Recap: Toronto vs. Boston
Sports Network | August 22, 2008
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI as Boston topped Toronto, 8-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.
Jacoby Ellsbury knocked in a pair of runs for the Red Sox, who have won three of four. Jason Varitek, Alex Cora and Coco Crisp also drove in a run each.
Paul Byrd (8-11) won for the first time in a Boston uniform despite allowing six hits and four runs over six innings, along with two home runs.
Alex Rios and Lyle Overbay each hit two-run homers for the Blue Jays, who have lost two of three.
Starter Shaun Marcum (8-6) suffered the loss for Toronto after yielding six hits and five runs in just 3 2/3 innings.
With a two-run lead in hand, the Red Sox added on to that in the eighth to wrap up the win.
Shawn Camp began the frame on the hill for Toronto, and plunked Varitek. Cora's groundout advanced the Sox catcher, then a single from Crisp put runners on the corners. Ellsbury's base hit brought in Varitek and Pedroia laced a single to left to score Crisp to gave the visitors an 8-4 lead.
Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless eighth and Jonathan Papelbon finished the contest by working around a John McDonald single to get Joe Inglett on a game- ending double play.
In the first, Pedroia's one-out homer put the Sox on the board, but a Rios two-run shot gave the Jays a one-run lead.
In the fourth, Jason Bay singled and walks to Jed Lowrie and Varitek loaded the bases. Marcum hit Cora to force in the tying run, then Crisp's single put the Sox ahead. Ellsbury's ground out scored another and a Pedroia sacrifice fly made it 5-2.
Overbay's two-run blast in the home half brought Toronto within a run, but Varitek began the sixth with his 11th homer of the season to push Boston's lead to 6-4.
Toronto flirted with slimming its deficit in the seventh against Justin Masterson, but Vernon Wells grounded out weakly in front of the plate with runners on first and second.
Byrd dropped a 4-1 decision to the Blue Jays on August 16 at Fenway in his first Red Sox start...Marcum also fell to 2-1 this season against Boston...Prior to the game, the Jays placed outfielder Brad Wilkerson on the 15-day disabled list and inserted new acquisition Jose Bautista on the roster...Also, the Red Sox recalled pitcher Chris Smith from Triple-A Pawtucket and signed catcher David Ross to a minor- league deal.
