Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 4: Andrew Miller's Short Start Sinks Red Sox

Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 4

The Red Sox have dropped their third straight series and fallen to 3-7 over their last 10 games after falling 7-4 to the Blue Jays Thursday night behind another terrible start from Andrew Miller.

While Miller survived the first inning unscathed largely thanks to Marco Scutaro's stellar defensive effort, he would not prove so fortunate in the second. Three straight hits to lead off the inning put the Sox in a 1-0 hole, but it was the fourth batter who really put an exclamation mark on things. Facing a 3-2 count, Andrew Miller threw a low changeup to J.P. Arencibia, who put a good uppercut swing on the pitch, hooking it so high and far that it bounced off the wall above the luxury booths. With another homer coming in the third inning from Edwin Encarnacion, the Sox found the game blown open on them.

They would not fight back, ultimately, until it was too late. A Jacoby Ellsbury double and Marco Scutaro single would lead to three runs in the seventh, with Michael Bowden providing a reasonably stabilizing presence out of the bullpen to cut the Jays' lead to 6-3. But another homer in the bottom of the eighth off of Felix Doubront built the lead back to four runs. While the Sox would get a homer from Jason Varitek in the ninth, and bring the tying run to the plate in Dustin Pedroia, the slumping second baseman struck out on four straight fastballs to end the game.

The composite score of the series ends, amazingly, at 28-20 in favor of the Red Sox, but at the end of the day that's not what matters. By dropping seven of their last ten games, the Sox have suddenly given some meaning to the upcoming series against the Rays. With a sweep--which doesn't seem entirely unlikely given the way the Sox are playing right now--the Rays would suddenly be within a reasonable striking distance of the Sox and their Wild Card spot.

The heat is on, it's time for the Sox to respond.

Three For The Road

Slumping Second Baseman

It's been a bad week for Dustin Pedroia, who finds himself in a 3-for-30 slump in his last seven games. What's more, it's come with six strikeouts in his last four games. All-together, Pedroia is looking not like his MVP-contender self that Sox fans had gotten used to over the past few months, but the off-balance hacker who caused them so much pain back in April. Perhaps this is caused by the fact that Pedroia has played in every game since June 9. It's not exactly an ideal time to give the second baseman a night off, but it might be very much necessary.

Scutaro Does It All

If Marco Scutaro hasn't won back his job as a starter by now, he should have. A 3-for-4 night has his OBP up to .352 on the year, and that wasn't even the most impressive part of his night, as the first couple of innings saw him put up highlight play after highlight play. If only the rest of the team were running hot right now, the Sox could be at a level of productivity that they didn't even see in June.

The Surprising Catching Duo

With tonight's homer, the duo of Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia now have 26 homers on the year, trailing only the Rangers and Braes at the position. Before Thursday's loss, their .332 wOBA was good for fifth best in the Majors. Somehow one of the biggest offensive holes on the team ended up being one of the biggest advantages the Sox have over other teams.

Red Sox MVP -- Marco Scutaro

For everything listed up there and just the fact that he and Jacoby Ellsbury seem to be the only consistent players on the team right about now. Scutaro is still no All-Star, but he's finally starting to find his groove this year, just in time for a playoff run that everyone else seems to be gearing...down for.

Up Next -- Friday, 7:10 p.m. at Tampa Bay Rays | John Lackey (12-11, 6.11 ERA) vs. Wade Davis (9-8, 4.50 ERA)

If ever the Sox have needed John Lackey to get it together for one clutch start, now is the time. His last start wasn't too far off from the sort of stuff the Sox had seen from him of late, but it crossed that line between acceptable and not. If he can draw it back in, and provide a reasonable outing, then Wade Davis isn't the type of guy to shut out the Sox.

Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 6, End 7: Red Sox Fight Back In Seventh

The Red Sox have closed the gap to just three runs after the seventh inning, scoring a trio of runs in the frame.

While Michael Bowden has helped stabilize things on the mound, he did give up a solo home run to Eric Thames in the seventh, wasting some of the gains the Sox had made in the first half.

Those came thanks to the extreme ends of the lineup. Jason Varitek walked and Darnell McDonald singled to give Jacoby Ellsbury an RBI opportunity that the MVP candidate would not waste, doubling down the line in left to bring Jason Varitek home. Marco Scutaro would take a ball on the first pitch of his at bat, and then follow Ellsbury up with a single through the hole between second and third, bringing around two more runs to score to make it, at the time, 5-3.

