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Recap: Sox win weird one in Toronto, 3-1

Baseball can be a weird game, and tonight's 3-1 Red Sox win over the Blue Jays was just that. Don't let the low score fool you: The teams combined for 15 walks, added to a combined 13 hits made for a lot of stranded runners. And some pretty bad baseball to watch.

The Sox offense was pedestrian beyond their proficiency for taking pitches. Jonny Gomes was the lone Boston player to have two hits, and while three players doubled, there weren't the home run pyrotechnics we've gotten accustomed to at the Rogers Centre.

Ryan Dempster got the win, spreading four hits and three walks across six innings, yielding just one run. He only struck out four, but he got the job done. The Sox bullpen -- while not perfect -- held the fort to secure the win. David Ross was busy behind the plate, getting hit with balls, once appearing to strain his elbow trying to hold onto a pitch that was way outside, and having to block or retrieve wild pitches from Dempster and a couple of relievers (notably Andrew Miller). In addition to his defensive prowess, Ross walked three times. Good player.

Two big storylines emerged during the game. The first was the growing accusations of Red Sox pitching using some sort of foreign substance. It began earlier today with Blue Jays analyst Dirk Hayhurst noticing a sheen (that he suggested could be Crisco) on Clay Buchholz's left arm, and continued with Jack Morris, also a Toronto commentator, saying the same. Tonight rumors persisted on Twitter that during this game Morris was making the same accusations of Junichi Tazawa on the Blue Jays' broadcast.

Naturally, NESN didn't say anything about that (although Remy was pretty outraged about the Buchholz situation). As an amateur, I thought nothing looked off. The arms of Blue Jays reliever Esmil Rogers looked just as shiny to me, as one example. Also, as the Buchholz rumors developed throughout the day, wouldn't you have to assume you'll be under a microscope today? I have trouble believing Tazawa was up to anything. We'll see.

One thing I'm fairly confident of: Toronto is emerging as this year's enemy for the Sox. We always have the Yankees rivalry, of course, but every year there seems to be one other team that just gets under Boston's skin. I don't know if it's the Farrell stuff, or just the timing of playing them a lot early while they're struggling, but it seems like we've had a lot of drama (and a lot of whining from Toronto). I wouldn't be shocked to see some sort of brawl later in the season if we find accusations build into anything else.

The other big storyline: Joel Hanrahan came on to get the save in a two-run game in the 9th. And it's not that Andrew Bailey has been overused either. All broadcasters appeared confused and as I write this, Tom Caron and Eck don't have answers. I'd imagine we'll have some idea after Farrell's postgame, and maybe some of the beat guys will find out more over night. I was relatively terrified at first, but since it worked out -- Hanrahan gave up a single, but then retired the rest of the Blue Jays hitters -- I'm happy that Farrell took the risk. We need to build up his confidence, and throwing him against a struggling Toronto club was a good way to do that.

Box score

Your Morning Dump...where Salty's error wasn't really an error.

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump. 

“It looked like he got tied up with [home plate umpire] Clint [Fagan] behind the plate,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “He goes to cock his arm, had his hand hits the mask. After conferring with the umpire, he felt like it was after the ball was released. Physically, I don’t know how that could have happened after he released the ball. But in that case, that should have been a dead ball in the situation that it was, but they kept it as it was.”

It was an entanglement Saltalamacchia confirmed after the Red Sox’ 9-7 loss at Rogers Centre.

“I got it, went to go through it, elbow hit the umpire’s mask,” the catcher explained. “Which I’ve done in the past but no one’s ever said anything. But I didn’t really make a stink about it because I didn’t know the ruling on it. But now I know once it hits his mask it’s got to be a dead ball. It definitely, definitely hit. Part of the game.”

As for any subsequent conversations, Saltalamacchia said, “I did talk to him because he had told John that I hit him on the follow thru, which is kind of impossible. But I did tell him that, and he said, ‘Well, I thought you did.’ I told him that ‘when my arm is going back is when I felt it hit you.’ At that point I was already getting ready to go forward so I couldn’t hold up.”

