No contest. Boston lays a shutout thrashing on awful Jays.

Toronto v Boston. Series opener. Friday September 12, 2008.

Preview: How many times have we said this in the last couple of weeks, this series is big…… This weekend really decides whether Jays have a chance at post-season play. They play Boston for four and are 6.5 behind. They win big and their chances are good. But on the other side Boston has a chance to knock out Jays and end the postseason hopes of their closest pursuers in the AL East. However Jays will still have a series in Toronto against Red Sox and you would be very sure that Jays would want revenge if they are out of it and make life miserable for Boston. Toronto has played well against Boston this season going 7-4 with three straight wins at Fenway. Boston had rough series against Tampa this week losing last two and one in fourteen innings where they used five relievers for the last eight innings. Jays hitters need to capitalize on this tonight and get to Wakefield early.

What they are saying: Sean Casey on Wakefield: "(Wakefield's) done a great job this season, and I think we've kind of blown a few of his leads, so I think his loss column is a little higher and he knows it. But he's really done a great job this year giving us innings and doing a good job."

Purcey : "It doesn't really matter what team you face, as long as you go out there and try to execute your pitches. That's the mentality that I'm going to take out there."

Pitching: Wakefield (8-10, 4.11 ERA), Purcey (3-5, 5.23 ERA).

Wakefield had shortest start of his season last time out. 1 2-3 innings against Texas giving up a season-high seven runs. Wakefield is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts versus Jays this season, and 15-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 37 starts and 10 relief appearances lifetime.
Purcey coming off the best start of his career, allowing six hits while striking out seven in eight innings as Toronto beat Tampa Bay 1-0 on Sunday. He gave up five runs in two of his previous three starts. This is his first appearance against Boston.

The result: Boston win this one easily. 7-0. No contest tonight.

The good: Nothing at all good tonight with this team. Poor fielding, non-existent hitting and poor pitching by Purcey, this was an awful game and at the worst time of the season. This was the one they had to win in the series.

The bad: Purcey pitching was the boy against the men tonight, outclassed for most of the game until his last two three up and down innings but far too late. The Jays hitters awful all round, no other word for it, defence terrible, Rolen and also Rios that lead to two runs. Frasor gives up three run home run from the number nine hitter to finish it off. Nothing went right tonight, A game to forget fast. Cito’s gamble leaving out Inglett, Lind and Snider did not pay off at all unless of course they all come through big time tomorrow and the rest of the weekend. Certainly Mench, Wilkerson and McDonald were invisible tonight. Jays 0-4 with runners in scoring position tonight.

Lineups: Toronto. Scutaro, Wilkerson, Rios, Wells, Overbay, Mench, Barajas, Rolen, McDonald, and Purcey pitching.
Boston: Crisp, Pedroia, Ortiz, Youkilis, Bay, Lowell, Kotsay, Lowrie, Cash and Wakefield pitching.

The game: Top 1st: Scutaro strikes out. Wilkerson fliy ball out to RF Kotsay. Rios pops out to 1B Youkilis. Not the best of starts here.
Bottom 1st: Crisp grounds to 3B Rolen, cannot handle it, error to Rolen. Pedroia at bat strikes out. One down. Ortiz fly ball out to Wells CF.Two down. Youkilis fly ball out to LF Wilkerson.

Top 2nd: Wells fly ball out to CF Crisp. One down for Overbay strikes out. Mench doubles to LF. Passed ball by Cash, Mench moves to 3B. Jays have something going here. Barajas fly ball out to Crisp.
Bottom 2nd: Bay 3-0 and walks on four pitches.Wild pitch by Purcey, Bay moves to 2B. Lowell singles to LF, Bay held at 3B. Two on no outs. Kotsay pops up to 2B Scutaro.One down two on. Lowrie fly ball out to Wells, Bay scores. 1-0 Boston. Cash strikes out. Purcey 44 pitches. Too many balls. Boston is not like the Jays, they are far more patient at bat.

Top 3rd: Time for Jays bats to get going here. Rolen leading off, not having a good game tonight in the rain, an error and a ball that he could not get, yes Scott, doubles high off the wall. McDonald at bat, another high ball to Bay in LF. Should he have bunted ? One down for Scutaro. Grounds first pitch to Lowell SS throw to 1B for the second out. Wilkerson grounds to 2B throw to Youkilis 1B for third out. What a waste. 38 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: We need a better inning here from Purcey. Not sharp at all tonight. Crisp at bat, fly ball out to Wells in CF, one down for Pedroia, doubles high off the wall. One on, one down. Ortiz at bat, 3-0 count, Purcey is way outside, pops it up to Wilkerson in shallow LF. Two down for Youkilis, full count. and strikes out. Much better inning David.

Top 4th: Rios grounds to 3B Lowell to first baseman Youkilis.
Wells fly ball out to LF Bay.Overbay two down, singles into LF. Mench at bat, fly ball out to Bay in LF leaves Lyle out there.
Bottom 4th: Purcey has three strikeouts but just cannot get consistent here plus and a big plus he needs run support tonight. Bay at bat, grounds it to Rolen, off his glove and off McDonald also safe at 1B. Error two for Rolen tonight. I think Purcey needs help in the field as well. Lowell at bat one on. Lines out to Rolen, one down. Kotsay grounds to Scutaro great play to get him at 1B, two down. Lowrie with Bay at 2B. 3-0 count. Full count. Doubles over head of Wilkerson to the wall, Bay scores 2-0 Boston. Cash at bat, 3-0 count, come on Purcey. Walks him, Cito get out there. 79 pitches.This is the last thing Jays want tonight to have to use their bullpen in first game with double header tomorrow. Pops it up to Overbay for third out. But Purcey is digging hole here.

