Blue Jays blank Red Sox behind Sanchez
TORONTO -- Aaron Sanchez tossed seven-plus scoreless innings, while Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello homered in the Blue Jays' 7-0 victory over the Red Sox on Friday night at Rogers Centre.
Sanchez once again battled some control problems, but he was able to overcome five walks and one hit batter by allowing just two hits. He generated a lot of weak contact and struck out three in the first quality start of his career. Sanchez threw 59 of his 108 pitches for strikes and Boston went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position while he was on the mound.
"I felt like I got more out of my pitches thrown tonight than I did in Boston," said Sanchez, who allowed four runs -- three earned -- over 5 2/3 innings during his last outing against the Red Sox. "The walks are the biggest thing from start one to start six, but I had a better feel for everything more so than I did in Boston. I attacked the hitters. … I executed the pitches a lot better than I did there."
Video: BOS@TOR: Donaldson drives a solo home run to left
The home runs by Donaldson and Colabello were both solo shots that came off left-hander Wade Miley. Toronto also added two runs off Boston's starter in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Danny Valencia and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kevin Pillar.
Video: BOS@TOR: Valencia grounds an RBI single up the middle
Miley took the loss after being charged with four runs on eight hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 6.91, but it was the third time this season he surrendered at least four runs in a start.
Video: BOS@TOR: Miley strikes out Pillar to start the inning
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Red Sox can't convert with bases loaded: Boston was primed to climb back into a 2-0 game in the fourth after Sanchez walked two before hitting Allen Craig to load the bases with nobody out . But the Red Sox continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, missing a chance to convert as Blake Swihart went down looking before Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Red Sox could only muster one hit through seven innings. The next nine Red Sox batters went down in order after that. All told, they could only muster two hits against Sanchez.
Video: BOS@TOR: Goins starts double play to end inning
Colabello's early surge continues: Colabello continued his recent surge with an opposite-field homer during the second inning. Colabello began his tenure in a Blue Jays uniform on Tuesday and since that time has gone 7-for-11 with a homer, two doubles, four runs scored and three RBIs. He was originally expected to lose playing time when Michael Saunders returns to the lineup on Saturday afternoon, but the hot bat may force the club to find a spot for him.
Video: BOS@TOR: Colabello sends a solo homer to right-center
Sanchez leaves to standing 'O': Sanchez walked off the field in the top of the eighth inning to a standing ovation from the 30,430 fans in attendance at Rogers Centre. He left with two men on base and nobody out, but Blue Jays left-hander Aaron Loup escaped the inning without any runs scoring. That provided a positive ending to the best start of Sanchez's career. Even though he walked at least five batters for the third time this season he tossed a career-high seven innings. More >
QUOTABLE
"He can hit, that's his reputation. He's a dangerous hitter." -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, on Colabello's second-inning home run
"This lineup is going to hit. We're capable of it. Right now it's a little slow, but like I said, this lineup is going to hit." -- Miley, on the struggles of Boston's lineup
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Blue Jays have recorded at least one extra-base hit in every game this season. Entering play on Friday, the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees and Braves were the other four teams who accomplished a similar feat.
REPLAY REVIEW
The Blue Jays challenged in the top of the third when Bogaerts reached base on a fielding error by third baseman Donaldson, who bobbled the grounder before firing to first, where Bogaerts beat the throw by a half-step. The call on the field was confirmed and Toronto lost its one challenge for the game.
Video: BOS@TOR: Safe call at first base confirmed in the 3rd
Even though Toronto didn't have any challenges remaining, crew chief Gary Cederstrom agreed to review a disputed call in the seventh. Craig hit a sharp grounder that shortstop Ryan Goins made a diving play on. Goins made a quick throw to first, and while Cederstrom called Allen safe on the play, the call was later overturned.
Video: BOS@TOR: Safe call at first overturned in the 7th
The umpires also looked at a triple off the top of the wall in the eighth by Jose Bautista to make sure the ball didn't leave the park and that call was confirmed.
Video: BOS@TOR: Call in center confirmed in the 8th
WHAT'S NEXT
Red Sox: Righty Joe Kelly will make his sixth start at 1:07 p.m. ET. Kelly allowed five earned runs over six innings in his last outing against the Blue Jays. He's 1-1 with a 5.72 ERA on the season. David Ortiz will return to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension in the series opener.
Blue Jays: Right-hander Drew Hutchison will look to get his season back on track when he takes the mound on Saturday afternoon. Hutchison has made it out of the fifth inning just twice in six starts this year but is still without a loss thanks to plenty of run support in each of his outings. Hutchison previously faced Boston on April 28 and allowed six runs in four plus innings of work.
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