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BLUE JAYS 3, RED SOX 0
In the first two games against the Blue Jays, the Red Sox offensewas just barely able to eke out one-run victories in the ninthinning.
Last night they were unable to muster any runs at all, falling tothe Blue Jays, 3-0.
The offense has been a virtual no-show the last five games inwhich the Sox scored just four total runs. They were shut out forthe second time this season, both in the last four games.
Toronto starter A.J. Burnett was responsible for most of thedamage. He walked five Red Sox, but he got outs whenever he neededthem in his 7 2/3 innings. He held the Red Sox to just three hitsand struck out five.
Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield could not strike out a Blue Jay inhis seven innings, but he walked four of them and he hit a pair. Heallowed all three runs, capped by Alex Rios' moon-seeking missileover the Green Monster in the seventh inning.
The Blue Jays recorded their first run in the third inning whenScott Rolen's single to right plated Alex Rios, who had singled andstolen second base.
That snapped a 17-inning stretch in which no Red Sox starter hadallowed a run, including starts by Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzakaon Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Vernon Wells' sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in the fifth and thedamage could have been much greater, but a weird play kept anotherBlue Jays run from scoring. David Eckstein had led off the inning ona bloop double to right field, followed by Rolen getting hit by apitch. Matt Stairs then launched a fly ball that bounced off the toplip of the slightly protruding out of-town scoreboard halfway up theGreen Monster. Ceneter fielder Coco Crisp caught the ball on the flyand then began an 8-4-2-4-2 chain of events that eventually led toEckstein getting tagged out in a rundown between third and homeplate. Amidst all the throws, Stairs advanced to second, Rolen tothird. After Wells' RBI, Aaron Hill stranded Stairs with a flyout toleft.
Rios left the bases loaded in the fourth when Ramirez somehowcaught up to his fly ball just in front of the wall in the gapbetween left and center. Ramirez was his usual nonchalant selfbefore, during and after the catch.
Burnett had a 3-0 record with a 2.51 ERA in four previous startsagainst the Sox. Julio Lugo, 3-for-17 in his career against Burnett,was given the night off.
The Red Sox could not get much of anything going against Burnett,who was consistently touching 95 and 96 mph with his livelyfastball.
Mike Lowell led off the second with a double and was on thirdwith two outs when Jed Lowrie's line drive was snagged by shortstopEckstein.
David Ortiz (single) and Ramirez (walk) led off the fourth, butafter Lowell flied out, Brandon Moss lined a hard shot that secondbaseman Hill snagged with the dive, then got up to double Ortiz offsecond.
Ortiz and Ramirez again reached first and second in the sixth,with one out this time, but a flyout by Lowell, followed by astrikeout (looking) of Moss stranded them there.
- msilverman@bostonherald.com
CAPTION: NOSE FOR THE BALL: Sox center fielder Coco Crisp watchesa fly ball off the bat of Toronto's Marco Scutaro sail into hisglove during the third inning last night at Fenway. STAFF PHOTO BYMATT STONE
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