WEEI: Umpire's mask thwarts Salty's attempt at ruining a rally

That was a kick in the pants eh? I don't know what's more surprising: that Salty has never heard of umpire interference before or that home-plate umpire Chuck Fagan didn't acknowledge that the ball smacked his mask. 

But even though the team took a loss, despite the rally led by David Ortiz, the Sox took it in stride and didn't even think about using the umpire interference as an excuse. John Farrell said they lost due to lack of execution and Jon Lester admitted he was struggling from the first pitch on. If this were May 1st, 2012, the Morning Dump would be  about Bobby Valentine getting tossed and then blaming a Sox blowout loss on this call. 

So if anything, this is just a reminder that this year's team is already superior to last year's and it's more than just the record. (Even though having a 18-8 April record is pretty damn good.)

Globe: Sox lose slugfest | Less chirping on Farrell | Hanrahan activated, Bailey still closer | Some odd moments in a loss for the Sox | Herald: Lester loses way against Blue Jays | Bailey, Hanrahan show it's a new year | Salty claims up got in throw's way | Ortiz swinging a hot bat | CSNNE: Bats can't overcome bullpen | This start a different story for Lester | Victorino still out, but hopeful of avoiding DL | Salty's error looms large  WEEI:  Ortiz the difference maker in the AL East? | Victorino's health still up in the air

Recap: Lester struggles in 9-7 loss to Toronto

The Sox' early season success has been a result of -- more than anything -- starting pitching.

Yes, the bullpen is better. The chemistry is great. David Ortiz is hitting like Barry Bonds. And as far as management goes, John Farrell is a slightly better tactician and motivator than Bobby Valentine. Did I say slightly? I meant, the gulf is immeasurable.

But the starting pitching has been excellent. They had that early-season quality start streak, for one thing, but the biggest standout has been the dominance of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. Tonight marks the first hiccup in an otherwise stellar season for either of the top two starters, as Lester gave up five earned runs in six innings. The underlying numbers weren't quite as bad -- he allowed six hits and walked two against five strikeouts -- but the mistakes were poorly timed, especially and inside fastball that Edwin Encarnacion hit to Greenland.

Should we be concerned about Lester? Probably not. As I said, most of the issue was timing -- while he wasn't sharp by any means, he still managed six innings and wasn't a total disaster. This wasn't Alfredo Aceves. Some scribes were fretting about his ERA jumping by a run, but let's be real, Lester's ERA is going to be in the 3s. Anything less is just sample size playing tricks on us. Don't sound the alarm just yet.

The Blue Jays won 9-7, but it shouldn't have even been that close. In the 7th, Toronto brought in some defensive replacements to put the game away. With Ellsbury on 1st and one out, Daniel Nava hit what should have been a picture-perfect double play, but shortstop Munenori Kawasaki threw it wide of second base, and Maicer Izturis didn't exactly put up a great effort to stop it. The ball sailed into right field and Ellsbury took 3rd. The Sox had a window open with the heart of the order and delivered. Pedroia walked, and Papi connected for a monster three-run double, complete with him flexing the guns while looking into the dugout, shades of the old double-point to Pedro and Manny.

And while that was quite fun, the Sox couldn't hold it together. Junichi Tazawa surrendered a two-run homer to Encarnacion -- also crushed to deep-center, although not as highlight-worthy as his first bomb. Joel Hanrahan came on for the bottom of the 8th and gave up a run of his own following two hard-hit singles. His last out was a loud fly ball to center field. Suffice it to say, it's good that Andrew Bailey remains closer.

Some assorted negative points: Will Middlebrooks continues to look completely lost at the plate. His OBP now hovers in the .220 mark, which even Carl Crawford managed to achieve. He went 0-for-4 in the 8 hole, striking out twice. Not to be outdone, Mike Napoli struck out four times. Ouch. And Jarrod Saltalamacchia deserves a few grumblings for his defensive work: With the bases loaded he threw a pick-off attempt to 1st that Mike Napoli was not expecting. The ball flew into right field and two Jays scored.

