The Blue Jays needed three batters to overcome a two-run deficit in the second, and just two to overcome a one-run deficit in the third.
The good news, however, is that it still hasn’t proved enough to hold the lead, as back-to-back Monster jacks from Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia has allowed the Sox to get back on top after the fourth.
While Wakefield had managed to strike out MVP frontrunner Jose Bautista in the first inning, his trip to the plate in the third was rather more productive. With Eric Thames singling on a ground ball to the right side to start the frame, Bautista stepped in, worked a 2-2 count, and then took the seventh pitch of the at bat deep to put the Jays up 5-4.
This time the lead actually lasted a bit, as both Morrow and Wakefield managed a rare scoreless frame between the bottom of the third and top of the fourth. The trend would not continue long. With two outs, Brandon Morrow left a 1-1 pitch up and over the outside half of the plate to Jacoby Ellsbury, who obliged him by going to the opposite field for his 27th homer of the year. Dustin Pedroia followed him, worked the same 1-1 count, and got a breaking pitch in the same spot.
Of course, to Pedroia, that’s high and inside, which is the perfect spot for his home run swing. He took a big, hooking swing, and the ball found its way even deeper into the Monster seats to make it 6-5.
Now all the Sox need to do is avoid giving up runs for the next three innings, score twice more, and they can have another shot at holding the 8-5 lead with two innings left in this exact same matchup!
It’s a disaster waiting to happen.