Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run home run in a nine-run fifth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 12-4 Friday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Teoscar Hernandez and George Springer, who both had two-run doubles in the fifth, finished with three RBIs apiece for the Blue Jays, who have won seven of the first eight games of an 11-game homestand.

Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah (4-1) allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out four.

Boston right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (9-7) was tagged for seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and fanned four. Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox, who have lost seven of their past eight games.

Boston scored once in the fourth. Alex Verdugo hit a leadoff double, took third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Xander Bogaerts.

The Red Sox doubled the lead in the fifth. Marwin Gonzalez hit an infield single with one out, Christian Vazquez walked, and Enrique Hernandez followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 edge.

Alejandro Kirk, Randal Grichuk and Breyvic Valera hit consecutive doubles to start the bottom of the fifth and tie the game. Valera took third on Springer's flyout to left, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was intentionally walked.

Bo Bichette hit an RBI single off the right field wall. Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run double, and Gurriel belted his 12th homer of the season.

Hanser Robles replaced Eovaldi and allowed a single to Alejandro Kirk before he hit Grichuk with a pitch, drawing a warning to both teams. Tempers flared and the managers were on the field, but most players stayed in the dugouts.

Valera chopped an infield single to load the bases, and Springer hit a two-run double to increase the lead to 9-2.

Renfroe homered against Ryan Borucki, his 18th, in the sixth after Rafael Devers walked.

Semien doubled against Austin Davis in the bottom of the sixth, stole third and scored on a single by Teoscar Hernandez.

Springer hit an RBI triple against Martin Perez in the seventh.

Boston infielder Jonathan Arauz, recalled from Triple-A Worcester pregame when outfielder Jarren Duran went on the COVID-19 related injured list, pitched the eighth and allowed a run on a Kirk sacrifice fly.

--Field Level Media