Red Sox don’t support Jon Lester again, lose 7-1

Apr 27, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher J. Lester (31) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, the Red Sox looked to build on their last two victories over Toronto, facing R.A. Dickey in the last game of this one-series road trip. They hoped to get some runs for Jon Lester who has been one of the least-supported starters in the majors. Instead, they were baffled by Dickey’s 6.1 innings today and lost to the Blue Jays, 7-1.

The game started promisingly enough, with the Red Sox taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI double for Jackie Bradley, Jr. In the bottom of the inning, though, the Jays tied the game on Brett Lawrie‘s home run. In the third, Toronto went ahead to stay on Melky Cabrera‘s RBI double. The game zipped by without either team mounting much of a threat until the top of the seventh. Will Middlebrooks led off with a hit by pitch. With one out, Xander Bogaerts laced a double to the left field corner. Though, he was only at 95 pitches, Dickey was removed for right hander Steve Delabar for the left handed Bradley. Delabar retired Bradley and David Ross on pop-outs to end the best threat of the day for the Red Sox.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Jays tacked on two more runs, the first on back to back doubles by Edwin Encarnacion and Lawrie. A fly ball advanced Lawrie to third, but Lester’s shaky fielding allowed him to score the Jays’ fourth run of the day as he couldn’t get the ball out of his glove to allow Lawrie to score on a softly hit comebacker. Farrell allowed Lester to finish the seventh inning, after a long at-bat to Josh Thole, to end the day with 122 pitches, his season high.

The Sox managed one hit, but no runs in the top of the eighth. Things went really wrong in the bottom of the eighth. The Jays scored three runs on perhaps one hard hit ball: Encarnacion’s booming double which Bradley could not track down in center field. This hit was off Burke Badenhop, who had relieved hard-luck Andrew Miller, who suffered from Ross’ drop of Cabrera’s foul pop. Cabrera then lofted a single to right field. Miller and the Sox were also hurt by Jose Bautista‘s slow grounder that Bogaerts couldn’t handle at short, both of which keyed the three run tack-on inning.

Notes

The Red Sox were without Shane Victorino and David Ortiz in the lineup today. Jonny Gomes started in right field and A.J. Pierzynski was the designated hitter.

Jon Lester has 11 runs of support in his six starts, explaining his 2-4 record despite a 3.10 ERA.

Xander Bogaerts double extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Grady Sizemore is 3 for his last 37 after an 0 for 4 performance today from the second spot in the order. His season average stands at .208.

The Red Sox have their first day off in two weeks tomorrow. They have their first meeting of the season with the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway on Tuesday night at 7:05. It will be ex-Sox lefty Erik Bedard (0-1, 7.45) vs. John Lackey (3-2, 4.22), who hopes to build on his last start, a brilliant eight inning, 11 strikeout performance vs. the Yankees.