The last time Roy Halladay squared off against the Red Sox at SkyDome was unforgettable. Doc was cuffed around for six runs in three innings, surrendering five doubles in the third. Thank goodness, the opposing pitcher was Tim Wakefield. The Jays rallied for two in the bottom of the third, and knocked out the knuckleballer with four in the fourth to tie the game. It was the Sunday afternoon that Manny Ramirez put on a clinic, with several fine examples of how not to play left field. The Jays rolled to an 11-7 lead, only to have Cliff Politte flirt with disaster in the ninth. The final was 11-8, in the most exciting game I've seen all year.
Halladay had two earlier no-decisions against the Red Sox, and sports an unflattering 6.75 ERA facing that awesome lineup this season. The slumping (overdue?) Nomar and the red-hot Trot Nixon have given him the most trouble over the years. Wakefield did beat the Jays at home in April, so he has a 6.55 ERA against them this year. Catalanotto, Delgado and Myers have hit him particularly well. Don't expect a pitcher's duel, but even if it's another high-scoring affair, you have to give the edge to the guy who's 12-0 in his last 15 starts and hasn't lost since April 15.
The "dirty dozen" begins tonight, and we can only hope the Jays fare better than they did in the "terrible twenty" to begin the season. Carlos Tosca is at least one man short -- Mike Bordick is on bereavement leave to be with his family while his son has surgery -- and it remains to be seen if Orlando Hudson and Carlos Delgado are 100% healthy. This is one night I won't complain if Josh Phelps is on the bench; Reed Johnson's glove could be an asset, and Cat has a much better chance to do some damage at DH against the flutterings of Wakefield.
If there's ever a good time to face the BoSox, this could be it. They are in the middle of a gruelling 13-game road trip, no doubt disappointed not to have gained any ground on the Yankees after mauling them in the first two games of their series, and coming off two games in which they managed a total of just seven hits. Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina shut them down with masterful starts, so maybe Doc can continue the trend. I can hardly wait...
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