Youkilis' RBI single in 9th lifts Red Sox past Blue Jays 1-0

[April 30, 2008]  BOSTON (AP) -- Kevin Youkilis lined a run-scoring single to center field in the ninth, ending a brilliant pitching duel between Roy Halladay and Jon Lester and giving the Boston Red Sox a 1-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

Halladay (2-4) retired the first two batters in the inning before walking David Ortiz. Manny Ramirez looped a single to center, sending Ortiz to second. Youkilis then hit the ball in front of center fielder Vernon Wells and Ortiz chugged around third.

But instead of a close play at the plate, he scored easily as Wells dropped the ball.

Jonathan Papelbon, who retired the side in the ninth, led the charge from the Red Sox dugout and jumped on Ortiz. Ramirez then leaped into a mass of teammates along the first base line.

A spectacular diving play by second baseman Dustin Pedroia kept Toronto from scoring in the ninth. Papelbon (1-0) struck out the first two batters before Scott Rolen doubled. Wells then ripped a grounder up the middle. Pedroia gloved the ball as he hit the dirt, quickly got up and threw Wells out to keep the game scoreless.

Boston ended a five-game losing streak and a 21-inning scoreless streak.

The hard-luck Halladay (2-4) pitched his fourth straight complete game, but he's lost the last three as Toronto fell to 3-10 in its last 13 games.

Lester allowed one hit in eight innings. The lefty struck out six, recorded 16 outs on grounders and one each on an infield popup to first baseman Youkilis in the fourth and a flyout to right fielder Brandon Moss in the seventh.

Lester matched his career high of eight innings. He allowed just one hit in that game also, a 1-0 win over Kansas City on July 18, 2006.

Boston's only fly ball in the first seven innings was Ramirez's long out to Wells in the fourth. Toronto waited much longer for its only fly to the outfield on Overbay's drive in the seventh.

The start of the game was delayed 15 minutes by rain but it lasted just two hours, 18 minutes.

The Red Sox had two singles through six innings -- a grounder through the middle by Youkilis in the second and a dribbler to the left of the plate by Moss in the fifth. Moss entered the game in right field in the fourth after J.D. Drew suffered tightness in his left thigh running to first base.

Jason Varitek singled with two outs in the eighth before Ramirez and Youkilis got the big hits in the ninth.

The Red Sox had managed just one run on seven hits in its previous two games, both losses despite outstanding pitching by starters Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett.

Mike Lowell played his first game since spraining his left thumb on April 9. He got a big ovation before each at bat but went 0-for-3.

Notes: Tuesday was the 22nd anniversary of the game in which Roger Clemens set the major league record with 20 strikeouts against Seattle. He did it again in 1996 at Detroit. ... Boston OF Jacoby Ellsbury missed the game with a sore groin. ... Armando Benitez plans to throw an extended spring training game Saturday in Dunedin, Fla. Benitez, with 289 saves in 18 seasons, signed a minor league contract with Toronto on March 11 and strained a leg muscle in a minor league game April 12. ... Boston designated for assignment RHP Bryan Corey to make room on the roster for Lowell.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD ULMAN]

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