Let's end on a positive note: A tip of the cap to Farrell, who made a difficult substitution choice that paid off big time. Mike Carp had homered early in the game, but with a lefty on the mound in the 6th Farrell elected to pinch-hit Jonny Gomes in his place. Just as I was thinking to myself "John, you're overthinking things here with this whole platoon situation," Gomes deposited the ball over the fence and I was made to look foolish.

Box score

Your Morning Dump...where Farrell creates a 1-2 punch in Lester and Buchholz

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The Boston Red Sox, now winners of five of their first seven games, are cruising on the shoulders of their top two pitchers: Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.

Is it too early for the Red Sox to give manager John Farrell a raise? Whatever the Sox are paying Farrell, they should double it considering the performances he’s been able to coax out of once-wayward starters Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz this season.

Everyone knew that the redemptive duo of Lester and Buchholz would be the compass for the Red Sox season. Seven games into the season the Sox and their reinvigorated aces are pointing due north.

Buchholz matched Lester’s seven shutout innings on Sunday against Toronto with seven shutout innings of his own, as the resurgent Sox sent the Fenway Faithful home happy with a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the home opener Monday.

Lester and Buchholz have combined to go 4-0, while allowing just three runs in 26 innings. They’ve struck out 25. Their efforts are beyond the best-case scenario for the Sox, who have put the malodorous and odious 2012 season in the rearview mirror with a 5-2 start.

They’re stud pitchers. They’ve always been really good,” said Sox catcher David Ross. “I was excited when I signed here just to be able to catch those guys. They’re front-end starters in the rotation in anybody’s team in the major leagues. It’s nothing that is a shocker to me. They know they’re good. We know they’re good, and I enjoy catching them.”

Globe: Red Sox aces off to a strong start this season

Is the Red Sox dream pitching rotation finally developing in front of our eyes? Is John Farrell the savior? So far in this young season, it looks as if the Red Sox have not one, but TWO aces.

I know it's only been seven games, but Buchholz and Lester look like they've progressed and returned to form. Their pitching lines thus far speak for themselves:

Lester :        (2-0) 12.0 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 13 K's, 1.50 ERA

Buchholz :   (2-0) 14.0 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 12 K's, 0.64 ERA

When Farrell was on the opposing bench managing the Blue Jays, he must have been so giddy to get to Boston to fix these two. Little tweak here, little tweak there and all of a sudden, these two seem to be completely turned around.

From a fan's standpoint, there's nothing more exciting than checking out the pitching matchup for a game and realizing the ace is taking the mound. The Red Sox haven't had that in quite some time.

Now, do they potentially have two? Ask me again in September, but so far so good.

Rest of the links- Globe: No matter what, Red Sox fans always come back | Globe: In pregame ceremony, Red Sox and Jimmy Fund celebrate 60 years together | Globe: The Iglesias dilemmea approaches | Herald: Daniel Nava pulls another surprise with big home run | Herald: John Farrell’s golden touch may be his best hunch | CSNNE.com: Nava steps up in surprising Opening Day start | CSNNE.com: MRI shows no biceps tear for Lackey

Your Morning Dump...where Farrell is set to return to Toronto

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Following a 4-2 loss in New York last night, John Farrell and the Red Sox head up north to Toronto to face the re-tooled Blue Jays. However, Farrell may not have the most enthusastic crowd waiting for his arrival...

Somewhere along the road from Toronto to Boston, John Farrell became a bad guy to Canadians last year.

One critic mentioned this spring that the opinion is more of a Canadian habit than based on anything terrible Farrell did in his exit as Blue Jays manager to become the Red Sox boss.

Canadians don’t like it when anyone leaves Canada. It happens too often and those that stay have a complex about it, according to the one loyalist.

So tonight, when Farrell makes his return to Toronto for the first time after two losing seasons at the helm, he is going to hear, almost certainly, a great deal of booing whenever he pokes his head out of the dugout or goes to the mound to make a pitching change.

