TORONTO - Catcher J.P. Arencibia's bases-loaded single highlighted a three-run sixth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Tuesday night.
Arencibia's blast to centre field off reliever Justin Thomas scored two runs and helped Toronto even its three-game series with Boston, delighting the Rogers Centre crowd of 26,251.
On Monday night, an enthusiastic sellout of 48,473 watched the Red Sox rally for a 4-2 victory to spoil the Blue Jays' home opener.
Designated-hitter Edwin Encarnacion homered for Toronto (3-2).
Arencibia came into the sixth hitting a paltry .059. His one hit before Tuesday was a dramatic three-run homer in the 16th inning that earned Toronto a season-opening 7-4 win over Cleveland on April 5.
The Blue Jays' three-run outburst made a winner of Kyle Drabek (1-0). The right-hander looked solid over five shutout innings before getting into trouble in the sixth, giving up a leadoff walk to Jacoby Ellsbury and a double to Dustin Pedroia.
Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly scored Ellsbury to cut Toronto's lead to 3-1 but Drabek's night was done after walking David Ortiz. He left after 5 1-3 innings, giving up three hits, one earned run and three walks while fanning four in favour of Jason Frasor, who got Kevin Youkilis to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Boston's Daniel Bard (0-1), making his first major league start after 192 career bullpen appearances, didn't last much longer. He left with runners at first and third with none out in the sixth after Edwin Encarnacion walked, stole second and went to third on Canadian Brett Lawrie's infield single.
Right-hander Thomas came on but walked Eric Thames to load the bases then gave up Arencibia's single and Colby Rasmus's run-scoring sacrifice fly that put Toronto ahead 6-1.
Bard surrendered five earned runs, eight hits and a walk while fanning six for Boston (1-4).
Encarnacion gave Toronto a 7-1 lead with a solo homer, his first of the season, off right-hander Michael Bowden in the seventh.
Reliever Casey Janssen quickly got two strikeouts to open the ninth for Toronto but the Red Sox loaded the bases before Gonzalez's two-run single cut Boston's deficit to 7-3. But Janssen struck out Ortiz to end the game.
Toronto opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Encarnacion's infield single brought home Yunel Escobar, who had a leadoff single and went to third on Adam Lind's two-out double. Encarnacion stole second to put two runners in scoring position but Bard fanned Lawrie to end the threat.
Boston had runners at first and second with one out in the top of the second on Youkilis's double and Ryan Sweeney's walk. But after leading off the inning by striking out Ortiz, Drabek got out of the jam by fanning Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Toronto went ahead 3-0 in the third on RBI singles by Adam Lind and Lawrie. Lind's hit scored Escobar, who had a leadoff single and went to second on Kelly Johnson's infield hit.
Lawrie's two-out single brought Johnson home but Bard got Thames out to end the inning.
Notes: Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors threw out the ceremonial first pitch . . . Action was delayed briefly in Toronto's half of the third when a fan jumped on to the field, stripped down to his underwear and began running around. on the turf. He deftly eluded security initially before tiring, being tackled, handcuffed and led away . . . The series concludes Wednesday afternoon with Toronto's Ricky Romero facing Boston's Jon Lester in a battle of left-handers. The Blue Jays are off Thursday before opening a three-game series with Baltimore on Friday . . . Following Wednesday's game, Boston will be off Thursday before playing its home opener Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays to start a four-game series.
