Nix and sloppy defense give this one to Boston.

Jays v Red Sox. Game three of four.

Rough game yesterday but Jays were up against one of Boston’s better pitchers Beckett and falling four behind by second inning was the kiss of death.
Crazy stat Hill and Snider one away from career high in steals !!! Both have five each right now. I think that summarises the major change in this team from the Cito years. Aggressive baseball. Love it. Wait until Davis gets back.
Today maybe Litsch can hold them closer than Reyes did.

Lineups: Jays: Escobar, Patterson, Bautista, Lind, Hill, Arencibia, Snider, Rivera, Nix. If this team lived up to the paper potential this is one heavy hitting lineup all the way down to Nix at number nine. Not much relief for a pitcher. The only problem is this is on paper. Litsch pitching.
Red Sox: Crawford, back in the line up, we all hope he keeps off the bases. No way is he going through the season with .137 average. Pedroia, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Ortiz, Lowrie, Drew, Saltamacchia, Ellsbury and Lester pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar leading off, grounds to Youkilis, throw to first, high but gets Escobar. Patterson, strikes out, two down for Bautista.3-1 count, keeping it away from Jose. Taking iot all the way full count. Great, lifts it into right and bounces into the crowd, that was a single but he gets ground-rule double. Lind now. There goes Bautista but Lind grounds to first for the out. 19 pitches for Lester.
Bottom 1st: Added pressure on Jesse today in effect pitching for his spot in the rotation with Morrow due back this week if that rehab start today goes well in Dunedin. He had great start last time out and left with the 5-0 lead that bullpen blew up, Jesse has annoying habit of going hot and cold though from start to start. Maybe this added pressure will focus him today. Crawford leading off. Strikes out, very nice Jesse. Pedroia, grounds to Nix, throw to Lind, two down. Gonzalez, singles into centre. Youkilis, pitch gets away, Gonzalez moves up to second. Full count, looked strike three to me. Strikes him out anyway. 19 pitches.

Top 2nd: Hill leading off. Full count, Lester though it was strike no luck, and again ball four, Litsch had same thought last inning. One on for Arencibia, singles into right, two on for Snider, 2-0 Lester tightening up, 3-1 count, grounds to shirt to second on to first double play ball, Hill to third, Rivera. Long overdue Juan. Just a base hit will be fine. 2-2 count. Ball three, Ball four. That is fine Juan. Nix with two on. Rivera stealing, here comes Hill, rundown for Rivera but Hills scores before they can get Rivera, 1-0 Jays. Very nice play, caught Red Sox off balance there. 40 pitches for Lester. Baltimore losing.
Bottom 2nd: Ortiz, grounds to Lind, one down. Lowrie pops it up to left, just fair,I think Rivera could have reached that ball but he has no speed at all not that he even tried until too late, I hate that half-hearted type of play, give me Johnny Mac anyday, hustle and heart which is the Jays mantra this season, not with Rivera. Drew, singles to center but Lowrie to third on the play. Saltamacchia, singles into right, 1-1 game. Still two on and one down, Ellsbury. Oh boy gets hold of this one, into right field corner three run home run.4-1 game. Crawford, grounds to Lind, two down. Pedroia, full count, grounds to Escobar throw to first to end this one. 40 pitch count.

Top 3rd: Lester now as with Beckett yesterday can relax. Nix as he was left at plate when Hill scored and Rivera caught stealing. 3-1 count, ball four. Lester does not like umpire`s strike zone. Escobar, grounds to short, throw to second over to first, double play. Patterson, doubles to left over Crawford to the wall. Bautista, full count, Patterson will be running. Strikes out that was ball four. 53 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Gonzalez, shift on, grounds to first pitch to Hill, throw to first one down for Youkilis. Grounds to Escobar at short, throw to first two down. Ortiz, perfect grounds to Escobar throw to first for third out and 10 pitch quick inning. 50 pitch count. Settled down nicely, that inning at least.

Top 4th: Lind leading off. Fly ball to Crawford, one down for Hill, grounds to Youkilis at third, throw to first for the second out. Arencibia, 2-2 count, strikes out, 65 pitch count.
Bottom 4th: Lowrie, strikes out, Drew, strikes out, very nice Jesse, keep it up. Saltalamacchia, full count, grounds to Lind for the out. 64 pitch count.

Top 5th: Jays hitters need to get going soon here. Snider, full count, strikes out looking. Rivera, another full count, grounds to short, throws Rivera out at first. Nix, nice hit Jayson, high off the wall, but only a single, that was tough, almost out of there. Escobar, there goes Nix but fouled off. There he goes again and safe at second, full count. Pushing that pitch count up also. Escobar strikes out, but 85 pitches for Lester and only the 5th inning. Eight stolen bases at Fenway so far by Jays in this series, running wild on Boston pitching and Saltamalacchia.
Bottom 5th: Ellsbury first pitch fly ball to Bautista, one down. Crawford, bunting but Litsch fast off the mound to shovel it to Lind for the out. Two down Pedroia, fly ball to Patterson. Nine pitch inning for Jesse. Pitch count 73.

