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Aug 23, 2008 5:04 pm US/Eastern
Wells Leads Toronto's Rout Of Lester, Red Sox
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BOSTON (AP) ―
Vernon Wells hit two home runs, Marco Scutaro added a solo shot and the Toronto Blue Jays roughed up Jon Lester in an 11-0 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Wells went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and scored four times to back Jesse Litsch's strong outing. He hit a two-run shot off Lester in the first inning and a solo drive in the fifth for his team-leading 12th homer.
It was Wells' first multihomer game this season and the 17th of his career.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, Wells also made a pair of fine catches, both on drives by Jason Bay. Wells ended the third by racing back to the warning track to make an over-the-shoulder, bobbling catch, then ranged into deep left-center to deny Bay again in the sixth.
Litsch (9-7) pitched six sharp innings to win for the first time since June 26. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out four.
The right-hander was demoted to Triple-A on July 24 and made three minor league starts before returning Aug. 14 and pitching seven shutout innings at Detroit.
Jesse Carlson worked the seventh, Brandon League pitched the eighth and B.J. Ryan closed it out.
Lester (12-5) had won nine of his past 10 decisions and lasted at least seven innings in eight consecutive starts, but he was knocked out after 2 1-3 innings this time -- the shortest start of his career. The lefty matched a career high by allowing seven earned runs. He gave up eight hits, walked two and struck out two.
Leading 2-0 after Wells' first-inning homer, Toronto made it 3-0 on Jose Bautista's sacrifice fly in the second and then chased Lester in a four-run third.
Wells and Adam Lind singled, with both runners advancing on shortstop Alex Cora's throwing error. Rod Barajas hit an RBI grounder before Lyle Overbay and Kevin Mench followed with run-scoring doubles. John McDonald's single ended Lester's day before Scutaro capped the inning with a sacrifice fly off Chris Smith.
The Blue Jays touched up Smith again in the fourth, when Overbay lined a two-run single off the glove of first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Smith was replaced by Mike Timlin after Scutaro and Wells homered in the fifth. It was Timlin's 1,050th appearance, tying Kent Tekulve for seventh place on the career list.
Notes: Boston RHP Josh Beckett (arm numbness) skipped a bullpen session and will not make his next scheduled start, Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Beckett will throw in the bullpen Tuesday and probably won't pitch again until Friday. ... Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, out since Aug. 7 with tightness behind his right shoulder, is expected to come off the DL on Tuesday and start in Beckett's spot. ... Red Sox RF J.D. Drew (back) missed his fifth straight game. ... Toronto demoted struggling RHP Shaun Marcum to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled LHP John Parrish from its top farm club. Parrish will start Thursday at Tampa Bay.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
