G51: Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 2

Red Sox   - 100 310 020 - 8 11  0
Blue Jays - 100 000 010 - 2  5  0

A great afternoon in a shitty building in a fine country.

Lester (6-3-1-3-12, 115) set a career high in strikeouts, fanning the side in both the fourth and fifth innings. Ks by inning: 220 332.

It was the most strikeouts by a Sox lefty since Bruce Hurst struck out 14 A's in a nine-inning shutout on May 5, 1987. [L and I were at Fenway for Hurst's next start -- another complete game shutout -- on May 10. It was L's first game at Fenway!]

Kevin Youkilis belted two home runs, both solo shots. Jason Bay followed Yook's eighth inning dong with one of his own, on the next pitch from Brian Wolfe. Bay also doubled in the first inning, immediately after Yook's first bomb, and walked twice.

Dustin Pedroia broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth with a three-run shot off the left field pole. It was his second home run of the year; he hit his first on Opening Day. David Ortiz doubled to start that rally; in his other four at-bats, he grounded out to shortstop, popped out twice to third, and struck out.

***

Jon Lester (6.07, 80 ERA+) / Ricky Romero (3.08, 146 ERA+)

The Red Sox's record after 50 games in recent years:

2004   31-19    0.5 GA
2005   27-23    4.0 GB
2006   30-20      Tied
2007   35-15   11.5 GA
2008   31-19    2.5 GA
2009   28-22    1.5 GB

Boston has scored only 4.2 runs per road game, more than two runs fewer than their 6.3 average at home.

Dustin Pedroia: "We've got to find a way to score runs. ... It's not early anymore."

Rookie left-hander Ricky Romero gave up five runs on 11 hits (including three dongs) in 5.1 innings on Tuesday in Baltimore, his first less than impressive performance (log).

BP 2009:

Romero throws in the low 90s with a good curve and change and gets a ton of ground-ball outs ... but he continues to struggle with both command and control, as evidenced by his walk rates.

He walked 20 in 42.2 innings last year at AAA and 55 in 121.2 innings at AA in 2007. In his four major league starts, he's walked a total of five batters (2, 0, 2 and 1).