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Blue Jays 5, Red Sox 1

Red Sox can’t sweep Blue Jays

Adrian Gonzalez slid safely for a double past Yunel Escobar of the Blue Jays. Getty Images

TORONTO (AP) — Jose Bautista hit a three-run home run, rookie Drew Hutchison won for the fourth time in five starts and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

In an ill-tempered game that featured four hit batters, home plate umpire Mike Winters warned both benches after Boston’s Kevin Youkilis was drilled on the shoulder in the sixth. Youkilis stepped in front of the plate and yelled at Hutchison, but the situation did not escalate.

The Blue Jays took advantage of an erratic performance by Red Sox right-hander Daniel Bard, who allowed five runs, walked six, struck out two and hit two batters in 1 2-3 innings, his shortest career start.

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Toronto designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, one of two Blue Jays to be hit on the hand in Bard’s second inning, stayed in the game to run but did not bat again when his turn came up in the fifth. He was replaced by Jeff Mathis.

Bard (5-6) walked the first two batters of the game before Bautista blasted a homer off the facing of the second deck in left, his 14th of the season and second in two days.

Bautista’s three-run drive snapped a streak of eight consecutive solo shots by Blue Jays batters.

Encarnacion followed with a four-pitch walk but Bard got David Cooper to ground into a double play, then got Brett Lawrie to fly out to center.

Things weren’t much better for Bard in the second, which began with back-to-back walks followed by consecutive strikeouts. Yunel Escobar was hit on the hand to load the bases for Bautista, who drove in a run with a walk. That brought up Encarnacion, who drove in a run the painful way and was left yelping after being hit on the left hand.

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That was all for Bard, with Franklin Morales coming on and ending the inning by getting Cooper to foul out to third.

Bautista’s homer was the only hit allowed by Bard, who came in having won three of his previous four starts. Just 24 of his 55 pitches were for strikes, and his ERA rose from 4.56 to 5.24.

Hutchison (5-2), meanwhile, was sharp and efficient, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings, matching his career-high. He walked one and struck out five.

Kelly Shoppach provided the only Boston run, drilling a two-out homer to center in the fifth, his third.

Darren Oliver got two outs in the eighth and Francisco Cordero got the third before Casey Janssen finished in the ninth for Toronto.

NOTES: Bard’s career-high in walks is seven, set April 16 against Tampa Bay. The only run Bard allowed in 6 2-3 innings that day was on a bases loaded walk to Evan Longoria. ... Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (right thumb) reported no pain from his batting practice session Saturday. Pedroia is expected to hit again Monday, an off-day for Boston. ... Blue Jays RHP Brandon Morrow, who left Wednesday’s start after being hit on the right shin by a batted ball, threw his scheduled bullpen session Sunday and remains on track to make his next start, Wednesday at Chicago against the White Sox.