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TORONTO (AP) -- Kevin Youkilis homered for his first major league hit, yet nobody congratulated him when he returned to the dugout.

Bronson Arroyo allowed three hits in eight scoreless innings, Youkilis homered in his second major league at-bat, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Saturday.

Youkilis, recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket before the game, went 2-for-4 in his major league debut. He hit a towering homer to left field off Pat Hentgen (2-3) in the fourth, giving Boston a 3-0 lead.

Upon returning to the dugout, his teammates acted like nothing happened. Nobody got up to high-five him, so Youkilis high-fived imaginary teammates.

"They gave me the silent treatment after the home run. I guess Pedro put them up to it," said Youkilis, who also singled in the sixth. "It was pretty fun. It's always great when you get that treatment."

Mark Bellhorn and David Ortiz also homered for the Red Sox, who have won two straight after losing four of five. It was their fourth shutout this season. Toronto was blanked for the third time.

Keith Foulke pitched the ninth to combine with Arroyo (2-1) on a four-hitter. Arroyo only allowed Eric Hinske's singles in the second and the fourth, and Chris Gomez's triple in the third. He threw 100 pitches, 70 for strikes.

With Byung-Hyun Kim sent down to the minors, Arroyo is back as the fifth starter. The 27-year-old right-hander -- making his first start since May 1 -- retired the final 13 batters he faced. He tied a career high with six strikeouts and walked none.

"It was a good time to have a good performance," Arroyo said. "I let them know that I'm good enough to go deep in the game and win some games. It's going to be like this every time I go out there. I'm not really an established guy in the league."

Arroyo battled the flu all week, but he said he was fine once he got out there.

"I wasn't sure I was going to have my best stuff, but I felt good today," he said

Youkilis is the seventh player in club history to homer in his first major league game, and the first to homer for his first hit since Creighton Gubanich hit a grand slam on May 3, 1999, at Oakland.

"I don't think I'll reach a low for a while," said Youkilis, whose parents traveled from Cincinnati to watch him play. "It's amazing. I'm just thankful my parents could fly up and see this because they mean the world to me."

Boston manager Terry Francona said they expected Youkilis to give them a spark.

"He gave us a little jump start, and that was the whole idea," Francona said. "Good for the kid, it's a great way to start your career."

Derek Lowe and three relievers combined on a four-hitter against the Blue Jays on Friday night. Toronto has lost four of five.

"We're a club that's based on walks and home runs and those things are missing right now," Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca said. "I don't have an answer for why that is not happening."

David McCarty hit an RBI double in the second, giving Boston a 1-0 lead.

Bellhorn led off the third with his fourth homer.

Gomez hit a leadoff triple in the bottom half, but Arroyo escaped the jam when Orlando Hudson struck out, Frank Catalanotto lined out and Vernon Wells flied out.

After Arroyo hit Carlos Delgado with a pitch in the fourth, Hinske advanced Delgado to third with a single, but Arroyo escaped another jam when Simon Pond grounded into a double play.

Ortiz homered off Hentgen in the fifth, making it 4-0.

Hentgen allowed four runs and five hits in five innings.

Game notes

Boston 3B Bill Mueller missed his third straight game with a sore right knee. Francona wants to give him a few days off. ... Youkilis hit .258 with three home runs and 13 RBI at Pawtucket this season. He entered this year a career .300 hitter with a .451 on-base percentage in three minor league seasons, drawing 270 walks in 325 games. ... Arroyo, who was moved back to the bullpen when Kim was activated from the disabled list April 29, did not receive a decision in any of his first four starts. But he went at least six innings in each outing. ... Boston had six hits, three of them homers.