G116: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 5

Red Sox   - 002 020 010 - 5 11  0
Blue Jays - 000 101 004 - 6 12  0

John Lackey (8-8-3-1-4, 98) was on his way towards a complete game victory when he allowed a home run to Jose Bautista start the bottom of the ninth. With a 5-3 lead, Terry Francona called on Jonathan Papelbon.

Papelbon had nothing: Vernon Wells doubled to deep right, Adam Lind singled up the middle (5-4), and pinch-runner DeWayne Wise stole second -- those were Bot's first three pitches, by the way.

Aaron Hill singled; the line drive hit off his Bot's right foot and rolled onto the infield grass, but he stayed in the game. (I was hoping an injury (or "injury") would give Daniel Bard, who had been up in the eighth, time to come in and get warm.) Travis Snider struck out, but Edgar Encarnacion doubled down the left field line (5-5). Lyle Overbay was intentionally walked ... and out came Tito.

It was up to Bard, with no margin for error. Fred Lewis lofted a fly ball to center field. Bard instinctively stuck up his finger, as pitchers do on pop-ups, and then it slowly wilted and his arm sank. There was no chance Jacoby Ellsbury could throw Hill out -- and the Toronto's comeback was complete.

Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie pulled off a double steal in the third and both eventually scored. J.D. Drew and David Ortiz hit solo home runs in the fifth. In the eighth, Salty hit his second double of the afternoon and Darnell McDonald followed a triple, his second in two games.

John Lackey / Brad 'N.R.' Mills

Ellsbury, CF
Lowrie, SS
Martinez, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Hall, 2B
Saltalamacchia, C
McDonald, LF

Jarrod Saltalamacchia makes his first start for Boston after five games in Pawtucket and two innings as a sub last night.

Peter Abraham, Globe:

Red Sox fans buried Theo Epstein for standing still at the trade deadline. ...

I was away at the end of last month, but is this true? Buried him? Really? Considering the players coming back from injury need some positions to play, there was very little Epstein could have done. And even for probable helpful hands like Scott Downs, the price was insanely high.

Tonight: Yankees/Royals, 8 PM.

August 12:

1903 - Joe Stanley of the Boston Nationals hits his first major league home run‚ a grand slam off Chicago's Jock Menefee. Stanley will hit his only other home run on September 26, 1905‚ and it will also be a grand slam.

1990 - After a rain delay of 7:12, the White Sox-Rangers game is finally postponed.

1995 - In a 10-10 tie in the 11th inning, the Dodgers have the potential winning run at third and LA's Mitch Webster swings at a pitch in the dirt. Pittsburgh's rookie catcher Angelo Encarnacion scoopes up the ball with his mask. When Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda cites Rule 7.05, which awards a runner two bases if a fielder uses his mask to touch a thrown ball, the umpires allow the winning run to score.