Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2
Left fielder Darnell McDonald threw out Edwin Encarnacion at the plate to end the game as the host Boston Red Sox held off the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Boston entered the ninth with a 3-0 lead before Jose Bautista cracked his major league-leading 28th homer - a two-run shot off closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Papelbon also allowed a single to Encarnacion and a walk. With two outs, John McDonald singled but McDonald fired a strike to catcher Jason Varitek, who blocked the plate and tagged out Encarnacion.
Boston starter Jon Lester left the game after four innings with a 2-0 lead with what was diagnosed as a left lat strain. He didn’t allow a hit and struck out five in 50 pitches.
Boston went ahead 2-0 in the second on an RBI double by Varitek and a run-scoring single J.D. Drew. Dustin Pedroia added a solo homer in the third.
Matt Albers (3-3) picked up the win in relief. He allowed one hit in two innings.
Toronto's Brett Cecil (1-4) went the distance, and allowed seven hits and three runs. Bautista also singled in the sixth for the Blue Jays' first hit.