Sox-Jays: Byrd Is the Word As Sox Sweep, 7-0

At game-time, you may have thought this was one of those games that was destined to go into the loss column. On the mound for the Blue Jays was perennial Cy Young contender Roy Halladay...toeing the rubber for the Red Sox was 38-year-old Paul Byrd—who hadn’t pitched in a major league game since last September with the Red Sox. Mismatch, right? Yes. Except it was the Toronto Blue Jays that were handed their lunch. After spending the early summer throwing batting practice to his son’s Little League team, Byrd shut down the often-pesky Jays on just three hits over six shutout innings. He walked three and struck out one batter. Amazingly, all three hits against him were to leadoff batters...yet the Jays did not score as they were 0-for-7 with RISP. Afterwards, Byrd said: “I was throwing to a 13 and under team and the Red Sox called and I said, ‘I don’t know how long I’ll take to get ready’. I’m just so excited to be back. I want a Wo...