(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox aim to stay perfect on their nine-game homestand when they resume a four-game series versus the Toronto Blue Jays tonight at Fenway Park. The Red Sox took the opener of this series with Thursdays 7-4 win behind a decent outing from Jon Lester. Lester improved to 8-4 and allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, while Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Uehara posted his third save. Lester altered his mechanics after his previous start and the changes helped him reach the win column. "I think that was the biggest thing for me tonight, was just how we were able to stay down in the zone throughout the entire night," Lester said. "So yeah, I was really happy with how I threw the ball tonight." A seven-run second inning also aided Lester. Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run home run during the big inning, while Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Nava, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Stephen Drew and Jose Iglesias had an RBI apiece. Boston, which has won the first three tests on this homestand and owns a 26-15 record at Fenway Park, is 3 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore for the AL East lead and 4 1/2 games in front of New York. Toronto, though, is last at 7 1/2 games off the pace. Allen Webster looks to keep the Red Sox rolling on this residency when he toes the rubber for the fourth time in his career. The young Webster is 0-2 in his first three starts to go along with an 11.25 earned run average and has allowed 13 runs in his last two appearances -- both losses. He gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 10-3 loss at Detroit last Saturday. Webster, a right-hander, has never faced Toronto and is filling in while Clay Buchholz nurses a sore neck. The Blue Jays have lost three of four games since their season-high 11-game winning streak and didnt get much from starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang in Thursdays opener in Beantown. Wang was rocked in just 1 2/3 innings and allowed all seven runs in the second inning. He walked two and allowed six hits with no strikeouts. "I mean, he looked good that first inning, getting some ground balls," Jays manager John Gibbons said. "That second inning, the ball was coming up and they didnt miss them." Maicer Izturis had two hits and two RBI and Rajai Davis finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in defeat. First-year Blue Jay Josh Johnson will be tasked with stopping the Red Sox when he takes the mound Friday. Johnson is coming off the first win of the season, a 13-5 rout of the Orioles on Sunday. Even though he was touched for four runs and seven hits in six innings, Johnson pushed his record to 1-2 in eight starts with a 4.60 ERA. Johnson is 0-2 on the road this season and 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox. He did not record a decision versus Boston up north in his Toronto debut on April 5, when he gave up four runs -- three earned -- and nine hits in six innings of a 6-4 loss. Boston is 6-4 versus the Jays this season. NMD Wholesale . Case in point: LeBron James vs. Ben McLemore. James was driving to the rim in the first quarter and McLemore decided to try to take the charge, which was quite admirable and predictably futile. NMD For Sale .C. -- Lucy Li made two double bogeys, a triple bogey and finished her historic round at the U. https://www.cheapnmdoutlet.com/. -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. NMD Outlet . They showered him with "MVP! MVP!" chants. In many ways, it seemed like hed never been gone. NMD China . At 11:06 of the first period, Neal struck Marchand with his knee when Marchand was down on the ice. Marchand remained in the game. Neal was assessed a kneeing penalty for his hit on Marchand.PHOENIX -- Unsatisfied after a pair of losses, Johnny Cueto told his teammates he would pitch well against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just get me two runs, he told them. The Reds did more than that. Not that he needed it. Cueto pitched effectively into the eighth inning and the Reds gave him some rare run support in a 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday night. "He backed his word," Reds catcher Brayan Pena said. "He said it was going to be a good one and we gave him much better run support today." The Reds have had trouble hitting with Cueto (5-4) on the mound this season, but followed Fridays big offensive night by scoring all five runs off Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy (1-7) in consecutive innings. Billy Hamilton ignited Cincinnatis offence with two hits and two runs from the leadoff spot. Brandon Phillips had a pair of run-scoring singles off McCarthy and the Reds had 11 hits to win for the third time in four games. Cueto allowed five hits and struck out seven in 7 2-3 innings, and Jonathan Broxton escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to preserve the Reds sixth shutout of the season. "Another excellent performance," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Cueto. "Certainly needed because were trying to put some wins together. Weve won some series, but we really havent run off a winning streak, which would really help us." Arizona struggled offensively, finishing with six hits, and McCarthy had his second straight shaky outing. That wasnt even the worst news of the night for the Diamondbacks. Not even close. Centre fielder A.J. Pollock, arguably Arizonas best player over the past month, broke his right hand while swinging at a pitch by Cueto in the eighth inning. Over the past 23 games, the 26-year-old hit .379 with 10 doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs and 16 runs scored, but now will be out an extended period of time. "That is a big blow," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "He has been playing great, emerging. He has been huge for us. I dont know how else to say it." Cueto has been superb most of the season, leading the NL in batting average against at .148 with an ERA of 1.83, third-best in the league. He also allowed two earned runs or less in 10 of 11 starts beforee Saturday.dddddddddddd The problem has been getting help from Cincinnatis offence. The Reds have scored an average of 2.8 runs per game when Cueto is on the mound, including one total run his previous two starts combined. Cincinnati did break out of its offensive doldrums a bit against the Diamondbacks on Friday night, beating up on former teammate Bronson Arroyo in a 6-4 win that included 11 hits and a grand slam by Devin Mesoraco. The Reds kept rolling against McCarthy, scoring three runs in the fourth inning on run-scoring singles by Phillips and Todd Frazier and Brayan Penas RBI double. Skip Schumaker added a run-scoring double in the fifth inning and Phillips chased McCarthy with an RBI double -- he was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple -- that put the Reds up 5-0. McCarthy allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 1-3 innings, matching his totals in 6 2-3 innings against San Diego his previous start. "I am starting to give up runs again and that is kind of where its been," McCarthy said. "A few quality innings and then things turn and I dont have any understanding why." Cueto got off a shaky start, giving up a pair of one-out singles in the first inning, but wriggled out of it, stranding runners at second and third. The right-hander worked quickly and efficiently over the next six innings, twice stranding runners in scoring position. He was lifted with one out in the eighth after a walk and a hit batter. Arizona loaded the bases after Parra hit an infield single, but Broxton struck out Paul Goldschmidt and got Miguel Montero to fly out to end the threat. "He just answered the bell," Price said of Broxton. "He faced two of their most productive hitters and did a terrific job." NOTES: Hamilton stole second in the fifth inning to reach 20 for the season. ... Arizonas Gerado Parra went 2 for 3 against Cueto and is 6 for 15 with three doubles, two homers and three RBIs career against him. ... Arizona LHP Wade Miley, the starter in Sundays series finale, struck out a career-high 11 in his last start, but was not part of the decision on the 4-3 loss to the Padres. He will face Reds RHP Alfredo Simon, who failed to get out of the fourth inning against the Dodgers his last start. ' ' '