Farrell, well used to the topic after a couple of Blue Jays encounters this spring in Florida, at least is not going to be caught by surprise.

“In this case, with how things unfolded, the unique set of circumstances that surround both the change in Toronto and here in Boston, I can fully appreciate that they might have those feelings,” said Farrell. “What might come out of it, we’ll see starting (tonight).”

Herald: John Farrell set for cool Toronto reception

So it's early April (or as the Toronto likes to call it, the baseball season) and the Rogers Centre should be rockin' tonight, as the boo-birds are set to take charge against Farrell.

Blue Jays fans are laughable. They show up in April all pumped up and ready for baseball, but then slim down the second there's a three-game losing streak.

Seriously. My buddies and I went up there in 2011 for a Red Sox vs Blue Jays game and there may have been 15,000 in attendance...and I'm being kind with that number. We were also escorted back to our $16.00 bleacher seats when we tried to get down front to one of the 350 empty field boxes. Makes sense. God forbid it looks like you have a crowd on TV by moving everyone foward, but hey what do I know?

Anyways, what are these fans so angry about? First of all, Farrell was traded from the Blue Jays. Sure he may have asked out, but the Blue Jays front office could have easily turned him down.

Second of all, what in the hell was so great that Farrell did for the Blue Jays organization? Mediocrity? Continuing their trend of being left off the baseball map?

Whatever, boo at Farrell all you want Toronto. Get it out now...have a blast. Might as well, seeing that you'll stop showing up by the end of May. I guarantee you the fans' negative reception is the last concern on the Red Sox or Farrell's mind.

Happy Friday everyone!

Rest of the Links - Globe: Pettitte, Yankees turn back clock | Globe: Pettitte and Rivera: oldies but goodies | Globe: Catcher David Ross always on defensive | Herald: Andy Pettitte, Yankees avoid Red Sox sweep | Herald: Red Sox suffer power shortage at the Stadium | Herald: For one night, the aged Yankees reign | ESPNBoston.com: Takeaways from Bronx: Canada lies in wait | CSNNE.com: Aggressive Victorino may have cost Red Sox win

Your Morning Dump...Where Bard strikes out the side

Matthew West / Boston Herald

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Daniel Bard took to the mound in the season's first spring training game. Did he walk six guys? Did he take out a poor Northeastern player's knee cap with a rouge fastball?

Not quite.

...all eyes focused on Bard again yesterday when he pitched the second inning of an exhibition against Northeastern University at JetBlue Park.

“I feel like I have something to prove,” Bard said. “I think that’s a good thing.”

In that case, this was a positive first step, at least to whatever degree such a conclusion may be drawn from an 18-pitch outing against college kids. Bard gave up a jam-shot single to Huskies center fielder Connor Lyons, then struck out the side, mixing in several sliders with his fastball and throwing 13 strikes, including five swings-and-misses.

“I’m satisfied,” Bard said. “Not perfect, obviously, but it’s a huge step in the right direction.”

After last season, there’s really only one direction for Bard to go.

Herald: All eyes on reliever

We all know sending Bard to the rotation was a collosal mistake last year. The funny part is, the majority of media and fans were concerned about the move right from the start.

Sure, yesterday was against a bunch of college guys. But, this is still a major step forward for Bard. He gave up a cheap single, then recovered and struck out the side. More importantly, he threw 13 of 18 pitches for strikes and commanded his slider effectively.  I also find it interesting that new C David Ross was behind the plate. Ross is renouned for guiding pitchers and calling an effective game, so lets keep an eye on the Ross/Bard relationship throughout spring training.

He will certainly be a project this year. But Farrell, who served as Bard's pitching coach in his rookie year in 2009, is the guy to turn him around.

