Eighth-inning outburst lifts Jays to 7th straight win over Red Sox

TORONTO (AP) -- Frank Thomas figured out what was wrong with his swing: a bad helmet.

Thomas went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer after switching batting helmets before the game, and the Toronto Blue Jays used a six-run eighth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-2 on Saturday.

David Eckstein added three RBIs as Toronto won its six straight against Boston, including the 2007 season.

A notoriously slow starter, Thomas struggled at the plate this spring and decided his helmet was to blame, demanding a new one from Toronto's equipment manager.

"That was a bad helmet," Thomas said. "I had that same helmet all spring and it didn't work out. I had to get rid of it."

First baseman Lyle Overbay doesn't care what Thomas wears to the plate as long as he feels good.

"Whatever gets him in the right frame of mind," Overbay said. "Guys will talk themselves into some good things. That's what it's all about, talking yourself into good habits and getting that confidence. If you've got all the confidence in the world, you're going to hit."

Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits over five innings for the win. He walked three -- one intentional -- and struck out two.

The Red Sox missed a chance to get to Litsch in the third. Julio Lugo was hit by a pitch and Dustin Pedroia singled him to third. Litsch walked Manny Ramirez intentionally to load the bases, but got out of it when Mike Lowell popped to first.

"Obviously, we're not clicking on all cylinders quite yet," catcher Jason Varitek said. "They've thrown the ball better than us and they've hit the ball better than us so far. We've got to continue to grind through these things."

Boston's Clay Buchholz (0-1) gave up four runs -- three earned -- and six hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

Buchholz, who went 1-3 with a 10.03 ERA in four spring training starts, found some positive in his first start of the regular season.

"I felt this whole spring that all the runners I've got on base, I let them score," Buchholz said. "I felt like the damage control today was a lot better.

"I hadn't thrown a lot of sliders during the spring and that was a key pitch for me today," Buchholz added. "It's a key first-strike pitch that I threw a lot today."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona liked what he saw from the second-year right-hander.

"Some of those changeups he threw, and a couple of breaking balls, they were as good as you're going to see," Francona said.

A two-run error by Boston first baseman Sean Casey and RBI singles from Eckstein and Overbay gave the Blue Jays a 4-2 lead after four.

Toronto broke it open with six runs in the sixth off three Boston relievers. Eckstein had a two-run single, Alex Rios an RBI double, Vernon Wells had a run-scoring single and Thomas hit a two-run drive to center, his first.

"They got into our bullpen and did what good offensive clubs do," Francona said. "The best thing your guys in the bullpen can do is locate when they come in right off the bat. When they don't, it can lead to runs."

Ramirez had an RBI double in the first and Casey singled home a run in the fourth.

Ramirez and David Ortiz are a combined 1-for-14 through the first two games of the series.

Toronto right-hander Randy Wells made his major league debut with a scoreless ninth.

Game notes
Boston right-hander Josh Beckett (lower back strain) will be activated off the disabled list Sunday and make his season debut against Toronto's Roy Halladay (0-1). ... NHL Hall of Famer Johnny Bower attended the game.