Red Sox, Matsuzaka keep Blue Jays reeling

TORONTO —  From the windup, Daisuke Matsuzaka has been fine. It’s when he pitched from the stretch that there were problems.

Matsuzaka worked in-between starts to fine-tune his delivery, and the results showed. He won his third straight decision and the Boston Red Sox beat Toronto, 9-3, Wednesday, sending the Blue Jays to their eighth loss in a row.

Matsuzaka (4-2), who allowed a season-high seven runs in his last start, was much more effective against Toronto. He struck out eight in seven innings, allowing only one run and five hits.

“He wasn’t forcing the issue, he was trusting his ability and his command,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said. “He worked hard this week and it paid off.

“He threw everything for strikes and he located very well. He threw up, he threw down. He executed all his pitches very, very well. It was exciting to watch.”

Lyle Overbay’s solo homer in the sixth was all Toronto could manage against Matsuzaka.

The Red Sox hit four home runs for the second straight game. They’ve won six of seven.

Manny Ramirez hit his 476th career home run and David Ortiz homered and tied a career high with four hits. Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo also had home runs.

Tomo Ohka (2-4) got the loss, allowing three runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked five, one intentionally, and struck out two.

Boston scored three runs in the sixth against Scott Downs, who had not given up a run in 9 1/3 innings over 15 appearances.

Ortiz hit a two-run homer off Josh Towers in the eighth, his ninth, and Lowell added his sixth homer in the ninth.

“He actually gets a lot of hits taken away with that big shift, but you can’t shift someone into the stands,” Lowell said about Ortiz. “There aren’t any pitches he can’t handle.”