The Sox are on the board now, but running low on chances. The game is winnable, but it hardly seems likely to happen.

Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 5, End 4: Going Through The Motions

The Blue Jays have added a run in the third inning, and now lead the Sox by a score of 5-0 after four innings.

If the lead seems untouchable, it’s because Ricky Romero has been just that since the first inning, allowing just a pair of walks since giving up a leadoff double to start the first.

The same cannot be said for Andrew Miller. While the last pair of frames haven’t been nearly so disastrous for the left-hander, a homer to Edwin Encarnacion made it 5-0 in the third, and the Jays added another pair of runners in the fourth, though neither would score.

At the moment, the Sox just seem to be going through the motions en route to what would be their seventh loss in ten games. Not much fun to be had here.

Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 4, End 2: Andrew Miller Is Still Terrible

That call for a miracle? It seems to have been ignored. Through the first two innings, things have gone about as well as the eighth inning did Wednesday.

But for Marco Scutaro, the Sox might have found themselves blown out in the first. But the shortstop’s terrific catch over his shoulder and a long-ranging play nearly behind third base helped keep the Jays off the board following a leadoff double.

More strong defensive play at short couldn’t save Miller again in the second, however. With three straight hits to lead off the the frame, the Jays took a quick 1-0 lead, and then had J.P. Arencibia hook a low breaking ball up and out of the park to left field to build the lead to 4-0.

This is gonna be a long one…

Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays Lineups: Sox Hope For Miracle To Help Pick Up The Pieces

The Red Sox are in a dark place right now. 3-6 in their last nine games, coming off one of their worst losses of the season, with questions throughout the pitching staff. While their seven game lead in the wild card race still seems solid, and the Sox almost certainly will not continue to play sub-.400 baseball over the next few weeks, the playoffs are suddenly appearing that much more frightening. 

While this may not actually effect the team all that much--they have their fair share of playoff veterans who could just be biding their time--it does make it a stressful time to be a fan. And after last night's debacle, the fans could really use a pick-me-up.

Unfortunately, they'll have to rely on Andrew Miller and a patchwork lineup with multiple players getting the day off. In other words, they seem to need a miracle.

Boston Red Sox (85-57)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Marco Scutaro, SS
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
6. Jed Lowrie, 3B
7. Josh Reddick, RF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Darnell McDonald, LF

The Jays will once again be without Adam Lind, but otherwise won't let up much on the Sox.

Toronto Blue Jays (71-72)

1. Yunel Escobar, SS
2. Eric Thames, LF
3. Jose Bautista, RF
4. Edwin Encarnacion, DH
5. Kelly Johnson, 2B
6. Brett Lawrie, 3B
7. David Cooper, 1B
8. J.P. Arencibia, C
9. Mike McCoy, CF

Pitching Matchup: Andrew Miller (6-2, 5.27 ERA) vs. Ricky Romero (13-10, 2.97 ERA)

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...No matter what happens tonight, Red Sox fans will not be putting any great faith back in Andrew Miller. His two decent outings on the Sox' last road trip are all-but-forgotten after his terrible start against Texas last weekend. Still, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to suggest that Andrew Miller is capable of certain heights on any given night--it's only crazy to expect them from him. So the Sox aren't entirely without hope tonight. It's just that the chances for a good start aren't, perhaps, what they would want them to be.

For Ricky Romero, there's no doubt that he's good, and when any team goes up against him they have to expect a serious challenge. So far this year, though, he's been helpless against the Red Sox, pitching just 8.2 total innings in his two starts and allowing 11 earned runs in the process. He's been struggling a bit in his last few outings, too, and with the Sox' offense on a two-game roll, it could be the wrong team at the wrong time for Romero.

Blue Jays 11, Red Sox 10: Tim Wakefield Has Win 200 Snatched Away By Daniel Bard's Implosion

Blue Jays 11, Red Sox 10

Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays was a baseball tragedy of the highest order.

The Red Sox lost the game 11-10 after Mike Aviles was thrown out trying to steal second even though the Sox had already put up two of the three runs they would have need for a comeback against Frank Francisco. But nothing that happened in the ninth inning really mattered aside from in a win-loss column that seems all-too-unimportant as the year winds down.

