Josh Donaldson guides Jays to 10-inning win at Boston

BOSTON -- Josh Donaldson probably will never know if his 10th-inning triple at Fenway Park on Tuesday night was really a home run.

Regardless, the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman took another step toward winning the American League Most Valuable Player Award with yet another clutch hit.

"I don't know the rule. I know there's a red line out there," Donaldson said after leading off the 10th with a hit that turned out to be a triple, then scoring the go-ahead run in a four-run inning that gave the Blue Jays a 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. "I'm not the guy to talk to. Fortunately, I was able to get to third base and we got the run, home run or not. It is what it is."

Said Toronto manager John Gibbons: "I thought it was a homer. They have better cameras than we have. I though the first one might have been, too."

The first one was a drive Donaldson hit a mile high in the air down the left field line in the third inning -- ruled foul and confirmed under review.

Donaldson's 10th-inning hit led to a double crew-chief review -- first to see if it was a home run and then to determine if he was out or safe at third.

"Jeez, I don't know. Apparently I had none," Donaldson said of his two non-homers. "The first one ... I thought it was fair, it ended up foul. The first one the cameras are 100 feet from the line. It's not the umpire's fault."

In the 10th, Donaldson eventually scored on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's single, and the parade of runs against right-hander Alexi Ogano (2-1) was on -- to the delight of the impressive contingent of Blue Jays fans in the stands.

The win, coupled with the Yankees' 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in New York, increased the Jays' lead in the AL East to a game and a half.

The Red Sox saw their four-game winning streak end, and they dropped back into last place in the East, a game behind the Orioles.

After Tulowitzki's second hit of the game broke the tie, first baseman Chris Colabello followed with his second hit to score another run, and Ogando balked home the third run of the inning.

Following a wild pitch, center fielder Kevin Pillar hit a sacrifice fly to left. Colabello would have been out at the plate on left fielder Brock Holt's throw, but catcher Blake Swihart dropped the ball while making the tag.

Right-hander Aaron Sanchez (7-5) worked a scoreless ninth for the win, and righty Roberto Osuna finished up in what became a non-save situation.

R.A. Dickey, taking his first shot at his 100th career win, was pulled after six innings and just 80 pitches. He allowed one run on four hits. Dickey remains unbeaten in 10 starts (7-0) since his last loss on July 9.

Boston starter Henry Owens battled through 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. The rookie was pulled with two on in the sixth after 95 pitches. Six relievers followed.

"Before I speak on my own behalf, I just wanted to say hats off to the bullpen," Owens said. "That was an exceptional job keeping us in the game. You know I had a lot of long innings, so it was tough for our offense to get going and we hung tough. They found some holes late in the game, but overall it was an incredible job by the bullpen."

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, off the disabled list after not playing since July 22, returned and went 1-for-4. He left the game after the ninth inning.

First baseman Travis Shaw homered for the Red Sox's run in the second inning after the Jays took a 1-0 lead in the first without a hit.

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion drove in the run with a groundout -- his 26th RBI in his past 16 games.

NOTES: Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman, who was supposed to miss the entire season with a knee injury, will come off the disabled list to start against the Yankees on Saturday. ... LHP Mark Buehrle, who has never missed a start, was scheduled for Saturday but was sent back to Toronto to get a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. He will pitch next Tuesday in Atlanta. ... The Red Sox summoned RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Jonathan Aro and LHP Rich Hill from the minors. ... The Jays recalled RHP Steve Delabar and INF Matt Hague (the International League batting champ and MVP). ... RHP Drew Hutchison, hammered in two starts at Fenway Park this season and 13-3 overall despite a 5.07 ERA, starts for the Jays in the series finale Wednesday night. RHP Joe Kelly goes for his eighth straight win for Boston in that game. ... The Red Sox open the 2016 season at Cleveland, while the Jays are at Tampa Bay, both on April 4.