Moreland, Verdugo power Red Sox past Blue Jays

Mitch Moreland hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs, Alex Verdugo hit two solo shots, and the host Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Friday night.

Cavan Biggio led off the game with a homer for the Blue Jays, who have lost two in a row. The Red Sox have won two straight.

Toronto starter Tanner Roark (1-1) allowed four runs, three hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out one.

Boston starter Ryan Weber allowed two runs, five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in three-plus innings.

He allowed a leadoff single in the fourth and was replaced by Heath Hembree (2-0), who finished the inning on a popup and a double-play grounder.

Brandon Workman pitched around a ninth-inning single for his third save of the season with help from a leaping catch at the right field wall by Verdugo.

Biggio hit his third home run of the season.

The Red Sox tied the game in the bottom of the first when Roark walked four of the first five batters he faced. Moreland earned the RBI when he took the fourth walk with one out. Christian Vazquez hit into an inning-ending double play.

Verdugo homered leading off the bottom of the second.

Biggio led off the third with a single and scored on Bo Bichette's double to tie the game.

Moreland's fourth homer this season followed a one-out single by Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the third to put Boston ahead 4-2.

After Boston's Colten Brewer threw a perfect fifth, Ryan Brasier allowed a leadoff walk to Rowdy Tellez in the sixth followed by an RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was out at third trying to advance on the throw home.

Boston's Austin Brice pitched around a seventh-inning walk and Matt Barnes survived two walks in the top of the eighth, despite two stolen bases by pinch-runner Anthony Alford. The threat ended when Randal Grichuk bounced into Toronto's third double play of the game.

Verdugo hit his third homer of the season against Rafael Dolis in the bottom of the eighth.

--Field Level Media

Final1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9thRHE
Toronto Blue JaysBlue Jays101001000380
Boston Red SoxRed Sox112000010562
WP:Heath Hembree (BOS)
LP:Tanner Roark (TOR)
HR:(BOS): Alex Verdugo (2), Mitch Moreland
(TOR): Cavan Biggio
Season Series
BostonStatsToronto
5-5Vs5-5
.251Batting Average.295
5.0Runs / Game5.8
18Home Runs16
9Errors7