Red Sox Use Stron Pitching to Beat Jays 3-2

Sports Illustrated

Red Sox 3 Blue Jays 2
Winning Pitcher: Matt Albers (3-3)
Losing Pitcher: Brett Cecil (1-4)
Save: Jonathan Papelbon (18)


Recap
It was not all good news, but the Red Sox were able to take the second game against the Jays on Tuesday night, defeating Toronto 3-2. Jon Lester came out of the game electric, retiring the first six batters he faced, striking out four of them. In the bottom of the second, the Red Sox started their offense with a double from David Ortiz. Two batters later, Jason Varitek came up with a big double ripped off the Monster in left. JD Drew, the next batter, got a ground ball through the right side to score another run, and the team secured a 2-0 lead after two. After Lester came out strong again in the third, Dustin Pedroia tagged on another run with a solo blast, giving Boston the 3-0 lead. Lester came out for another 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, and had a no hitter after the inning. However, as the Red Sox batted in the bottom of the inning, Matt Albers warmed up in the 'pen, and Lester was done for the day. More on that in the News and Notes below. Albers carried that no hitter into the sixth, but Jose Bautista broke that up with two outs in the inning. Franklin Morales and Daniel Bard did well in relief, and the same score lasted to the ninth, when Jonathan Papelbon came in to close it out. With the three run lead, he started off by giving up a single followed by a home run to Bautista, bringing the Jays within one. Then, after a strike out and a single, he gave up a long fly ball to left for the second out, followed by a walk, moving Edwin Encarnacion to second. John McDonald then hit a single to left, but Darnell McDonald gunned Encarnacion down at the plate on a questionable call from the ump, giving the Red Sox the win.

Home Runs
Boston: Dustin Pedroia (8)
Toronto: Jose Bautista (28)


News and Notes

• Lester officially left the game with a strained left lat muscle. The injury is expected to sideline him for two weeks, leaving the Red Sox with another big hole in the rotation. However, since the All Star break is coming up, they should be able to finagle their scheduled starters so Lester only misses two starts. Alfredo Aceves will take Lester's next scheduled start on Sunday.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays conclude their three game stint tomorrow night at 7:10 PM ET. Boston will send Tim Wakefield (4-3 4.82) to the mound against Toronto's Ricky Romero (7-7 2.75).