By Canadian Press

Tellez and Hernandez homer as Blue Jays dump slumping Red Sox 8-0

Sep 11, 2019 | 8:11 PM

TORONTO — Rowdy Tellez and Teoscar Hernandez homered and four Toronto pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Blue Jays dumped the Boston Red Sox 8-0 on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, who turned the game into a rout with a six-run fifth inning.

Toronto (57-89) has won two in a row after ending a seven-game skid. The Blue Jays will go for a sweep of the slumping Red Sox (76-70) — losers of five straight — on Thursday night.

Both teams used openers for the first two frames. 

Toronto’s Wilmer Font gave up a single over his appearance before right-hander Trent Thornton (5-9) delivered a masterful five-inning effort. Thornton didn’t give up a hit, issued one walk and had seven strikeouts. 

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Boston lefty Bobby Poyner made his first big-league start before he was replaced by Trevor Kelley (0-1). The Blue Jays took advantage of some weak defence in the fourth inning to open the scoring.

Rafael Devers couldn’t squeeze a Cavan Biggio fly ball in shallow left field, allowing the rookie to reach on a play generously ruled a two-base hit. Biggio stole third without a throw and scored on a sacrifice fly by Guerrero. 

Tellez followed with a solo shot for his 19th homer of the season and second blast in as many nights.

Toronto loaded the bases in the fifth after singles by Danny Jansen, Bo Bichette and Biggio. Guerrero lashed a Ryan Weber curveball into left field to bring two runs home.

Travis Lakins came on and Randal Grichuk belted the reliever’s first pitch off the wall for a two-run double. Hernandez then brought Grichuk home with his 22nd homer of the year.

Toronto outhit Boston 11-2. Devers and Brock Holt had singles for the Red Sox.

Announced attendance was 14,463 and the game took two hours 49 minutes to play.

Notes: It was the 11th time that Font has opened as a Blue Jay. … Right-handers will square off Thursday as Toronto’s Clay Buchholz (1-4, 5.31 ERA) was tabbed to meet Jhoulys Chacin (3-10, 5.60). It will be the first time that Buchholz has faced his former team. … The Blue Jays will continue their six-game homestand with a weekend series against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox are idle Friday and will visit Philadelphia on Saturday.

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Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press