April 10th @ Toronto

[stocker323]

Game is at 1:00 again today, at the Rogers Centre.

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/136725.jpg #30 Matt Clement (0-0 4.15) vs.

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/150404.jpg #31 Ted Lilly (0-0 0.00)

Lilly will be making his first start of the year today, as he will be activated from the DL (shoulder). I still remember that fantastic performance he put up last year against the Sox, in the middle of our 2 long streaks, in which he 1 hit us, so let's hope the Sox can rebound well today.

[CalvnHobs6]

I heard somewhere that Youk will be getting the start over Billy who's 1-15 against Lilly lifetime. His one hit happens to be a homerun. Also, this is Lilly's first start off the DL this season. We'll see what happens. Millar, Manny, and Varitek should be fun to watch today against him...they are together .379 lifetime against him. (22/58)

[yeszir]

Redsox.com game preview:

In their quest to avoid going home with a sub-.500 record, the Red Sox will send Matt Clement to the mound in the rubber match of a three-game series against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Clement had his ups and downs in his first start for the Sox, giving up five hits and two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Yankees on April 5.

The Blue Jays counter with left-hander Ted Lilly, who fired a 3-0 shutout against the Sox on Aug. 23, 2004.

After winning the opener of this series, the Sox were hammered by a score of 12-5 on Saturday afternoon.

Pitching matchup
BOS: RHP Matt Clement
• 0-1, 4.16 ERA in 2005
• First career appearance vs. TOR

TOR: LHP Ted Lilly
• 12-10, 4.06 ERA in 2004
• 1-1, 3.58 ERA in 2004 vs. BOS

Player to watch
Third baseman Kevin Youkilis is expected to make his first start of the season, with Bill Mueller getting a day off. Youkilis has warm feeling about the former SkyDome, where he made his Major League debut last May and belted a home run to celebrate the occasion.

Quotable
"He's fine, he's going to be OK. He's one of the guys we're not worried about." -- Acting manager Brad Mills on Manny Ramirez, who is hitting .154 over the first five games

[yagmaster]

One thing we've learned from last year's team was that this team might have a bad game, but they almost always bounce back. I look for a great pitching performance by Clement to erase the memory of yesterday's bad performance by wells.

[Sox fan in Tex]

I'll second that, and just hope that yagmaster is right and we pull this one out.

[stocker323]

Lineups

Red Sox

Damon CF
Renteria SS
Ramirez LF
Ortiz DH
Millar 1B
Varitek C
Payton RF
Youkilis 3B
Bellhorn 2B

Blue Jays

Catalonotto LF
Hudson 2B
Wells CF
Koskie DH
Hillenbrand 3B
Hinske 1B
Rios RF
Myers C
Adams SS

Nixon out because Lilly's a lefty and Mueller's out as expected. Good to see that Johnny is playing as well. Blue Jays also swapped Koskie and Hillenbrand, as I guess they want to try out Shea at 3rd.

[Lesenby]

Time to wake up, Manny! :thumbsup:

[yeszir]

Time to wake up, Manny! :thumbsup:
Why hello there. Welcome.

[yeszir]

Apart from the leadoff walk, I definitely like what I'm seeing from Clement.

[element1151]

Sox lead 1-0 on a Payton sac fly.

[yankeessuck013]

a note from another game: Pavano got hit off the side of the face and is out of the game in the 3rd inning

[yeszir]

I dunno if you guys care, but turn on TBS. Smoltz has 7 k's through 3 and pedro is pitching damn nicely as well.

[element1151]

a note from another game: Pavano got hit off the side of the face and is out of the game in the 3rd inning

Ouch. And Sturtze is in and a run has scored. Still runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs for the O's. 2-0 O's.

[yankeessuck013]

4-0 O's

[element1151]

Make that 4-0 on a bases clearing double by Javy Lopez.

[yeszir]

Damon had a little mind fart there, neglecting to advance to 3rd on the grounder to Hillenbrand. It doesn't matter now I guess, there's no way he would have scored on that popup.

[element1151]

After a leadoff double the Sox can't get anything. Still 1-0.

[yeszir]

Clement's at 50 pitches already. I don't want to get into our bullpen so quickly.

[Zenny]

It really feels like Clement throws 30+ pitches an inning. He's been effective, though.

[Zenny]

5 walks in 6 innings. We're lucky to be only down 2.

Oh Christ, Embree is up. I don't trust anyone out of that pen right now.

[yankeessuck013]

woo- hoo, 1-2-3 for embree...still down 2

[stocker323]

Pavano apparently got a line drive to the head in the 3rd inning and had to be taken out.

[Zenny]

Dang, I thought Trot got a hold of that one. 1 on, 1 out.

[ACL BoSox]

???

Where is the Red Sox offense?

[ACL BoSox]

3-3 Sox!!!!

Edgar making up for his slow start.

[Zenny]

Yessssssss!!!!!!!!!

[stocker323]

Renteria ain't as bad as you all make him out to be.

[element1151]

Renteria saves the day!

[ACL BoSox]

oiy... Our bullpen has to hold on... Foulke in the 9th or Timlin?

[element1151]

Come on, extras. I'd probably put Timlin out there.

[stocker323]

oiy... Our bullpen has to hold on... Foulke in the 9th or Timlin?
Timlin, with Foulke warming up hopefully.

[yagmaster]

I can honestly say that I had faith that Edgar would come through for us. This is the second of a bunch of big hits he will have this season for us.

[YanksHater213]

Wow, that was clutch.

[element1151]

In other news: Yanks lost to the O's today 7-2!

[yagmaster]

Ehh, feck. Hudson continues his great day, drives in Reed Johnson to win the game. Shaky defense by Bellhorn cost us here.

[stocker323]

Hudson wins it for the Jays with an RBI double. 4-3 Jays the final.

[ACL BoSox]

damn it, we love to tie games up, but we cant seem to finish it off

[element1151]

Well now i would have put in Foulke ;)

[yankeessuck013]

ughhh...that loss hurts

2-4 now....

[Sox fan in Tex]

*sigh* Well....let's head home now, and hope we can win our first series.

[ACL BoSox]

I think I can safely say for the Sox, there's no place like home.

I expect to go 5-1 on this homestand.

[yeszir]

I guess I'm happy to say that I missed the end of the game. Ugh.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

i feel like i am watching the Devil Rays and not the Sox.

[Zenny]

We need the 1-2 punch of Schill-Mill to get back. Those guys know how to throw strikes.

It would also be nice if the offense decided to show up once in a while.

[CrespoBlows]

Pedro 9 IP's today 9 K's

Clement 6 IP's 5 BB's

[yankeessuck013]

clement pitched well, it was our offense...

wherever clement seems to go he can not get the run support

[yankeessuck013]

I think this quote by Clement pretty much sumarizes everything:

"It's nothing alarming, but something that needs to be taken care of," Clement said. "I feel like I've adjusted pretty well and I'm pretty close. But being close isn't going to get the job done. I have to get to where I want to be."

Clement's two outings on this road trip were symbolic of the way the Sox played as a team. There was some good and some bad.