G125: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 0

Blue Jays - 000 000 000 - 0  6  0
Red Sox   - 000 030 02x - 5  7  0

Buchholz (6-5-0-3-7, 97) extended his scoreless inning streak to a career-best 20, though he had to wiggle out of a few jams against the Jays. Toronto left two men on base in the first, second, and sixth innings.

Buchholz lowered his AL-leading ERA to 2.26. He has not allowed an earned run in 23.2 innings.

Marcum (7-4-3-0-6, 91) had set down the first 12 Boston batters before David Ortiz opened the fifth with a triple -- to left-center! Adrian Beltre doubled and it was 1-0. After two were outs, Bill Hall launched a rocket over everything in left. In the seventh, Ryan Kalish doubled and Marco Scutaro walked. They both scored as Victor Martinez and Ortiz had RBI singles.

After Daniel Bard pitched the seventh, Felix Doubront took the final two innings, allowing only two baserunners (a one-out single in the eighth and a HBP with two outs in the ninth).

The Yankees beat the Mariners 10-0 and the Rays beat the A's 3-2. New York holds its one-game lead over Tampa Bay, with Boston 6.5 GB. The Red Sox are 5.5 GB the Rays in the wild card race.

5:04 PM: Buchholz still out there in the third. 49 pitches before the delay, 51 through 3. (Marcum still in, too.)

4:05 PM: The tarp is back on the infield, with Blue Jays batting in the top of the third, two outs, a runner on first, and a 1-1 count on Adam Lind.

3:19 PM: First pitch! The start of the game was delayed 1:44 by rain.

Shaun Marcum / Clay Buchholz

Scutaro, SS
Drew, RF
Martinez, C
Ortiz, DH
Beltre, 3B
Lowell, 1B
Lowrie, 2B
Hall, LF
Kalish, CF

Buchholz has allowed only five earned runs over his last five starts (37.1 innings, 1.21 ERA). ... Weather: "periods of light to moderate rain showers throughout the day".

AL East:

Mariners/Yankees, 1 PM
Rays/A's, 4 PM

August 22:

1886 - Louisville's Chicken Wolf hits a game-winning home run as a stray dog bites at Red Stockings center fielder Abner Powell's pant leg, causing him to miss the ball.

1933 - Cubs president William Veeck suggests a midsummer series of inter-league games.

1946 - MLB clubs approve a 168-game schedule, but change their minds on September 16.

1976 - I see my first game at Fenway Park (Oakland wins 7-6 in 11).

2007 - The Rangers beat the Orioles 30-3, setting an AL record for runs. No major league team had scored 30 runs since the 1897 Colts. Wes Littleton pitches the last three innings and gets a save.