Rest of the links- Globe: Former BC captain Frates ever courageous | Herald: Offering up a few trades | Herald: John Lackey: Juices flow for elbow test | CSSNE.com: The closer opens for the Red Sox |

Your Morning Dump...where it's Aceves being Aceves

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Aceves, who devoted the 2012 season to showing up one-and-done manager Bobby Valentine, is already disrespecting new manager John Farrell and his coaching staff. During a workout on one of the practice fields behind JetBlue Park yesterday, Aceves was supposed to throw “live batting practice,” except that his tosses were so lifeless that Farrell approached the right-hander to ask if everything was OK.

Aceves eventually applied some giddy-up to his pitches, but only after a discussion in Spanish with new pitching coach Juan Nieves.

Hmm . . . don’t you have to change pitchers after two trips to the mound? Even during live batting practice?

Answer: Yes. The Red Sox need to change pitchers. In this case, they need to change Alfredo Aceves from their problem to somebody else’s, the sooner the better. Until then, it’s hard to buy into the “162 Chances to Restore the Faith” ad campaign the Red Sox are rolling out.

Herald | Despite versatility, it's time for Alfredo Aceves to go

I'm a little torn on Aceves. On the one hand, he is a talented player and he makes very little money. He's an asset. On a team with a questionable level of talent, it's a little hard to justify unloading somebody who is good and has something to offer just to not have to put up with a headache.

On the other hand...we've all seen what can happen when things go south in the clubhouse. Make what you will of last year's off-the-field issues and how much they carried over to the diamond. But no one can say that the off-the-field element improved the on-the-field product. And while we've put up with headaches in the past, it was easier to handle when they came in the form of future Hall of Fame hitting prodigies.

From a timing standpoint, though, this might offer the organization a chance to show the team that they believe in John Farrell, and that distractions won't be tolerated. It's at the very least a conversation that Farrell and Ben Cherington are having.

Let's assume this all blows over and Aceves sticks around (by far the most likely scenario, even though in the media it's being treated like a five-alarm fire). The bullpen does looked pretty stacked, and barring major injury or underperformance issues, there should be an opportunity to trade one of them at some point in the season. Hanrahan, Bailey, Bard, Uehara, Tazawa, and Aceves have all been very productive pitchers in some form or fashion.

Holding on to Aceves now through a relatively minor transgression allows Cherington the opportunity to be flexible and see how the season pans out. If Tazawa and Bailey have injury problems and Bard can't get back to what he was, all of a sudden the bullpen looks a little thinner. Or what if Hanrahan can't handle the transition to the AL East? Or Uehara realizes he's 4,000 years old? The depth Aceves provides -- and not in terms of flexibility between starting and relieving, more in terms of being insurance for what should be a strength of the team -- is an asset.

And if everything is working out by the summer? By all means, ship him out.

Herald | First Will and testament | Ross not sour on Salty | ESPNBoston | Still testing the limits? | Napoli participates in fielding practice | Wakefield to work with Wright | Today's takeaways: So far, so good | Globe | Alfredo Aceves earns a lecture from Red Sox manager John Farrell | Red Sox get creative in the infield | CSNNE | Farrell gets first test from mercurial Aceves | Iglesias focused on improving ... not a roster spot 

Your Morning Dump...where it's semi-officially baseball season

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

With apologies to hockey and basketball, football is behind us, which means we can really focus on baseball season. The local sports media focuses it's coverage about 90% on the Patriots during football season, so knocking that down to whatever-it-is-in-the-offseason allows us a bit more insight into what's happening on the diamond.

Gordon Edes has well timed his "5 Questions" serious, kicking it off today with a question about John Farrell's impact, and he brings up an interesting point:

There may be an element of truth in what Valentine said, that any manager replacing the popular Terry Francona would have encountered resistance from a team still reeling from its collapse the previous September and bombarded by stories questioning its character and commitment, leaving it wary and defensive. But if Valentine had to deal with a perfect storm of dissolution, the circumstances awaiting Farrell may be ideal for a team united in a desire to erase bitter memories. 

