Sox Turn Tables on Jays (8/11/10)

Going into the series the Toronto Blue Jays had hit the most home runs in the major leagues, tonight the Red Sox served them a taste of their own medicine.

The Red Sox got a first inning rally going without the benefit of a hit off starter Shawn Marcum (10-6, 3.87 ERA). JD Drew worked a one out walk, Victor Martinez flied out, Ortiz walked and then Beltre was hit to load the bases. The Sox got a gift run in the first when Mike Lowell walked on a blown full count call by umpire Greg Gibson. Kalish struck out in a 6 pitch at bat to run Marcum's pitch count to 36 after one half inning.

In the bottom of the frame, the Red Sox defensive woes continued with Mike Lowell botched a routine ground-out on the first pitch of the game by Clay Buchholz (13-5, 2.49 ERA). Travis Snider moved to second on a bunt by Yunel Escobar and then Victor Martinez allowed a passed ball to move Snider to third. Snider would score on the sac fly by Jose Bautista before Vernon Wells grounded out. The score was 1-1 after the first inning without either team getting a hit for their runs.

In the top of the second, Bill Hall clobbered his 14th home run of the year into the second deck in left field to put the Sox back on top. Marcum escaped without further trouble but his pitch count was now at 55 after just 2 innings. In the bottom of the second, Hall misplayed a ground ball allowing Adam Lind to reach but made up for it by executing a perfect double play with Lowell. Buchholz got Overbay to fly out to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to end the inning.

Both pitchers got through the 3rd inning without a problem but Bill Hall struck again in the top of the 4th, belting a 2 run bomb (his 15th) off Marcum to extend the lead 4-1. Then Hall turned in a double play to get Buchholz out of a jam in the bottom of the inning.

In the 5th inning, the homer parade continued when JD Drew went deep for the 14th time this season to increase the lead 5-1. V-Mart and Ortiz both singled as Adrian Beltre launched a 3-run homer (21st) chasing Marcum from the game in the process. The inning

continued with a Mike Lowell double off Brian Tallet, who moved to third on a Ryan Kalish ground out. The one man wrecking crew Bill Hall singled in Lowell to give the Sox more than 8 runs for the first time in over a month (July 9, 14-3 win also against Toronto). Ellsbury flied out and Scutaro popped up to end the inning with a commanding 9-1 lead. Buchholz worked around a lead-off hit by Adam Lind to set the Jays down in the bottom of the inning.

Buchholz was virtually unhittable the rest of the way allowing 8 total baserunners through 8 innings. He lowered his ERA to 2.49 and kept pace with David Price and CC Sabbathia in the Cy Young race. Meanwhile the Sox offense wasn't finished just yet. In the top of the 8th inning Darnell McDonald (in the game for JD Drew) belted a ball that hit off the top of the center field wall, scooting all the way to third with a triple. V-Mart singled him in to complete the scoring at 10-1.

Rookie Dustin Richardon (1.80 ERA) mopped up the 9th, striking out 2 and giving up 2 hits before ending the game. With a Tampa Bay Rays loss, the Sox are now 3.5 out of the wild card and a come from behind win by the Yankees kept them 5 games out of the division. John Lackey (10-7, 4.60 ERA) tries to end his struggles against Mills (1-0, 4.09 ERA) tomorrow afternoon.