Dustin Pedroia had 2 hits and 3 RBI to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 in front of 40,181 at Rogers Centre. The win ends a 3-game losing skid to the Jays and a a 6-game losing streak at Rogers Centre.

The win also assures that the Red Sox will be at least tied for the wild card lead in the morning as the Minnesota Twins are out on the left coast taking on the Angels.

Paul Byrd started for the Red Sox tonight and gave them 6 effective innings. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits ( 2 home runs) and 2 walks while fanning 4. He got some help from the bullpen to pick up his first win in a Sox uniform and his 8th of the season.

Justin Masterson worked an eventful inning as he allowed a hit while walking 2. Hideki Okajima worked a  1-2-3 8th inning and Jonathan Papelbon pitched the 9th in a non-save situation giving up a hit while striking out 1.

One of Pedroia’s hits was his 13th home run of the season. Jason Varitek had 2 hits, including a home run in his 3rd consecutive game. Coco Crisp went 3-for-4 with an RBI and stolen base while Jacoby Ellsbury drove in 2 runs. The only members of the visiting nine without a hit were David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie.

After Shaun Marcum got Ellsbury to ground out, Pedroia got a hold of a Marcum offering for a solo home run to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Marcum then struck out Big Papi and Kevin Youkilis followed with a double but Jason Bay flew out to end the inning.

Before coming to the Red Sox, Byrd had gone 5 games without giving up a home run. In his first game with the Red Sox, he gave up 2. In the bottom half of the 1st, he gave up number 3.

He walked Joe Inglett, who stole second before Marcos Scutaro struck out. It didn’t matter though as Alex Rios got a hold of a Byrd fastball for a 2-run homer to put the Jays on top 2-1.

Jason Bay led off the 4th with a single and then Marcum got a little wild as he walked Lowrie and Varitek to load up the sacks full of Sox. Marcum then hit Alex Cora with a pitch to force in a run and tie the game at 2.  Coco then knocked in a run with a single and Ellsbury knocked in another when he grounded out to first. Pedroia ended Marcum’s night as he knocked in the 4th run of the inning when his sac fly scored Cora to make it 5-2 Red Sox.

The 3-run cushion didn’t last long though for Byrd and the Red Sox.

After Vernon Wells grounded out to start the bottom half of the 4th, Adam Lind singled and then came around to score when Lyle Overbay crushed a Byrd fastball for a 2-run home run to cut the lead to 5-4.

The Red Sox got another run in the 6th when Varitek homered off Brian Tallet leading off the inning.

Shawn Camp started the 8th by hitting the Captain with a pitch. A Cora ground out moved Tek to second and he ended up at third when Coco reached on an infield single. Back-to-back RBI singles by Ellsbury and Pedroia provided the final margin of 8-4.

For once, Jon Lester won’t have to pitch a day after a loss for the Red Sox tomorrow as he will look to keep the Red Sox on the right track down the stretch.

Notes and musings:

Red Sox @ Blue Jays 8.22.08 boxscore

Jason Bay’s 4 homers with Boston are the most ever by a native of Canada with the Red Sox. Bunk Congalton of Guelph, Ontario hit 2 homers for Boston in 1907.

Paul Bryd became the 1st pitcher to make 3 consecutive starts against the same team since San Diego’s Justin Germano did it vs. Colorado, May 27 to September 9, 2004.

Jonathan Papelbon’s 0.72 (2 ER/25.0 IP) ERA is the 2nd lowest in history versus Toronto (25.0 or more IP) to Rollie Fingers at 0.61 (2 ER/29.2 IP).

Coming into tonight’s game, Papelbon owns both of the Red Sox wins over the Blue Jays this season. Last Sox pitcher other than Papelbon to defeat Toronto was Josh Beckett on September 4, 2007 at Fenway Park.

Sox on streaks:

• Dustin Pedroia has an 9-game hitting streak.
• Jason Varitek has a 5-game hitting streak
• Alex Cora has a 5-game hitting streak
• Jason Bay has a 4-game hitting streak
• Coco Crisp has a 4-game hitting streak
• David Ortiz saw his 3-game hitting streak come to an end.
• Jacoby Ellsbury has a 3-game hitting streak
• Kevin Youkilis has a 3-game hitting streak
• Jeff Bailey has a 3-game hitting streak