Porcello powers Red Sox past Blue Jays

BOSTON –  Boston Red Sox 5, Edwin Encarnacion 3.

Ok, that wasn’t really how the final score read. But, it very well could have. 

Encarnacion accounted for all of the Toronto Blue Jays’ offense on Friday at Fenway Park. The three hits the Blue Jays mustered all belonged to Encarnacion, who also drove in all three runs. He went 3 for 4 with two home runs – his first of the season, after recording just one extra-base hit entering the game.

Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello went 6 1/3 innings giving up three runs on two hits – on Encarnacion’s home runs -- with a walk and eight strikeouts before handing the game over to the bullpen – Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel, who kept the Blue Jays scoreless on just one hit – an Encarnacion single in the ninth – with four strikeouts to preserve the 5-3 win.

Last season the Blue Jays led the majors with 891 runs – 127 better than the Yankees, who had the second-most. They led the majors with a .797 OPS, and with a .269 team average were just one point behind the Tigers, who led the major leagues.

When a clubhouse visitors mentions to Jose Bautista that the Blue Jays have the potential for a potent offense, he wastes little time with a correction.

“No,” Bautista says, “we ARE a potent offense. There’s no question about that. We just have to execute better. It’s been 11 games, so we’re not entirely concerned about that right now.”

But through 11 games, the offense hasn’t lived up to its potential.

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The Blue Jays have been held to three hits in the last four games. The Yankees also handcuffed them on Tuesday.  It was the first time they had recorded just three hits since June 27 against the Rangers.  The last time the Red Sox held them to just three hits was April 29.

It’s important for the Blue Jays to get Encarnacion firing on all cylinders as he did on Friday.  He is one of the keys they count on to punish opposing pitchers.

“I hit the ball good,” Encarnacion said. “I looked for my pitch and (Porcello) throw me a pitch right there and I don’t miss it.”

But the Blue Jays have been missing too many pitches so far this season, much more than last year.

They lead the majors with 112 strikeouts. Last season, 23 other teams had more strikeouts than Toronto. Blue Jays batters have struck out 10 or more times in eight of their first 11 games, three more than any Toronto team in the past.

They’re certain, though, it’s just a matter of time.

“I’ve got no idea why,” said manager John Gibbons. “We’re very aggressive. That’s kind of our mentality, but we got a lot of guys, too, that have a real good idea of the strike zone. But that’s not necessarily uncommon when you start pressing a little bit, trying to make something happen. But that’ll change.”

“I think it’s a combination,” Bautista said. “It’s different for every individual in this room. I’m not going to make excuses,. We got to be better than that and we’re just working every day to figure out what needs to be done to prevent that from continuing to happen.”

“As an offense we got to be better, especially when it’s a pitcher that is known for attacking the strike zone in contrast with most of the people in our division where they just run away from contact.”

The Blue Jays figure it’s just a matter of time before their offense takes off.

“If we get a few more guys heated up anyway, there’s different guys in the lineup that can burn you especially in a ballpark like this,” Gibbons said. “Really, in our division, you get a guy on or two and the next thing you know you pop one, it can change the whole complexion of the game. But that can also work against you too in this division. But yeah Eddie’s going to have a big year, a lot of guys are going to have big years. We just haven’t gotten going yet.”

“I know this is not going to be like this all year long,” said Encarnacion. “I know this is going to change. I know we have a great, one of the best offense in the league and I know we’re going to be OK.”

“We led MLB in offense by 100+ runs to the second-best team,” Bautista said. “So there’s no doubt in our minds that we’re the best offense in baseball.”