TORONTO — Mookie Betts homered in the ninth inning to complete his first career cycle during the Toronto Blue Jays’ 8-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Betts is the 21st Red Sox player to hit for the cycle. He singled and scored in the first inning, tripled in the second and doubled in the fourth against starter Ryan Borucki. After walking in the sixth, Betts hit a one-out drive off Ken Giles in the ninth for his 27th homer of the season.
Betts is the first Boston player to hit for the cycle since Brock Holt in 2015. Betts, Holt and Leon Culberson in 1943 are the only Red Sox to cycle from the leadoff spot.
The AL MVP candidate raised his average to .347 on the season with 59 RBI and a 1.102 OPS. He celebrated his no-doubt homer by lifting a fist and smiling at Boston’s dugout.
Boston (81-35) lost for the first time in seven games but still has the best record in baseball.
Randal Grichuk hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and Teoscar Hernandez added a solo shot to help Toronto avoid a three-game sweep.
Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 35th home run, a solo drive in the fifth.
Boston starter Rick Porcello (14-5) allowed seven runs and six hits in four innings. Porcello lost for the first time since a July 13 home defeat to the Blue Jays, a game in which he allowed a season-worst eight earned runs. Porcello is 1-2 with a 9.15 ERA in four starts against Toronto this season.
Borucki (2-2) allowed four runs and a career-worst nine hits in five innings but won his second straight start. Borucki pitched eight shutout innings to beat the Mariners for his first major league win in his previous outing.
NOTES: LHP Chris Sale (mild left shoulder inflammation) threw a bullpen session before the game and remains on track to come off the disabled list and start Sunday against Baltimore. …
Boston moved struggling left-hander Drew Pomeranz to the bullpen and will keep LHP Brian Johnson as a starter after Sale’s return. Pomeranz, 1-5 with a 6.31 ERA, is winless in eight starts since a May 2 victory over Kansas City. He matched a season-worst with five walks in Tuesday’s start at Toronto, leaving after 42/3 innings. He has completed more than five innings twice in 11 starts. Johnson won his second straight start in Wednesday’s victory over Toronto. He’s 3-3 with a 4.00 ERA.
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