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TORONTO -- As written, the Official Rules of Baseball can occasionally be difficult to decipher, the language convoluted and the logic difficult to follow.

This was not one of those times. The rule is 5.09. The relevant subsection is (b). It states:

"The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out when (b) the plate umpire interferes with the catcher's throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pick-off play; runners may not advance."

What does all that have to do with Boston's 9-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays here Tuesday night? Plenty, as it turns out.

Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said that when he cocked his arm to make a bases-loaded throw to first base in the third inning, his elbow struck the mask of plate umpire Clint Fagan. The ball sailed well beyond the reach of Sox first baseman Mike Napoli, two runs scored on the play, and eventually so did a third.

The play did not decide the game. The Sox eventually wiped out that 4-0 deficit and took a 7-6 lead before falling 9-7 to the Blue Jays. But Saltalamacchia admitted afterward that had he known the rule, he wouldn't have let the play go unchallenged.

"My elbow hit the umpire's mask, which I've done in the past, but no one has ever said anything, so I didn't make a stink about it because I didn't really know the ruling on it," Saltalamacchia said. "Now I know, once it hits his mask it's got to be a dead ball.

"It definitely hit, but [that is] part of the game, apparently."

Saltalamacchia said he discussed the play with Fagan after manager John Farrell had gone out to discuss the play in between innings with the umpire. Farrell said he didn't realize immediately what had happened.

"Not immediately at the time," Farrell said. "It was a bang-bang play, a quick reaction play on his part, and then after thinking the direction of the ball, Salty's a little more accurate than that. And that's when, after the inning, I asked [Fagan] what he had on the play, and he said he thought his elbow hit him after [Saltalamacchia] threw the ball and he was recoiling. He didn't see it the way we saw it."

Farrell relayed to Saltalamacchia the umpire's version, that the Sox catcher had hit the mask on his follow through.

"Kind of impossible," Saltalamacchia said. "I tried to tell him that. He said, "Well, I thought you did.' I told him that when my arm is going back I felt it hit you. At that point, I was already getting ready to go forward, and I couldn't hold up."

Saltalamacchia said the same thing has happened in "spring training, big league games. Mainly it's the backpick to first. You jump up real quick. He's trying to see the pitch all the way in, and [the arm] hits his mask. Usually, I'm able to kind of stop. But at that point, I was trying to get the backpick and get an out for Jonny [Lester]."

The umpire didn't say anything immediately after the play, Saltalamacchia said; not that he was obliged to.

"I didn't hear anybody say anything. Like I said, if I had to do it all over again, I definitely would have made a stink about it and got us at least a try at it."

Making it even more aggravating for the Sox catcher, he thought the play had a chance to work, too. Jose Bautista, who was on first base, had taken a big lead.

"He was getting off pretty good," Saltalamacchia said. "He didn't start heading back until I was ready to throw it. So I think we probably had a good shot at him."

Ben Cherington’s job just got more difficult.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins on Tuesday evening agreed to a multiple-player trade that would send star shortstop Jose Reyes and pitcher Josh Johnson to Toronto, sources told ESPN. Also going to Toronto would be pitcher Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck and infielder-outfielder Emilio Bonifacio.

"Just about any (Marlins) player making money is going to Toronto," a source told ESPN.

In return, the payroll-dumping Marlins are receiving Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar, right-hander Henderson Alvarez, catcher Jeff Mathis and prospects Jake Marisnick (OF), Adeiny Hechavarria (SS), Justin Nicolino (LHP) and Anthony DeSclafani (RHP), sources told ESPN.

Put another way, the Jays are giving up virtually no players who projected to impact the 2013 team and are receiving a handful of All-Stars and solid veterans.

Reyes (six years, $106 million) and Buehrle (four years, $58 million) just signed long-term deals with the Marlins last offseason. Buck has one year remaining at $6 million, Johnson has one year at $13.75 million and Bonifacio is eligible for arbitration after making $2.2 million last year.

Major League Baseball will have to examine the amount of money and contracts changing hands before signing off on the deal.

What does it mean for the Red Sox, who as it was faced an uphill climb out of the AL East basement?

“Wasn’t expecting to see that,” their GM Cherington told reporters at an event at UMass Amherst on Tuesday night.

The GM insisted the Jays’ power play would not affect how the Red Sox approach the offseason. They are still without a starting first baseman, have a slot open in the rotation and potentially two outfield spots to fill.

