Sox blank Jays, 1-0

MLB. The cool, misty conditions at Fenway Park turned into the perfect backdrop for an epic mound showdown between the Sox and Blue Jays.

Young lefty Jon Lester and Toronto ace Roy Halladay engaged in a quick-moving pitcher’s duel long on ground ball outs and short on offensive fireworks, but the Sox finally scratched for a run in the bottom of the ninth to take the 1-0 thriller at the Fens.

David Ortiz started the rally off with a key two-out walk against Halladay. Manny Ramirez followed with a looping single to center field and Kevin Youkilis sent the home fans home happy when he clinched it with a single up the middle that scored a hustling Ortiz from second.

The start was a bounding leap in the right direction for the 24-year-old Lester, after previously struggling to get through the opposing batters during the second and third time through the order.

Entering last night, Lester had actually limited hitters to a .261 batting average and surrendered four earned runs in his first trip through a lineup, but the numbers ballooned to a .316 batting average and 15 earned runs in successive trips through an opposing lineup.

The Sox hurler seemed to change his pitching patterns last night, however, as he liberally mixed in his change up in the latter innings and utilized a sinking two-seam fastball to pile up groundball outs. Lester finished his encouraging evening after a career-high eight innings and allowed only a single hit, four walks while registering a season-high six strikeouts. Jonathan Papelbon earned the victory after pitching a scoreless ninth to set up the comeback win.

Halladay was equally masterful for the Jays and recorded only five fly ball outs to go along with six strikeouts and 14 ground ball outs, but couldn’t hold back the Sox offense in the ninth.