Normally when you see a 2 hour 18 minute game in which Roy Halladay is pitching, you expect him to come out victorious. But that wasn’t the case tonight in the Rogers Centre. The Sox got to Halladay for 8 runs in the first 4 innings as they went on to defeat the Blue Jays 8-0 and sweep the 3 game series from them.

Wakefield was outstanding tonight after getting in a bit of a jam in the first inning. He had loaded the bases and up came big Frank Thomas. Thomas fouled off a 2-2 pitch and then struck out on the next one. In that same play, Doug Mirabelli threw done to Kevin Youkilis at first and picked off Troy Glaus to end the threat. After that, he settled down and retired the next 16 batters he faced.

The Sox scored their first run in the first inning when David Ortiz grounded out and Youk scored from third base.

They got to Halladay for six more runs in the 3rd inning. Guess who started the rally? Alex Cora. Cora hit a single and then was outstanding in getting to second base on a Julio Lugo grounder that easily could have been an inning ending double play. Then the roof caved in. Youk drove him in with a single. Then Big Papi came to the plate and hit a double to the gap that scored Youk. Big Papi went to third base when Adam Lind’s throw to the plate went over everyone and was actually caught by Halladay, who was backing up the plate. Manny came up and drove his buddy home making it 4-0. J.D. Drew finally broke out of his slump and hit a single setting the stage for Mike Lowell. Lowell had homered in the two previous games. Well now it’s 3 games in a row. His 3 run homer made the score 7-0.

A Youkilis double made the score 8-0. He drove in Lugo, who had gotten on base when Blue Jays 3B Glaus lost the a high chopper in the lights. It was a strange play to see. It was almost like a outfielder losing a fly ball in the lights.

Halladay’s numbers weren’t pretty at all. 5 innings pitched, 11 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), 0 walks and 2 strikeouts. On the other hand, Wakefield went 7 innings. He gave up 3 hits, walked 1 and struck out 3.

Your offensive stars were Youkilis (3-for-5, 2 RBI), Ortiz (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Manny (2-for-4, 1 RBI) Mr. Lowell (1-for-4, 3RB) and Alex Cora (2-for-4). Even Drew chipped in with a 2 for 4 night. Of the 9 starters tonight, only Doug Mirabelli didn’t have a hit.

With the win, Wakefield moves to 4-3 and his ERA now stands at an anemic 1.79, which is best in the AL. Oh and if you really want to see a low ERA, just check out Darkman Okajima’s. It is 0.53. Sick Sick Sick.

Julian Tavarez takes the hill tomorrow and looks to build on his last start as the Sox host the O’s for a three game series.

Notes and Musings from Steve:

The Rogers Centre roof was open at the start of all three games of the series. It was only open once previously this season. It was open even under slightly overcast skies because Jays GM J.P. Riccardi and Manager John Gibbons think they have a better chance to beat Tim Wakefield with the roof open.

No Geddy Lee again tonight. Is Rush on tour or is he just embarrassed over the (now 9 game) losing streak?

With his pants fully ablaze and his fingers crossed behind his back admitted liar Riccardi said that even though closer B.J. Ryan had Tommy John surgery today he fully expects him back sometime after this years all-star break. (/sarcasm)

Roy Halladay had a first inning throwing error trying to pick off that speed demon Kevin Youkilis off of second. Youkilis went to third and scored on a David Ortiz ground out. I don’t believe it but according to Riccardi, Youkilis is the major league’s most dangerous base stealer.

I can’t believe the pounding the Sox gave Halladay, he usually owns them. They beat him like a bad dog. Mike Lowell hit another HR it was his 7th, 5 against Toronto.

The Jays hung Ryan’s jersey in the dugout. That’s kind of bush isn’t it? The dude didn’t die he had Tommy John surgery!!!

Don and Jerry started the 6th in another laughing fit. This one over a fan interview done at an early season game when the fans comb over became shall we say uncombed in the wind. Good stuff. I’m disappointed we haven’t been documenting and charting their fits of hysterical laughter through the season. We could have had a vote for best one at the end of the season.

Tim Wakefield rocks, if this guy doesn’t make the all-star team it will be a true injustice. He set down 16 in a row until Vernon Wells lead off the 7th inning with a single. Right now the Sox could have four pitchers on the all-star team, Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

First all, I have to apologize for the lack of posts. With softball season starting, I have been busy getting my two softball sites up and running. But don’t fret, it won’t take away from what I am doing here at SOX & Dawgs. Steve has been great addition here and I look forward to more of his work. He’s been nothing short of spectacular. Anyways, something that I saw over on the Providence Journal Red Sox blog was using some of the Sox Official Game Notes. Well, I have found out by just being registered at MLB.com, you can have access to the game notes for any team. You can get there by clicking here.

• Manny Ramirez last night clubbed his 53rd career home run against the Blue Jays, most ever by a Toronto opponent…Also drove in 2 runs, tying him with Harold Baines for the most RBI ever against the Jays.

HOME RUNS
1. Manny Ramirez 53
2. Alex Rodriguez 44
3. Jose Canseco 41

RBI
1. Harold Baines 131
Manny Ramirez 131
3. Cal Ripken, Jr. 129
Robin Yount 129

• At 22-10, Boston has the best winning percentage in the American League at .688…Only the Milwaukee Brewers have a higher winning percentage in all of baseball at .706 (24-10).

