Final
Red Sox-Blue Jays Preview
Aug 11, 2010 - 4:38 AMVideo
Boston (64-49) at Toronto (59-52), 7:07 p.m. EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays' high-powered attack has caused problems for many opponents - just not the Boston Red Sox, who hope Clay Buchholz can help them improve to 9-2 in this season series Wednesday night.
Boston (65-49) will be looking for a third consecutive victory both overall and against Toronto, which lost the first five meetings this season and lost 7-5 on Tuesday night.
The Red Sox's impressive play at Rogers Centre continued, having won six of seven in a building where the Blue Jays are 12-3 against the rest of the AL East.
Toronto (59-53) hit three more home runs Tuesday, increasing its major league-leading total to 178, but Boston's Mike Lowell had the most important one of the game with a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth inning.
The Red Sox attempted to trade Lowell before the July 31 deadline, but he has six RBIs in seven games as the everyday first baseman after an injury to star Kevin Youkilis.
"We've kind of been relentless the whole year with injuries and trying to piece things together," Lowell said. "That was a really nice win. Winning the first game of the series is always pretty good but the way we did it tonight was extra satisfying."
While Youkilis is out for the season, the Red Sox are otherwise getting healthier as they try to close a five-game gap behind AL East-leading New York and a 4 1/2-game deficit to Tampa Bay in the wild-card chase.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie, both of whom missed most of the season with injuries, combined for four hits and three RBIs on Tuesday, and 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia may return from a broken foot next week.
"Any help that we can get is good," said catcher Victor Martinez, who returned July 26 after missing four weeks with a broken thumb. "We just want to stay together and keep pushing."
Buchholz (12-5, 2.66 ERA) has been one of Boston's steadiest contributors, quickly returning to form after a stint on the disabled list last month. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last three starts, posting 7 1-3 strong innings in a 6-3 win over the Yankees on Friday night.
In three starts at Toronto since the start of last year - all wins - Buchholz has a 1.37 ERA.
He pitched eight innings in a 2-1 victory there April 27 as he outlasted Toronto's Shaun Marcum, who gave up one run in seven innings. Boston got the go-ahead run against the Blue Jays' bullpen in the eighth.
Marcum (10-5, 3.44) will oppose Buchholz again, hoping to equal his last outing against the Red Sox. He allowed two hits in seven shutout innings during a 3-2 win at Fenway Park on May 12, improving to 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career starts against Boston.
The right-hander returns to the mound a week after surrendering Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run in a 5-1 loss at Yankee Stadium.
"I'm not really worried about it," Marcum told the Blue Jays' official website. "I'm sure he's going to hit another 150 or 200, so it's no big deal. ... You just have to move on."
Marcum allowed five runs over six innings in that defeat after winning his first three starts following the All-Star break while posting a 2.04 ERA.
The Blue Jays hope Vernon Wells returns after the outfielder missed the series opener with a dislocated toe. Shortstop Yunel Escobar sat out with a knee injury.
- Blue Jays 1, Red Sox 10 - FINAL
BOSTON ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
M Scutaro ss 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 .267
J Drew rf 3 2 1 1 1 1 0 .259
D McDonald rf 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .258
V Martinez c 5 1 2 1 0 1 1 .283
J Saltalamacchia c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200
D Ortiz dh 4 1 1 0 1 1 0 .261
A Be
Aug 11 10:09 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY VICTOR MARTINEZ SCORED DARNELL MCDONALD
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, V MARTINEZ ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 10
TORONTO 1 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D ORTIZ (.262, 1-FOR-3, BB)
Red Sox 10, Blue Jays 1 Top 8, 0 OutsAug 11 9:35 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BILL HALL SCORED MIKE LOWELL
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, B HALL ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
TORONTO 1 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J ELLSBURY (.206, 0-FOR-2)
Red Sox 9, Blue Jays 1 Top 5, 0 OutsAug 11 8:38 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY ADRIAN BELTRE (21) TO RIGHT CENTER
WITH 0 OUT IN THE 5TH OFF SHAUN MARCUM SCORED DAVID ORTIZ AND
VICTOR MARTINEZ.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 8, TORONTO 1
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: M LOWELL (.226, 1-FOR-1, BB, RBI)
Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 1 Top 5, 0 OutsAug 11 8:31 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY J.D. DREW (14) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 5TH OFF SHAUN MARCUM.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 5, TORONTO 1
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: V MARTINEZ (.279, 0-FOR-2)
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 1 Top 5, 0 OutsAug 11 8:26 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BILL HALL (15) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 4TH OFF SHAUN MARCUM SCORED RYAN KALISH.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 4, TORONTO 1
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J ELLSBURY (.209, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1 Top 4, 0 OutsAug 11 8:13 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY BILL HALL (14) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF SHAUN MARCUM.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 2, TORONTO 1
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J ELLSBURY (.212, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1 Top 2, 0 OutsAug 11 7:38 PM - AL
AT TORONTO - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY JOSE BAUTISTA SCORED TRAVIS SNIDER
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 1
TORONTO 1 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: V WELLS (.274, 22 HR, 60 RBI)
Red Sox 1, Blue Jays 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsAug 11 7:32 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 1 1 0 0
TORONTO 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: BOS - CLAY BUCHHOLZ
TOR - SHAUN MARCUM
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: T SNIDER (.257, 8 HR, 21 RBI)
Y ESCOBAR (.298, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
J BAUTISTA (.259, 35 HR, 86 RBI)
Red Sox 1, Blue Jays 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsAug 11 7:25 PM
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