Nothing, not a last-second balk call or a walk-off hit - could come to the rescue of the Red Sox last night. On a night when Toronto starter A.J. Burnett had an answer for everything, the Red Sox batters had little response and Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield was left wondering what he did so wrong, the home team was unable to complete a sweep as the Blue Jays left town with a 3-0 victory. Wakefield did not record a single strikeout in his seven innings, only the third time in his career he pitched that long without a strikeout. It was a fitting feat on a night when the six hits, four walks, two hit batsmen and three runs he did allow were all the Blue Jays needed on their side of the equation, since the Red Sox batters offered zip for themselves.
The Sox were shut out for the second time in four games and they have scored just four runs in their last five games, a stretch in which they have gone 2-3. The positive is that despite being limited to three runs in three games by the nastiness of Toronto starters Roy Halladay, Dustin McGowan and Burnett, the Sox still won two out of three. But with the Rays bringing in Edwin Jackson, James Shields and Scott Kazmir for a three-game visit beginning tonight, all the praise for the opposing pitcher is not going to make anyone feel much better about the Red Sox offense lately.
Sox Notes: With Jacoby Ellsbury (groin) and J.D. Drew (quadriceps) still unavailable, Brandon Moss got another start in right field. Ellsbury took batting practice and Drew shagged flies; the expectation is that one or both will be available this weekend