Instead, the tragedy came in the eighth, when Tim Wakefield, making his seventh attempt at his 200th win, had his elusive prize violently snatched away from him.

The Red Sox' offense had completely pulled its weight, putting up three runs in the first and chasing Brandon Morrow after homers from Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz in the fourth and fifth innings made it 8-5 in favor of Boston. Those five runs were, yes, off of Wakefield, but the knuckleballer was finally in a situation where #200 was within his grasp, regardless of how well or poorly he had thrown the ball.

The middle innings were the minefield looming on the horizon. The Sox' bullpen has all of three reliable arms in it, and one of those--Alfredo Aceves--had pitched nearly four innings just two days prior. So it fell to Franklin Morales and Dan Wheeler to do the job. The former could not, allowing two baserunners while recording just one out. But Wheeler came in, put up a couple of outs, and then another couple in the seventh. He gave up one run, but that's acceptable given the situation. Daniel Bard comes out and closes the inning on three pitches. All is well.

Then came the eighth, and things fell apart.

With a 1-2 pitch, Daniel Bard hit Brett Lawrie to start the frame. The next pitch found its way into right field for a single, and after getting up 0-2, Bard threw four straight balls and walked Adam Loewen. Just like that, and the bases were loaded with zero outs.

Terry Francona's response? To start warming Matt Albers.

To Daniel Bard's credit, he bounced back, striking out DeWayne Wise, and coming back from a 3-1 count to get Yunel Elscobar on a nasty front-door slider. But his control problems were not gone, and an 0-2 count to Eric Thames of all people turned into an RBI walk.

Jonathan Papeblon was still nowhere to be seen. And Jose Bautista was up. If anyone held any sort of faith that the Red Sox were leaving that inning with a lead, they had more faith than I. They were also wrong. Jose Bautista walked, and Tim Wakefields win vanished into thin air. From there, the Jays were just a Matt Albers double away from salting the wound.

The events of the ninth were disappointing in their own right, and in some way made things even worse with Adrian Gonzalez' leadoff homer going for naught. But tonight was all about Tim Wakefield. About the end to a long Red Sox nightmare. About kicking a developing curse and being reassured that the longest tenured current Red Sox player would not end his career just short.

Now we'll have to wait and see, all the while with this loss stewing, smoldering, festering.

Red Sox 8, Blue Jay 6, End 7: Sox Hand 2-Run Lead Off To Back End Of Pen

Tim Wakefield is in line for his 200th win, and now all that separates him from that elusive milestone is a pair of strong outings from Daniel Bard.

That shouldn’t be too much to ask.

The Sox managed to work their way through the middle innings with the help of Dan Wheeler, who cleaned up Franklin Morales’ sixth-inning mess and provided the first two outs of the seventh before he gave up the sixth run of the night for the Blue Jays. This prompted Terry Francona to go get Daniel Bard a bit early, and the move has so far paid off, with the Boston setup man requiring just three pitches to induce an inning-ending groundout.

Six outs to go, and we can put this long baseball nightmare behind us.

Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 5, Mid 5: Jacoby Ellsbury Reclaims Red Sox' Lead

The Red Sox have reclaimed their lead from the Blue Jays, and head into the bottom of the fifth up 8-5.

The Blue Jays would only need one hit to build a lead in the third inning thanks to a hit batsman, a walk, and a delayed double steal that Jarrod Saltalamacchia bit on, allowing a second run to come in after Jose Bautista’s ground rule double scored one.

Much like Boston’s early lead, however, the Blue Jays’ wouldn’t hold up, as the bottom of the order jumped all over Brandon Morrow. After Kevin Youkilis’ long line drive out, Carl Crawford dropped a double into the corner in right field, and then scored when Josh Reddick hit a perfectly placed flair for a double.

With Marco Scutaro walking in between the two doubles and Jarrod Saltalamacchia striking out afterwards, Jacoby Elsbury stepped to the plate with two men on and two outs. The first pitch he saw in the at bat was a 93-MPH fastball down the pipe, and Ellsbury didn’t waste it, knocking a no-doubter to right to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 lead.

A surprising 1-2-3 inning from Wakefield in the bottom half of the fourth was quickly rewarded when David Ortiz launched a monster shot to right field that ended up in the second deck. With the Sox up 8-5, Tim Wakefield needs just one more inning.

Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 3 End 2: Tim Wakefield Squanders Early Lead

The Red Sox gave Tim Wakefield a 3-0 lead, and the knuckleballer squandered it almost instantly, leaving Boston and Toronto locked in a 3-3 tie through two innings.

The Red Sox did not hit the ball particularly hard in the first, but what they did worked for them. Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia led off the game with back-to-back ground ball singles, and a breaking ball off of Adrian Gonzalez' foot loaded the bases with zero outs. While David Ortiz and Carl Crawford could do nothing, each of them striking out, Kevin Youkilis was clipped on the uniform by Morrow to drive in a run in-between, and Marco Scutaro tapped a ground ball right back up the middle to score two more batters and put the Sox up 3-0.

The lead wouldn't last long. Tim Wakefield was wild in the first, giving up a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly after a passed ball allowed the runners to advance. Then in the second he was just too hittable. Brett Lawrie led off the frame with a line drive to left, and then scored as J.P. Arencibia hit a fly ball that just kept going till it found the seats in center field, tying the game with one big swing of the bat.

It seems like it's just another day on the mound for Tim Wakefield, who might need the Sox to score 14 runs again if he wants to leave with win number 200.

Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays Lineups: Tim Wakefield Goes For 200th Win With Full Lineup Behind Him

Tim Wakefield will once again take the mound looking for his 200th win, making his first attempt at the milestone victory since August 26, when he allowed eight runs (four earned, though he did his fair share to help them score). He's pitched since then, throwing four scoreless innings in mop-up duty in Andrew Miller's implosion against the Rangers, so at least he's on something of a roll.

The good news is that he'll have a strong offensive unit behind him, with the weakest links being Marco Scutaro, Josh Reddick, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia--a group that produced six hits including two homers in Tuesday night's game. 

Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz have once again switched places as well, which could perhaps signify a permanent swap depending on whether or not it's a lefty or righty on the mound.

Boston Red Sox (85-56)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
6. Carl Crawford, LF
7. Marco Scutaro, SS
8. Josh Reddick, RF
9. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Adam Lind will be missing from the Blue Jay's lineup, with Adam Loewen acting as his effective replacement.

Toronto Blue Jays (70-72)

1. Yunel Escobar, SS
2. Eric Thames, LF
3. Jose Bautista, DH
4. Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
5. Kelly Johnson, 2B
6. Brett Lawrie, 3B
7. Adam Loewen, RF
8. J.P. Arencibia, C
9. Mike McCoy, CF

Pitching Matchup: Tim Wakefield (6-6, 4.95 ERA) vs. Brandon Morrow (9-10, 4.78 ERA) 

Oh Tim Wakefield. The futility of his quest for his 200th win has reached historic proportions. Unfortunately he hasn't even had the knowledge that he pitched well to soften the blow of late. While the injury to Josh Beckett and Erik Bedard's sore knee could give the knuckleballer more shots than maybe he would have otherwise expected, Wakefield needs to get this thing out of the way now. Because after 2011, it's not clear there will be another chance.

Don't judge Brandon Morrow entirely on his ERA; the Toronto righty's results don't match his peripherals. But the issue could also have to do with his ability to pitch out of the stretch. Morrow's numbers with runners on base stand in stark contrast to his numbers without, so having on-base machines like Dustin Pedroia and--this year--Jacoby Ellsbury up early in their lineup could prove invaluable.

Red Sox 14, Blue Jays 0: Boston Buries Blue Jays With Twenty-Hit Attack

The Red Sox blew the Blue Jays out Tuesday night, putting up 14 runs the night after being shut out, and repaying the favor to Toronto in turn behind Jon Lester and Kyle Weiland.

The bulk of the offense came early for the Sox, with four runs coming across in the first highlighted by doubles from Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carl Crawford. Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez scored again in the second, with Kevin Youkilis doubling the latter home, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia unloaded a two-run shot in the third to make it 8-0. 

Perhaps the best performance of the night belonged to Marco Scutaro, who went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a walk, matching David Ortiz' four hits as the primary contributors to the 20 the Sox put up in total. Josh Reddick would hit the only other home run of the night, golfing a 1-2 pitch from Dustin McGowan, the only Jays pitcher to really find any real consistency through the first eight, though even he would be tagged with three runs in his four innings of work.