“We have a plan for the offseason and we’ll see how much of it we can execute,” Cherington told reporters. “If (the Jays’ trade) does happen, it’s not going to change what our plan is or our ability to execute that plan.”

That plan has yet to play out, and though we know the team has plenty of cash to spend (thanks to a similar midseason megadeal) and have learned of Boston’s interest in guys like Torii Hunter (who ended up choosing the Tigers) and Mike Napoli, the GM is keeping his hand close to his chest.

Toronto’s cards, meanwhile, are already on the table.

According to projections from Dan Szymborski of the Baseball Think Factory, Toronto’s additions could move the team’s win total from the low 70s in 2012 to the high 80s or mid-90s next season.

Interestingly, an unnamed source told the Boston Globe that the Red Sox were also in trade talks with the Marlins for some of the same players that ended up going to the Blue Jays.

Your turn: Would you have liked to have seen Cherington make a megadeal with the Marlins similar to what the Blue Jays pulled off? Or would that be just getting themselves into a similar mess from which they just recently extricated themselves in the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford (not to mention their $250 million-plus in future contracts)? Vote in the poll above and share your thoughts in the comments section.

The Boston Red Sox have hired John Farrell as their next manager, a source confirmed to ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald on Saturday night.

The sides agreed to a multiyear deal, the source told McDonald.

Farrell, the Red Sox's former pitching coach, had one year remaining on his contract as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

As compensation, the Red Sox will send veteran infielder Mike Aviles to Toronto, a source told ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes. The source also said that the Blue Jays will send a player back to the Red Sox.

Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com first reported the move.

Click HERE to read more.

BALTIMORE -- Bobby Valentine isn't the only manager who might want this season to end as quickly as possible.

John Farrell, the man widely considered to be the favorite to replace Valentine if the Red Sox make a change, keeps having to deal with brushfires in Toronto. Brushfires? If they were happening in Boston, they would probably be termed raging infernos.

First, the Blue Jays were embarrassed by the actions of shortstop Yunel Escobar, who was suspended for three games after taking the field with eyeblack that spelled out a homophobic slur in Spanish. No way that reflects well on the manager.

Then there was this week, when 45-year-old shortstop Omar Vizquel, nearing the end of a splendid career, took some shots at the Jays' clubhouse culture that could be construed as an indictment of Farrell.

According to Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons, Vizquel said the team allowed its young players to repeatedly make the same mistakes without being held accountable.

"It's part of the inexperience," Vizquel said. "If you make mistakes and nobody says anything about it -- they just let it go -- we're going to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We have to stand up and say something right after that mistake happened. We have to talk about it at meetings. We have to address it in a big way in the clubhouse.

"Sometimes you have to punish players because they're making the same mistakes over and over again."

Vizquel never criticized Farrell by name, and cited the team's need for more veteran leadership. But he did admonish the staff.

"I think the coaching staff has a big responsibility to kind of get in there and tie things up a little, have a bit more communication with their players and try to make this thing happen the right way," he said.

"Look, I think a lot of mistakes were let go because it's young guys. You expect mistakes from young guys. It needs to be talked about. It shouldn't just be let go and say, 'Ah, we have another day.' You have to get on it. You have to say, 'I didn't like that play' and let's try and do something different. You have to talk it over and over again and how do you call it, be on top of that."

Farrell did not let Vizquel's remarks go unchallenged. The club held a closed-door meeting Friday, in which Vizquel apologized for his remarks.

Former Blue Jay Gregg Zaun, now a TV analyst, also took a shot recently at the Jays' ways.

"The atmosphere in this clubhouse and in this organization is consequence-free," Zaun said.

Farrell took exception to that notion this week in Baltimore. "Consequences do exist and yet we prefer to keep those in-house," he said.

Farrell said he is "a firm believer that players should have freedom to be themselves within a team environment. By no means should this be misconstrued or confused with, 'It's all about a bunch of individuals.'

"This is a team that guys have the ability to be themselves within the team concept. Once that gets to the point of being a detriment to the team environment, then it's addressed. We outline clearly the expectations that we have as far as professionalism, team play, how we're trying to execute as a team. But to stuff guys in a box and ask them to conform or to be something other than themselves, then I think it's taking away from their natural abilities."

Having to defend himself against such charges, of course, is hardly the ideal way for Farrell to impress a prospective new employer -- not to mention his current bosses.

