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Sox Reduce Magic Number To Two With 4-3 Win In Toronto
By Administrator | September 20, 2008
While the Red Sox still hope to win the AL East title, the fact of the matter is that they are on the cusp of clinching their fifth post-season appearance in the last six years. While it would be nice to win the division title, they have proven that you don’t have to win the division in order to win the World Series.
It’s all about getting to the dance.
Tonight, the Red Sox came a little closer to filling out their dance card with a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto… with the victory, the Sox reduced their magic number (to clinch at least the Wild Card) to two games. THAT means they could clinch a playoff berth as soon as t-o-m-o-r-r-o-w (with a win and losses by the Twins and the Yankees).
At the Rogers Centre, team captain Jason Varitek drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to lead the Red Sox to the win.
Meanwhile, four Sox relievers combined to pitch three shutout innings… the bullpen entered the game with a 5.93 ERA in the past 12 games, but tonight they kept the Blue Jays’ bats silent. Jamaica Plain native Manny Delcarmen pitched one inning to earn his first win in more than two years (August 31, 2006). Jonathan Papelbon earned his 39th save in 44 opportunities.
Toronto starter A.J. Burnett came into tonight’s game with a career record of 5-0 (in seven starts) against the Red Sox, but he would not be a part of the decision tonight after allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks in seven innings.
Red Sox starter Paul Byrd faced the Blue Jays for the fifth time in eight starts… he allowed three runs on six hits and one walk over six innings.
Toronto jumped on top in the second inning on back-to-back, rbi-double by Greg Zaun and Travis Snider. Boston took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning when Varitek doubled, went to third on Jacoby Ellsbury’s bunt single and scored two outs later on Kevin Youkilis’ single. First baseman Sean Casey, who entered the game as a career .538 hitter against Burnett (14-for-26), followed with a two-run double off the right field wall.
The Jays tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Joe Inglett single and Marco Scutaro double.
Blue Jays reliever Brian Tallet replaced Burnett to begin the eighth but left after giving up a one-out single to Jason Bay and walking Mark Kotsay. Shawn Camp walked Jed Lowrie to load the bases, and then gave up Varitek’s RBI groundout.
Leadoff hitter Adam Lind opened the ninth with a single off Papelbon’s glove… and when Pappy threw wildly to first base, Lind advanced to second base. But Pappy bore down and closed out the game. Scott Rolen lined out. Zaun then grounded out to send pinch-runner Brad Wilkerson to third base. Pappy then struck out Travis Snider to end the game.
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Ellsbury’s bunt single extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
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OF Mark Kotsay snapped an 0-for-16 slump with a two-out single in the fourth.
Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |
