G91: Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 1

Red Sox   - 100 000 000 - 1  6  1
Blue Jays - 020 001 00x - 3  6  0

Boston had two chances to get to Halladay in the early innings, but could not -- and Halladay cruised to his fourth complete game of the season (9-6-1-0-7, 105).

With one out in the first, Dustin Pedroia singled and Kevin Youkilis followed with a double. David Ortiz's line out to right brought in FY with a quick run (Halladay had thrown only 10 pitches), but Alex Rios hauled in Jason Bay's deep drive to the wall in dead center.

In the third, Pedroia and Youkilis singled with one out. But Ortiz grounded into a force play and Bay flew to Rios again. The only other baserunners for the Red Sox aftre that were Ortiz, who singled in the sixth, and Bay, who forced him at second.

Lester (7-5-3-4-6, 112) walked four batters for the first time this season. He had not walked that many since September 2, 2008 -- and the time before that? April 29, 2008: his 8-1-0-4-6 game against Halladay. A nine-day layoff because of the All-Star Game might have contributed to some rustiness.

Rod Barajas -- he of the .107/.107/.214 batting line in July and .169/.207/.325 since June 6 -- drove in all three Toronto runs.

After Lyle Overbay and Alex Rios both walked in the second (on a total of nine pitches), Barajas's double into the left field corner brought them both home. In the sixth, Overbay doubled, Rios singled, and Barajas hit a sacrifice fly to center. He also singled in the fourth.
Jon Lester (3.87, 120 ERA+) / Roy Halladay (2.85, 151 ERA+)

MLB.com preview:

Lester enters the second half of the season on a bona fide hot streak. The 25-year-old lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past eight starts since May 31, yielding one run or fewer in six of those outings. Just 21 strikeouts shy of last year's career-high total of 152 ...

Fresh off a start for the American League in the All-Star Game, Halladay returns to the Jays' rotation in search of his first win since June 7. Over his past four starts, including an injury-shortened outing on June 12 that led to a two-week stint on the disabled list with a right groin issue, Doc has gone 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA.

In those eight starts, Lester has a 1.48 ERA. ... Red Sox batters vs Halladay.

These two aces last met on April 29, 2008 at Fenway Park. Lester threw eight shutout innings, allowing only one hit, and the Red Sox rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth off Halladay -- Ortiz walk, Manny single, Youkilis RBI single -- to win 1-0.

Mike Lowell will likely get the day off, with Jed Lowrie playing third and Nick Green at shortstop.

Tigers/Yankees at 2 PM.