After a bruising weekend in which the Red Sox were swept by the Orioles over three games, the trip to Toronto came just at the right time.

While the Yankees faced the exceedingly hot Indians and lost three in a row, the schedule gave the Red Sox the Blue Jays and Boston came away with three solid wins.

The 2017 Red Sox join the 2001 Sox team as the only major league clubs ever to take eight games in a single season in Toronto. The Red Sox are also the only visiting team with eight straight wins in a season at the Rogers Centre, which opened in 1989. At 130-101 no American League team has a better winning at Rogers Centre than the Red Sox (.563), not even the Blue Jays (.546).

After a 1-4 June and and an 0-4 July, Red Sox starter Rick Porcello finished August at 5-1.

On Wednesday Porcello worked 6.2 IP allowing just one run on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Porcello has now lasted at least 6.0 IP in each of his last 25 road starts, a streak that dates back to May 28, 2016. In the last 100 seasons, the only other Red Sox pitchers to go that deep in 24 or more straight starts are Oil Can Boyd (33 games), Roger Clemens (24 games), and Tex Hughson (Two streaks of 24 games).

Moreland Powerful Off The Bench

Once again, the Sox broke a low-scoring affair with six runs off Toronto relievers. Mitch Moreland, pinch hitting for Chris Young came through with a two-run home run in the seventh inning and then two more runs on a single in the eighth. It was Boston’s first pinch-hit home run since Aaron Hill’s last September 27 against the Yankees.

Not since Mike Carp’s grand slam on September 11, 2013 had a Red Sox pinch hitter connected for four RBI in two or fewer at-bats.

The ten Red Sox hits on Wednesday included a double and a home run for Hanley Ramirez. He now leads the club with 21 HRs, including two in the last two games. Ten of Ramírez’ last 16 hits have gone for extra-bases (six doubles, four home runs).

With a 5½-game lead in the American League East, the Red Sox now face the second place Yankees for four games in the Bronx starting Thursday.