when Boston goes for its fourth consecutive series win.

Signed to a two-year deal in the offseason, Dempster (1-2, 3.30 ERA) went 0-2 through his first four starts with the Red Sox (19-8) totaling 12 runs in those contests. It was a different story on Friday, when Boston pounded out nine extra-base hits among its season-high 17 overall to back Dempster to the 7-3 win.

"(His splitter) was like some Nintendo stuff going on out there," catcher Davis Ross said.

Dempster struck out 10 for the second time in three starts.

"It's always nice to get the first win out of the way, especially the first one with a new team, and hopefully I can build off that and work toward another," he told the Red Sox' official website.

Dempster last faced the Blue Jays in a relief appearance in 2005 while with the Chicago Cubs, and his last appearance north of the border was April 19, 2003, when he pitched in Montreal while with Cincinnati. Dempster went 5-0 with a 3.71 ERA in nine starts visiting the Expos.

He can only hope his teammates' bats stay hot when he tries to send the Blue Jays (10-18) to their 12th defeat in 16 games. Led by Mike Napoli's two homers - tying Will Middlebrooks for a team-best four versus Toronto this season - Boston hit five out of the park in Wednesday's 10-1 win. The Red Sox, who hit three long balls in Tuesday's 9-7 loss, now have one more homer against Toronto (16) than the rest of their opponents combined.

"When the roof is closed and it's warm in here, the ball definitely flies,'' said manager John Farrell, whose club has a major league-best 8-3 road record.

Trying to slow down the Red Sox will be J.A. Happ (2-1, 3.86), who knows he'll have to cut down on his walks. The left-hander gave up two free passes in his last start, both of which scored on a Travis Hafner's three-run homer in Toronto's 5-4 loss at the New York Yankees on Saturday, and has 11 overall.

"It's something that can't happen,'' Happ said. "Maybe I was trying to overanalyze out there, set myself down to bring myself up, but we're well beyond that point. I've just got to figure it out quicker.''

Happ had it figured out against Boston in his first start of the season in a 5-0 win on April 6, combining with two relievers on a two-hitter.

The southpaw will get his first look at David Ortiz this season, who has hit safely in each of his 10 games since coming off the DL on April 20.

Ortiz, 0 for 2 off Happ, is riding a career-best 22-game hitting streak dating to last season.

Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion, who had his eight-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday, is 1 for 11 off Dempster. So is Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus.

Boston has outscored Toronto 36-19 while winning three of five meetings this season, all played at Rogers Centre.

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Edwin Encarnacion's bat bails out Jays 'pen

Edwin Encarnacion's first home run of the night got everyone's attention.

His second blast gave the Toronto Blue Jays a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Encarnacion drove in four runs in all and Rajai Davis scored three times to lead Toronto to a wild 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The victory ended the Blue Jays' four-game skid and put a stop to Boston's five-game winning streak.

The come-from-behind win also gave the Blue Jays (10-17) a much-needed injection of confidence after a series sweep in New York.

"It's big for us right now," Encarnacion said. "The way we've been playing the last couple of games — we haven't been playing great. So winning the opener of this homestand is very important for us. So we're going to keep the head up, keep working, keep going."

Encarnacion launched a two-run blast into the fifth deck in the fifth inning and restored Toronto's lead with a two-run shot in the seventh to put Toronto ahead 8-7. The Blue Jays added an insurance run in the eighth when Colby Rasmus drove in J.P. Arencibia with a one-out single.

"We've got a good hitting team," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "It's been kind of silent but I mean there's some pretty good hitters in that lineup. We've been saying it over and over that it's just a matter of time.

"Hopefully this is the time and we get on a little roll."

Reliever Steve Delabar (2-1) got two outs for the victory and closer Casey Janssen pitched the ninth for his seventh save. David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs for the Red Sox, who still own the best record in the major leagues at 18-8.

Arencibia and Rasmus had two hits apiece for Toronto. Both teams had nine hits on the night.

"They've got a quick-strike offence and they swung the bats very well tonight," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of his former team. "They didn't miss pitches when they got them on the plate."

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow allowed six hits and three earned runs over five innings, striking out seven and walking three.

Encarnacion's first blast was just inside the foul pole and estimated at 419 feet. He became the 14th player to hit a homer into the stadium's fifth deck and first since Shelley Duncan on May 31, 2011.

The homer gave Toronto a 6-3 lead but Boston kept chipping away. Jonny Gomes hit his first homer of the season — a solo shot — off reliever Aaron Loup in the sixth and the Red Sox took advantage of some sloppy defence in the seventh to take the lead for the first time.

Daniel Nava hit a potential double-play ball to Munenori Kawasaki but the Toronto shortstop threw wide to second baseman Maicer Izturis. Delabar then replaced Loup and walked Pedroia to load the bases.

That set the stage for Ortiz, who stroked a double to right-centre field that brought three runs across.

Encarnacion answered in the bottom half of the frame with his second no-doubt homer of the game, this one off reliever Junichi Tazawa (2-1). It was a welcome sight for Toronto fans who had grown increasingly pessimistic after a tough opening month of the season.

