Blue Jays fall to Red Sox and old friend David Price

The reunion was only sweet for David Price as the Toronto Blue Jays struggled offensively in their 4-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday at Fenway Park.

Blue Jays (5-6) starter Marco Estrada was unable to replicate his first start of the season, instead allowing four earned runs on eight hits and a walk over 6.0 innings pitched.

Estrada could have fared better, though, as the three-run home run he allowed to Xander Bogaerts in the third inning came with base runners who had reached on a sharp liner off his calf and a seeing-eye ground ball just under the glove of Troy Tulowitzki.

At the plate, Toronto was plagued by a lack of support beyond the big three of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Josh Donaldson.

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Bautista brought across Toronto’s first run of the game in the top of the first, getting to David Price early after a triple from Donaldson. The right-fielder tried to push his double into a triple, however, and was thrown out on a close play at third. An Encarnacion double in the fourth inning represented the only other RBI.

Kevin Pillar continued to struggle in the leadoff spot, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. In his other two at-bats, Pillar popped out foul on an attempted bunt and grounded into a momentum-killing double-play late in the game.

Price was excellent for Boston (5-4), striking out nine Jays batters over 7.0 innings while allowing two earned runs on six hits. He didn’t allow a walk, something aided by the amusing strike zone of Angel Hernandez and some generous Toronto swings.

Following Estrada out of the bullpen for Toronto was Gavin Floyd, who looked strong in his scoreless inning of work. Left-hander Brett Cecil took the bottom of the eighth inning.

In Sunday’s matinee affair, the young right-hander Aaron Sanchez (0-0, 1.38 ERA) is scheduled to start against Boston’s knuckleballer Steven Wright (0-1, 1.35 ERA).