Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Romero throws against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning of their American League MLB baseball game in Toronto September 8, 2011.FRED THORNHILL/Reuters
Ricky Romero and J.P. Arencibia have this ritual in which the two Toronto Blue Jay players get together for breakfast on the days that Romero is slated to pitch.
Thursday morning in Toronto, with American League East rival Boston Red Sox on the menu that night for the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, was no different.
And as the two star athletes chowed down, the topic naturally focused on the Red Sox and what the normally proficient Romero could do to prevent Boston from eating his lunch every time the two teams meet.
The table talk was worth it as Romero (14-10) was solid, limiting Boston to three runs off five hits through 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven as Toronto (72-72) rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Red Sox (85-58).
It was a gratifying series for the Blue Jays, who are out of the playoff hunt but rallied to win three of four from the Red Sox to put a bit of a crimp in their hopes of wresting first place in the East from the New York Yankees.
What Boston has done to Romero over the years has been downright nasty and, this season, bordering on embarrassing.
Heading into the game, Romero was 2-6 lifetime against Boston in 11 games, with a 8.08 earned run average, the highest of any opponent Romero has faced.
Boston hitters have owned Romero, teeing off for a collective .357 batting average.
In his two previous starts against Boston this year, both losses, Romero failed to get out of the fifth inning of either, getting lit up for a total of 11 runs off 17 hits.
Boston hit .405 against Romero in those two games and his ERA was an unsightly 11.42.
Against everybody else this year, Romero's ERA is a respectable 2.58.
A savvy hitting team such as the Red Sox have feasted on many a quality pitcher, but this was kind of ridiculous.
Toronto manager John Farrell was asked before the game what gives.
"The thing with Ricky, it will come down to pitching ahead in the count, plain and simple," Farrell said. "His changeup is much like a finishing pitch and what Boston has done a very good job at is laying off it. They don't chase it.
"So I think you'll see his curve ball become a little bit more of a weapon in the mix here. He's got to have something other than his fastball for strikes."
Romero was obviously paying attention in school.
He struck out Dustin Pedroia with a nice curveball in the dirt in the first inning with a Boston runner at third base and then froze Jacoby Ellsbury in his tracks staring at a looping hook for a called third strike that ended the fifth.
IT'S A START
Dustin McGowan's next appearance for the Blue Jays will be a start. Farrell said that the 29-year-old right-hander, who made his first appearance in more than three years in relief last Tuesday, will take the mound on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles.
READ MY LIPS
Home plate umpire Eric Cooper was obviously not going to stand for any shenanigans and he delivered his message early in the first inning to a Boston dugout that was chirping a little too vociferously for his liking. That prompted Boston on-deck batter David Ortiz, always the joker, to place a finger to his lips and shhhsh his teammates.
LIGHTING IT UP
Arencibia helped pave the way for the victory, mashing a three-run homer (his 22nd of the season) in the four-run Toronto second, a blast that struck the facing above the second deck in left field. Edwin Encarnacion (16th) and Eric Thames (10th) also hit homers.