Top 5th: 46 pitches ??? for Wakefield this is ridiculous. Hitters gone home again tonight, but they cannot wait until the eighth to appear, this is Boston they are playing and in Fenway. Barajas trying to pull Wakefield every pitch. Try going the other way Rod, grounds to 3B Lowell throw to Youkilis for the out. Rolen with one down. flailing away, grounds to Lowell throw to Youkilis for the out on a pitch he should have left alone. Two down for McDonald, same as Rolen, flailing away is the only way I can describe it, awful at bat, had no clue, pops it up to Youkilis for third out.Wakefield has not has such an easy time all season. 63 pitches.
Bottom 5th: Pedroia at bat, pops it up to Rolen at 3B one down. Ortiz with right shift on. Bounces one to Rolen playing behind 2B throw to Overbay for out number two. Youkilis strikes out, better inning but may be far too late tonight, his pitch count is high at 95 pitches and he is losing 2-0.

Top 6th: Top of the order. Let’s see what they have, so far tonight not much. Scutaro at bat, another fly ball out to Bay in LF. One down for Wilkerson. Full count. strikes out. Two down for Rios. Full count. Strikes out. This is like last night’s game in Chicago but don’t expect the same finish in Fenway. 78 pitches. Wakefield at this rate will finish the game, which Francona will love as Red Sox bullpen had a very long game this week losing in 14 innings, he would love his bullpen to get a rest on top of yesterday’s off day. Jays of course flew in early morning from Chicago so will be tired tonight but tomorrow they have a double header.
Bottom 6th: Purcey still out there, Cito wants to rest his own bullpen for the weekend but may have no choice soon. Bay at bat, strikes out. Lowell at bat, lines out to Rios in RF, two down. Kotsay at bat, pops up to Rolen, three up and down but Boston players want to get this one over and get out on the town tonight.

Top 7th: Wells, fly ball to Kotsay in RF, Vernon doesn’t like being out in the rain. Overbay grounds at first pitch throw to Youkilis for second out. Four pitchers two outs, what’s new ? Mench at bat, grounds to Pedroia six pitch inning that is so disgusting for a team that think they are playoff material, not tonight for this team for whatever the reason. I am sorry Cito but this is NOT good hitting. Most of the Boston hitters take six pitches in one at bat. 84 pitches.
Bottom 7th: Purcey still in there at 106 pitches, Cito has also given up on this one. Lowrie doubles off the wall, one in scoring position, Cash at bat, bunting ? misses, Cito leaving Purcey in to soak up the linings and the loss. Why waste the bullpen. Strikes him out, one down. Crisp and top of the order. Crips grounds to Scutaro nice save but no chance to make a play. Runners at the corners. Here comes Cito now. Leaving him in there telling him to soak it up for the team. Jays have not looked like scoring all game anyway. Pedroia pops it up to Wells in shallow CF, runner holds at 3B on the throw. Ortiz with two on and two down. Doubles to RF. Rios has problem and fumbles the ball allows the second run to score, 4-0 Boston. Cito out again a little TOO late Cito…120 pitches for Purcey, far too many balls. Frasor now pitching. One on two down. Yuokilis fly ball out to Rios. 99 pitches.

Top 8th: This is not like last night, Boston is not the team to give up a four run lead at Fenway, Bottom of the order. Barajas strikes out on a pitch two feet outside. Rolen, grounds to 3B throw to Youkilis two down. McDonald, grounds to SS Lowrie throw to 1B Youkilis for third easy out. Three up and down. I guess that is why they are hitting at the bottom of the lineup. Cito didn’t even put in pinch hitters. I can’t wait to see what he does in the top of the ninth. 94 pitches for Wakefield.
Bottom 8th: Bay at bat, Frasor still pitching, fly ball out to Wells in CF, one down. Lowell at bat, singles to LF. One on one down. Kotsay at bat, fly ball out to Wells, two down. Lowell stays at 1B. Lowrie at bat, full count and now walks him. Cash at bat, two on and two down. Sorry Jason no help you are it now for the duration. There it goes, over the wall, three run home run for the number nine hitter. That about sums up this game. 7-0 Boston. Crisp at bat, another full count but Frasor you are not getting any relief tonight. Walks him. Pedroia at bat two down one on. Grounds out to Overbay but I don’t think Frasor helped his case for promotion in the bullpen with Cito.

Top 9th: What will they do? Top of the order. Mail it in? or show some fight. Character in a losing cause. Do they have it tonight? Delcarmen pitching. Scutaro at bat, grounds to Pedroia throw to Youkilis one down. Wilkerson at bat, 0-3 tonight. Cito’s gamble did not pay off with this guy. Inglett might as well have been in the order, pops it up to Bay in LF, they are mailing it in. Here comes the ultimate mailman Rios. 0-3 tonight. Grounds to SS throw beats him at 1B and this terrible performance is over. And probably realistically any hope of play offs for the Jays.
Boston won big tonight.

Even if Jays win the next three they only gain two on the Red Sox instead of possible four and that is a huge difference unless major collapse by the Red Sox in the next two weeks. Jays also looked totally out if tired, listless, impatient at bat, and outplayed in every category.
Yankees and Rays rained out tonight, also Twins and Orioles.