Yoenis Cespedes singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the Boston Red Sox survived a ninth-inning collapse to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Monday night, snapping their losing streak at eight games.
Cespedes has 19 RBIs in 22 games since being traded to Boston on July 31. Seven of those 19 RBIs have given the Red Sox a lead.
Brock Holt hit a one-out single off Aaron Sanchez (2-1) in the 10th and stole second as Dustin Pedroia struck out, with the steal confirmed by video review. Holt stole third before Cespedes drove him in with a single up the middle.
Boston won for the first time since August 16 against Houston and snapped a six-game skid against the stumbling Blue Jays, who dropped to 6-15 in August.
Koji Uehara (6-4) got the win despite blowing his fourth save in 30 chances, and Craig Breslow finished for his first save in two chances.
Toronto managed just two singles against Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz through the first eight innings, but rallied in the ninth after Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera delivered back-to-back hits and Jose Bautista walked to load the bases.
Uehara came on and got Adam Lind to ground into a fielder’s choice as Reyes scored. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a two-run double beyond the reach of a leaping Cespedes in left, tying it at 3-3.
Mookie Betts hit a one-out drive into the second deck in the fifth, his first homer since July 2. Two batters later, Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run shot, his first since August 3.
It was Boston’s first multihomer inning since July 21, also at Toronto, when they hit two in the fifth inning of a 14-1 rout. The Red Sox have hit 12 home runs at Rogers Centre this season, their highest total at any road stadium.
Both homers came off Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ, who allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.
Boston won despite playing without slugger David Ortiz, who sat out with of a bruised right foot. Ortiz left Sunday’s game against Seattle in the sixth, two innings after fouling a ball off his foot. Manager John Farrell said he’s “hopeful” that Ortiz will be able to return Tuesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: With SS Xander Bogaerts on the 7-day concussion disabled list, Farrell said Holt will handle the position until Bogaerts is able to return. Holt has played all four infield positions and all three outfield spots this season. Boston selected INF Carlos Rivero from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace Bogaerts.
Blue Jays: Manager John Gibbons said he doesn’t believe there’s anything wrong with closer Casey Janssen, who’s 0-1 with two blown saves and a 6.59 ERA since the All-Star break. Janssen missed the first 37 games of the season with a back injury.
UP NEXT
Red Sox RH Rubby De La Rosa (4-5) faces Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (10-12) on Tuesday. De La Rosa has allowed nine hits four times this season, with two of those starts coming against Toronto. Dickey won for the first time in four starts against Milwaukee last week but worked just 5 2-3 innings, his shortest outing since June 4 at Detroit.