Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 6

BOS: 010 100 100 - 3 11 1
TOR: 001 050 00X - 6 10 0

W: Janssen (1-1)
L: Wakefield (6-3)
SV: Downs (6)

The Jays end their nine-game losing streak at the expense of the Red Sox. Funny how their losing streak started with Tim Wakefield pitching for the other team and ended with Wakefield. Wake was okay through the first four innings, although he had to deal with a lot of baserunners, including a bases loaded jam in the first. Toronto jumped all over him in the 5th as his knuckleball stayed up, scoring 5 runs and knocking him out of the game.

I put this one under the category of: It happens. That's just Wake and his knuckleball. He's on, stays on then all of a sudden loses it. Most times when he loses it he doesn't survive and is knocked out of the game but other times he'll give up 3 runs in an inning then settle back down and dominate.

What bothered me tonight: It was one of those games where the Red Sox had 11 hits but only scored 3 runs. Toronto scores double the runs on one less hit. Boston just couldn't put them together.

The game wasn't all lost. Daniel Bard pitched in relief of Wakefield and absolutely dominated. He was overpowering. He was baffling. He pitched. 2 1/3 innings, no hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts. Those 5 K's all came in a row, to the final five he faced. Three of the strike threes came on fastballs, two on breaking balls. He impressed once again.

The Jays 5th...

Rios HBP.
Wells FC to third (Rios out at second), stole second.
Lind 4-3, Wells to third.
Rolen doubled to left. Wells scored, 2-2.
Millar walked.
Overbay doubled to right. Rolen scored, Millar to third. 3-2.
Barajas singled to left. Millar and Overbay scored. 5-2.
Scutaro doubled deep to center. Barajas chug chug chuged home. 6-2.

Bard replaced Wakefield and got Hill to fly out to right.

Barajas looked like he would be gunned down at home because he was slowing down and running out of steam rounding third. He slid home head-first in plenty of time and stayed down for a few seconds, catching his breath. He looked like he just shut down after he slid in, then got up and walked back, huffing and puffing all the way to the dugout.

The Red Sox's scored one run in the second, fourth and seventh innings. Ellsbury doubled home Lowell in the 2nd and singled home Kottaras in the 4th. Drew hit a 7th inning dong to dead center.

***

With the loss we're tied with New York again, but they lead Cleveland 3-0 in the 5th inning in Spiderland. A Yankee win would put them a half-game up. The Jays sit one game back now.

Game 49 • Red Sox at Blue Jays • 7 PM

Tim Wakefield (6-2, 3.99) vs. Casey Janssen (0-1, 4.50)

The Red Sox visit the Rogers Centre for the first time in 2009 as the weird scheduling rolls on. It feels like by this point in other seasons we've played up there two or three times. No matter. The Bluebirds will roll out the welcome mat while trying to make the gray team feel as unwelcome as possible. After all, they were fine and dandy on their perch atop the AL East standings before the first pitch in the Back Bay. Let's just say it was all downhill from there. Boston swept the Jays in three at Fenway, and Toronto has not tasted victory since.
L L L L L L L L L.

Have a look at the AL East after Thursday:

BOS: 28-20, --
MFY: 27-20, 0.5 GB
TOR: 27-23, 1.5 GB
FKR: 23-26, 5.0 GB
BAL: 21-26, 6.0 GB

***

Quotes from Thursday's game in Minnesota:

Tito:

I thought [Tichenor] was making it hard on Beckett. I know Beckett yelled in. Tek's protecting Beckett, and I'm protecting Tek. He got Tek, and that's what I didn't want to have happen. I'm not fast enough to get out there in time. I'd rather him throw me out than Tek. Tek's going to have a hell of a lot more to do with the outcome than I am. Sometimes you have to state your opinion.

Beckett won't say what he told home plate umpire Todd Tichenor:

Just some baseball terms. You can't write it. [Television] can't hear it. There's no reason for me to elaborate.

Umpire Crew Chief Jerry Layne:

Varitek was trying to keep his pitcher in the game. Varitek took one for the team, basically. Terry Francona did his job, too. The bottom line is the managers have a job to do and the umpires have a job to do, and it was a different situation to be in as an umpire and I thought that Todd Tichenor did an extremely good job. He handled it the way I like to see a person handle it.

Francona on Varitek's second dong of the game, 427 feet (at friggen least):

That was nice to see. That was a beautiful swing.

Gumball, on the play at the plate:

All right, I'm going. [Jason Kubel] made a great throw. [Redmond] gave me the whole plate, so it wasn't going to be one of those situations where I need to have a collision or anything like that. I could just sense the ball bearing down on me a little bit, so I decided to just stay on the outside and try to get my hand in there. That turned out to be the best thing."

***
What happened to the Rays? Injuries. Percival has shoulder tendinitis, Kazmir has a right quad strain, Iwamura is out for the season with a knee injury, Shouse has an elbow strain, and Bartlett has a strained left ankle. All of these players are currently on the DL.