Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, right, scores the game-winning run past Toronto Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro during the eighth inning in Toronto on Sept. 20.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Dioner Navarro sauntered into the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse on Sunday morning and he was hard to miss, outfitted in a Barcelona FC jersey and matching woollen tuque.
On the television nearest his locker, the channel was tuned to a couple of talking heads pontificating about the NFL matchups later on that day.
That wouldn't do.
Navarro reached up and flicked the channel to something he deemed more palatable and quickly found an Italian soccer match featuring Juventus against Genoa.
A few hours later, Navarro was likely wishing he had similar powers of control against the Boston Red Sox, who took advantage of some uncharacteristically sloppy play by Blue Jays to escape Rogers Centre with a 4-3 victory.
The Blue Jays tied a season high by committing three errors, two of them from pitchers. That went a long way toward helping the Red Sox win their second in a row and secure a 2-1 series victory.
"I'm not going to dwell on that," Toronto manager John Gibbons said about the errors. "I don't think they need a speech over that. Just go out there and get their work and, hey, show up [on Monday]."
The loss dipped Toronto's lead atop the American League East to three games over the New York Yankees, pending the outcome of the Yankees-Mets game Sunday night.
The Yankees come to Toronto to begin a pivotal three-game set beginning Monday night, a series that will have huge playoff ramifications with just two weeks left in the regular season.
"If you want to know the truth, I'm actually glad Boston's getting out of town," Gibbons said when asked to look ahead to the New York tilt. "They've been tough on us the last few times we've met up with them. They've got a scrappy team."
Navarro got the start at catcher and stroked his fourth home run in the second inning, a two-run shot that gave the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.
Navarro was also front and centre in the game's pivotal moment in the eighth inning, only the outcome was not so enjoyable.
With the score tied 3-3, Pablo Sandoval got on board after a fielding error by Toronto reliever Brett Cecil. He then went to second on a ground-out by Rusney Castillo and moved to third on a single by Sandy Leon.
Jackie Bradley Jr. then stepped into the batter's box and he lifted a fly ball off Toronto reliever Mark Lowe to Kevin Pillar, who caught the ball mid-range in centre.
Sandoval tagged up and Pillar's throw one-hopped Navarro but was there in plenty of time to get the lumbering Boston runner. Only the ball squirted past Navarro and Sandoval came across with what would prove to be the winning run.
"I just kind of stood my ground and unfortunately the ball hit the lip of the grass and kind of shot up on me," Navarro said. "I think if the ball would have hit the grass or the dirt I would have had a better chance.
"Stuff happens."
Overall, it was not a satisfying afternoon for the Jays, who dropped just their second series since Aug. 18 with both those series losses coming against the Red Sox.
Mark Buehrle started for Toronto and he pitched decently enough, getting nicked for three runs off eight hits before he admittedly ran out of gas after six innings. The veteran lefty did not help his cause any – especially in the fourth inning, when the Red Sox first bit into the Toronto lead.
Xander Bogaerts singled and with left-handed-hitting David Ortiz the next batter the Blue Jays shifted their infield defence to the right to try to guard against the notorious pull hitter.
That involved moving shortstop Ryan Goins into shallow right field with third baseman Josh Donaldson sliding over toward the shortstop's spot.
Ortiz hit a grounder to the right side and was out at first with Buehrle covering the bag.
Bogaerts, meanwhile, was on the run and made the turn at second. When he noticed the bag ahead was uncovered he made a beeline for it.
Donaldson took up the chase and when Burhrle tried to make a cross-field throw to Donaldson on the run, the ball skipped away and into foul territory.
Bogaerts was able to saunter home with the first Boston run on Buehrle's error.
"Trying to be an NFL quarterback, leading the guy," Buehrle said. "And it's not the easiest thing."
In the fifth inning, Buehrle walked Ortiz to load the bases and Travis Shaw followed with a single to left that carded two more Boston runs to tie the score.