Pro Sports

Donaldson, Blue Jays stop Red Sox winning streak at 6

Posted September 25, 2017 7:00 am

By KEN POWTAK

Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson rounds first base on his solo home run off Boston Red Sox's Drew Pomeranz, left, during the first inning of a baseball game in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) - Josh Donaldson homered and drove in three runs, powering the Toronto Blue Jays past the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox 6-4 on Monday night.

Boston's six-game winning streak was snapped and its magic number to clinch a second straight division title remained at three. The Red Sox lead the second-place New York Yankees, who beat Kansas City earlier in the day, by four games with six remaining.

Eduardo Nunez and Mookie Betts both left with injuries for Boston. Nunez aggravated a right knee injury that sidelined him for 13 games, and Betts came out with pain in his left wrist.

Ryan Goins hit a solo homer and Teoscar Hernandez had a two-run double for the Blue Jays. Brett Anderson (2-2) allowed three runs in five innings.

Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz (16-6) had his shortest start of the season, giving up five runs and seven hits in two innings. He had only lost once in his last 18 outings, holding opponents to three runs or fewer in 16 of those games.

Betts drove in two runs for the Red Sox, going over the 100-RBI mark for the second consecutive season. Andrew Benintendi had a pinch-hit solo homer.

Roberto Osuna got three outs for his 38th save.

Toronto slugger Jose Bautista was ejected by plate umpire Chad Fairchild after getting called out on strikes.

Coming off an 8-1 road trip that helped them maintain control of the AL East, the Red Sox fell into a hole early.

The Blue Jays chased Pomeranz with four runs in the second to take a 5-2 lead when Hernandez and Donaldson each hit a two-run double.

Donaldson homered about a third of the way up a light stanchion in left-center in the first.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: Nunez fouled off a pitch his second time up and went to the ground in pain. He finished the at-bat with a lineout to third, but barely got out of the box and was unable to put much weight on his knee. . Betts grabbed his left hand in pain after a bloop single and pointed at it while talking with a trainer.

MOOKIE'S MILESTONES

The 24-year-old Betts has 101 RBIs and 98 runs scored this season. Last year, the right fielder drove in 113 and scored 122. The only other Red Sox player with multiple 100/100 seasons before turning 25 was Hall of Famer Ted Williams from 1939-42.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (9-11, 3.64 ERA) is set to pitch the second game of the series Tuesday night. He lost his last start Thursday after winning the previous three.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (17-7, 2.75) takes his major league-leading 300 strikeouts to the mound. Sale appears to be in a close race with Cleveland ace Corey Kluber for the AL Cy Young Award.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell, right, and a trainer tend to Eduardo Nunez after during the third inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. Nunez was removed from the game after finishing his at-bat. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

Boston Red Sox's Deven Marrero comes down with the high throw in time to tag Toronto Blue Jays Ryan Goins (17) trying to steal second base during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

The Boston Red Sox stand for the national anthem before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

Toronto Blue Jays' Teoscar Hernandez, left, Ezequiel Carrera (3) and Kevin Pillar celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox 6-4 during a baseball game in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

Boston Red Sox's Drew Pomeranz pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

Boston Red Sox's Andrew Benintendi, right, follows through on his solo home run in front of Toronto Blue Jays' Luke Maile during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson (20) celebrates his solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

Toronto Blue Jays' Brett Anderson pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

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