Lost in all this was a tremendous performance from Jon Lester, who--on a night when fears over Josh Beckett's ankle were put to rest--showed that the Sox have as good of a 1-2 combination as anyone else in the game. Lester fired off seven scoreless innings, allowing just four baserunners and striking out 11 batters on a remarkably economical 100 pitches. His cut fastball was nigh unhittable, with one in every four going for a swinging strike. 

The night was finished off by Kyle Weiland, who fired off two scoreless frames despite being expected to pitch Saturday in place of Erik Bedard. We'll see how that develops as the weekend draws closer.

The Sox seem to have these sort of statement wins when they're at their lowest points, but they don't always mean lasting success. Just as they'll fire off 14 runs after being shut out, they can be held to just a couple of hits the day after putting up 20. We'll just have to hope this isn't one of those situations.

Three For The Road

The Best Sprain Ever

When has a sprain ever been greeted with such unanimous positivity? Josh Beckett's ankle injury has turned out to be exactly what the Sox initially thought it was, and for that we can all be thankful. No tendon damage, nothing structurally amiss. Chances are it means a couple weeks rest, and then he can get ready for the playoffs with a couple late September games.

Lester The Underrated

If you had to guess, is Jon Lester having a down year? That feeling still seems to linger these days, if not strongly, thanks to having his bad months come a bit later, instead of in April. Jon Lester's ERA is a wonderfully low 2.93 after Tuesday's game, and he's been striking out more than a batter an inning since returning from the disabled list in late July. 

Reddick On The Way Back?

Josh Reddick is off to a hot start in September after a miserable August. Going 4-for-4 a few days back, Reddick's homer today in a pinch hit appearance gives him seven hits in fifteen at bats. Perhaps more importantly, he's only struck out the one time. If the outfielder can show the ability to adjust to the adjustments the league's pitchers have made in order to get him out, that's always a major step for a young player.

Red Sox MVP -- Marco Scutaro

The Sox put him sixth today, and while they could have done it without him, Marco Scutaro made sure to reward the team's faith. Four hits, three doubles, and a team-high four RBI should help remind Sox fans that, while the Venezuelan shortstop was not all he was in 2009, he's been pretty solid for the team 

Up Next -- Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. | Tim Wakefield (6-6, 4.95 ERA) vs. Brandon Morrow (9-10, 4.78 ERA)

If only Wake could have been pitching today! The knuckleballer will go for his 200th win yet again on Wednesday, squaring off against a struggling young Brandon Morrow whose reverse splits against lefties could be his saving grace.

Red Sox 13, Blue Jays 0, End 6: Wherein Toronto Has A 1-2-3 Inning

The Blue Jays can thank Dustin McGowan for finally giving them a scoreless inning in the sixth—and a 1-2-3 one no less.

They can also thank him for the two runs the Sox put up in the fifth.

Adrian Gonzalez got the fifth started with his third hit of the night, and moved to third as David Ortiz added his second double. Marco Scutaro topped them both by going 4-for-4 with his third double, and just like that the Sox reached 13.

The replacements are coming in now, so it seems like things might slow down now. If that means they save some for tomorrow, then so be it.

Red Sox 11, Blue Jays 0, End 4: Mercy Rule?

In order to prove that all their runs from shutout games do, in fact, go somewhere, the Red Sox have decided to score them all tonight.

The Sox put up another two runs in the third ining on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s 15th homer of the year, bringing home Marco Scutaro after his second hit of the night. Scutaro would then double again in the fourth, providing the third straight hit after Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz to lead off the inning. The Sox would score three runs in that frame, capped off by singles from Darnell McDonald and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Meanwhile, though he’s been overshadowed by the offense, Jon Lester has been killing it on the mound. After striking out the side in the second, Lester has added three more strikeouts, pushing him to seven total through the first four. His pitch count is reasonable too, which should serve to spare the bullpen—though with this score, the Sox could just turn it over to Michael Bowden or Kyle Weiland without any worry.

Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 0, End 2: Boston Jump On Luis Perez Early

The Red Sox have jumped all over Luis Perez and the Blue Jays, scoring six runs in the first two innings.

