Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Fred Lewis' sacrifice fly capped a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth as Toronto shocked Boston, 6-5, to avoid a three-game sweep at Rogers Centre.
Red Sox starter John Lackey cruised into the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead but was greeted by Jose Bautista's league-leading 36th home run of the season. The hit brought out closer Jonathan Papelbon (4-5), who immediately yielded a double to Vernon Wells. Wells was crossing home just as quickly on Adam Lind's base hit back through the middle.
DeWayne Wise came on as a pinch-runner for Lind and swiped second before Aaron Hill drilled a pitch back toward the mound. It deflected and was caught up amongst the legs of Papelbon, who couldn't locate in time as Wise moved to third and Hill took first.
Travis Snider went down swinging, but Edwin Encarnacion ripped a double into the left-field corner to score Wise with the tying run and Hill advanced to third with one out. Lyle Overbay was intentionally walked to load the bases and create a force at any base and Papelbon was pulled in favor of Daniel Bard. Lewis' fly ball was only to shallow center but Jacoby Ellsbury had to back up on it initially and couldn't get enough on the throw home.
Kevin Gregg (1-4) pitched a scoreless the top of the ninth to get the win, Toronto's sixth in nine games after winning series' from fellow AL East combatants Tampa Bay and New York.
Brad Mills, making his third start of the season, struck out seven but yielded seven hits and four runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He was chased in the fifth after David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie each homered in the inning.
Ortiz drove in two with two hits while Lowrie scored twice and walked twice. Victor Martinez added two hits and an RBI and Darnell McDonald provided an RBI triple in the eighth to score Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who doubled twice in his first start with the Red Sox and only fourth game of the year.
Boston had won three straight coming in and nine of 11 games against the Blue Jays this season.
Lackey ended with a tough no-decision, charged with eight hits and three runs with four strikeouts and a walk. He had lost his last two starts and four of his past five decisions entering Thursday.
Boston struck first in the third on a sac fly from Martinez and Ortiz's base hit to score Lowrie. Lind scored a run on a double-play ball in the fourth, before the home run duo of Ortiz and Lowrie gave the Sox a 4-1 lead after five frames.
Bautista hit into a run-scoring double play in the sixth to get another back for the hosts, but McDonald's triple to deep right-center off Scott Downs preserved a three-run lead for Lackey heading to the ninth.
It was Papelbon's sixth blown save of the season and Toronto's first walk-off win since June 5 when Hill lined a base hit in the 14th inning to help the Jays capture a 3-2 win against the Yankees...Toronto has won 12 of its last 15 games against the AL East...Bautista's 88 RBI trail only New York's Alex Rodriguez (90) and Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (93) for the most in the majors...It was Ortiz's 25th home run of the season, giving him 25 or more in eight of the last nine seasons spanning his career with the Red Sox. Lowrie hit his first of 2010 and also stole his first base of the season...McDonald tripled for the second consecutive game...Boston continues its road trip Friday with three games in Arlington against the AL West-leading Rangers...Toronto opens a weekend set in Anaheim versus the Angels.