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Red Sox look to trim magic number against Blue Jays

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:26 AM Boston (90-64) at Toronto (83-72) 1:07 p.m. EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) -- While a playoff berth is a forgone conclusion for the Boston Red Sox, their chances of repeating as champions in the American League East Division are getting bleaker by the day.

Last year's World Series champion's magic number to clinch a playoff berth remains at two as they prepare take on the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

The Red Sox (90-64) sit 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays (92-61), who clinched a playoff berth with a 7-2 win over Minnesota on Saturday and stretched their lead over Boston to three in the loss column. Boston has turned the wild-card race into a one-team show, leading the Minnesota Twins (83-72) by 7 1/2 games.

Boston sends Daisuke Matsuzaka (17-2, 2.93) to the hill in search of his seventh straight victory. The righthander is unbeaten on the road this season, posting an 8-0 mark with a 2.61 ERA.

In Matsuzaka's 27 starts, the Red Sox are 22-5, including victories in eight of his last nine starts.

He will face off against Toronto for the third time this season. Matsuzaka was brilliant in an April start, pitching seven shutout innings, but he was roughed up to the tune of five runs and eight hits over six innings in Toronto on August 24.

Toronto counters with rookie Scott Richmond (0-2, 5.06), who is in search of his first major league victory.

Richmond, 29, has allowed three runs in each of his three previous starts this season. During a stint in late July and early August, the righthander was decent in each of his performances. He has struck out 13 in 16 innings while allowing only one free pass.

Boston had taken five of the last six from its division rival before Roy Halladay earned the win on Saturday in the Blue Jays' 6-3 victory, his 19th of the season.