The battering of Perez started immediately, as Jacoby Ellsbury led the game off with a double, then scored when Adrian Gonzalez' sky-high pop up managed to drop between two defenders. Kevin Youkilis walked, and David Ortiz beat the shift to score Gonzalez. Marco Scutaro added a run on another single, and Carl Crawford brought in a fourth run on a double down the line in right.

The scoring didn't stop there, either. After Jon Lester worked around a leadoff single, striking Jose Bautista out in the process, the Sox added two more when Jacoby Ellsbury walked, Adrian Gonzalez singled, and Kevin Youkilis doubled. He would be caught in the rundown between second and third, but by this point it's not looking like runs are going to be at a premium for the Sox.

Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays Lineups: An Interesting Role For Marco Scutaro

The Red Sox are facing a lefty Tuesday--the relatively inexperienced Luis Perez, to be precise. Typically this has meant Jed Lowrie and his typically lopsided splits at shortstop. Today, however, it's Marco Scutaro.

And he's batting sixth.

It's an interesting setup. Scutaro's reverse splits in 2011 don't hold up looking back over a longer period of time, and he's been generally solid for the team since the All-Star break. Whether this is a return to Scutaro as the permanent starter, or just a matter of the shoulder tightness Lowrie experienced a couple of days ago remains to be seen.

The only other notable is Darnell McDonald--not Conor Jackson or Josh Reddick--will be starting in right field.

Boston Red Sox (84-56)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Marco Scutaro, SS
7. Carl Crawford, LF
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9. Darnell McDonald, RF

The Blue Jays will return Yunel Escobar and J.P. Arencibia to their lineup against lefty Jon Lester.

Toronto Blue Jays (70-71)

1. Yunel Escobar, SS
2. Eric Thames, LF
3. Jose Bautista, RF
4. Adam Lind, 1B
5. Edwin Encarnacion, DH
6. Kelly Johnson, 2B
7. Brett Lawrie, 3B
8. J.P. Arencibia, C
9. Mike McCoy, CF

Pitching Matchup: Jon Lester (14-6, 3.05 ERA) vs. Luis Perez (3-2, 3.77 ERA)

If Jon Lester is expected to be the stopper for the Sox Tuesday, then the lineup will actually need to put up some runs for him much like they didn't for Alfredo Aceves and Josh Beckett. Lester's only real problems in his last outing against New York were pitch count--the Yankees worked some very long at bats--and support. With Aceves not available and both Bard and Papelbon throwing a good deal in Monday's loss, the Sox are in need of a clutch outing from Lester with plenty of innings. It's been three starts, however, since Lester last went seven innings, and Toronto has managed to keep his outings short a couple of times this year (not including the game he left with an injury).

If the Red Sox couldn't get to Henderson Alvarez on Monday, Luis Perez seems like an even worse opponent for them. He uses a slider instead of a changeup, which the Sox have trouble with, and throws lefty. Of course, Perez could just as easily be the victim of one of the offensive explosions the Sox will randomly break out one day after being shut down by a rookie. Inconsistency has to have its positive sides.

Blue Jays 1, Red Sox 0: Brett Lawrie's Walkoff Shot Ends Painful Game For Red Sox

The Blue Jays sent the Red Sox to their fourth loss in five games Monday afternoon as Brett Lawrie broke a scoreless tie in the eleventh inning with a walkoff homer.

The first three innings passed relatively uneventfully. Josh Beckett escaped a bit of early trouble by way of the strikeout, and Henderson Alvarez kept the Sox quiet the first time through the lineup. Then, with two outs in the fourth, things went suddenly wrong, as Josh Beckett sprained his ankle on a 1-2 pitch to Brett Lawrie.

Alfredo Aceves would come in to replace Beckett for the next 3.2 innings, providing a strong relief outing, but the need to bring in the long reliever so early would come back to haunt the Sox later in the game because, for some reason, the Boston offense just could not score. An 0-for-8 performance with RISP ended up leaving 10 men on base. And when it wasn't stranded baserunners, it was big defensive plays from the Jays. DeWayne Wise, for instance, robbed Carl Crawford of a ninth inning double that would've resulted in their first run of the game given Josh Reddick's follow-up extra base hit.

