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Red Sox try to stay hot in opener vs. Blue Jays

Jul 4, 2011 - 2:45 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox shoot for their fifth straight win this afternoon, as they get back to the American League portion of their schedule with the first of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox completed their interleague slate this weekend by completing a three-game sweep of the hapless Houston Astros. On Sunday, Kevin Youkilis' bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth forced in the deciding run, lifting Boston to a 2-1 win.

Jacoby Ellsbury notched a pair of hits and Drew Sutton scored the deciding run for the Red Sox, while Josh Beckett (7-3) fanned a season-high 11 batters over eight solid innings, in which he allowed five hits and one run. Jonathan Papelbon turned in a scoreless ninth with three strikeouts to post his 17th save.

Ellsbury and Beckett, along with Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz, were named to the AL All-Star team on Sunday.

Today the Red Sox turn to struggling right-hander John Lackey, who has lost his last two starts. Lackey lost in Philadelphia on Wednesday, allowing two runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings, as he fell to 5-7 on the year to go along with a 6.81 ERA.

Lackey beat the Blue Jays back on June 11, but is 5-6 lifetime against them with a 5.12 ERA in 17 starts.

Toronto, meanwhile, got a big day from its All-Star representative on Sunday to salvage the finale of its three-game set with the Phillies. Jose Bautista hit one of three Blue Jay home runs in the eighth inning off of Cliff Lee, propelling his team to a 7-4 win.

It was the major league-leading 27th home run for Bautista, who prior to the game was named a starting outfielder for the AL in this year's All-Star Game, as he received more votes than any player in the game.

Jo-Jo Reyes settled down after giving up four runs in the second inning and kept it close long enough for Octavio Dotel (2-1) to earn the win in relief. Dotel recorded the final five outs to snap Toronto's three-game slide.

"We could have come in flat, could have come in knowing we were going up against a guy throwing 30-plus scoreless innings...but we chipped away and felt a little momentum," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "I think today was an example of the competitiveness that we continue to show."

Getting the call for the Jays this afternoon will be hard-throwing right- hander Brandon Morrow, who is 4-4 with a 4.56 ERA. Morrow defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, as he allowed a run and four hits in seven innings and struck out a season-high 10 batters. He has fanned 91 batters in 75 innings this season.

Morrow was on the wrong end of the decision against Lackey and the Red Sox four starts ago and is 0-2 in 12 games (four starts) with a 9.00 ERA.

Boston has won six of nine against the Blue Jays this season.