Doc Duels, And Wins...Toronto 4 Boston 0

The Boston Red Sox offensive show, clearly on display in three games with the pitching poor Texas Rangers, came to an abrupt halt courtesy of Toronto's Roy "Doc" Halladay, who pitched yet another complete game while shutting out Boston by a score of 4-0. It was no contest, although Paul Byrd showed us all that his acquisition was a great accomplishment by the Red Sox front office. He pitched into the 8th inning but was hurt by two Jays' home runs. Byrd will work out just fine for the balance of the season, and maybe more (?). Here's what Tito Francona and Dustin Pedroia had to say about one of the best pitchers in all of baseball...

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"I wish we were on the other end of this, but the pitchers got it, they threw it, they threw it over the plate," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's a fun game to play defense in. I guarantee if you ask our guys, they'll say that, and I know their guys feel that way. They love playing behind Halladay; there's a reason."

"Man, he should make a pitching video," Pedroia said about Halladay. "He's pretty tough. He throws strikes, he's got great stuff. It's tough to get in a rhythm on him because he's creating his own rhythm for himself. We didn't get anything going. We hit some balls good, but not enough to get anything started. He pretty much controlled us the whole night. That's why he's one of the best in the league."

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Pedey had it EXACTLY right...the man is amazing. And yes, we will all enjoy Paul Byrd and his no-nonsense ability to get the ball back from his catcher and put it back in the strike zone, seemingly daring the hitters to swing. Yes, he did give up 10 hits, but against almost any other pitcher, the Sox offense would have scored some runs. It comes down to this...Doc Halladay is Doc Halladay. No ifs, ands or buts, and he won't be messed with.

Today at 1:05pm EDT, Fenway Park will be filled with happy fans ready to enjoy a beautiful summer day and a Red Sox win (I hope). Josh Beckett, our ace, will face Shaun Marcum. Enjoy your Sunday, a great weather day here in the Northeast, with ZERO chances of showers and a 97% chance of a Boston Red Sox victory. If you have the time, just click on the title of this post for more Soxiness. As always, BE WELL. Forever.