Series Recap: Sox @ Toronto

Sox win series, 3-0

GM1: BOS, 9-2
GM2: BOS, 9-3
GM3: BOS, 8-0

STATS: BOS/TOR
RUNS: 26/5
HITS: 38/19
AVG: .333/.196
HRs: 9/3
SP ERA: o.86/13.14

The main thing you can say about Boston's impressive three-game Toronto sweep is that it was an awesome display of both powerful & timely hitting and humiliatingly dominant pitching.

Coming off the series in Minnesota where the lineup struggled to produce runs or compile hits, the Boston batters took advantage of a thin Toronto staff and a struggling Roy Halladay to crank out an average of 8 1/2 runs and 12 1/2 hits per game.

More you say? Eleven times a Sox batter had at least two hits, three batters had 3-hit games, and Tek & Papi each racked up 4-hit nights. Oh yeah, and two guys had a hit in each game (Manny & Lowell), seven different Sox hit home runs, and one guy homered in all three games (that would be Mr. Mike Lowell, Professional Hitter & Fielder.)

Here's a look at the composite box for the series. I'm including the change in batting average for each player from before the series to now, because it's fun to do after a pounding series like this:

• Lugo: 3-15, 2R, 2B, HR (+6 pts)
• Youk: 6-8, 3R, 3RBI, 2-2Bs, HR (+32 pts)
• Papi: 5-12, 2R, 5RBI, 2BBs, 2-2Bs, HR (+12 pts)
• Manny: 4-14, 3R, 3RBI, HR (+5 pts)
• Drew: 2-11, 2R, 3BBs (-9 pts)
• Lowell: 5-13, 2B, BB, 3-HRs (+9 pts)
• Tek: 4-8, 3R, RBI, 2BBs, HR (+22 pts)
• Coco: 2-12, 3R, 2BBs, 2B (-8 pts)
• Pedroia: 4-8, 3R, 3RBI, HR (+28 pts)
• Cora: 2-4, R, 2B (+10 pts)
• Hinske: 0-5, R, BB, 2K (-40 pts)
• WMP: 0-0

As you can see, many players enjoyed anywhere from a small to significant bump in batting averages, while only a couple of slumpers saw theirs drop (in all fairness to Hinske, when you've got just 30 ABs for the season, an 0-4 only appears catastrophic).

Cora remains the team's top hitter at .415 despite his brief layoff, while Lugo (.227) continues to occupy the BA basement. Pedroia is coming on strong, registering four straight multi-hit games before sitting out yesterday, while Coco (8-36, .222 in last 10 games), Lugo (8-47, .170) and Drew (5-35, .143) remain mired in prolonged droughts.

On the lighter side the pitching in Toronto was as it has been all season-nothing short of spectacular. All three Boston starters recorded wins in the series, and neither allowed more than one run in seven innings of work- fucking phenomenal.

As a result, Boston's Fantastic Foursome of Schill, Becks, Dice and Wake became the first rotation in the majors with four starters having at least four victories each, and thanks to a stellar bullpen, the staff has the 3rd best ERA in the majors at 3.17; I repeat, fucking phenomenal.

Here's a quick look at the pitching linescores, and by quick I mean there's not a lot of numbers up there:

• Beckett: 7IP, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 5K, HR, W
• Dice-K: 7IP, 5H, 1ER, 3BB, 8K, HR, W
• Wake: 7IP, 3H, 0R, BB, 5K, W
• Oki: 1IP, 2K
• Donnelly: 1IP, 1K
• Romero: 1.1IP, 2H, K
• Snyder: 1IP, zeroes
• Hansack: 2/3IP, H, R, 3BB, K
• Piniero: 1IP, 3H, 2ER, 2K, HR

Like I said, it was just a total domination on both sides of the field. The Sox hitters bashed the brains out of the sorry Jays hurlers, while the mind-boggling pitching staff (save for sorry-ass Pineiro) used its Jedi mid tricks to turn the Jays bats into vapors right in front of our eyes.

Having dispatched with the team that was supposed to give the Sox a scare in the east this year, Boston heads home for a 10-game stand that begins with new division challenger Baltimore.

All that matters is if the bats stay hot and the pitching remains this steady, by the end of this next series there could be one less challenger left in the East race.

Go Sox!