By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
TORONTO -- Over the last few seasons, Ricky Romero has emerged as one of the American League's more impressive young lefty pitchers -- except when he was pitching against the Red Sox.
Before Thursday night, Romero had a career ERA of 8.08 in 11 starts against the Boston. But Romero figured something out in the final game of the four-game series between the Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, shutting out the Sox for the first six innings before tiring and allowing three runs in the seventh in a 7-4 Blue Jays' victory.
The loss left the Red Sox with their third consecutive series loss. Boston has dropped 7 of its last 10 games. The last time the Sox lost three series in a row was June 20-30 when they lost consecutive series to San Diego, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
The Jays climbed on Andrew Miller for four runs in the second, with three coming on a homer to J.P. Arencibia.
A solo homer from Edwin Encarnacion in the third stretched Toronto's lead to 5-0.
The Sox clawed back some in the seventh after Romero reached 100 pitches and began to tire. Jacoby Ellsbury's second double of the night scored the first Boston run and Marco Scutaro followed with a two-run single, giving him nine RBI for the four-game series.
Boston Red Sox
After the Jays had tacked on two pad runs against the Red Sox' bullpen, Jason Varitek closed out the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the ninth.
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam.