Colon returns with a flourish

Bartolo Colon might not have the reflexes of a dancer, but at least he knows his limitations. Even Colon chuckled at his backhanded grab of a bouncer to the mound by Alex Rios in the fifth inning of the Red Sox' 7-5 victory in the nightcap of the doubleheader against the Blue Jays. With his back to the plate, he somehow found the ball in his glove, and tossed it to first for the out.

No problem.

"I didn't even see it," said catcher Kevin Cash. "I was looking up like it was a popup or something. Me and the umpire both, we didn't know where the ball went, cause it was meant to be a high fastball. Rios got on top of it. That was pretty impressive."

More impressive was Colon's ability to come back from a tough second inning, and give the team six innings. With Chris Smith warming in the bullpen, Colon faced nine batters in the second, allowing five runs. Only two were earned, however, after Jed Lowrie made an error to allow Gregg Zaun to reach, loading the bases.

But Colon eventually got out of it, and kept the Sox in the game long enough to make a comeback. The pitcher was making his return to Fenway Park last night having sat out nearly three months after injuring his back on a swing June 16 against Philadelphia.

"Located his two-seam fastball," Cash said. "Throwing in to lefties, and backdooring it to righthanders. That's why he got so many groundball outs. I was really impressed with the life on his fastball. When he threw his four-seamer it was like he was throwing through me, and his sinker had really good movement downhill."

Tracked down
Perhaps Lowrie needs a session in the weight room. He belted two long outs in the second game that just missed being home runs, one caught at the bullpen wall, one on the edge of the warning track. But Lowrie did line the tying single into right field in the eighth inning, scoring Jason Bay. And it was all the more impressive given that error in the second. "Then he played his [butt] off," manager Terry Francona said. "That was good to see. That's a critical play early in the game, and it kind of opened up a chance for a big inning. Then he took two swings, drove two balls to right, got nothing for it. Then with a runner on second, hitting righthanded, he drives the ball to right-center. That was a beautiful at-bat." . . . With his 115th appearance with the Red Sox - which actually occurred Aug. 20 - Hideki Okajima's option vested for the 2009 season. Okajima was signed to a $2.5 million, two-year contract with a team option for 2009. But if he pitched in 115 games in 2007 and 2008, his $1.75 million option vested for next season. Okajima is now at 123 games. Okajima is 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA this season, pitching 56 1/3 innings in 57 games.

Cheering section
Marie Kottaras was walking through the furniture section of a Sears in Toronto yesterday when she caught a glimpse of the Red Sox game on one of the televisions. It was at that moment that she saw her son, George, walking up to the plate. "They were there for an hour and a half watching the game," George said. "They said they were sitting on the recliners." Kottaras wasn't quite sure if his mother bought the couch she was shopping for, but that probably wasn't her focus by the time she got up from her seat. Her son, after all, had just made his major league debut. Kottaras, who took over for Jason Varitek behind the plate in the seventh inning, went 0 for 2 with a run in the Red Sox' 8-1 loss. He struck out in his first at-bat but reached first on a wild pitch. There were a few jitters in the on-deck circle, but then it was just like it's always been for him. "They said, 'You're in the game,' " Kottaras said. "I'm like, 'OK,' threw my stuff on, ran in there. I didn't really have a chance to get nervous. I was just thrown right into the fire. Had a blast."

Drew stays on deck
J.D. Drew is expected to rejoin the team in St. Petersburg, Fla., tomorrow though it's almost certain he will not be in the lineup because of the injection he received Friday, his time away from the team, and Scott Kazmir's spot as Rays starter . . . Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 46th and 47th bases in the first game - catcher Rod Barajas not attempting to throw him out either time - which left him third-best in Sox history. Tris Speaker stole 52 in 1912. Tommy Harper holds the team mark with 54 in 1973. Ellsbury's 47 steals are the most for an American League rookie since Ichiro Suzuki had 56 in 2001 . . . Cash made his major league debut at third base in the opener, his 180th game in the majors. Cash, who hit for Dustin Pedroia in the seventh, played third in college before transitioning to catcher as a pro. Cash, who played third for Pawtucket last season, did not get any fielding chances . . . Julio Lugo took ground balls at shortstop and worked on sprints in the outfield between games . . . Devern Hansack pitched three perfect innings in Game 1, striking out three. "I thought he pitched very well," Francona said. "He used all his pitches. That was a bright spot today, watching him pitch." . . . Coco Crisp's 12-game hitting streak ended in Game 1 . . . Bay snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a single in the fourth in Game 2. He ended his evening with three hits, the third time he's had three in a game with the Sox . . . Jonathan Papelbon recorded the save in the second game, his 37th, tying his season-high total of 2007 . . . It was the Sox' 33d come-from-behind win this season, and their 20th win in their last at-bat, tied with the Angels for the most in the American League.