Blue Jays-Red Sox: Thomas Delivers Again

For the third straight day, the Boston Red Sox couldn't keep up with the Toronto Blue Jays.

For the third straight day, Blue Jays DH Frank Thomas delivered a two-out extra-base hit to stake a dagger into the Red Sox's hearts.

For the third straight day, the Red Sox bullpen couldn't get the big outs.

For the third straight day, the combo of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were shut down.

Add all that together, and for the third straight day, the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

This time, the Red Sox fell 7-4, finishing off a humiliating sweep in Toronto.

In what was supposed to be a premier pitching duo, the two teams' aces, former 20-game winners Roy Halladay of the Jays and Josh Beckett of the Sox, lived up to the billing and hooked up in a close game--a 2-2 affair--until the bottom of the fifth inning.

But with two outs, Beckett--who had just come off the disabled list before the game--lost his control, much like the man he replaced on the roster, Kyle Snyder, a day earlier.

Aaron Hill reached base on a safety, and Beckett proceeded to walk both Alex Rios and Vernon Wells to load the bases, and the right-hander was given the hook.

Reliever Manny Delcarmen came on, and the first pitch he delivered was tagged for a grand slam by Thomas, giving the Blue Jays a 6-2 advantage.

It was the Blue Jay DH's 11th career slam, and the 515th home run of his career.

Thomas had also victimized the right-handed Delcarmen two nights earlier, hitting a two-out, two-run double in the seventh to break a 3-3 tie in Toronto's eventual 6-3 triumph.

And Thomas had also delivered a two-out, two-run homer the previous day to cap off a six-run sixth in the Jays' 10-2 win.

Thomas, who went 4-for-12 with 8 ribbies in the three-game set, is hitting only .238 this season, but--just ask the Red Sox--most of those hits have been timely.

In stark contrast, the Red Sox duo of Ortiz and Ramirez were non-factors, as the pair collected just three hits in 22 at-bats, combined, in the three losses.

And by the time Ortiz got his RBI single--with a runner on third base--in the 8th inning, the Red Sox were already down 7-3. Next up was Ramirez, who hit into an inning-ending double play to end Boston's final threat.

The Red Sox, who are now 3-4, have an off-day Monday before opening a three-game set at Fenway against the Detroit Tigers, who are 0-5 to start the season and could fall to 0-6, pending their outcome against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Sunday Night Baseball.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, at 4-2, deserve full marks for their sweep over the Red Sox, as well as a day off too.

Starting pitchers Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsch, and Halladay all did their jobs and each picked up his first victory of the season. The pitching staff held the Red Sox bats in check. The offense--particularly Thomas--came through with key hits.

Great recipe for winning, and the Blue Jays have now gone 35-23 against the defending World Series champions since 2005.

Toronto will take on the Oakland A's in another three-game series starting Tuesday at Rogers Centre.