Before I get into any recap here, I have to say that was one of the best games I’ve seen in a long time. An absolutely brilliant pitching performance by Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester and an equally good one from Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay.

Kevin Youkilis drove in David Ortiz from second base with the only run of the game ending the Red Sox 5 game losing streak in front of another packed house at the Fens. It also ends a 7-game losing streak against the Blue Jays.

As I said both pitchers were incredible tonight. The way this game was going, you were sitting there, here with go again. We are getting a a great pitching performance from our pitcher but have run into another hot pitcher.

Even with 4 walks tonight, Lester was pretty much in control of all his pitches. He had a lot of first pitch strikes which helped him in the game. He threw 97 pitches in 8 innings of work allowing just 1 hit while striking out 6.

Halladay never really got into any trouble until the 9th inning. Before the 9th inning, he had only allowed 3 hits. That all changed with 2 outs in the 9th.

With the crowd willing Big Papi to win it with one swing, he almost did. Unfortunately, he looked the ball foul. He came back to work a walk. Manny Ramirez then drove a single to center that fell in front of Vernon Wells who was playing deep to prevent a double. Youk then came up and drove Big Papi in as Wells bobbled the ball and there was no throw to the plate sending the Fenway Faithful into a frenzy.

The game quite possibly could have been tied if it had not been for the glove of Dustin Pedroia. After Jonathan Papelbon had struck out the first two batters of the top half of the 9th, Scott Rolen drove a double to the left-center gap. Wells followed that with a shot up the middle that almost took off Papelbon’s head but Pedroia got to it and got to his feet to throw Wells out at first, keeping the game scoreless.

Offensively for the Red Sox, their bats didn’t wake up until the 9th inning. The three hits before the 9th came off the bats of Youk, Jason Varitek and Brandon Moss, who came in for the injured J.D. Drew. Drew left the game after the 2nd inning with tightness in his left quad. He is listed as day-to-day.

Daisuke Matsuzka will return to the mound for the Red Sox tomorrow and look to continue the great pitching by the starters. Let’s hope the hits in the 9th inning today continue over to tomorrow against Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan.

Notes and musings:

Red Sox vs Blue Jays 4/29 Boxscore

This was Halladay’s 4th complete game of the year and the third one he’s lost.

The Sox are now 10-4 at the Fens.

Tonight was the 402nd straight sellout at Fenway Park.

Curt Schilling wasn’t with the team tonight as he has the flu.

Bartolo Colon will throw a 35-pitch side session tomorrow and looks to make a start for Pawtucket on May 5th.

Alex Cora has been cleared to throw but won’t make throws from short or second until Friday at the earliest.

With his 13 strikeout performance on Sunday, Beckett became the 4th Red Sox pitcher since 2000 to do that. The others are Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and Hideo Nomo.

Coming into tonight’s game, The Red Sox have gone 24.0 innings without an extra base hit since Manny Ramirez’ 5th inning double on Friday. The streak now stands at 32 2/3 innings now after tonight’s game.

The Red Sox have used 33 players in 2008, tied with Oakland and Toronto for most in the majors.

Ramirez is the all-time leader with 54 homers and 140 RBI and ranks 3rd with 109 walks versus the Blue Jays.

Make sure you vote all of our Red Sox players into the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Don’t forget to write in Jacoby Ellsbury as well.