BOSTON -- The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to start another long winning streak.
Rollie Fingers Padres Jersey . They might have a better chance if they didnt keep falling so far behind. After winning 11
consecutive games, the Blue Jays dropped their fourth in the last five with a
7-5 loss to the Red Sox on Friday night after erasing a five-run deficit. One
night earlier, they lost to Boston 7-4 after falling behind by seven. "What
makes it tough is we came back and tied it" on Friday, Blue Jays manager John
Gibbons said, "but its never easy playing catch-up and thats what weve had to
do." Josh Johnson left after 3 1-3 innings trailing 5-0, but Toronto tied it in
the sixth on Edwin Encarnacions 23rd homer of the year, a solo shot. "They
chipped away, did a really good job," Johnson said. "I should have still been in
the game but I didnt do my job." Toronto charged back into contention in the AL
East with that 11-game surge, then went on the road and lost two of three to
Tampa Bay before coming to Boston. "We played so good for so long," Gibbons
said. "Thats the way the game works sometimes. Youre bound to cool off a little
bit." Koji Uehara keeps getting hotter as Bostons new closer. He had his third
perfect save in three days. "Im going to tell them that Im not available
tomorrow," a laughing Uehara said through a translator. Joel Hanrahan had blown
four of his six save opportunities and had a 9.82 ERA before Tommy John elbow
surgery ended his season. Andrew Bailey also struggled and blew two consecutive
save chances before manager John Farrell turned to his third option, Uehara.
"After he went through his throwing program, he said he was good to go" for a
third straight day, Farrell said. "So, we were in a save situation, he was going
to be the guy." Jonny Gomes put Uehara in that situation when he broke a tie
with a bases-loaded, pinch-hit single in the two-run seventh. "Im a grinder," he
said. "Im willing to take one off the neck for the team. Youve definitely got to
be confident." Gomes hadnt played in five of the previous six games, but is 4
for 12 with two homers and three RBIs as a pinch hitter. He also is hitting .321
with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox had 15 hits, giving them at least
10 for the sixth time in seven games. They have 93 hits over that span. Andrew
Miller (1-2) got the win with 1 1-3 scoreless innings. The Red Sox won their
fourth in a row and improved to 49-33, the best record in the AL and 3 1/2 games
over second-place Baltimore in the AL East. Theyre 16 games over .500 for the
first time since they finished the 2011 season at 90-72. Last season, the Red
Sox won just 69 games. With the score tied at 5, Shane Victorino and Dustin
Pedroia singled in the seventh off Neil Wagner (1-2). Brett Cecil relieved and
both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Mike Napoli walked, loading the
bases. Gomes, pinch hitting for Daniel Nava, then lined a single past third
baseman Maicer Izturis for the go-ahead run. Darren Oliver came in and walked
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, forcing in the second run of the inning. Boston had led
5-0 through four innings against Johnson. But Toronto scored four runs in the
next two innings and tied it in the seventh. "We battled to come back and tie it
and then they dropped two on us again real quick," Gibbons said, "but the
bullpen cant be perfect every night." Uehara has been. He struck out two of the
three batters he faced in each of the last three games -- one against Colorado
and two against Toronto. "Theyve been trying to find that guy ever since
Hanrahan went down and then Bailey struggled," Gibbons said. "He seems like the
perfect guy for it." The Red Sox went ahead 2-0 in the second on a walk to
Napoli, a single by Nava and Stephen Drews sixth triple of the season and third
in four games. Napoli singled in a run in the third before the Red Sox scored
two in the fourth when Drew started the rally with a one-out double. He left the
game with a tight right hamstring and Brandon Snyder pinch ran. Jose Iglesias
then singled and both runners scored on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury. After four
shutout innings, Red Sox rookie Allen Webster struggled in the fifth when he
allowed RBI singles to Jose Bautista and Encarnacion and a sacrifice fly to Adam
Lind. Izturis made it 5-4 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Notes: Farrell said
Drew is day-to-day. ... Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to nine games and
increased his AL-high total to 22 hits leading off an inning. ... Toronto SS
Jose Reyes singled in the third, his first hit since he returned Wednesday after
missing 66 games with a severely sprained left ankle. ... Boston rookie SS
Iglesias went 2 for 4 and has 52 hits in 124 at bats. ... Johnson, who came to
Toronto from Miami after last season, got his only win with the Blue Jays in his
previous start, a 13-5 victory over Baltimore. ... Esmil Rogers (3-3) pitches
for Toronto on Saturday against Felix Doubront (4-3) in the third game of the
four-game series.
Randy Jones Jersey . - The Florida Panthers are getting some Army training to finish off their preparations for the season.
Dave Winfield Padres Jersey . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as
part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday
night.Receiver Jamel Richardsons move to Toronto may have hit a stumbling block.
Acording to Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette, sources say Richardson
failed his physical with the Argonauts on Wednesday. Ricahrdson was released by
the Montreal Alouettes last week after it was expected he would miss half thhe
season while he continues to recover from a knee injury suffered last year.
Matt Kemp Padres Jersey. A 10-year veteran, Richardson surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in five of his six seasons in
Montreal. The 32-year-old had just 18 catches for 197 yards last season but
missed 13 games due to injury.
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