The Red Sox are actually out for a sweep today, of all things, as they send Jon Lester to the mound against Brandon Morrow and the Toronto Blue Jays.
We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Rogers Centre.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 0, Mid 8th -- The Sox have their best threat in a long time, but it's snuffed out in a hurry. After back-to-back one-out singles, Cody Ross hits a ground ball to short. Omar Vizquel scoops it up, steps on second, and fires to first, ending the threat before any damage is done.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 0, End 7th -- And it all goes horribly wrong for Lester in the seventh. After getting two quick outs, a ground ball from Yan Gomes up the middle gives the Jays some life, and they capitalize fully. After a steal of second, a hanging curveball to Omar Vizquel ends up laced into center field for an RBI single, and when Andy Hechavarria catches a fastball running inside, it's all over. The two-run shot makes it 3-0--a steep hill to climb after seven shutout innings.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 7th -- The Sox get a two-out single and steal from Pedro Ciriaco with Brandon Lyon in the game for Brandon Morrow, but Daniel Nava can't complete the deal, leaving the Sox still facing a shutout after seven.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 6th -- Lester gets another pair of strikeouts in the sixth, but this time they're just an extra bonus on top of the 1-2-3 frame for the Boston southpaw.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 6th -- The middle of the Red Sox order at least manages to put some good wood on the ball in the sixth, hitting a trio of fly balls off of Morrow. Only one actually tests the outfield, however, and Anthony Gose is up to the task, making a running grab by his shoetops to end the inning. The good news is that Morrow's pitch count is up over 100, meaning he shouldn't last much longer compared to Jon Lester, who will start the inning with 70.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 5th -- Despite a messy start to the frame, Jon Lester is through a fifth inning of scoreless baseball. After giving up a leadoff walk to Moises Sierra, Lester gets a ground ball back to the mound and promptly throws it into center field, trying to get Sierra at second. The Sox seem to luck out as Sierra tries to round the bag and head for third, only to hold up and turn back. Unfortunately for them, however, Pedro Ciriaco can't handle the throw from center, and Sierra is able to retreat successfully.
Now facing runners at first and second with zero outs, Lester turns to the strikeout to escape the inning, reaching back to hit 94 MPH as he mowed down both Omar Vizquel and Adeiny Hechavarria. From there, all he needed was a ground ball to send the game to the sixth.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 5th -- The Sox turn the lineup over with another 1-2-3 inning. This seems to have settled into a pitchers' duel, if not the quickest one in the history of the game.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 4th -- Lester goes right back to 1-2-3 form, making a nice play to snag a ground ball bouncing back at him off the bat of Adam Lind and making the toss to first to record out number three.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 4th -- The Sox threaten again, and fail to score again. After Cody Ross supply a pair of singles around a James Loney fly ball out, Ryan Lavarnway almost gets lucky again, hitting a fly ball to Moises Sierra that the right fielder nearly loses in the sun for a second time. Sierra recovers, however, and Pedro Ciriaco pops out into foul territory to end the frame.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 3rd -- Surprisingly enough it's Omar Vizquel who provides the first baserunner for the Toronto Blue Jays, grounding past third for a leadoff double that puts Lester immediately under pressure. The lefty is able to work out of it, however, with his first ground ball going to shortstop, holding Vizquel at second until there are two outs, at which point a pop-up from Lawrie finishes the frame.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 3rd -- Without the interference of the sun in his outfielders' eyes, Morrow enjoys his first 1-2-3 inning of the day, though Jacoby Ellsbury takes him nearly to the wall in right field for a dangerous final out.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 2nd -- Lester rolls right along through the second. He's keeping the ball on the ground for the most part, and has his first strikeout, too, after getting Yan Gomes to swing through his cutter. When that pitch is on for Lester, it's a very good sign. There's no more important part of his arsenal.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 2nd -- Ryan Lavarnway is gifted a one-out double courtesy of Moises Sierra, who completely loses the ball, standing idle as it bounces a ways away from him and into the stands for two bases. The Sox don't capitalize, however, with the bottom two of the order going down quietly
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, End 1st -- Lester has a rather easier time than Morrow in his first inning. While an eight-pitch at bat against Brett Lawrie leaves him with a standard pitch count of 15, Lester gets a pair of ground balls and a shallow fly to center that Ellsbury comes in to make the grab on, ending a 1-2-3 frame for Boston's southpaw starter.
Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0, Mid 1st -- Brandon Morrow bends, but he does not break in the first. While Scott Podsednik went down in relatively rapid fashion, Morrow had a much more difficult time with Dustin Pedroia. Though the second baseman found himself in a two-strike count within three pitches, Morrow would end up needing to throw eight pitches to Pedroia, and then got a line drive single into right for his trouble.
Jacoby Ellsbury followed up with a five-pitch walk to make it two on with one out, but that's when the attack flagged. Cody Ross fought a decent battle, but ended up taking a fastball for a clear strike three, and while James Loney nearly lucked out, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was able to track far enough back to make the grab on his bloop into shallow center field for out number three.