"We could have disappeared after Ortiz's big hit, but we didn't," Gibbons said.

Boston starter Jon Lester gave up five earned runs and six hits over six innings. He walked two batters and had five strikeouts.

"It was one of those nights for me from pitch one," he said. "I just wasn't able to repeat the ball down in the zone and that's big. Curveball just kind of rolled in there and I didn't have a very effective change-up."

Davis opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. The speedy designated hitter drew a walk and stole second before scoring easily on a Jose Bautista double off the centre-field wall.

Morrow, who fanned Ortiz and Mike Napoli to end the first inning, made it five strikeouts in a row by whiffing the side in the second inning.

Toronto put up three runs in the third after loading the bases with nobody out. Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., hit a liner that just missed Lester's head and sailed into centre field.

Lester appeared a little rattled after the play. He hit Davis with a pitch and walked Bautista on four straight pitches.

Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia tried to pick Bautista off first base but his throw was wide, allowing Lawrie and Davis to score without a throw. Bautista moved to second and later scored on a double down the left-field line by Arencibia.

The Red Sox touched up Morrow for a couple runs in the fourth inning.

Ortiz hit a rainbow solo shot to centre field and Mike Carp added a solo blast to deep right-centre later in the frame. It was the third homer of the season for Ortiz and the first for Carp.

Morrow walked Saltalamacchia but got out of the jam when Lawrie dived to his left to spear a hard-hit ball from Will Middlebrooks to start a nifty 5-4-3 double play.

The Red Sox cut into the lead again in the fifth inning. After a pair of singles, Dustin Pedroia lashed a pitch to centre field to score Stephen Drew from second base.

Rasmus came up throwing but was a little high with his throw home. Drew slid wide to avoid the tag while dragging his hand across the plate, making it a one-run game.

Morrow struck out Ortiz and picked off Pedroia at second base to get out of the jam.

The game took three hours 14 minutes to play. Announced attendance was 22,915.

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Red Sox bring out strut in Blue Jays

Clay Buchholz is the first Boston Red Sox pitcher in six seasons to win his first five starts.

The right-hander is the only Red Sox starter ever to win six consecutive decisions at Toronto.

Buchholz will try to extend those streaks - and become the majors' first six-game winner - on Wednesday night when the Red Sox seek to bounce back from their first defeat in six games.

After going 0-5 with a 5.62 ERA in his final eight outings of 2012, Buchholz (5-0, 1.19 ERA) is off to a brilliant start for the MLB-best Red Sox (18-8). The right-hander matched his career high for consecutive winning starts by throwing 7 2-3 innings of two-run ball in Thursday's 7-2 win over Houston.

"If he doesn't have his best stuff, he finds a way to get it done," catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia told the Red Sox' official website after Buchholz struck out 10. "... That's what Clay's able to do."

The last Red Sox starter to win his first five starts was Josh Beckett, who opened 7-0 in 2007.

"Last couple of years I've been a slow starter, so it feels good to be out there and have a little bit of confidence early on, and that helps a lot,'' said Buchholz, who was 7-8 with a 5.19 ERA in April heading into 2013. "Guys are playing well behind me. Things are going right.''

Things couldn't have gone much better for Buchholz in his last seven starts in Toronto. He's 6-0 with a 1.27 ERA during that stretch after not earning a decision in his last start there, a 3-2 win on Sept. 15.

The Red Sox are hoping for another solid start from Buchholz north of the border after getting denied a team-record 19th April win on Tuesday, losing 9-7 in the series opener.

"They've got a quick-strike offense and they swung the bats very well tonight,'' said John Farrell, the Blue Jays' former manager. "They didn't miss pitches when they got them on the plate.''

Edwin Encarnacion hit a pair of homers - including the first one into the upper deck at Rogers Centre since 2011 - to help Toronto (10-17) end a season-worst four-game skid and avoid its first 18-loss April.

"Winning a game like this, that's what we need right now," he said.

Wednesday's scheduled starter Mark Buehrle (1-1, 6.35) needs a victory following a rough first month with the club. In his last outing, the veteran southpaw was tagged for a season-high three homers, including a three-run shot by Robinson Cano in a 5-3 loss at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

"That's the thing about this game that sometimes makes it frustrating," said Buehrle, 28-16 with a 3.23 ERA in 65 May starts. "They get two infield hits, and I put it right where I want to and it's three runs.''

Buehrle, 6-8 with a 4.64 ERA lifetime versus Boston, better be careful where he puts the ball against David Ortiz, who is 22 for 61 (.361) with three homers and eight doubles in that matchup.

Since coming off the DL nine games ago, Ortiz has 18 hits in 36 at-bats. He hit his third homer on Tuesday and drove in a season-high four, extending his RBI streak to six.

Encarnacion is 10 for 30 with seven homers and 12 RBIs in an eight-game hitting streak, but he has one hit - a single - in 15 at-bats against Buchholz.

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