Boston hopes to bounce back in Toronto

Jon Lester tries to get the Boston Red Sox back into the game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The Red Sox lost in dramatic fashion in Monday's opener, as Brett Lawrie's solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning propelled Toronto to a 1-0 win.

Lawrie grooved a 1-1 pitch from Dan Wheeler (2-2) into the second deck in left-center field to end the contest. It made a winner of Shawn Camp (3-3), who worked a scoreless top of the 11th.

"I'm just glad that I could help the team win, and get myself into the situation where I could try to get on base and do some damage for some guys behind me," Lawrie said. "But luckily enough, I got a pitch I could handle."

Starter Henderson Alvarez scattered four hits and one walk while fanning four over six scoreless innings for the Blue Jays, who snapped a three-game slide.

Josh Beckett struck out six and gave up three hits, but lasted just 3 2/3 innings before leaving with a sprained right ankle for the Red Sox, who have lost four of five and slid 2 1/2 games out of first in the AL East.

Beckett was sent back to Boston to have the ankle examined.

"I did fall in the bullpen trying to get off the mound and take a shirt off," Beckett said. "I didn't feel it between there, I didn't feel it until those last two pitches."

Lester has been terrific of late for the Red Sox, as he has won his last three decisions, while allowing just an earned run in each of his last four starts. He did not get a decision on Thursday against the Yankees, but pitched well after a 44-pitch first inning, allowing a run and seven hits in five innings of a 4-2 loss.

"That was the theme tonight -- just hanging in there, minimizing damage. I ended up making pitches when I had to," said Lester, who is 14-6 with a 3.05 ERA. "Really, two hard-hit balls and 114 pitches later, I could only get through five."

Lester has faced the Blue Jays 17 times and is 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA.

Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with left-handed rookie Luis Perez, who is 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA. After two impressive starts Perez was roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles his last time out, as he yielded five runs, six hits and three walks in five innings.

This will be his first-ever start against the Red Sox, but he has faced them six times out of the bullpen and has pitched to a 7.56 ERA in those contests.

Despite Monday's loss, the Red Sox have beaten the Jays in eight of 13 matchups this season.