BOSTONAfter an impressive first outing Aug. 27 in his return from the disabled list, Daisuke Matsuzaka has followed that up with two disappointing starts. At the same time, the Red Sox continued their discouraging trend of losses, as they fell to the Blue Jays for the second time in as many games, 9-2, at Fenway Park Saturday night.
Saturday against the Blue Jays, Matsuzaka lasted just 1 13 innings, giving up five runs on five hits and walk with two strikeouts, a home run and a hit batter. He threw 42 pitches, 25 strikes as his ERA rose from 6.15 to 7.20.
The Blue Jays sent eight batters to the plate in the second inning, with five scoring. Matsuzaka gave up a lead-off, first-pitch home run to Yunel Escobar. The first five batters reached base, before Matsuzaka could record an outon Rajai Davis sacrifice fly. He threw 23 pitches in the inning, 13 strikes.
Meanwhile, Jays left-hander Aaron Laffey did not give up a hit until Jacoby Ellsburys lead-off single in the fourth.
Alfredo Aceves replaced Matsuzaka, going 2 23 scoreless innings, giving up a hit with one strikeout.
The game was delayed by rain twice, for a total of two hours and three minutes. After Ellsbury led off the fourth with a single, the game was stopped for 58 minutes. Laffey returned after that delay, but Andrew Miller replaced Aceves. In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs, two runs in, and Pedro Ciriaco on first, the game was stopped again, for an hour and five minutes. Right-hander Brad Lincoln replaced Laffey when the game resumed.
The Sox got two runs back in the fifth. Ryan Lavarnway led off with a walk followed by Mike Aviles single. Scott Podsedniks single scored Lavarnway, before Jose Iglesias lined out to first baseman Adam Lind, who doubled Podsednik off first. Pedro Ciriacos single scored Podsednik, cutting the Blue Jays lead to 5-2.
Boston Red Sox
The Blue Jays added a run in the eighth off Vicente Padilla, as Colby Rasmus, Edwin Encarnacion, and Adam Lind opened the inning with consecutive singles. The Jays got three more in the ninth when Anthony Gose hit his first career home run, a three-run shot into the right field seats off Andrew Bailey.