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Sox 6, Jays 5 (11)
WP: Papelbon (5-3) LP: League (0-2) SV: Delcarmen (1)
HRs: BOS-Pedroia (14), Crisp (7), Lowrie (2); TOR-Wells (13), Overbay (11)

Summary:
The Red Sox salvaged a series win one day after getting torched in Toronto when Jed Lowrie hit a tie- breaking home run in the top of the 11th inning off Brandon League. The win, combined with the Rays walk-off loss, leaves Boston 4 1/2 games out of first as they head to the Bronx on Tuesday.

#1 Stunner: Lowrie 1-5, 1R, 1BI, GW HR
Hit the game-winning homer, you get the star of the game.

The Biggest Loser: League 1IP, 1H, 1ER, 0BB, 1K, 1HR, 13P
Give up the game-losing homer, you are the biggest loser.

Recap:
A day after getting bludgeoned by the Blue Jays, 11-0, to fall to 3-7 against Toronto this year, the Sox picked themselves off the Rogers Centre carpet and earned a hard fought, come from behind win this afternoon.

And as poorly as they have played against Toronto, and as banged up as they are right now, it’s not a stretch to say this was one of Boston’s biggest wins of the 2008 season.

Too bad they’ve gotta play these Canadian spoil sports seven more times this year.

But at least for one day the Sox can put aside the fact that the Jays have outscored them 66-31 and have hit 1/6th of their homers for the season off Boston pitching and bask in the glow of what manager Terry Francona called “one of the funnest games I’ve been a part of in a long time.”

Although I’m sure Tito would’ve had a different take had Boston blown this game.

It was heading down that path, too, when Daisuke Matsuzaka (6IP, 8H, 5ER, 1BB, 8K, 2HR, 105P) allowed a two run homer to Vernon Wells in the first inning, then couldn’t hold a 4-2 Sox lead as he surrendered a single run in the fourth and then two more in the sixth as Toronto went ahead, 5-4.

But Boston, beseiged by injuries lately with Josh Beckett being forced to skip another start because of tingling in his arm, J.D. Drew nursing a herniated disc and David Aardsma going back on the DL, battled back to tie the game on Coco Crisp’s clutch homer off A.J. Burnett (7IP, 7H, 5ER, 3BB, 7K, 2HR, 109P) in the top of the seventh.

The score remained that way for the next three innings, thanks to some solid relief work by both bullpens, including a brilliant two inning, 16 pitch performance by Jonathan Papelbon, and when Jason Bay made a spectacular leaping catch to rob Alex Rios of extra bases to end the tenth, you got the feeling that Boston was bound to pull this game out.

Turns out in the next inning, they did just that.

After Bay flew out to open the eleventh (I thought for sure he was going to be the homer hero), Lowrie, who continues to ensure Julio Lugo will be riding the pine whenever he returns from the DL, took a 1-1 offering from League and drove it over the wall in right center for the biggest hit of the game, and with Papelbon done for the day, it was up to Manny Delcarmen to close it out.

Gulp.

Although Manny D. allowed a lead off walk to Wells and nearly threw as many pitches to Adam Lind (8) as Paps threw in two innings, he eventually retired the next three Jays to lock up the victory.

So the Sox are suddenly road warriors, having gone 11-5 away from Fenway the last few weeks, and now they will take their road show to the Bronx to begin their final series at the Stadium on Tuesday night. Tim Wakefield will come off the DL that day to start the opener, and Paul Byrd and Jon Lester will follow him.

If Boston can take 2 of 3, they might finally put a nail in New York’s playoff hopes for 2008.

Wouldn’t that be a terrific way for them to close out the old ballyard?

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