Red Sox beat Blue Jays

BOSTON — David Ortiz isn’t quite finished with the lateinning heroics.

The soon-to-retire Red Sox slugger opened his final weekend with yet another game-winning homer, lining a two-run shot into the right-field stands to break a seventh-inning tie and help Boston beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Friday night.

“I’ve seen it for 10 years: Every time there’s a big situation, he’s always found a way to come through,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who had three hits to reach 201 for the season. “We’re going to enjoy it, because it’s pretty special.”

With his image mowed into the grass in centre for the final regular-season series of his career, Ortiz was honoured in a pregame ceremony and responded with an RBI single in the first. The Red Sox trailed 3-1 in the seventh when they scored two to tie it and then Brett Cecil came in to face Ortiz.

The crowd, which sat through a 25-minute rain delay, rose to its feet chanting “Papi!” After working the count to 2-1, Ortiz lined the ball past the Pesky Pole for his 38th homer of the season – and No. 541 of his career.

The chants waned slightly before Ortiz popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.

“On a night that begins a weekend celebration, I don’t know that you can write a script for what David did here tonight offensively,” manager John Farrell said. “Nights like tonight he almost leaves you speechless... (He) turned this place upside down.”

Told that Farrell called it a storybook finish, Ortiz said, “I wish that it is.”

“We worked pretty hard to get here, and it’s working out pretty good,” said the 40-year-old slugger, who tied Ken Griffey Jr. and Rafael Palmeiro for eighth on baseball’s career list with 1,192 extra-base hits.

Devon Travis had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and Jose Bautista homered for Toronto. Estrada said. “We’re still in it. We’re right there.”