Farrell won’t have the trust issues that plagued Valentine, not with his coaches, players or front office. He understands the territory, having been a pitching coach here for four seasons, so he knows how to navigate the minefields into which Valentine often willingly lurched. The fan base appears supportive, although there may be a wait-and-see aspect to how quickly the fans embrace Farrell as a curative. 

It's an interesting thought -- and probably pretty accurate. It's very difficult to imagine this year going worst than last. And 2012 had Bobby V's imprint on it so strongly that I have to think Farrell will be given plenty of leeway with how 2013 unfolds.

I like Farrell, and I think he'll do well here. The biggest issue with Bobby V wasn't in-game strategy or preparation, it was communication. He didn't communicate well with his coaches, who hated him, his players, who mocked him, and the front office, with whom he had several known disagreements, and probably many more behind the scenes. Farrell and Ben Cherington appear -- at least at the outset -- more on the same page about what it takes to win. Now we'll see how long it takes the club to get there.

Herald | Gauging the 2013 Red Sox and fan expectations | Points of interest in Florida 

Image: Sullivan Tire

Your Morning Dump...Where Farrell has immediate influence

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

"Word has gotten around on John Farrell.

Word is, one thing he can cross off his “to-do’’ list as new manager of the Red Sox is devoting much time to earning the respect and loyalty of his players.

Even among the new faces, the ones who weren’t around when he was pitching coach from 2007-10, they understand that when they arrive in Fort Myers a couple of weeks from now, Farrell will be in command and in control.

For a team that had a difficult time dealing with those starting points with Bobby Valentine when he ran his first and only spring training as manager, the fast start should count a great deal.

“The reputation and things we’ve heard . . . hey, I’ve played with all these guys that have had him here, so everything you hear about him is great and everything you guys write about him is great, so I’m excited,” reliever Andrew Miller said last week. “I think the same thing with (new pitching coach) Juan (Nieves) — the reputation is great, and I’m excited to work with him. I hope these are the guys that are here for a long time and I hope that I’m a part of it. It’s a good thing for the organization.”

Herald: John Farrell commands Red Sox’ attention, respect

Is it just me, or is John Farrell being overlooked? Could he be considered the best acquisition of the off season?

At this point a year ago, many were in the mindset that Bobby Valentine would crack the whip and was just what this team needed for an attitude adjustment.

Fast forward through the 93-loss season and Valentine's dodging the media on his bicycle, ripping the Red Sox poster boy in David Ortiz, and prepping for his debut on NBC Sports radio in April.

When Farrell walks into a room, he gets immediate attention. He holds that strong of a precense. He's deep with influential baseball knowledge, he's strict and commanding when he has to be, and he's fantastic with the media; everything you want to head a franchise.

There's no fluff with Farrell. He won't be kissing Dustin Pedroia in the dugout for the camera, he won't be fumbling during press conferences, he won't have "leakage in the 9th".

Farrell is a pure class act with and should have an immediate impact on this Red Sox team.

The Red Sox front office have lusted for Farrell to take the reigns for years. Now in merely two weeks, we finally get to see their love affair come to fruition.

The rest of the links:

Projo: Teams willing to trade veterans often reap the benefits later | CSNNE: Webster thankful for opportunity with Red Sox

Farrell: Daniel Bard's arm slot and power are back

Daniel Bard was a mess last year -- no need to rehash it. So what will happen this year for the former future closer and now complete question mark?

John Farrell and pitching coach Juan Nieves swung through Mississippi on their tour of Red Sox players in the south and had encouraging things to say, according to the Globe.

"He looked very good," said Farrell, who along with pitching coach Juan Nieves watched Bard throw in Mississippi. "His arm slot is back to a normal position. He shows the power he previously as a reliever. His mindset is more clear and his approach is more simplified."

Good to hear...but really, what else is he going to say? "Bard? Oh yeah, kid's crazy. He's done."

Farrell also said Lackey is in "great shape," which is kind of hilarious. I don't expect Lackey to ever be in great shape, but I do think he could be a productive member of the staff this year. This should be basically the first time since joining Boston that he'll be pitching healthy.