TORONTO -- Pedro Ciriaco atoned for an earlier misplay with some clutch hitting, lining an RBI double in the ninth that put the Boston Red Sox ahead for good in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. After catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia opened the inning with a double, Jays reliever Steve Delabar retired the next two Sox batters before Ciriaco lined a 2-1 pitch into left field that broke the game's 2-2 deadlock.

It was Ciriaco who was responsible for the tie score thanks to a fifth-inning error at third base. A Rajai Davis grounder handcuffed Ciriaco as Toronto center fielder Anthony Gose advanced from second to third on the play. Gose later scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Adam Lind, which led to another Boston error as Jacoby Ellsbury's off-target throw allowed the other two runners to advance, though the Jays wouldn't score again.

Boston closer Andrew Bailey earned his fourth save of the season by blanking the Jays in the ninth, striking out two in the process.

Cody Ross put the Red Sox on the board in the second inning, lining a 2-1 pitch from Toronto starter Carlos Villanueva over the wall in left-center field. It was Ross' 21st home run of the season, three back of his career high of 24 homers in 2009.

Ross also scored Boston's second run of the game when he took a two-out walk in the fourth and then came around to score after back-to-back singles from James Loney and Saltalamacchia. If the offense wasn't enough, Ross also easily threw out Adam Lind trying to score from second on Yunel Escobar's first-inning single, though this was less a case of Ross making a good throw than it was Lind making an ill-advised attempt at the plate.

It wasn't all good news for Ross, however, as he took a key strikeout in the eighth that stalled a Boston rally. With one out, the Red Sox had loaded the bases on three walks and Ross worked a 3-0 count off of Delabar before eventually doing down swinging. Loney followed with a pop-up to end the threat.

A night after his spectacular diving catch that perhaps saved the game for the Red Sox, Daniel Nava made another impressive play in left field. This time, Nava jumped and took a bumpy landing against the wall to catch a Davis fly ball in the second.

Clay Buchholz allowed one earned run on four hits over seven innings, matching his season high by issuing five walks. While Buchholz was a little on the shaky side and left with a no-decision, the start was still an improvement over his recent form, as he had posted a 5.79 ERA over his last four starts.

The Red Sox will go for the series sweep tomorrow at the Rogers Centre when left-hander Jon Lester takes the mound against Toronto ace Brandon Morrow.

TORONTO -- The Boston Red Sox used some timely hitting and another quality start from Felix Doubront to record a 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday at Rogers Centre.

Boston jumped out to an early lead with four runs in the second inning, all of which were scored with two outs. Rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks continued his hot hitting with an RBI single, Nick Punto followed with an RBI double and Daniel Nava delivered a two-run single that blooped in front of Toronto center fielder Colby Rasmus.

It was yet another instance of the Sox coming up big in important situations. Boston entered the game with an .848 OPS with runners on base, the third-highest total of any team in the majors.

PUNTO POWERS UP: Punto went 3-for-4 in the game, including his first home run of both the season and his tenure with the Red Sox. The occasion was marked by the Boston bench giving Punto the silent treatment before exploding to congratulate the light-hitting infielder on his rare long ball. Punto made his fifth straight start at second base in place of the injured Dustin Pedroia, who is out with a right thumb injury.

DOUBRONT DELIVERS: Doubront matched his season high by throwing 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight Jays batters. It was Doubront's eighth quality start in 11 outings this season, and he improves to 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA over his last six starts.

Doubront allowed solo home runs to Jeff Mathis and Jose Bautista, and he risked further damage on two other occasions. The left-hander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third by inducing a pop-up from Rasmus to end the inning, and after committing an error in the fourth that led to an unearned run, Doubront got a forceout that left two Jays runners stranded.

BLOOPERS: The Red Sox got an unearned score of their own in the fourth. Kevin Youkilis lined a double off the right-field wall and advanced to third on a wild throw from Bautista. Youkilis later came in to score on a double play from Middlebrooks.

Shortstop Mike Aviles appeared to be shaken up after bobbling a ground ball from Edwin Encarnacion in the third that was originally scored as an error on Aviles but changed to an infield single. Aviles received a brief visit from manager Bobby Valentine and trainer Rick Jameyson following the play but remained in the game.

Right fielder Ryan Sweeney made a peculiar error in the eighth inning that led to a Toronto run. Following a single from Brett Lawrie that advanced Encarnacion to second, Sweeney appeared to fake a throw into the infield, but the ball slipped from his grasp and rolled into center field. Sweeney's misplay allowed the Jays to temporarily cut the deficit to two runs.

Then Lawrie committed perhaps the game's worst blunder, getting thrown out trying to steal third by Jarrod Saltalamacchia -- ending the inning and the Jays' rally.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Red Sox have now won 16 of their past 22 games and go for the sweep of their AL East rivals Sunday. Daniel Bard takes the mound for Boston, while the Jays counter with rookie right-hander Drew Hutchison.

TORONTO -- Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia took grounders during batting practice Friday but remained out of the lineup for a fourth straight game.

Pedroia hasn't played since jamming his right thumb in the fifth inning of Monday's win over Detroit after, an injury later diagnosed as a torn muscle.

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine joined provided an optimistic outlook.

"It's the meaty part of the hand, where the ... muscles that control the thumb get bruised by a pitch being thrown inside and the bat vibrating in the hand," Valentine said during his weekly appearance on the Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. "Most of his swelling is down, he's gripping a bat, he played catch [Thursday].

"I don't think the DL is going to be in the cards for him. That being said, he's not ready to play just yet, so we're playing -- as they say -- a man short."

Valentine added that while there is natural concern that Pedroia could get hurt worse when he's able to return, he's not worried about it.

"I think Dustin can go out there and play, and not be affected at all, unless a re-occurrence of the original situation presents itself. That fastball that comes inside that you don't get the head of the bat out and you get your hands out, and it hits close to your hand and you get that vibration, it can be painful."

Nonetheless, Valentine did not offer any specifics in Toronto on when Pedroia might be able to resume hitting. The 2008 AL MVP has had a special brace fitted to his bats, but has been told not to swing until swelling in the thumb subsides.

"We just want to let nature take its time," Valentine said before the Red Sox faced the Blue Jays.

Pedroia took grounders from bench coach Tim Bogar during the first half of batting practice, then walked off the field and returned to the clubhouse.

Valentine had hinted Thursday that Boston would not continue to play short-handed through the weekend, with speculation rife that infielder Pedro Ciriaco would be promoted from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Rookie Will Middlebrooks, who played shortstop in high school, took grounders at short before Thursday's loss to Detroit.

Like Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis was also out of the lineup Friday, a scheduled day off. Valentine said he offered Youkilis the chance to take consecutive days off Sunday and Monday, when Boston does not play, but Youkilis preferred to split up his days of rest.

Youkilis, the subject of trade rumors, is batting .313 (10 for 32) with two homers in nine games since returning from a 22-game absence caused by a sore back.

"He's been great," Valentine said. "Youk's 100 percent and when Youk is 100 percent, he's a really good member of the team. He's playing good defense, running the bases well and having good at bats."

Nick Punto started at second base Friday, with Will Middlebrooks at third and Adrian Gonzalez at first base and Ryan Sweeney in right.

Asked whether Gonzalez, who has started eight of the past 12 games in right, would return to the outfield this weekend, Valentine said "maybe," and denied suggestions Gonzalez is unhappy in right.

"I don't sense that," Valentine said. "There's been no indication of that."

Valentine called the defensive rotation between Gonzalez, Youkilis and Middlebrooks "a workable situation but maybe not long term."

"I think after the off day would be a good time to collect everyone's thoughts on it, or maybe even in the next couple of days," he said. "It just depends on how it affects the guys physically and mentally."

While Pedroia's situation remained murky, there was clearer news for a trio of Red Sox currently on the disabled list:

" Outfielder Cody Ross, out with a fractured left foot, has told Valentine he "feels great." Ross will have his walking boot removed and undergo a physical exam when the Red Sox return home next week, and could be cleared to resume baseball activities or begin a minor league rehab stint.

" Right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka (right elbow) allowed two runs, including a solo homer, in 5 1/3 innings at Pawtucket on Thursday, his second rehab start.

"He's staying there, he's going to throw his bullpen there and throw again (Tuesday)," Valentine said. "The reports were much better. First inning home run, up to 94, sat at 91, had a good changeup. Worked quick with men on base, there were only a couple of men on base."

" Outfielder Darnell McDonald (right oblique) is also at Pawtucket, and will play through the weekend there.

" Also joining the PawSox this weekend is right-hander Mark Prior. The former first-round pick, who last pitched in the majors in 2006, was signed to a minor league deal last month and had been at extended spring training.

Valentine called Prior's advance a "great story."

"He's made constant progress. People have liked his attitude and his throwing ability."

