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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- Twice, Tony Batista came up with the tying run on
third base. Twice, Hipolito Pichardo struck him out.
|  | | Carl Everett accounted for two of Boston's five, first-inning runs with his home run. |
"He got the big outs for us," Boston Red Sox manager Jimy
Williams said Friday night after Pichardo rescued Pete Schourek
from a shaky start and beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4. "Our
bullpen was really strong tonight, and we got some clutch hits."
Carl Everett and Brian Daubach hit back-to-back homers, and Nomar Garciaparra drove in three runs as the Red Sox moved into first place in the AL East, a half-game ahead of the Yankees, who lost 3-1 to the White Sox .
Raul Mondesi hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give
Toronto the lead, but Kelvim Escobar (5-8) gave back five runs in
the bottom half.
Schourek gave up two runs in the third to cut Boston's lead to
5-4 and then loaded the bases with two out in the fourth. Pichardo
(2-0) came on and struck out Batista to end the inning.
"It was a situation where the game could have gotten blown
open. It could have gotten ugly," catcher Scott Hatteberg said.
"The bullpen kept us in the game, and that was huge."
Pichardo had a rocky start with the Red Sox, failing to retire a
batter in his only other Fenway Park appearance after he was
recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on May 31. But in six outings
since then, he has trimmed his infinite ERA to 2.13, allowing just
two more runs in 12 2/3 innings.
He fanned Batista a second time on Friday night with runners on
first and third in the sixth. In all, he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless
innings, allowing two hits and an intentional walk while striking
out three.
Rich Garces pitched two scoreless innings and Derek Lowe pitched
a perfect ninth for his 16th save.
"Their bullpen got outs when they needed them," Blue Jays
manager Jim Fregosi said. "We couldn't get a hit with runners in
scoring position and that was the game."
Escobar settled down after the first, shutting Boston out before
leaving with a 5-4 deficit with one out and one on in the seventh.
He was charged with six runs on nine hits and two walks, striking
out six.
But it looked like he might never make it out of the first.
Jose Offerman flied out to left for the first out, then Jeff
Frye singled and Trot Nixon doubled, both of them scoring on
Garciaparra's single off the Green Monster. Everett followed with
his 22nd homer, and Daubach hit his 11th.
Troy O'Leary walked and Wilton Veras singled, then Hatteberg
flied out to right field. O'Leary tagged up, and he appeared to
score when Mondesi's throw eluded Batista at third and Batista
kicked it into the Toronto dugout.
But Toronto appealed, and the umpires ruled O'Leary left second
too early. That erased the run and the error, and ended the
inning.
Game notes
Mondesi's first-inning home run on Friday night helped
Toronto set a club record with homers in 15 consecutive games. It
was Mondesi's 13th of the year. ... Frye has hit safely in 10
consecutive games, and 22 of the last 23. ... Daubach had just nine
hits in his last 56 at-bats before homering in the first inning.
... The back-to-back homers by Carl Everett and Daubach were
Boston's fifth consecutive homers of the year. ... Offerman has
reached base safely in 17 consecutive games. ... Everett homered
for the sixth consecutive home game. He has homered in every series
at Fenway... The crowd of 33,638 was the biggest at Fenway this
season.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 7
Toronto 4
Detroit 5
Cleveland 2
Chi. White Sox 3
NY Yankees 1
Tampa Bay 9
Texas 2
Baltimore 4
Anaheim 3
Oakland 8
Kansas City 3
Minnesota 7
Seattle 2
Chicago Cubs 9
Montreal 8
Florida 8
Pittsburgh 3
Philadelphia 2
Atlanta 1
NY Mets 7
Milwaukee 1
Arizona 0
Colorado 0
San Diego 8
Cincinnati 5
St. Louis 6
Los Angeles 3
San Francisco 7
Houston 4
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