Red Sox stumble late in loss to Blue Jays, 5-0

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TORONTO -- For seven innings, Jon Lester was in the middle of pitching perhaps his best start of the season, limiting the Toronto Blue Jays to one hit and a walk.

Then, like the Red Sox' season itself, it all imploded. Omar Vizquel supplied a run-scoring single and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria drove a two-run homer to left, sending the Blue Jays
to a 5-0 shutout of the Red Sox.

The Jays' win snapped Boston's modest two-game losing streak and denied the Sox a chance for their first three-game since the last three days of July.

Boston mustered seven hits, but was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. On three occasions, the Sox had two runners on base and just one out but couldn't come up with the big hit.

The defeat dropped them back into the cellar of the American League East, a game behind the fourth-place Jays.

With Lester gone from the game, the Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth off the Red Sox bullpen, with both runs charged to Daniel Bard. Bard was making his first appearance at Rogers Centre since his disastrous June 3 start that resulted in his
three-month demotion to the minor leagues.

Lester fell to 9-12. Until this season, he had never had a year in which he reached double-figures in losses.

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow blanked the Sox for the first six innings. Four relievers combined to handle the final three innings, handing the Sox their sixth shutout of the season.

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