Toronto @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2010 ) Toronto 16, Boston 2
Dustin Pedroia admitted his return to the disabled list on Friday could last for the duration of the season. The way the Boston Red Sox played without him on Friday, there might not be any reason to rush him back.
Boston was hammered by the Toronto Blue Jays, 16-2, at Fenway Park. The two teams meet again Saturday.
Pedroia missed nearly two months with a broken foot sustained when he fouled a ball off his foot in a contest against the San Francisco Giants. He played two games earlier in the week, but was scratched from Thursday's start after complaining of soreness.
Boston placed him on the 15-day disabled list before Friday's game as Pedroia said the foot was even worse.
Decimated by injuries throughout the season, the Red Sox may have waved the white flag in their battle for a playoff berth. On Friday night, Boston was blown out for the second straight night, leaving it 6 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East standings with just 39 games to play. The Red Sox have been outscored, 23-5, in their last two games.
Friday was perhaps their low point of the season.
Lyle Overbay homered twice and drove in seven runs as Toronto scored the most runs in franchise history against Boston. The Blue Jays scored five times in the first inning off losing pitcher and Boston ace Jon Lester.
Lester entered the game riding a 14-inning scoreless string and had a long history of dominance against the Blue Jays.
Brett Cecil (10-6) picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings while allowing nine hits and two runs. Jose Bautista belted his major league-leading 38th homer of the season and John McDonald also homered as the Blue Jays pounded out 20 hits in the game.
Overbay hit three-run homers in the first and third innings. McDonald's three-run shot in the sixth inning made it 14-0.
The Red Sox called up Yamaico Navarro from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace Pedroia. He went 1-for-3 in his major league debut on Friday.
Daisuke Matsuzaka will try to snap Boston's two-game skid on Saturday. Matsuzaka is 6-1 in his career against the Blue Jays and 1-0 against them this season.
Ricky Romero (10-7) starts for Toronto. Romero has had little success against Boston, posting a 1-4 mark in his career against the Red Sox with an 8.51 ERA.
Catcher John Buck returned to the Toronto lineup on Friday after spending the bulk of August on the disabled list with a thumb injury. Buck went 4-for-5 with two RBIs in the game.