Roy Halladay got the start in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to left to start. Jeff Frye grounded out to short and Carl Everett flied out to right to end the inning. The Jays immediately pounced on Brian Rose in the bottom of the first inning. Shannon Stewart grounded out to third to start but Alex Gonzalez was plunked. Raul Mondesi grounded out to short but Carlos Delgado hit the roof of the Skydome with a 2 run home run to give the Jays the lead. Brad Fullmer flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.
The Sox fought back in the top of the second inning when Nomar Garciaparra struck his 7th home run of the season to lead off. Brian Daubach struck out swinging and Jason Varitek flied out to left, but Darren Lewis reached on an error. Curtis Pride struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.
Rose got Tony Bautista to pop up to right to start the bottom of the second. Jose Cruz grounded out to second but Alberto Castillo singled to right. Homer Bush flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox tied it up in the top of the third as Manny Alexander singled to left to begin. Offerman lined out to right but a grounder by Frye moved Alexander to second. Everett lashed a base hit to score Alexander to tie the game. Nomar singled Everett to third but Daubach flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
As soon as the Sox tied it, the Jays took the lead back in the bottom of the third. Stewart walked and Gonzalez belted a home run into the Merrimack River to increase the lead. Mondesi popped up to third and Delgado flied out to left. Fullmer hit a routine grounder to Nomar who threw his glove at the ball and screamed for an error. Sox manager Jimy Williams ran out of the dugout screaming and tried to throw a roundhouse right at Rose, blaming him for the error. Rose ran away and Hipolito Pichardo materialized out of thin air to take the mound. Batista grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 4-2.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Varitek grounded back to the mound to start. Lewis grounded out to short but Pride drew a walk. Alexander whiffed to end the inning. Pichardo got the Jays to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth although Cruz got a base hit to center to begin. Castillo and Bush grounded out to short while Stewart grounded out to second to end the inning.
Halladay held down the Sox in the top of the fifth as Offerman flied out to center to start. Frye flied out to right but Everett walked. Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Gonzalez and Mondesi hit back to back singles to start. Delgado lined a base hit to right to score Gonzalez with another run. Fullmer hit a bullet to Offerman who doubled off Delgado for the double play. Batista lined out to left to end the inning with the Jays up 5-2.
Chris Woodward took over for Gonzalez to begin the top of the sixth as Daubach whiffed to start. Varitek flied to center and Lewis took strike three to end the inning. Pichardo returned for the bottom of the sixth and Cruz grounded out to first to start. Castillo grounded out to short and Bush grounded out to second to end the inning.
It was the Sox turn to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning. Pride grounded out to second, Alexander grounded out to third and Offerman grounded out to first to end the inning. Rod Beck came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Stewart lined out to right to start. Woodward whiffed and Mondesi grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox finally rallied in the top of the eighth inning. Frye got a base hit and Everett singled Jeff to third to chase Halladay. Paul Quantrill came in and Nomar scored Frye with a grounder. Daubach whiffed but Varitek singled home Everett. Lewis grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox back in it 5-4.
Just as soon as the Sox fought back, the Jays iced it in the bottom of the eighth against Rheal Cormier. Delgado grounded out to second but Fullmer crushed a home run all the way to Saskatchewan to ice the game. Batista flied out to left but Cruz singled to left. Castillo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays ahead 6-4.
Flamethrower closer Billy Koch took the mound to close out the top of the the ninth. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Pride and struck out swinging. Alexander took strike three and Offerman flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had dropped a close one 6-4 to the Jays.
Jackass of the Night is Brian Rose. The problematic starter turtled once again in a big time pitching situation with first place slipping away. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings and took the loss allowing 4 runs.
The Good:
Carl Everett was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.
Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis and a home run.
Rod Beck pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Jose Offerman was 0 for 5.
Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Darren Lewis was 0 for 4.
Scott Hatteberg struck out as a pinch hitter.
Rheal Cormier allowed a run in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.
Curtis Pride was 0 for 2 but walked.
Manny Alexander was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Hipolito Pichardo allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings.
Final Thoughts:
How much longer will the Sox put up with Brian Rose in the rotation? The New York Yankees are vulnerable for the first time in 3 years and the Sox are right in the middle of the AL East race. They can't afford to slip behind them with losses like this. Rose simply doesn't have the stuff to compete at a level this high. Maybe a trade to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is in order to get him out of the bright lights of Boston and New York. As for the game, the Sox battled but once again Toronto outhit them. The Sox can't afford to get into slugfests with the Jays who have too much power. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-33, 1.5 games behind the Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to rebound in a battle of aces. Chris Carpenter goes for the Jays up against Pedro Martinez of the Sox at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.
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