BOSTON -- Toronto manager John Gibbons emptied the Blue Jays bench in the sixth inning of Wednesday night's 10-4 shellacking at the hands of the Boston Red Sox.

Gibbons, knowing his team, trailing 10-1 at the time, was headed to New York for a four-game weekend battle for first place with the Yankees, figured he'd get his guys a little rest during the final innings of the blowout.

Only first baseman Chris Colabello remained in the game -- and Colabello drilled a three-run homer in the eighth inning.

"You don’t always like to do that," Gibbons said after the game. "My pulse told me it was that kind of game. I thought it’d be more beneficial to them to get them off the field a little bit."

The Jays, losing their first series in their last six and their second in the last 12, enter the New York set with a 1 1/2-game lead over the Yankees, who dropped two of three to the Baltimore Orioles while the Jays were losing two of three in Boston.

Toronto is 8-4 against the Yankees this season, 5-1 in the Bronx.

"We’re fine," Gibbons said. "These guys are playing great baseball. They just took it to us two of these three games here. But it starts on the mound. Two games we lost here we were down early, big and that’s the way it goes."

The Jays surrendered 21 runs on 31 hits in the two losses.

Right-hander Joe Kelly won his eighth straight start, his catcher, Ryan Hanigan, had three hits, a walk and three RBIs, designated hitter David Ortiz hit the 498th homer of his career to give the last-place Red Sox their fifth win in their last six games.

Center fielder Mookie Betts, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, homered and doubled and shortstop Xander Bogaerts had two hits and scored twice in the 13-hit attack against starter Drew Hutchison (13-4) and five relievers.

The Red Sox have 44 runs on 67 hits during their 5-1 run and have scored 52 runs on 80 hits in their last seven games.

Kelly (10-6) worked the first 5 2/3 innings and was once again the recipient of big run support. The Red Sox have scored 64 runs in the eight games but Kelly has allowed just nine runs in the last seven and has a 2.59 ERA during the longest streak in the majors this season.

"I’ve been lucky I guess," Kelly said. "It’s been fun. Obviously I’ve been pitching better than I did in the first half."

Ortiz's sixth homer in the last 12 games was his 32nd of the year, his 26th since June 11. The Red Sox open a nine-game trip at Tampa Bay on Friday night, meaning Ortiz is likely to hit his 500th on the road.

"I knew David has a real special bond with the city," said interim manager Torey Lovullo, who is 16-9 filling in for John Farrell while Farrell battles lymphoma. "I know it would mean a lot to him to have it done here, but he’s just so professional and so locked in it might just happen on the road."

Hutchison, getting a major-league high 8.14 runs per game of support coming in, was gone after 3 1/3 innings, yielding six runs. In three games at Fenway this season, he has worked 9 2/3 innings and allowed 20 earned runs on 24 hits (five homers) and 10 walks.

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, who set a club record by reaching base for his 39th straight game, drove in the other Toronto run -- his 27th RBI in his last 17 games.

Kelly's 100th pitch caught right fielder Jose Bautista looking at a 3-2 breaking ball to end the Toronto fifth -- Bautista moving toward first base and Kelly staring at him as he was walking away. A couple of Jays stared into the Red Sox dugout as they took the field.

Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who had an RBI single, left the game after five innings with mid-back tightness, the same injury that cost him three games last weekend.

NOTES: Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman, who beat the prognosis that called for him to miss the season with knee surgery, on his reaction when manager John Gibbons told him he will start Saturday in New York: "I just sat there, just still for a second, and just got the chills. Everything that I did this past summer, man, just to see that it paid off, I couldn't be happier." ... New Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski announced three promotions, naming Brian Bannister director of pitching analysis and development, Chris Mears pitching cross-checker and Gus Quattlebaum director of pro scouting. ... LHP David Price, who starts in New York Thursday, was asked by WEEI.com whether Dombrowski, who traded for him in Detroit, now being in Boston could lure him to the Red Sox: "I'm not going anywhere because of a GM or because of a coach or because of anyone." ... LHP Wade Miley goes for his team-high 12th win when he opens Boston's three-game series and nine-game road trip at Tampa Bay on Friday night.