• SEEKING A SWEEP: The Red Sox tonight aim for their 1st 3-game sweep in Toronto since July 8-10, 2003…Boston’s last sweep of 3 games over Toronto overall was from August 16-18, 2004 at Fenway Park.

• LOWELL VS. THE JAYS: In 6 games against Toronto this season, Mike Lowell is batting .435 (10-23) with 4 home runs, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored…He has hit the Jays at a .382 (29-76) clip with 12 doubles, 5 homers, 18 RBI and 12 runs scored in 20 games since joining the Red Sox in 2006.

• 3 WITH 4: With Daisuke Matsuzaka’s win last night, the Red Sox are now the only team in the majors with 3 4-game winners…Josh Beckett is 7-0, Curt Schilling is 4-1 and Matsuzaka is 4-2…Tim Wakefield (3-3) looks to join that group tonight…Boston’s starting rotation is leading the majors with 19 wins this season.

Boston extended Toronto’s losing streak to eight games with a 9-3 shellacking of the Blue Jays behind seven very solid innings from Daisuke Matsuzaka and four more Red Sox homeruns. The Red Sox had a great start to the game and got Daisuke a quick first inning run behind two walks (Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew – intentionally), a base hit by David Ortiz, a passed ball by Jays back stop Sal Fasano and a RBI ground out by Manny Ramirez. Mike Lowell walked as well but Tomo Ohka got out of the jam by getting Jason Varitek to pop up with the bases loaded.

The Red Sox picked up some more runs for Matsuzaka in the second and padded his lead when Eric Hinske walked, Dustin Pedroia bunted and was given a single but an error was charged to Ohka when he tried to push the ball to Lyle Overbay at first base. Julio Lugo grounded out to score Hinske and it was 2-0. With two out Ortiz ripped a RBI double to left to score Pedroia from third and it was 3-0. Ohka looked really shaky, his pitch count was up and the Jays had action in the pen in just the 2nd inning.

Matsuzaka though was dealing, his curve was really breaking and after whiffing the side in the second he struck out his 4th Blue Jay batter in a row to start the third inning. But a one walk to Alex Rios, then a ground out by Adam Lind moved Rios to 2nd. A Matsuzaka wild pitch put the speedy Rios on third with two out and Vernon Wells up and threatening to get the Jays on the board. But Wells grounded out to Lugo to end the inning and the threat.

Nice play by Pedroia to start the 4th. Frank Thomas ripped a line drive up the middle off Matsuzaka’s glove that was knocked down by Pedroia who threw out Thomas at first. Thomas looked like he was having trouble running to first on the play. I think it’s because his uniform pants are too tight.

Ortiz leads off the 5th with his third hit a single. He was erased on a Manny Ramirez double play. Drew walked, Lowell singled and that chased Ohka after 4 and 2/3rds.

Rios continues to mash Boston pitching, he got his second hit of the game (Toronto’s third overall) a bases empty two out double in 5th off Matsuzaka. That was followed up with his third walk of the game this one to Lind and it brought up Wells as the tying run. But he flew out to Drew in right field to end the threat. It was the second time in the game Matsuzaka got Wells out with a RISP.

NESN’s Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy were sporting black “Matsuzaka-san” headbands in the booth in the top of the 6th. And they brought good luck as Pedroia led off the inning with a hit and Lugo hit a 2-run homer to left centerfield for a 5-0 Boston lead. Ramirez after going 0 for 3 with a RBI in his first plate appearances hit a two out solo homerun to make it 6-0. The homerun was the 53rd in Manny’s career off of Toronto pitching.

After getting his 8th strike out to start the sixth and the second out in the inning on a come backer to the mound, Matsuzaka gave up a line drive homerun to Overbay on a change up. Remy had been quick to note all game that the change up was the only pitch he didn’t seem to have command of. It was the third homerun of the year allowed by Matsuzaka and cut the lead to 6-1.

Freakin’ Rios, had another hit off of Matsuzaka. His third hit of the game was a flair single to right with two out in the 7th. But he got out of the inning by getting Lind to fly out to Ramirez. It was Matsuzaka’s last inning his final line was 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 3BB, 8 K. It was definitely his best outing in his last 3 or 4. He had made some adjustments to his between games and pre-game routines and I think he will probably stick with what he did for a while, which included a 100-pitch side session the other day in the bullpen.

Crisp got on with two out in the 8th, stole second and went to third on an error by Fasano. It was Coco’s 6th stolen base of the season. That was promptly followed up by the 9th homerun of the season for Ortiz to increase the Sox lead to 8-1. It was also Big Papi’s fourth hit of the game.

Brendan Donnelly pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and in the 9th the Sox padded their lead to 9-1 with a solo homerun from Lowell, it was his 6th of the year and his second in the last two games. It was the 8th homerun hit by Boston so far in the series and their 13th in 5 games at Rogers Centre this year.

Overbay greeted Joel Piniero with his second homerun of the game, it was his 5th of the year and cut the Boston lead to 9-2. Aaron Hill then shot a double over Drew’s head in right and it looked like pre-game BP all of a sudden. Jonathan Papelbon started to loosen not because they needed him but to possibly get him some work. Piniero then got the next two outs but that guy Rios got his forth hit driving in Hill to make it 9-3. Piniero then struck out Lind to end the game.

Tomorrow the Jay’s look to break their losing streak and send ace Roy Halladay to the mound against Tim Wakefield. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Read on for more on the game after the jump.

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