Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Bill Hall hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs, as Boston used the long ball to support Clay Buchholz in a 10-1 pounding of Toronto at Rogers Centre.
Hill finished 3-for-5, Adrian Beltre hit a three-run home run and Mike Lowell contributed three hits, an RBI and run scored. Buchholz (13-5) had superb movement on his pitches Wednesday, surrendering one unearned run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks over eight frames for the Red Sox, winners of three games in a row.
Shaun Marcum (10-6) was hit hard for eight runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks over four-plus frames. He gave up four home runs as well in the losing effort. Adam Lind finished with three hits for the Blue Jays, who have dropped two straight.
Each team managed to score a first-inning run without a hit. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Lowell, who looked at a close 3-2 pitch just off the inside part of the plate, forcing in a run.
In the bottom of the frame, Travis Snider reached on a Lowell fielding error, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, scampered to third on a passed ball then tagged and scored on Jose Bautista's sacrifice fly to right.
Boston tagged Marcum for a run in the second thanks to a solo shot off the bat of Hall, who was swinging for the fences again in the fourth. With a runner on first and one out, Hall pulled a low-and-away offering well into the seats in left for his second homer of the game and a 4-1 advantage.
The Red Sox then used more power to chase Marcum and extend their lead in the fifth. J.D. Drew began the proceedings with a long home run off a facade in the second deck in right-center field, then Victor Martinez singled in front of a David Ortiz base hit. Beltre followed with a three-run shot to right for an 8-1 edge, ending Marcum's evening.
Boston kept the onslaught going against the Toronto bullpen, as Hall's single to center scored Lowell for the fifth run of the frame.
Martinez's RBI single in the eighth made it a 10-1 game.
Boston has won nine of the last 11 contests versus Toronto...Buchholz has won five of his last six decisions. The right-hander improved to 5-3 in nine games (eight starts) versus the Blue Jays...Marcum did toss seven shutout innings versus Boston back on May 12...Beltre has hit safely in 23 of 26 games since the All-Star break...Boston's 268 victories versus Toronto are the most wins ever by any club against the Blue Jays...Buchholz has posted a 10-2 record over his last 14 starts. His 12 victories in night games are tops in Major League Baseball.