TORONTO (AP) – Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas each had two RBIs, right-hander Casey Janssen won for the first time in more than two years and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

The Blue Jays returned home after losing all nine games on a three-city trip to Boston, Atlanta and Baltimore that dropped them from first to third in the AL East. Toronto won its fifth straight at Rogers Centre, where it is 17-6 overall, and ended a four-game skid against Boston.

Janssen (1-1), who missed the 2008 season after shoulder surgery, started for the second time since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas last Friday. He allowed three runs and 11 hits in seven innings to win for the first time since May 24, 2007, at Baltimore. He walked two and struck out two.

Brandon League worked a perfect eighth and Scott Downs closed it out for his sixth save in seven opportunities.

The loser was Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (6-3), who allowed six runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. He walked four and struck out five.

Slumping Boston slugger David Ortiz batted with the bases loaded and two outs in the first but ended the inning by flying out to the warning track in center.

Batting sixth for the fourth straight game, Ortiz finished 0 for 4, dropping his average to .189. After his near-miss in the first, Ortiz lined to first in the third, popped to center in the fifth and flied to left in the eighth.

Jacoby Ellsbury gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI double down the line in right but Rolen tied it with an RBI double in the third. Ellsbury restored Boston’s lead with a run-scoring single in the fourth.

Toronto ended Wakefield’s night with a five-run fifth, doing all its damage with two outs. Rolen started the rally with an RBI double over the head of Jason Bay in left, Kevin Millar walked, Lyle Overbay scored Rolen with a double to right, Barajas hit a two-run single and Marco Scutaro chased Wakefield with an RBI double over Ellsbury in center.

J.D. Drew cut it to 6-3 with a solo homer to center in the seventh, his seventh.

Notes: Red Sox manager Terry Francona was feeling better Friday, a day after he was treated for high blood pressure following Boston’s victory at Minnesota. Emergency personnel treated Francona in the clubhouse before the Red Sox left to catch their flight to Toronto. “The guy told me to relax,” Francona said. “I said ‘Are you (kidding) me? Do you watch this game?”‘ … Boston OF Mark Kotsay (back) will play three more rehab games for Triple-A Pawtucket this weekend before being reevaluated. … Toronto voided its option on RHP Robert Ray (shoulder) and placed him on the 15-day disabled list. Ray was optioned to Triple-A last Friday. … Toronto’s Aaron Hill extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a first-inning single. … Boston RHP Daniel Bard struck out five in 2 1-3 scoreless innings of relief.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.