TORONTO (Ticker) -- Mark Hendrickson's second start of the season was significantly better than his first.
The 6-9 lefthander allowed four runs - just two earned - and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 8-4, for their fourth straight win.
Hendrickson (1-1) rebounded from a nightmarish outing on Wednesday, when he surrendered seven runs and 10 hits in just 1 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees.
"I had better stuff against the Yankees but they were just locked in the whole series," Hendrickson said. "This one, I had to battle a little bit. I couldn't really locate the fastball the way I wanted to, but I kept the team in the ballgame and everyone knows we can score runs."
"He was battling his command a little bit but he basically made the pitches when he needed to," Blue Jays catcher Greg Myers added.
Myers and Carlos Delgado homered for the Blue Jays, who posted their first home win of the season. They were swept in a three-game series by the Yankees here last week.
Delgado drove in four runs, also contributing a two-run single in the third.
"That first series (against the Yankees) wasn't the best series, but we came out today and played pretty good ball," Delgado said. "We battled and came out with a big win."
Toronto snapped a 4-4 tie in the sixth as Orlando Hudson reached on a ground-rule double misplayed by left fielder Manny Ramirez and scored on Chris Woodward's double, also into the left field corner.
With the tying run on third, Hendrickson was not allowed to face Nomar Garciaparra in the top of the seventh, but Pete Walker, came on and got Garciaparra to pop out to end the inning. It was the only batter faced by Walker, who was celebrating his 34th birthday.
The Red Sox threatened in the eighth, but Cliff Politte struck out pinch hitter Trot Nixon with the bases loaded.
The Blue Jays got some insurance in the bottom half against Alan Embree as Vernon Wells walked and scored on Delgado's line drive home run over the center field fence.
Boston starter Derek Lowe (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings before leaving with a blister on his right thumb.
"It's just poor execution," Lowe said. "Five innings and I might have thrown 100 pitches, and when you're constantly throwing each hitter five, six pitches, I mean you're bound to make a mistake somewhere in there, and that's kind of what I've been doing all year, throwing way too many pitches, walking guys I shouldn't. It hasn't been a very good start.
Lowe fell to 3-6 with a 5.01 ERA against the Blue Jays, his highest ERA against any team. In Skydome, he is 1-5 with a 5.60 ERA.
"He was a little wilder than usual and I think in the end he created most of the trouble he had out there," Red Sox manager Grady Little said.
Lowe does not expect to miss his next start on Sunday.
"I mean, I get it (blister) every year," he said. "It fills up with blood, they pop it. I called the trainer out to see if he could pop it on the field. I guess you couldn't do that. It's more of a nuisance because it doesn't necessarily affect the way you pitch. Next game is Sunday and I'll try and not give up five runs like I did in the first two."
Early in the game, the Red Sox twice opened two-run leads, only to have the Blue Jays answer each time.
After the Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the third on Todd Walker's two-run double, the Blue Jays tied it in the bottom half on Delgado's single.
Boston took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth as Manny Ramirez doubled and scored on Kevin Millar's two-run homer.
Ramirez has hit in 21 straight games dating to last season.
But Myers homered to start the bottom half before Hudson walked and scored on Woodward's triple.