One way or another, though, the Sox were left without a run through nine, and then through ten, and then through eleven. With Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon having been called on to pitch the ninth and tenth innings, with Papelbon loading the bases in the process before escaping his frame, the Sox were forced to turn to Dan Wheeler for the eleventh. While Wheeler would record the first couple of outs quickly, the last one would never come. Brett Lawrie received a 1-1 pitch he could hit, and absolutely destroyed it, hitting a no-doubter into the stands in dead center for a walkoff home run.

Three For The Road

The Impact Of Beckett

Josh Beckett's sprained ankle was the best and worst news of the day. While any injury is frightening, especially one to the ace of the team, when Beckett came up lame after a seemingly innocuous pitch, the possibility of losing him to something much worse seemed very real. 

It's very likely that Josh Beckett will miss a start or two over the next few weeks, but the good news is that a sprained ankle seems unlikely to put the playoffs at risk. Without him, the top three spots suddenly include John Lackey, with the fourth spot being an absolute grab bag.

Losing Again

The 6-2 run against the Royals and Rangers seems to have been a blip on the mediocre radar. Starting from August 1, the Red Sox have gone just 16-15 over their last 31 games.While the team is perfectly capable of backing its way into the playoffs--a .500 record from here would still leave Tampa and/or Los Angeles needing to play something like .750 ball to catch up--it would be nice to see them actually taking games with some reasonable consistency again. Until they do, Sox fans can't feel too terribly comfortable about how things are going.

Bullpen Ace

How well would a team with a pitching staff of 12 Alfred Aceves perform? It seems like he's almost always capable of popping in and throwing three innings at a Beckett or Lester level. The Sox do seem to have some middle relief issues, but for any given game, Alfredo Aceves can carry more than his fair share of the burden.

Red Sox MVP -- Alfredo Aceves 

As mentioned above, he came in when the Sox were at their lowest and picked them up off the ground. Too bad that the offense couldn't put up a single run in support. For once, Aceves was denied a well-earned win instead of taking one.

Up Next -- Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. | Jon Lester (14-6, 3.05 ERA) vs. Luis Perez (3-2, 3.77 ERA)

It would be nice to say that, with Jon Lester on the mound, the Red Sox should be looking at an easy win against the inexperienced rookie the Jays will throw out. Unfortunately, the Sox lineup just showed it could be shut down by not just a rookie, but one hailing from Double-A. With the lefty Perez going tomorrow, well, who knows?

Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 8: Something's Gotta Give

Two became four, four became six, and now six has become eight. Eight scoreless innings in Toronto with plenty of chances gone by the wayside.

In each of the last two innings, the Red Sox have had a chance to score with two men on. Each time, they failed. The seventh inning saw Marco Scutaro ground out weakly to end the threat, while in the eighth Kevin Youkilis took a called strike on the inside corner to let the Jays escape unharmed.

The Jays have had their own missed opportunity, as Alfredo Aceves walked a batter and hit the next one with a pitch to put two men on with just one out in the eighth. Daniel Bard came in as Jose Bautista stepped to the plate, induced a weak fly ball with his first pitch for the big out, and then struck out Adam Lind with just four more tosses, finishing the job with a nasty slider.

We head to the ninth…

Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 6: Scoreless Tie Continues Around Beckett Drama

The focus of Red Sox Nation has been on Josh Beckett and his ankle for the last few innings, but hidden behind all that is the continued inability of either team to break the current scoreless tie.

The Red Sox had a chance to add a run or two in the fifth inning, when Marco Scutaro doubled, turning the lineup over with a man in scoring position. But Jacoby Ellsbury’s hard-hit comebacker was picked by Henderson Alvarez, who caught Marco Scutaro straying too far from second. Caught in the rundown, Scutaro was tagged out by Brett Lawrie, who quickly fired to second, catching Ellsbury as he tried to take second, leaving the Sox’ inning over in a hurry.

As for the Blue Jays, they’ve come up completely empty against Alfredo Aceves. The long relief man struck out the side in the fifth, and then induced a double play to record a second straight 1-2-3 inning.

Josh Beckett Has Sprained Right Ankle

The injury that forced Josh Beckett from Monday’s game against the Blue Jays has been diagnosed as a sprained right ankle according to the team.

The outcome isn’t positive, but it’s far from the worst case scenario. Beckett didn’t look too bad when he left the game, walking off the field under his own power, leaving the impression that it’s not too serious of a sprain. Either way, it’s not the sort of structural issue that could cost Beckett his playoff run, and that’s largely all that matters.

