Doubront earns win as Red Sox beat Blue Jays 7-4

TORONTO – Brett Lawrie isn't too bothered about being in last place, just so long as first isn't too far away.

Felix Doubront won for the fifth time in six starts, Nick Punto homered and Boston beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 Saturday, giving the Red Sox their 10th win in 14 games.

Toronto suffered its seventh loss in 10 games and fell behind Boston into last place in the AL East. The Blue Jays are just three and a half games behind first place Tampa Bay, pending the outcome of the Rays' game against Baltimore.

"(Fifth place) is just a number," Lawrie said. "We're not out by 10 games. A lot of baseball to be played still, can't worry about the numbers right now."

One number the Blue Jays should be worried about is walks: they lead the majors with 215 free passes allowed this season.

Right-hander Kyle Drabek issued four of Toronto's seven walks Saturday and lost his second straight start. Drabek (4-6) allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out four.

Drabek was coming off a rough start in Texas, allowing a season-worst nine runs in three innings, so Saturday's performance was a step in the right direction.

"Except for the second inning I'm happy with it," Drabek said. "I thought I was able to get some good strikes, quick innings and get our guys back in there."

Jose Bautista hit his 13th homer and Jeff Mathis also connected for the Blue Jays, who have gone deep in 15 of their past 17 games.

The Red Sox jumped on Drabek with a four-run, two-out rally in the second. Will Middlebrooks hit an RBI single, Punto doubled home a run and two runs scored when Nava's single dropped in front of center fielder Colby Rasmus, who appeared to misjudge the ball.

"It had top spin and it came back on him," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "It definitely had some movement back to his glove side."

Mathis answered for Toronto in the third with a solo homer that bounced off the top of the right field wall, his third, but the Red Sox made it 5-1 in the fourth when Kevin Youkilis doubled, took third on Bautista's throwing error and scored on Middlebrooks' double-play grounder.

The Blue Jays got an unearned run in the bottom half when David Cooper reached on Doubront's fielding error, advanced to second on a Mathis bunt and scored on Kelly Johnson's single.

Bautista, who flied out with men at first and second in the third, cut it to 5-3 when he homered to center to begin the fifth.

Boston added an insurance run in the eighth. David Ortiz hit a one-out single and Saltalamacchia walked, bringing Francisco Cordero on to replace Darren Oliver. Youkilis walked to load the bases and Ryan Sweeney hit an RBI groundout.

An errant throw by Sweeney allowed the Blue Jays to score in the bottom half. With Edwin Encarnacion on first, Lawrie grounded a single into right. Sweeney tried to return the ball to the infield but ended up throwing it behind second base, and was forced to chase it down himself as Encarnacion scored all the way from second.

Punto had three hits and drove in two runs and Daniel Nava added two RBIs as the Red Sox (28-25) moved a season-high three games above .500.

"We're playing good baseball and for me to get in there and contribute a little bit felt great," said Punto, who has been filling in for Dustin Pedroia while the former MVP recovers from a torn muscle in his right thumb.

Doubront (6-2) allowed three runs, two earned, and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, improving to 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA in his past five starts. The left-hander walked one, struck out seven and matched a career-high by allowing two home runs.

"Today he showed that he's a good pitcher because he was able to win the game without having his best stuff," manager Bobby Valentine said.

Doubront, who matched his longest start of the season, has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his past five outings.

Matt Albers got two outs in relief. Andrew Miller retired the only batter he faced, Vicente Padilla worked 2-3 of an inning and Alfredo Aceves finished in the ninth for his 14th save in 17 chances.

NOTES: Pedroia took batting practice before the game, the first time he has swung the bat since injuring his thumb last Monday. Pedroia has missed the past five games. ... Valentine said he would have put Pedroia in the game if SS Mike Aviles had been injured by a ball that hit him on the hand in the third. Aviles stayed in the game.... The Blue Jays claimed RHP Chris Schwinden off waivers from the New York Mets and designated RHP Daniel Farquhar for assignment. ... Toronto RHP Sergio Santos (shoulder) threw 25 pitches from the mound during a bullpen session at extended spring training Friday and is scheduled to throw again Monday. ... Nava, who has made 23 straight starts, is expected to get the day off Sunday. ... Boston's Adrian Gonzalez started in RF but moved to 1B in the seventh. ... Attendance was 43,390, Toronto's biggest crowd since opening day.