Toronto, ON -- (Sports Network) - David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez both belted home runs as the Boston Red Sox bested Toronto, 8-6, to avoid a sweep in the finale of a three-game set at the Rogers Centre.

Mark Loretta and Trot Nixon also hit homers for Boston, which snapped a two- game skid and won for the fifth time in seven contests.

"You can't let yourself get swept," said Loretta. "You have to find a way to get at least one of those games and keep those teams behind you that are chasing you."

Boston was hoping to have David Wells available for the game, but the veteran took a hard line drive off his left knee last Friday against Tampa Bay and is expected to return to the disabled list.

Taking Wells' place was 22-year-old David Pauley, who was called up from Double-A Portland to make his major league debut and looked overmatched. The rookie was handed a 7-2 lead but gave most of it back and could only last 4 1/3 innings. Pauley served up six runs on 11 hits before Boston manager Terry Francona mercifully pulled the plug.

Jermaine Van Buren (1-0), Manny Delcarmen, Keith Foulke and Jonathan Papelbon managed to restore order and combined for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to secure the victory for Boston.

Papelbon recorded his league-leading 19th save.

Aaron Hill went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI for the Blue Jays, who lost for only the second time in their past six games. Alex Rios went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the loss.

Ted Lilly (5-5) started for Toronto but struggled with his control and was in constant trouble. The lefty lasted only four innings and surrendered five runs on five hits, while walking four and punching out three.

The Red Sox jumped in front thanks to Ortiz's 15th home run of the year, a solo shot with two outs in the top of the first inning.

The Blue Jays evened things in the second when Pauley struggled with his command. The rookie forced in a run by walking Edgardo Alfonzo with the bases loaded.

Boston went back in front in the third on Loretta's two-run homer. Alex Gonzalez grounded a single to center and, a batter later, Loretta turned on the first pitch he saw and deposited the ball over the left field wall for his second home run of the year.

Toronto drew within a run in the home-half of the third on consecutive hits by Rios and Troy Glaus. Rios drilled a one-out double over the head of Coco Crisp in center and Glaus hit a laser that went off the wall in left to score Rios.

The Red Sox kept the pressure on Lilly with a two-run fourth. Ramirez walked to lead off and quickly went to third on Kevin Youkilis' single. The hard- hitting left fielder then scored when Lilly uncorked a wild pitch. Lilly continued to struggle with his control and walked Mike Lowell and Paul Mirabelli to load the bases. The left-hander then flirted with getting out of the inning by fanning Nixon and inducing Gonzalez to pop out to right. But, Crisp came through with a two-out single that scored Youkilis. Lowell was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The Blue Jays finally yanked Lilly and went to Francisco Rosario in the fifth but the flame-throwing right-hander had no luck keeping Boston off the board. Ortiz drew a one-out walk and Ramirez followed by lining an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center to make it a 7-2 game.

Toronto quickly got back in it by peppering Pauley in the bottom of the fifth. Consecutive RBI singles by Shea Hillenbrand and Eric Hinske was followed by Hill's two-run triple to the gap in left-center and the Blue Jays were down by just a run, 7-6.

The poor pitching continued in the sixth. Toronto went to its third arm, Pete Walker, but Nixon greeted him with his fifth homer of the season to make it 8-6.

Game Notes

Papelbon is 19-for-19 in save opportunities. The 19 consecutive saves is a Boston record to start the season. Papelbon has not given up a run in his last 11 appearances, covering 10 2/3 innings...Ramirez's home run was his 51st versus Toronto. That's the most by any player against the Blue Jays in their history. Alex Rodriguez and Jose Canseco are next with 41 apiece. Ramirez also has 127 RBI against Toronto which is second best behind Harold Baines (131)...Lowell left the game in the fifth inning with a left hamstring strain and is listed as day-to-day.