Ian Harrison is a special contributor to ESPNBoston.com.

BOSTON – Injured Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford (left hamstring strain) will meet with team physician Dr. Thomas Gill later Monday and if everything goes well, the left fielder is expected to begin baserunning drills during the club’s current homestand.

“He had a really good day today,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “And it’s not an easy day to have a really good day because we got off the plane [Sunday night] at 11 and with a quick turnaround. He increased the intensity a little bit and changed direction.”

Crawford suffered the injury and was placed on the disabled list on June 18. There’s a chance he could return soon.

“He has to do some more baseball activities, but he has to go full speed on the bases for his own peace of mind,” explained Francona.

“This kid is in great shape. He’ll conquer this easily. We just don’t want to get in his way,” added Francona.

Francona also said that pitcher Clay Buchholz (lower back strain) would not return to the rotation during this homestand.

After the game, Buchholz and Francona said the right-hander will see a back specialist in North Carolina sometime this week.

BOSTON -- Here is today's Red Sox lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Josh Reddick, LF
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
8. J.D. Drew, RF
9. Marco Scutaro, SS
RHP -- John Lackey

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- When the Red Sox hired Curt Young as their newest pitching coach to replace John Farrell, who was named manager of the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason, Young said he would reach out to his predecessor for tips on Boston’s staff.

Farrell said Monday that he had a lengthy conversation with Young about the ins and outs of the Red Sox pitchers. He said that even though he's managing in the AL East, he believes, as does Red Sox manager Terry Francona, that talking with Young is the professional thing to do.

“Most importantly, the players are first and foremost,” Farrell said. “There are a lot of relationships that were built there, and to give some insights into the work routines and personalities that he’ll now deal with was right and just.”

Still, it must be strange giving insight to a competitor.

“If your approach toward the game and your decisions are always made with the player in the forefront, I think you’ll always take the right approach and make the right decision, and that was no different.”

At the same time, Farrell obviously has a good understanding of the Red Sox.

“Yeah, they’re a great organization, a great team, but hopefully there’s some competitive advantage to [knowing them] as well,” he said.

Young had a solid resume with the Oakland A’s, and Farrell said he believes Boston’s new pitching coach will do a solid job.

“Coming into Boston, he’ll do a great job,” Farrell said. “He’s done a great job in Oakland. He’s inheriting a lot of good arms.”

BOSTON -- The Red Sox and Blue Jays get back at it at 1:35 p.m. under cloudy skies as Boston looks for a three-game sweep on getaway day. Here is today’s Sox lineup:

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. David Ortiz, DH
7. Adrian Beltre, 3B
8. Jeremy Hermida, LF
9. Jonathan Van Every, CF
SP -- Tim Wakefield, RHP

The Red Sox issued a weather update indicating the possibility of light rain showers during the morning and early afternoon hours around Fenway Park, but they expect the game to start on time. Gates open at 11:35 p.m.

We’ll be back with more from Terry Francona’s pregame press briefing in a bit.

BOSTON -- Pinch-hitting for Gordon Edes for the next couple days at Fenway. Here is tonight’s Red Sox lineup, which features the return of J.D. Drew (missed last night’s game with vertigo) and Mike Lowell at DH against Toronto lefthander Dana Eveland.

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. J.D. Drew, RF
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Mike Lowell, DH
6. Adrian Beltre, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Bill Hall, LF
9. Darnell McDonald, CF
SP -- Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP

Will check back in a bit after we get an update on Josh Beckett’s ailing back.

BOSTON -- The Red Sox right-fielder had vertigo. The wind was north by northwest. And the birds (Blue Jays) were in town. This wasn’t a ballgame, it was a Hitchcock festival.

But this one, a 7-6 Sox win over Toronto Monday night in Fenway Park, was more slapstick than suspense.

The first two innings took more than an hour to play. Six straight Blue Jays reached base in the top of the second inning against Sox starter John Lackey. The only thing that went right in the inning for Lackey was when the umpires reviewed Alex Gonzalez’s liner off the top of the Monster and decided that it wasn’t a home run, upholding the ruling on the field that the former Sox shortstop had merited a double, no more.

The Sox, who had scored twice in the first inning on a walk, Dustin Pedroia’s double and a two-run single by Victor Martinez, countered by scoring four more runs in the bottom of the second on one hit, an RBI single by David Ortiz. There were six walks in the inning -- three in a row by Jays starter Brandon Morrow -- and a throwing error by second baseman Aaron Hill while he was attempting to complete a double play.

