Red Sox hit 5 homers, beat Blue Jays 7-4 in Buffalo finale

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – J.D. Martinez and Hunter Renfroe connected back-to-back as the Boston Red Sox won a home run derby, beating Toronto 7-4 Wednesday night in the Blue Jays’ final game at their temporary Buffalo home. In the middle of the third inning, Blue Jays players and coaches came out of the dugout to salute the fans at Sahlen Field. Kiké Hernández, Rafael Devers and Michael Chavis also connected for Boston, which went deep six times in Monday’s 13-4 win over Toronto. It was the first time the Red Sox hit at least five homers in consecutive games against one opponent since doing it to the Yankees in June 1977. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 32nd homer for Toronto. George Springer added a two-run shot in the sixth and Teoscar Hernández followed with a homer for Toronto, which finished its residency in Buffalo with a 12-11 record this season. Including games played at the home of their Triple-A team in 2020, the Blue Jays ended with a 29-20 mark in Buffalo. Their game against Boston on Tuesday night was rained out. Before the game, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro presented a check for $25,000 to the Buffalo Bisons Charitable Foundation in thanks for the support provided by Toronto’s top minor league affiliate. Buffalo fans returned the favor, as crowds in excess of 10,000 turned out for six of Toronto’s last eight home games, with Wednesday’s attendance of 14,607 topping the ledger. The Blue Jays will return to Toronto on July 30 after the Canadian government granted them an exemption to the U.S.-Canada travel ban. The Blue Jays haven’t played at Rogers Centre since 2019 because of coronavirus protocols. Toronto began this season hosting home games at its spring training site in Dunedin, Florida, then moved to Buffalo in June. Hernández hit a two-run shot in the third inning, and Devers and Chavis hit leadoff drives in the fourth and fifth innings. Martinez and Renfroe connected in the eighth as Boston raised its AL-leading road record to 30-19. Garrett Richards (6-5) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings and won a second straight start for the first time since mid-May. He struck out four. Garrett Whitlock pitched 1 1/3 innings and Adam Ottavino worked the eighth. Matt Barnes pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save. Robbie Ray (8-5) allowed the first three Boston homers and struck out four over five innings in the loss, his shortest outing since a 4 2/3-inning stint on June 18 at Baltimore. Toronto’s Danny Jansen left the game after his seventh-inning double, pulling up after rounding first. On the hit, Boston’s Danny Santana stumbled in left field after trying to reach for the ball and left the game with right groin tightness. TRADE WINDS The Blue Jays traded RHP Joel Payamps to the Kansas City Royals for cash. Payamps, a 27-year old rookie, was 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 22 appearances with Toronto before being optioned to Triple-A Buffalo and then designated for assignment. TRAINERS ROOM Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery) struck out six in 3 2/3 hitless innings on Tuesday in his second rehab start for Double-A Portland. ‘œHe was a little bit off mechanically early on,” manager Alex Cora said. ‘œThat’s part of the progression. He settled down and he was able to repeat his delivery. Everybody’s very happy with the way the outing went.’� … RHP Ryan Brasier (left calf strain) has resumed baseball activities, but Cora said it ‘œwill not be easy. It’s going to be a process.’� Blue Jays: RHP Alex Manoah (right back contusion) is expected to make his next start on Monday in Boston when he’s eligible to be activated from the 10-day injured list. … RHP Julian Merryweather (strained left oblique) has continued his throwing progression in Florida after having a setback in his recovery. UP NEXT