Another late rally gets Red Sox by Blue Jays
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pedro Ciriaco's RBI double in the ninth lifted the Boston Red Sox over the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, in the middle contest of a three-game set.
Cody Ross homered and scored twice, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia added two hits and drove in a run for the Red Sox, who have taken the first two in the series.
"It's always a good sign when we keep on fighting. It's not like we're going to lay down and die," Saltalamacchia said. "Even though we're as far out as we are, it shows a lot about the character of the club."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Craig Breslow (1-0) tossed a scoreless eighth and Andrew Bailey followed suit in the ninth for his fourth save and second in as many games.
Yunel Escobar and Adam Lind each drove in a run for the Blue Jays, who have dropped four of five overall.
Steve Delabar (4-2) surrendered the deciding run over his 1 1/3 relief frames.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Saltalamacchia greeted the Toronto reliever with a leadoff double in the ninth, then after the next two batters were retired, Ciriaco's two-bagger to left brought in the lead run. Brett Cecil was summoned, but Ciriaco stole third and Jacoby Ellsbury walked before Daniel Nava fanned swinging.
"His at-bats are as good as anyone here," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine of Ciriaco. "He hits a 2-1 breaking ball there. He's going to develop into a good player."
Bailey allowed a two-out single to Anthony Gose in the home half, but struck out Rajai Davis to end the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Jays hit the scoreboard in the home first, as Escobar singled home Edwin Encarnacion. It could have been 2-0, but Lind was thrown out at the plate.
Ross began the second with a shot to left, and in the third Ross walked with one out, moved up on a James Loney single and scored on a Saltalamacchia base hit.
Toronto equalized in the fifth, when Lind's fly to center with the bases loaded scored Gose.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup following a 2- game absence for the birth of his second child ... Toronto fell to 10-7 against Boston this season, and 3-5 at home ... Sox starter Clay Buchholz lasted seven innings, giving up four hits and two runs -- one earned -- while fanning five and walking five ... Counterpart Carlos Villanueva exited after seven-plus frames, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out six and issuing a pair of walks.