TORONTO — Rich Hill struck out 10 in seven innings, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Sunday.
The Red Sox (71-77) won the rubber match of the three-game series and also took the season series with the Blue Jays 10-9.
The Blue Jays (85-64) entered the game with a 3 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East.
Hill (1-0) allowed seven hits, no walks and three runs. The left-hander was making his second start of the season for Boston after spending the season in Triple-A. One of the hits was a homer by Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro.
Left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. pitched the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season. He allowed a two-out double to pinch hitter Russell Martin. Ezequiel Carrera ran for Martin and pinch hitter Justin Smoak struck out to end the game.
Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle allowed eight hits, two walks and three runs while striking out one in six innings. He did not factor in the decision.
Left-hander Brett Cecil (3-5) allowed an unearned run to take the loss. He entered the game on a streak of 25 1/3 innings without allowing a run.
The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead in the second. Two of the runs came on the fourth homer of the season by Navarro. The catcher’s homer came with one out after designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion led off the inning with a single.
Center fielder Kevin Pillar followed the homer with a bunt single and shortstop Ryan Goins singled to left. Left fielder Ben Revere hit an RBI single with two out.
The Red Sox scored a run in the fourth on a throwing error by Buehrle.
Xander Bogaerts led off with an infield single to Goins who made a fine diving play but was unable to make the throw.
The Red Sox shortstop came around to score on a groundout to first by designated hitter David Ortiz. Bogaerts continued running to third as the out was made. Buehrle, who took the throw at the bag from first baseman Chris Colabello, made an errant throw to third and Bogaerts scored.
The Red Sox tied the game at 3 in the fifth on a two-run, two-out single by first baseman Travis Shaw.
Cecil, who struck out Ortiz and Shaw to end the seventh, committed an error on a weak ground ball by Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval to open the eighth.
Right-hander Mark Lowe replaced Cecil. Sandoval took second on a groundout to third by left fielder Rusney Castillo. Catcher Sandy Leon singled to right and Sandoval moved to third. Bradley hit a sacrifice fly to center to put the Red Sox into a 4-3 lead as Navarro could not handle Pillar’s throw home.
On Saturday, Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer in the ninth to tie the game and David Ortiz singled in the go-ahead run as the Red Sox held on to defeat the Blue Jays 7-6.
After the Blue Jays took a 4-2 lead in the eighth, Bradley tied the game with a two-run homer in the ninth against right-hander Roberto Osuna (1-5). Bradley had three RBIs for the game.
Ortiz, the designated hitter, broke the tie with an RBI single against right-hander Aaron Sanchez as Boston scored five runs in the ninth.
Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs but it did not prevent the end of a three-game winning streak.
Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, his 36th of the season, against left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. with two out to cut Boston’s lead to one run. Pinch-hitter Matt Hague doubled to center field and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera ran for him.
But first baseman Justin Smoak grounded out to second to give Ross his third save.
Bogaerts also homered for Boston. Tommy Layne (2-1) recorded two outs for the victory.