Game time: 7:07 pm EDT

Scheduled starters: Tim Wakefield (16-10, 4.68) v. Dustin McGowan (10-9, 4.01)

The game will be on NESN

Toronto weather: 4 pm observation at CYYZ: Wind out of the southeast at 7 mph, visibility 15 miles, few clouds at 10,000 feet, temperature 66F, DP 43F

Forecast: Clear and cool, with a light wind out of the east to southeast. It'll get into the mid-50s during the game.

Roof forecast: A tough call.... They may close it because it's going to be a bit nippy out tonight.

Can't let the patrons be uncomfortable in the early autumn chill. Close the roof!

Wakes bounces back tonight, whether the roof is open or closed.

Red Sox

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, LF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Eric Hinske, 1B
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Alex Cora, SS
9. Kevin Cash, C

SP - Tim Wakefield

Blue Jays

1. Vernon Wells, CF
2. Matt Stairs, 1B
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Frank Thomas, DH
5. Aaron Hill, 2B
6. Gregg Zaun, C
7. Adam Lind, LF
8. Russ Adams, 3B
9. John McDonald, SS

SP - Dustin McGowan

Sigh....oh, Tito.

Interesting that Cash is playing. I thought that I read Mirabelli would be back by tonight. No?

Did you really think we were going to get away with a week without an AC sighting? Ha!

We've got to keep Lugo over 120 pounds, dummy!

Tonight's gonna be a big test in my eyes if Wake has his shit together or not. We really need a W after the tough weekend, and with Lester going tomorrow (Jays crush lefties.)

Not the start we were looking for.

Looks like the roof is open. It was 54F at 7 pm...

Wake looks done. Wow.

1-2-3 that inning.

Hopefully, Wake has settled down. Although, getting two runs out of this lineup will be like getting Rosanne Barr into a size zero.

Doesn't look good so far. Lifeless grounders. McGowan is on. Oh well. Tomorrow doesn't look that good either does it?

At least Wake has settled down.

Woohoo we got a hit!

The wheels are coming off for Dustin McGowan.

He's going to look like the San Diego Chargers before this inning is over.

Hey, ****nut, at neast Lugo works the count. I think.

Anyone else's NESN coming in real shitty?

EDIT: Verified.

Lugo: 3.84 P/PA, T-34th/83 in AL
The Smartest Player in Baseball: 3.51 P/PA, would be 71st/84

Cora should probably kill himself. He provides absolutely nothing offensively.

Can we score 3 - 5 runs with this lineup? Cash makes Mirabelli look like Jim Rice!

I'm sure they'll get back into this game somehow, but damn this offense is really frustrating to watch w/o Manny and even Youk in it

It's frustrating to watch without Julio Lugo, and he's the third worst everyday hitter in the league.

This is rather pathetic.

This might be considered as over-reacting based on the weekend series and tonight, but this team does not look like it's ready to battle in the final 2 weeks to maintain its division lead. Watching them coast like this knowing that the WC is there is too frustrating.

I'd actually rather watch the Skins/Eagles game than this, and that is saying a lot

The Cora infatuation has been really glossed over in the media...Tito really needs to be held accountable for this. There's no way to quantify what this has cost us, but his odd rest patterns have produced some brutal offensive stinkers. Theo really needs to intervene here.

Wouldnt it be fantastic if we could pitch Beckett every day

That's it, I'm out guys.

Have a good night

Ballgame. If Tito wastes Buchholz in a game we're now gonna lose, I have a couple of lamps in serious peril.

My wife just walked in from work, looked at the score, looked at Wakefield, and asked how much longer was he going to stay in there. Gotta love that kind of woman that notices the Sox when she first walks in.

Can this team show some sack? I mean, come one. Show up for once.

There's no way this offense scores three, nevermind four more runs. 3-1/2 it is. At least it's a quick game.

Now, can the offense show just a little bit of FIGHT?

I can't wait for Crisp to be gone for Ellsbury. That is one hole in this anemic lineup that will be fixed. Hopefully, the Red Sox will find a new home for Julio Lugo and plant Lowrie at the postion. It would be great if we could get A-Rod but more likly, we sign Lowell and replace Manny after next year with Miguel Cabrera. I still have faith in JD Drew next year.

Is it just me or are others worried about 1st place lead?

LETS GO OREOS!

How does Farrell not tell Wake to pitch around Thomas? How? The guy just owns him.

I think they should be worried about the WC looking at this effort.

Not just you....this team is laying in the fetal position tonight. We're in deep shit.

I think we're more worried about it than Francona judging by the lineup.

It would be nice if the offense could pretend that they wanted to win this game. This is bullshit.

Wow, that was an awful at bat by Ortiz.

Forget Cy Young, Beckett deserves MVP consideration for holding this staff together with Dice K imploding...continously, Wakefield becoming bad Wake again, and Schilling pitching solidly but not winning much the last month. This team will win the division, but does anyone feel super confident, despite ending up with the best record likely, that this team will turn it up another gear in October? I hope so, but this team certainly hasn't displayed the killer instinct at all that good teams usually do.

I know exactly what it's cost us - 3.4 runs below replacement, and thats including his scorching start through mid-May.

The man is an awful, awful baseball player.

If we do, we better send him down to the (fat) farm, pronto, by that point.

Oh yes, this team is poised for a DEEEP run, what with this kick ass lineup. I mean, we got 2 hits through 7 innings off the immortal Chad McGowan. Indians? Yankees? No problem.

Folks, this ballclub just ain't that good right now, and unless it turns around quickly, we're going nowhere. We'll get the wildcard, but...

Tito's 2007 Red Sox MVP Ballot:

1) Lowell
2) Beckett
3) Ortiz
4) Cora

Winning the division means something to me. I think it means something to all Sox fans. It's been a long time.

However, do the Sox feel that way? It seems at times that Francona doesn't value the division title.

It bothers me that we play tonights game with this awful lineup.

We just need Manny back, I hope his back is fine, because if hes not back by Wednesday I will seriously start to question him, I am already wondering what his deal is.

I meant more in terms of wins and losses--specific games we lost. But yeah, he's been a AAA player since late May.

Are you sure the WC is there? Detroit is pretty hot now.

Hmm, if these scores hold up tonight, our 1st place lead will be the smallest it's been since May 1.

I always felt that one of the huge benefits of having the big lead was that we could rest regulars throughout the summer. Meanwhile, Torre would have to run his guys into the ground in an effort to catch up.

The fact that the Yankees got healthy, and stayed healthy is a big reason they are back in this game. Meanwhile, Papi never got fully healthy, Ramirez back was hurt, and Youkilis and Tek have been struggling in the last few weeks.

I would have thought Cora was AT LEAST 3rd.

Of course Francona wants to win the Division. Right now, we would have our choice of playoff formats as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs, including the World Series courtesy of the All Star Game victory. Home field advantage is not insurmountable, but it helps, especially in the WS.

So, with that at stake, Youkilis and Ramirez still can't go, so we have to throw Hinske out there. In the same game, Wake pitches, so Kevin Cash and his .120 average is in the lineup. And with those two in there, that's the night Tito decides to rest Lugo and go with Cora.

I don't have an explanation except that Francona has been doing this kind of thing all year.

Hah! The guy who gets the first hit in an hour is CORA.

Man this team sucks right now. Depressing.

If the Sox lose the division and flame out in the ALDS, I would think Tito would lose his job.

This team has left the door ajar dozens of times since June. Poor hitting in June/July, the Gagne implosions, and losing 5 of 6 against the Yanks. They have zero killer instinct and if they blow this they deserve it. Tito has to be accountable for that; it's his ship.