TORONTO — Long since eliminated from postseason contention, the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox look like they'll be in a battle for the rest of the season to see who can avoid finishing in last place in the American League East.

Pedro Ciriaco doubled down the left-field line off Jays' reliever Steve Delabar (4-2) with two out in the top of the ninth to bring home Jarrod Saltalamacchia from third for the winning run as the Red Sox won 3-2 for their second win in a row over the Blue Jays.

Boston (66-80) is now tied with Toronto (65-79) but the Jays have two games in hand.

Saltalamacchia led off the inning with a double to right and scored after advancing to third on Mike Aviles fly out to center.

Craig Breslow (3-0) picked up his first win as a member of the Red Sox since being traded from Arizona at the end of August as he came on in the eighth in relief of starter Clay Buchholz.

The Jays got on the board with two out in their half of the first inning. With runners on second and third, Yunel Escobar singled to right, bringing in Edwin Encarnacion from third.

Adam Lind also tried to score from second but Boston right fielder Cody Ross fielded the ball cleanly on one hop and fired a strike to the plate. Lind came to a complete stop as he hadn't even reached the dirt around home plate to attempt a slide and was tagged out by Saltalamacchia.

Ross then made a difference with his bat when he led off the second. Ross took a 2-1 Villanueva pitch to left center for his 21st homer to tie the game at one.

After a scoreless third inning, Boston took the lead in the fourth with Ross once again getting things started.

Ross drew a two-out walk and James Loney moved him to third with a single before catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove him in with a single of his own to center.

The Jays had the makings of a big inning in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out but in the end only got a single run across to tie the game.

Anthony Gose led off with a single and then stole his 15th base of the season. Rajai Davis followed and reached first when his ground ball to third was mishandled by Ciriano.

Both players then advanced on Brett Lawrie's sacrifice bunt that Buchholz fielded and then tagged out Lawrie himself.

Toronto then loaded the bases when Edwin Encarnacion was walked intentionally but they couldn't capitalize and only managed to get the one run across on Lind's sacrifice fly to center. Buchholz got out of the inning by getting Yunel Escobar to ground out to second.

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Notes: Dustin Pedroia was back in the lineup for the first time since his wife gave birth to their second son, Cole, on Thursday. Pedroia arrived back in Toronto on Friday night. ... Ross' home run was the 12th Villanueva has given up as a starter this season. ... The loss means the Jays have lost 10 of their past 14 series. ... Boston will try to go for the sweep on Sunday just a week after the Jays swept the Red Sox in Boston. ... Boston LHP John Lester (9-11, 4.99 ERA) will start Sunday against Toronto RHP Brandon Morrow (8-6, 3.16 ERA).