Top 6th: Now can Jays hitters see Lester out of this one. Patterson leading off. Grounds back to Lester, throw to first, one down. Bautista grounds to third, throw to first two down. Lind, 2-2 count, way to go Adam singles up the middle, great seven pitch at bat. Hill lines this to left but right at Crawford, but that is pitch number 100. Tampa and Baltimore losing 4-2.
Bottom 6th: Gonzalez, high fly ball to Patterson in centre, one down. Youkilis, full count, strikes out swinging, two down. Ortiz, singles back up the middle. Lowrie grounds to third, oh Nix mishandles. Runners safe. Nix had time to get runner but gave up, Not a good play at all. Jansen working in bullpen. Drew with two on, this could be the game here. Jesse let down by his defense. 2-2 count. Full count. Ball four. Saltalamacchia, bases loaded. 2-2, singles to right here comes two runs but Drew thrown out at plate, 6-1 game. Don`t blame Jesse on this one this was Nix bigtime who ruined it.

Top 7th: Arencibia, grounds to short, oh terrible play by Lowrie throws it way over head of first. Arencibia safe. Lowrie had plenty of time. Not sure why Lester is still out there. Francona does not have much faith in the bullpen I guess. Snider, full count. Grounds to short Lowrie another mess-up, that was double play but Snider safe at first. Very generous scorer here in Fenway give an error to Lowrie on that play but should be two this inning. Now Lester leaves, not sure why he was still in there with a five run lead. Bard now pitching. Two on nobody out. Rivera lines it at second and doubles up Snider, that was tough. Nix who started this mess last inning. Jayson owes Jesse bigtime. Full count. Ball four, two on for Escobar. Takes strike three. How can he do that.
Bottom 7th: Janssen now pitching. Ellsbury, bunts to third and now Nix throws to first for the out, where was your glove last inning when it mattered. Crawford grounds back to Janssen first pitch throw to Lind two down two pitches. Pedroia, 2-2 count. Grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind for third out.

Top 8th: Doubront now pitching, Patterson leading off. 3-0 count, Ball four, Bautista now can Jose light this one up. Pops it up to centre right, one down. Lind, Patetrson going and easy steal. Steal number ten this series for the Jays. 3-0 count, Jays really being very patient here. Ball four, two on for Hill, one down. No Patterson picked off at third stealing not good Corey. Two down. No, Hill singles into centre, that would have been a run. Two on two down for Arencibia, here comes Francona, I can see why Boston has only won three games the bullpen is terrible. Jenks again, imploded last time out. Arencibia 2-3 today. Full count, strikes out. Patterson the goat this inning.
Bottom 8th: Camp now pitching. Gonzalez leading off. Doubles to the wall in left centre. Youkilis, hits him but he leans way over the plate and made no effort to get away from that pitch. Ortiz with two on. 2-2 count. Wild pitch and runners move up. Full count, ball four. Bases full. Lowrie. Down the line off glove of Lind two more runs. 8-1. Error to Lind. Drew with runners in scoring position. Still nobody out, full count. Strikes out, One down for Saltalamacchia pops it up to Patterson. Two down. That`s it for Camp, Frasor now. Ellsbury with two on and two down. Strikes him out looking, not good Jacob leaving two in scoring position.

Top 9th: Jays need seven to tie this one. Lets see how they go about it. Snider, Rivera, Nix. Now pitching Wheeler. Snider leading off. Hiltless tday 0-3. Pops it up, Youkilis drops the ball off his glove in foul territory. Snder pops it up again this time Youkilis has it one down., Rivera, hitless for ever and now .105 average. Pops it up to centre, probably now under .100 average, time to end this experiment. Nix last chance to redeem yourself, I imagine Johnny Mac will be playing third tomorrow. Fly ball to Crawford in left to end this one, Jjays go without a fight which Manager Farrell will not appreciate. Again hustle and heart missing in action.

Summary: The pop up to left in the second that Rivera ambles over to, Nix error in the seventh leading to runs and the glove of Lind ruined this one for the Jays today. Add in the Patterson caught stealing at third and this was one major disaster game for Jays, four of the runs on the two errors by Nix and Lind, let`s hope they got it all out today and can regroup tomorrow to try and tie the series. Baltimore and Tampa both lose so Jays stay in second but a game to forget.

The good: Litsch the pitching line does not show it but this was fine outing, ruined by two fielding plays, one by Rivera the other big one by Nix, neither of which will appear on the sheet. The aggressive play with the two steals and that is without Davis. This team will be giving lots of pitchers headaches this season.

The awful: Nix, Nix and more Nix... ruined this fine outing by Jesse with terrible play in the seventh. Had plenty of time to make the out and gave up. Add in Lind's error, the half-hearted play by Rivera which lead to two and Patterson caught stealing.