Lind hits 3 homers as Blue Jays beat Bosox

The Boston Red Sox had a chance to clinch the American League wild card in front of their rabid fans, but for the second straight night the Toronto Blue Jays rained on their parade.

Adam Lind hit three home runs and Kevin Millar homered, doubled and singled in Toronto's 8-7 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

It wasn't until hours later that Boston learned it had clinched the American League wild card because the Texas Rangers lost 5-2 to the Los Angeles Angels.

Despite five consecutive losses and seven in their last nine games, the Red Sox (91-66) lead Texas by six games with five games remaining for both ballclubs.

"I feel like we have kind of been close for a while now," said Red Sox left-fielder Jason Bay, a native of Trail, B.C., prior to Texas losing to Los Angeles.

"Nothing is set in stone and you don't want to take it for granted. You never know how these things will go and any chance you get to act like a kid, I guess a lot of guys in here will take that."

The Red Sox nearly pulled off an improbable comeback, rallying for five runs in the eighth inning — three of them on J.D. Drew's home run to centre field off reliever Shawn Camp.

But Camp was replaced by Jason Frasor, who retired Casey Kotchman on a popout to end the eighth and struck out Kevin Youkilis looking on a 3-2 pitch with two runners aboard in the ninth for his 11th save this season.

"As Frasor has done all year, he did a good job and closed it out," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said.

"I had that [optimistic] feeling," Red Sox manager Terry Francona explained. "We have had games where we won like that — just try to get the tying run to the plate and give yourself a chance."

Lind cranked a pair of mammoth home runs off Boston starter Clay Buccholz in the first and fifth innings and struck the Pesky Pole in right field for a third home run off reliever Takashi Saito in the seventh.  

"I hit three home runs once in high school, so I guess I have been there once before," Lind said. "But to do it here at Fenway Park is pretty special."

Lind had a chance in the ninth inning to equal Carlos Delgado's franchise record of four home runs, but he was plunked on the right elbow by Red Sox reliever Jonathan Papelbon. 

"I cannot really move my arm too much from my elbow down," Lind said. "A lot of throbbing [and] aching."

Papelbon swiftly apologized to the sore-armed slugger. 

"He was trying to just hit his spot," Lind said, noting the X-rays were negative.

"He is one of the best in the game. I was going to go out there and try to put the head of the bat on the ball."

Lind supplanted Frank Thomas as the last Blue Jay to hit three home runs in a game (2007) and the last opponent to accomplish the feat at Fenway Park (1996).

'It is crazy'

Lind increased his season total to 35 home runs, one fewer than teammate Aaron Hill.

Hill and Jose Bautista — on the first pitch of the game — homered for the second time in as many nights and rookie Travis Snider had the other runs batted in as the Blue Jays (74-84) extended their winning streak to five games.

Toronto took the series opener 11-5 in a seven-inning, rain-shortened affair that featured home runs from Hill, Bautista and Rod Barajas.

"We tried, but it didn't work out," Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz said. "It is crazy.

"These guys, they came out and they have been hitting the [heck] out of the ball the last two days. Not much you can do about it."

'It is pretty special'

Toronto starter Ricky Romero firmed up his resume as a legitimate candidate for AL rookie of the year, pitching five innings for the win. 

Romero (13-9) limited the Red Sox to two runs on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts, and handed a 7-2 lead over to the bullpen.

"I know they were one game away from clinching, but we wanted to go out there and battle those guys," he said. "Obviously, you don't want to be the guys that they do it off of.

"You take a lot pride in that. It is pretty special for us to be able to take the first two games."

Buchholz (7-4), the subject of trade rumours involving Roy Halladay earlier this season, was tagged with the loss.

Buchholz was charged with seven runs and eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts in five innings pitched.

"The stuff was there and I felt like the velocity was good," he said. "Whenever they got a pitch up in the zone, they hit it."

"He was pitching up in the zone today," Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez noted. "Everything he threw was like middle [and] up.

"They have a lot of good hitters. They didn't miss at all."