Morrow threw 67 pitches, fewer than half (32) for strikes, and had more walks (6) than outs (5) when Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston finally went to the bullpen.

“Something to be said for patience,’’ Sox manager Terry Francona said. “Morrow was having a tough time commanding. We didn’t go out of the zone and we got some runs. He’s got a tremendous arm. If you leave the zone, it can make for a long night.’’

Lackey, meanwhile, “reeled it back in,’’ in Francona’s words, to survive six innings. He gave up a two-run home run to Jose Bautista in the fifth that made it 7-6, but had matters much more in hand than when he began. Lackey was credited with the win, improving his record to 4-1, when three Sox relievers -- Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon -- took the air out of the night with three hitless, scoreless innings of relief.

“Tonight the boys took care of me, man,’’ said a buoyant Lackey. “It is all about the bullpen and the offense tonight. We won despite me.’’

Lackey said the slow start to the game made little impact.

“I needed ‘em all, man,’’ Lackey said of the seven runs scored by the Sox, the last coming in the third, when a throwing error by Gonzalez led to an unearned run -- his seventh E, to 4 by Scutaro, who also threw one away Monday night.

“No, you’ll never hear me complain about runs. I’ll wait all night as long as they want to hit. That’s definitely a good thing about going third [in the rotation]. I didn’t win a whole lot of these going first [with his former team, the Angels].’’

A few other random observations:

Penmanship

Papelbon racked up his ninth save -- Neftali Feliz of the Rangers and Kevin Gregg of the Jays led the league with nine at the outset of the night -- and had his third straight outing in which he pitched a clean inning. After walking eight batters in his first eight appearances, including three outings in which he walked two batters, Papelbon has walked just one batter in his last seven outings, spanning 6 2/3 innings, while striking out seven.

Bard, meanwhile, has been absolutely dominating in Fenway Park, where opposing hitters are batting just .128 (5 for 39) against him. He also has been tough on lefties everywhere, holding them to a .121 average (4 for 33).

Okajima also has had four straight scoreless appearances in which he has not allowed a base-runner after a rough stretch that inflated his ERA to 7.04 on April 26. It’s still high, but obviously trending in the right direction.

“It’s fun, especially when you see it from the other side,’’ Lackey said of watching the pen do its thing. “It’s different, for sure, now that you’re on the inside, the way their pitches move, the way they go about getting guys out. They’re fun to watch. They have great stuff and really executed pitches tonight. They made it look pretty easy against an offense that’s pretty good.’’

Time to close the polls?

David Ortiz, who moved back into the fifth hole in the lineup Monday night when J.D. Drew was a late scratch, drove in a run with a second-inning single, pulling a 94 mile-an-hour fastball into right field for a line single.

Ortiz now has hits against three straight hard throwers: Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett of the Yankees and Brandon Morrow of the Blue Jays, a persuasive argument that he can still get around on the inside fastball, at least intermittently.

In his last seven games, Ortiz is batting .280 (7 for 25) with 3 home runs, a double and 6 RBIs. He’s still striking out a lot (9 K’s), but that’s to be expected.

The Jays have a lefty starting Tuesday night (Dana Eveland), so Ortiz is likely to yield again to Mike Lowell, but at .185, the Mendoza line is coming within sight. Ortiz has vowed to emerge from his slow start, just as he did last season, and this may be the beginning.

Dizziness drops Drew

J.D. Drew experienced a bout of vertigo just before Monday’s game and was a late scratch from the lineup, leaving the Red Sox without their hottest hitter on the homestand. Drew was batting .500 on the homestand (12 for 24, 9 runs, 5 RBIs) but ceded his position to Jonathan Van Every on Monday night.

He missed a couple of games with vertigo in 2008, and had another bout in Toronto when the Red Sox visited there last month but was able to play. He started feeling better Monday night, manager Terry Francona said, but when he tried moving around midgame he started experiencing symptoms again.

“He looked like me coming off a boat,’’ Francona said.

Drew said he has experienced vertigo, a condition causing dizziness, at various times in his career, but has never had to miss more than a game or two.

No Mac attack

Outfielder Darnell McDonald, an immediate contributor when called up after injuries to Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury, has hit a slide. In his last 10 games, he is batting .162 (6 for 37), with 13 strikeouts.

Cameron began a rehab assignment Monday night in Pawtucket and had a double, walk and run scored in four plate appearances.

