By Canadian Press

Red Sox take series opener in blowout fashion, dumping Blue Jays 13-3

Sep 9, 2016 | 7:45 PM

TORONTO — A playoff atmosphere was in the air at Rogers Centre on Friday night as Boston and Toronto opened a pivotal three-game series that could sway the balance of power in the American League East.

The Red Sox played like they belonged in the post-season. The Blue Jays played like bottom feeders.

Boston set the early tone against a shaky Marco Estrada and didn’t let up in a 13-3 thrashing of Toronto that moved the Red Sox two games ahead of the second-place Blue Jays, who have dropped four straight.

Rick Porcello became the first pitcher to reach the 20-win mark this season and Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox, who outhit Toronto 18-9.

“It is uncharacteristic of us, so hey, put it behind you,” said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “We haven’t seen that too often. I can’t remember seeing a game like that in a long time.”

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It was one of the uglier games this season for the Blue Jays. Throws were offline, passed balls and wild pitches were frequent and Melvin Upton Jr., dropped a routine fly ball in left field.

Estrada laboured through just 2 1/3 innings before getting the hook in his shortest start of the season. The Red Sox worked him for a 36-pitch opening frame and scored in each of the first four innings.

“Nothing went our way today and obviously it all started with me,” Estrada said. “When your starting pitcher is out there making a bunch of pitches like that, it brings everybody down a little bit.

“I’ve got to do a better job right out of the gate to get quick outs because obviously this can’t keep happening.”

The Blue Jays have dropped six of their last seven games. Toronto has a one-game lead on the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles in the battle for the first AL wild-card spot.

Toronto’s Devon Travis hit a two-run single in the third to halve the lead but Boston’s six-run seventh inning broke the game open.

Xander Bogaerts hit a solo shot, his 18th of the season, and Ramirez put it away when his 22nd homer of the year bounced off the top of the wall in right-centre field.

Porcello, meanwhile, was effective at mixing speeds and keeping the Blue Jays off balance.

He allowed two earned runs, six hits and a walk while striking out seven to become the first Red Sox pitcher to win 20 games since Josh Beckett in 2007.

“It’s definitely a huge honour, it’s hard to win one game in the big leagues, let alone 20,” Porcello said. “So I’m definitely very proud. At the same time it’s collective. The way we swing the bats and play defence, it’s a complete team effort. So it’s thanks to 25 guys — or 40 now.”

Dustin Pedroia drove in four runs for the Red Sox. Seven Boston players had at least two hits apiece.

The six-run seventh matched the most runs Toronto has allowed in a single frame this season.

“We know we’re a good ballclub and we know what we’re capable of,” Upton said. “You can’t hang your heads. You’ve just got to move on and look forward to the next day.”

Notes: After his error in the third inning, the crowd gave Upton some Bronx cheers when he fielded a ball cleanly in the fourth and caught a flyout in the fifth. … It was Navarro’s 1,000th career game. … Toronto catcher Russell Martin was given the night off to rest his sore left knee. … Swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who won four medals at the Rio Olympics, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … The Blue Jays presented Boston’s David Ortiz with two custom Canada Goose jackets before the game. The veteran slugger is retiring at season’s end. The team also made a donation of $10,000 to the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. … A sellout crowd of 46,953 was on hand. The game took three hours 23 minutes to play. … J.A. Happ (17-4, 3.44 earned-run average) is scheduled to start for Toronto on Saturday against fellow southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6, 4.83) … Toronto and Boston will close out the regular season with a three-game series at Fenway Park starting Sept. 30.

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Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press