Jays Hand BoSox Costly Loss

Rod Beck blew a save on Thursday night his first since coming to the Red Sox.

And that's one too many for him.

"Some people don't expect me to be perfect. I do," he said after allowing three Toronto runs in the ninth inning as the Blue Jays came from behind to beat Boston 7-5.

"Guys battle all day for a lead and it's my job to protect it. I didn't do my job," he said. "Tonight I failed out there."

Homer Bush and Shawn Green singled and scored on Tony Batista's double as Toronto rallied from a 5-4 deficit to stave off elimination. The Blue Jays have a magic number of one, meaning one more loss or Red Sox win will finish them.

The Red Sox have a magic number of six in the AL wild-card race over the Oakland Athletics, who split a doubleheader with the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

Nomar Garciaparra hit a two-run homer, then outran a double-play relay to drive in another run in the seventh inning and give Boston a 5-4 lead. But Beck (0-1), who was a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities since coming to Boston at the trading deadline, came on to start the ninth and couldn't finish the job.

After Batista's double, Brian McRae added an RBI groundout to make it 7-5 and help make a winner of David Wells (15-10). He allowed five runs on 12 hits and a walk in eight innings before Billy Koch pitched the ninth for his 29th save.

"I pitch terrible in this park. The could put a Single-A club out there and they'd hit me," Wells said. "It was music to my ears when Batista hit that ball in the gap."

Garciaparra, who leads the AL with a .357 batting average, went 1-for-5, popping up for the final out. His three RBIs give him 102 for the year and made him the first Boston shortstop with consecutive 100-RBI seasons since Vern Stephens in 1948-50.

Garciaparra's first two RBIs tied the game in the fourth, and his third put Boston ahead in the seventh. But both situations were only temporary.

"A one-run game. That's the life of a reliever," Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said. "He's been pitching outstanding for us. So we just reload and come back tomorrow."

It was tied 4-all in the seventh when Garciaparra came up with the bases loaded and one out.

After working the count full, he hit a line drive to Bush at second base, who dived but couldn't catch it on a fly. Bush tossed it to Batista at shortstop for a force, but Garciaparra barely beat the relay throw to allow Darren Lewis to score.

Boston starter Kent Mercker gave up two runs in the third on a pair of doubles and three consecutive walks.

The Red Sox took a 4-2 lead with a pair of two-run homers in the fourth. Jason Varitek led off with a single to tie it before Garciaparra homered, then Mike Stanley singled and scored on Butch Huskey's homer.

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