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Rough Outing For Lackey, Red Sox Lose To Toronto Blue Jays 9-7

BOSTON (AP) -- Travis Snider had three doubles and drove in a pair of runs and Aaron Hill homered as the Toronto Blue Jays became the latest team to rough up John Lackey, beating the Boston Red Sox 9-7 on Monday.

Hill also had an RBI single and Rajai Davis added two doubles for the Blue Jays, who had lost nine of 14. Jacoby Ellsbury had a two-run triple and tied his career best with four hits for Boston, which had its four-game winning streak halted.

The Blue Jays scored a run in the first, two in the second and chased Lackey (5-8) with four in the third.

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow (5-4), allowed four runs on five hits, walking three and striking out five over five-plus innings.

It was his third victory in four starts.

Snider, recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, doubled in his first three at-bats. He was sent down on April 29 after hitting just .184 in 25 games.

Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis left the game in the fourth after getting hit in the upper back.

Boston rallied early and again late, cutting it to 9-7 with three runs in the eighth, but Frank Francisco got the final three outs for his 10th save. He struck out Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and Yamaico Navarro with a runner on second. Davis led off the first with a hustle double to left, stole third and scored on the play when Youkilis mishandled catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's throw for an error, with the ball bouncing off his glove into foul territory.

Hill opened the second with a homer into the second row of Green Monster seats and John McDonald's RBI single made it 3-0 after Snider doubled.

Then things got really bad for Lackey in the third. Adam Lind had an RBI single, making it 4-0 after Eric Thames and Jose Bautista singled. Loud boos could be heard echoing around Fenway Park after Lind's hit and again two batters later. Lackey then retired Edwin Encarnacion on a deep drive to left-center before Hill had an RBI single and Snider, the final batter he faced, doubled down the right-field line, making it 7-0. Lackey, who was booed loudly as he walked slowly off the mound, was coming off his second best start of the season when he allowed just two runs in 7 2-3 innings in a loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday.

He gave up seven runs on nine hits in 2 1-3 innings, raising his ERA to 7.47. In seven Fenway starts, he's 3-4 with a 9.17 ERA.

The Red Sox started a comeback, scoring four runs with two outs in the fifth. Ellsbury had a two-run triple, scored on a passed ball by Jose Molina and Adrian Gonzalez had an RBI double. But reliever Luis Perez worked two scoreless innings, allowing just two singles, and Jason Frasor got three outs despite allowing three runs.

Lind raced around from first when Encarnacion's grounder went through third baseman Navarro's legs and into the left-field corner, making it 8-4 in the seventh. Davis' RBI double made it 9-4.

Boston didn't have a runner reach second against Morrow until the fifth.

NOTES: Lackey has faced Toronto three times this year, giving up 20 runs in 15 innings for a 12.00 ERA. ... Blue Jays SS McDonald was one player glad to have a road trip to Boston on the Fourth of July. "I'm excited. I'll be sitting on my back porch barbecuing," he said before the game. McDonald lives about 25 minutes from Fenway during the offseason. ... Toronto extended its season high by homering in its 12th straight game. ... The Red Sox clubbed a team record eight homers -- seven solo -- in a July 4th game against Toronto in 1977. ... The last time the teams met, Boston swept three games in Toronto in June, outscoring the Blue Jays 71-32. ... There was a flyover of four F-15Cs and a large flag on the Monster during the national anthem. ... Red Sox manager Terry Francona said LF Carl Crawford, on the DL with a strained left hamstring, may start baserunning soon and RHP Clay Buchholz, on the DL with a strained lower back, won't likely return until after the All-Star break. Both were to be re-examined on Monday. ... Lackey lost his third straight start.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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