Sox fall to Jays, see East lead cut to one

TORONTO — The Blue Jays had lost four straight and seemed to be reeling, but on Saturday afternoon against the Red Sox, they proved they won’t be going down in the American League East without a fight.

Toronto’s offense remained relatively stagnant, but the pitching picked up the slack in a 3-2 victory over the first-place Red Sox at Rogers Centre. The win cut Boston’s AL East to one game with one game remaining in this crucial series.

Left-hander J.A. Happ did most of the heavy lifting, allowing just two runs on four hits over six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out five, and his 18 victories rank as the second-best total by a Blue Jays left-handed starter. Toronto also received scoreless outings from Joaquin Benoit, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna to close things out.

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez did his part despite Boston’s loss. He allowed three (two earned) on four hits over six innings and escaped a couple of jams to keep the Red Sox within striking distance. Rodriguez’s biggest mistake came in the second when Melvin Upton Jr. hit a two-run shot to left field for his 20th homer.

Toronto’s victory also ensured that it would pick up a game on either Detroit or Baltimore in the AL Wild Card standings. The Tigers and Orioles entered play Saturday trailing the Blue Jays by one game, but they were set to play each other Saturday night at Comerica Park.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDRedemption for Upton: Upton heard it from Toronto’s fans when he made a series of miscues in left field during the series opener, but he tried to make up for that in the rematch. The veteran outfielder gave the Blue Jays a lead in the second with a …

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