Red Sox lulled by Lilly

TORONTO -- The powerful Red Sox offense, which last week had the Nation checking Yankee box scores for the first time in weeks, was rendered all but powerless last night by the artistry of Blue Jays lefthander Ted Lilly.

"He was great tonight," said an admiring Pedro Martinez. "He was Lilly Picasso."

Painting corners with a palette full of fastballs and breaking pitches, the 28-year-old Lilly fanned a career-high 13 (two shy of the most against the Sox this season), and notched a streamlined 3-0 win before a crowd of 27,145 at SkyDome.

The loss ended Boston's winning streak at six, and left the hordes of Sox fans who made the trip here from New England wondering whether the players had tossed their red-hot hitting shoes into the cool waters of Lake Ontario.

"He hit the perfect spot every time," said Sox center fielder Johnny Damon, who fanned only once -- somewhat of a badge of honor on a night when five Bostonians each fanned twice and the team cobbled together only three hits. "He had very good stuff tonight, and that's the way you have to pitch to beat us right now."

Lilly set a Blue Jays record when he fanned six batters in succession across the first, second, and third innings. David Oritz, Kevin Millar, Doug Mirabelli, Bill Mueller, Gabe Kapler and Mark Bellhorn -- hitters 4 through 9 -- now fill out that small chapter of history in the Toronto media guide.

The loss also dropped the Sox back to 6 1/2 games behind the Bronx Bombers (winners over the Indians) in the AL East and ratcheted down the race for the wild card with Oakland, Texas, and Anaheim. Otherwise, it was a delightful night here in southern Ontario, where the game-time temperature was 73 and light wind (17 m.p.h.) filtered into the open Dome from the north with just a hint of autumn's embrace.

"I'll tell you what," said Sox manager Terry Francona, whose charges didn't check into their hotel until nearly 3 a.m. yesterday following a late-night sweep against the White Sox. "That might have been the best game pitched against us this year."

Meanwhile, Martinez, with only one loss since May 16, had a fine night, too, one that might have been different had he not made a couple of costly mistakes in the first. He left an 0-and-1 fastball up high that leadoff hitter Reed Johnson crushed for a homer. Two pitches, and down, 1-0. Orlando Hudson then followed with a triple and came home with the 2-0 advantage when Vernon Wells launched a sacrifice fly to right.

Before exiting after the seventh, Martinez set down the final 14 Jays he faced, following Eric Hinske's run-scoring single in the third. The early trouble, he said, came from feeling "too strong" and being unable to find his usual release point. Otherwise, it was a decent night, but not quite in the Lillysphere.

"He was responsible for everything that happened in the game today," lauded Martinez. "He pitched great. He was fun to watch.

"You have to pitch like that, not only to beat me, but to beat a team like ours. The way we are playing, believe me, you have to be on your game."

Lilly had some nifty defensive help, too, including a gorgeous pick by third baseman Hinske off a Manny Ramirez hot-shot grounder in the fifth. For the most part, though, his success was rooted in one perfect offering after another, and he constantly kept the Sox hitters off balance.

"I thought we'd be able to scratch and claw and get some runs," lamented Damon. "But he was on, and you have to tip your hat to him. He made a few mistakes, but we missed 'em. Ted Lilly was pretty special tonight."

The Sox didn't have their No. 1 catcher, Jason Varitek, in the lineup. He moved to the sidelines, opting not to appeal the four-game suspension he incurred for a July 24 fight with Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. Mirabelli moved in for a rare start with a pitcher other than knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.

"We came up against a guy who definitely had his A game," said Mirabelli. "I've seen him throw a lot over the years, and that's the best I've seen him throw. It could be the top game we've seen all year against us -- definitely in the top three."

Martinez, touched for only four hits, fanned 10 -- the 98th time he has reached double figures, which moves him ahead of the legendary Sandy Koufax for fourth all time on the 10-plus list.

"Seven innings, three runs, four hits," said Francona, summing up Martinez's performance. "He was dominating when he left [the game]. But the way Lilly pitched, that changed things around. Normally, with those numbers, we're here talking about what a great game [Martinez] had."