As it was, Terry Francona had already been looking to get Beckett some extra rest between starts. A missed game or two between now and the end of the season should do more than enough in that department. With Kyle Weiland already set to take Erik Bedard’s next start, it seems like Tim Wakefield or Andrew Miller could effectively fill his starts for a week or two.

Alfredo Aceves has come into the game in relief of Beckett and recorded 5 strong outs since, including three strikeouts in the fifth inning.

Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays: Josh Beckett Leaves Game With Injury

With two outs in the third inning, Josh Beckett seemed to be cruising. The Red Sox’ ace had struck out six batters in his three scoreless innings of work, and was one strike away from finishing a fourth.

Then he threw ball two to Brett Lawrie, and everything took a turn for the worst. Beckett took a step, shook his right foot, and before long was surrounded by Red Sox training and coaching staffs. He would leave the game.

The game remains tied as of now—Alfredo Aceves would induce a fly out to end the fourth—but right now all the attention is on Josh Beckett. If this is anything that could effect his performance in the playoffs, then the Sox—already expected to have John Lackey in their rotation come October—could be in serious trouble. The only clear options would be Andrew Miller and Tim Wakefield, neither of which would inspire any confidence in the least.

Red Sox 0, Rangers 0, End 2: Josh Beckett Dodges Trouble Early

The Red Sox and Rangers are stuck in a scoreless tie through the first two innings.

Josh Beckett has had a slightly more difficult time of things, allowing a pair of hits and a walk through the first couple of innings. He’s escaped, however, with the help of three strikeouts—including one dealt to Jose Bautista.

The Sox haven’t had any success at all against Henderson Alvarez, going down in order in both innings. It’s their first time seeing him, however, so a second trip through could prove more lucrative.

Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays: David Ortiz Bats Cleanup, Youkilis Fifth

There's an interesting change in the Red Sox' lineup for Monday: David Ortiz will move back to the cleanup spot, pushing Kevin Youkilis down to fifth.

Really, the change is a long time in coming. Nobody has been hitting the ball harder for the Red Sox this year than David Ortiz, whose .989 OPS represents the fourth best in all the majors. With Kevin Youkilis in the midst of a down year, it makes all too much sense to switch the two batters, especially given Ortiz' lack of difficulties against southpaws so far this season.

Of course, the fact that the Jays will send out a righty today probably makes the decision a bit easier. Other than that, the only "anomaly" in the lineup is Jason Varitek starting behind the plate to form the usual battery with Josh Beckett.

Boston Red Sox (84-55)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
6. Carl Crawford, LF
7. Josh Reddick, RF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Marco Scutaro, SS

One man whose OPS is higher than Ortiz'? Jose Bautista, who bats third--as always--for Toronto Monday.

Toronto Blue Jays (69-71)

1. Mike McCoy, SS
2. Eric Thames, LF
3. Jose Bautista, RF
4. Adam Lind, 1B
5. Edwin Encarnacion, DH
6. Kelly Johnson, 2B
7. Brett Lawrie, 3B
8. Jose Molina, C
9. Dewayne Wise, CF

Pitching Matchup: Josh Beckett (12-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. Henderson Alvarez (1-2, 3.52 ERA)

For Josh Beckett, it's all about dodging that one terrible inning. Against New York it was a four-run sixth, against Seattle a five-run first. Other than that, it's been smooth sailing for the Red Sox' ace, even in the other innings of those games. 

It's been a good few months since Beckett last met the Jays, but the results then were impressive: seven innings of one-run ball. Not many of the Jays from that night find their way back into the lineup today, but two of the most important ones put up an 0-for: Jose Bautista and Adam Lind. 

Henderson Alvarez doesn't have much of a track record to go on, but it's hard to ignore the eight shutout innings he just threw against Baltimore. Primarily a fastball - changeup pitcher, it's possible that Henderson could give the Sox some problems, as the group has occasionally struggled in years past against strong changeups. If there's two guys who could make the difference there, however, it's Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, who are traditionally quite capable of jumping all over a hittable change.

Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays: Sox Look To Right Ship In Toronto

The Red Sox are headed into Toronto in need of a series win to turn around a situation that has suddenly gone sour.