Blue Jays 5, Red Sox 0
J.P. Arencibia and Colby Rasmus each homered and four pitchers combined on a two-hitter as Toronto cruised past visiting Boston.
J.A. Happ (1-0) yielded a leadoff double to Jacoby Ellsbury before retiring 16 of the next 18 batters he faced. The left-hander, who departed after walking Shane Victorino with one out in the sixth, walked three and struck out six.
John Lackey (0-1), who missed the 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, struck out eight through 4 1/3 innings. Lackey yielded Arencibia’s two-run shot in the fourth but left the contest in obvious discomfort after suffering a upper right arm injury on a 2-2 slider that nearly hit Jose Reyes. The 34-year-old was diagnosed with a right biceps strain.
After Lackey departed, the Blue Jays roughed up reliever Alfredo Aceves in the sixth. Adam Lind drew a leadoff walk and stole second after Arencibia struck out. Mark DeRosa followed with a six-pitch walk and Rasmus lifted Aceves’ fastball off the second-deck façade in right-center field to stretch the Toronto lead to 5-0.
Steve Delabar and Aaron Loup combined for 2 2/3 innings of perfect relief before Dustin Pedroia ended the Red Sox’s hit drought with a single to shallow left off Sergio Santos in the ninth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Toronto RF Jose Bautista was held out of the lineup for a second straight game because of a sore right ankle. OF Rajai Davis once again started in his place and went 1-for-4. … The Red Sox averaged 11.8 hits over their first four games. … Boston's two hits matched the fewest it has recorded against the Blue Jays, the sixth time it has occurred.