The Jays wasted no time breaking Fassero in the top of the first inning. Shannon Stewart and Craig Grebeck started with back to back singles before Raul Mondesi crushed a 23,000 foot home run to ice the game 3 batters into it. Carlos Delgado singled but Tony Batista banged into a double play. Jose Cruz Jr flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays up for good 3-0.
Castillo began his dominance in the bottom of the first inning as Jose Offerman flied out to left to begin. Jeff Frye also flied out to left and Trot Nixon grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Jays struck again when Brad Fullmer croaked a 790,000 foot home run to start the top of the second inning. Alex Gonzalez walked but Alberto Castillo flied out to right. Gonzalez swiped second but Stewart popped up to second. Gonzalez swiped third but Grebeck took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 4-0.
The Sox blew a chance to get back in it in the bottom of the second as Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to third to start. Carl Everett flied out to right but Brian Daubach and Jason Varitek drew back to back walks. With a chance to do some damage...Darren Lewis grounded out to first to end the inning.
The deadarmed Fassero was lifted after just two innings and Hipolito Pichardo was pressed into action in the top of the third inning. Mondesi grounded out to short, Delgado flied out to left and Batista popped up to short to end the inning. Manny Alexander tried to start a rally in the bottom of the third with a base hit to left to begin. Offerman looked at strike three, Frye whiffed and Nomar flied out to center to end the inning.
Cruz Jr popped up to second to start the top of the fourth before Fullmer flied out to center. Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Nomar popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Everett doubled to right. Daubach flied out to right but Varitek went down swinging to end the inning.
Pichardo got in trouble in the top of the fifth although Castillo grounded out to third to begin. Stewart singled to center and swiped second before Grebeck was plunked. Mondesi flied out to left and Delgado grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Lewis flied out to right to start. Alexander swung at air and Offerman flied out to center to end the inning.
Rich Garces came in for Pichardo for the top of the sixth and Batista grounded out to third to begin. Cruz Jr popped up to third and Fullmer took strike three to end the inning. Frye tried to start a rally in the bottom of the sixth with a base hit to left. The rally ended as Nixon watched strike three go by, Nomar forced Frye at second and Everett whiffed to end the inning.
Garces got Gonzalez to fly out to right to begin the top of the seventh before Castillo whiffed. Stewart walked and swiped second again but Grebeck whiffed to end the inning. Daubach popped up to second to begin the bottom of the seventh but Varitek was hit with a pitch. Lewis flied out to center and Alexander flied out to left to end the inning. Castillo had come to Fenway and tossed 7 shutout innings, gotta tip your cap to that.
Rheal Cormier came in to pour gas on the fire in the top of the eighth inning as Mondesi bashed his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Delgado took strike three but Batista singled to left. Batista swiped second but Cruz Jr popped up to first. Fullmer struck out swinging to end the inning but the Jays were up 5-0.
Paul Quantrill came in for the bottom of the eighth and Offerman took strike three to start. Frye grounded out to short and Nixon grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Rod Beck came in for the top of the ninth and Gonzalez whiffed to start. Castillo grounded out to first but Stewart singled to center. Grebeck flied out to center to end the inning. Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the ninth as Nomar singled to center to begin. Everett flied out to right but Daubach took strike three. Varitek doubled to left and Lewis walked to load the bases. Billy Koch came in to close it out and Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by bringing in Scott Hatteberg to pinch hit for Alexander. Hatteberg lashed a base hit to center to score Nomar, re-load the bases and somehow bring the tying run to the plate. Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Hatterberg but Offerman grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had taken 2 out of 3 at Fenway including this game 5-1.
Jackass of the night is Jeff Fassero. The dead armed starter lasted just 2 innings and put the Sox in a 4-0 hole they couldn't climb out of
The Good:
Jason Varitek was 1 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.
Manny Alexander was 1 for 3.
Scott Hatteberg singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.
Hipolito Pichardo tossed 3 scoreless innings.
Rich Garces pitched 2 scoreless innings.
Rod Beck pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Jose Offerman was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Rheal Cormier allowed a run in the 8th inning.
The Ugly:
Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Carl Everett was just 1 for 4.
Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Darren Lewis was 0 for 3 but walked.
Honorable Mention:
Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Scott Hatteberg in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox are in big trouble if the rotation doesn't improve in a hurry. Apart from Pedro Martinez, the Sox rotation wouldn't scare a Triple A team. Fassero, Ramon Martinez, Pete Schourek and Brian Rose haven't been up to the task lately. The Sox have some prospects such as Tomo Ohka, Paxton Crawford and Jin Ho Cho but they can't rely on untested rookies when the fall rolls around. The Sox offense could use some help as well as a lot of guys are having a down year. If the Sox are actually interested in Sammy Sosa, they should give anything they got to get him. Troy O'Leary has fallen apart this season and nobody seems to know why. The loss drops the Sox to 35-29 0.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Speaking of the Yankees, they're in town for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Ramiro Mendoza gets the start for the Yankees up against Brian Rose (3-3) of the Sox. First place is on the line as the two teams clash at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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