The Red Sox sure picked a good time to remember how to beat the Toronto Blue Jays.With a 4-3 victory last night at Rogers Centre, the Sox kept their postseason hopes as high as possible with nine games left. The magic number to reach the playoffs is two, meaning the Red Sox could clinch a postseason berth as soon as tonight should they beat the Blue Jays again, the Yankees lose and either the Twins or White Sox drop a game. If that sounds complicated, the bottom line is that the ultimate math is quite favorable for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox lost six of their first eight games this season against the pitching-rich Blue Jays but have rebounded to win five of their last six vs. Toronto. Paul Byrd and A.J. Burnett battled to a draw in one of the more unlikely pitchers’ duels. Byrd gave up three runs in his six innings; Burnett three in seven.
When Byrd was finished, the call went to the bullpen and the relievers responded with three scoreless innings. The first three out of the bull pen; Javier Lopez, Manny Delcarmen (1-2) and Hideki Okajima did not allow a hit and struck out two in their two combined innings.
At times, Burnett displayed a filthy curveball that Sox hitters either were unable to lay off of or watched drop in for a strike. In the fifth, however, the Red Sox struck gold. A leadoff double from Jason Varitek started things off. Two outs and three batters later, Kevin Youkilis had the first RBI with a single to center field and Casey followed with his two-run double to right. After the Blue Jays tied it right back in the home half of the fifth against Byrd, Varitek got to Toronto reliever Brian Tallet in the eighth, with his bases-loaded RBI groundout plating the eventual winning run.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon created some anxious moments in the ninth inning after he failed to field a slow bouncer by Adam Lind. The pitcher’s throw to first was wild, and the Blue Jays suddenly had the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at the plate with no outs.
Papelbon recovered to record a lineout, a groundout and a strikeout on a 95 mph third strike to Travis Snider for his 39th save in 44 attempts.
Nation Notes: Bartolo Colon has been suspended without pay, though not put on the restricted list. The reason Colon was not placed on the restricted list was so he could be recalled if something changed, though the team does not expect to see him again. Time appears to be running out for J.D. Drew with just nine games left in the regular season. Jason Bay rejoined the team and was back in the lineup last night against the Blue Jays, after the birth of his second daughter Tuesday. Julio Lugo (quadriceps) is trying to get back before the regular season is over, but that is in doubt.