BOSTON -- Minutes before the game, the Red Sox announced that right-fielder J.D. Drew had been scratched from the lineup due to vertigo.

Drew had been at his locker about an hour before the game, in uniform, so the onset of vertigo evidently came on late.

Jonathan Van Every was inserted into the lineup in right field and is batting ninth. David Ortiz moved up a spot to the No. 5 hole that had been occupied by Drew, who has been Boston's hottest hitter on the homestand, batting .500 (12 for 24) with 9 runs scored, 5 RBIs, 3 doubles and 4 walks.

The other bit of news here is that Tim Wakefield has been re-inserted into the rotation temporarily. He will start Wednesday here against the Blue Jays, with Josh Beckett pushed back to Friday. The move was made, according to manager Terry Francona, to keep Wakefield stretched out and to give Beckett an extra day (actually two, with Thursday being an off-day before the Sox open a three-game set with the Tigers).

TORONTO -- After calling down to their bullpen 18 times over the past four games, the Red Sox decided they'd better put a call into Pawtucket.

Summoned, therefore, for Tuesday's second round against the Blue Jays was left-hander Fabio Castro, ready to lend an arm on what was to have been his start-day for the PawSox.

"Hopefully, we won't need him desperately, but we really needed to cover ourselves," said manager Terry Francona. "Again, the major reason [why it was Castro] was that it was his day to start and we needed some length. We've been leaning on some guys pretty heavily."

Francona went on to mention Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima and Daniel Bard as three guys he'd like to stay clear of Tuesday.

"It's not a lot of fun saying that before a game starts," Francona said. "But it's fact."

Clearly unavailable Tuesday was Scott Atchison, who took his 6.10 ERA to Triple-A to make room for the 25-year-old Castro.

Boston went to its bullpen five times in Sunday's 7-6, 10-inning loss to Baltimore, then put in another six calls over the four hours-plus it took to subdue the Blue Jays 13-12 in Monday's opener.

Games like that kind of mess up any team's best-laid plans.

"If you're going to guys more than you're supposed to, having them face more hitters than they're supposed to -- well, that's a tough way to go about it," said Francona. "We've gone to guys, but not too much, and we don't plan to. Once you go too far [with someone's overuse], you can't just say 'I'm sorry.' We're trying to be aware of that and not make mistakes."

Boston's bullpen currently leads the American League in innings pitched, with 70.

"I think, with every [team] right now, you're trying to figure out what you have and how to best use it. The quicker we understand where everybody slots in, the better. But now, when you have games like last night, you have to throw that out and they all know that down there [in the pen].

"It goes hand-in-hand with your starting pitching, too," said Francona. "You see a couple of eight-inning starts, you'll see the bullpen better, too."

Castro has made three starts for Pawtucket this season, going 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA but with 13 strikeouts over 10 innings. In 30 major-league games [one start] with the Phillies and Rangers in 2006-07, he's 0-1 and 3.30 for 43.2 innings.

Atchison had got into seven games for Boston, allowing seven earned over 10.1.


Notes:

-- Veteran Tim Wakefield, who will lose his spot in the rotation to Daisuke Matsuzaka on Saturday, will be available out of the pen on Friday but Francona hasn't spoken to him about how he might ideally be used. "I think the best way to go about it is let Wake go have his side [throwing] today -- almost like a normal week with his off-day Thursday. That kind of slots him in where it works."

But he hasn't talked to him yet.

"We're going to try and give him a little room to breathe for a couple of days," Francona said. "We'll try to do what's best."

-- According to Elias, Monday's 13-12 win tied a franchise record for most runs scored in a one-run victory in which the Sox never homered. They did this twice before -- both times by 13-12 scores -- against the St. Louis Browns in 1930 and against the Tigers in 1950.

-- Last time the Sox had as many as Monday's 18 hits -- but no homers -- was July 27, 1999, also in Toronto, when they won 11-9, also on 18 hits.

-- Disabled outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) and Mike Cameron (abdominal strain) are both on the road trip but still some distance from returning. "With Jacoby, he's just trying to increase his intensity every day," said Francona. "Cam's going to hit off a tee [Tuesday] and should be into some light running by the end of the week."

-- Daniel Bard, who struck out the side in Sunday's ninth, then two of his three hitters in Monday's eighth, has 14 strikeouts on the year (12.2 innings) second among AL relievers to Chicago's Matt Thornton's 16.