Toronto Star
Jays shelled again
By Allan Ryan
Which pretty much describes Matsuzaka's take last night as he stifled the Jays with seven frames of eight-strikeout, five-hitter in a cakewalk over veteran countryman Tomo Ohka.
At least Ohka, who gave up three runs over his 4 2/3, managed to elude the long ball, which was not the case for relievers Scott Downs (sixth-inning bombs by Julio Lugo and Manny Ramirez) or Josh Towers (eighth- and ninth-inning shots by Dave Ortiz and J.D. Drew).
Japanese talent pool start of trend
By Richard Griffin
The Jays sent Tomo Ohka to the mound, while the swaggering first-place Red Sox countered with their 26-year-old rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka, this year's cult hero and one of the most interesting stories of the current season, notwithstanding Barry Bonds' mixed-bag chase of Henry Aaron.
It was the first all-Japanese pitching pairing in five years, since June 19, 2002, when Ohka squared off against Royals right-hander Mac Suzuki.
Hurlers brush off big night
By Cathal Kelly
Media travelling with Matsuzaka are well trained. They don't violate the privacy of Boston's Japanese star. They wait patiently for the routine of his packed press conferences.
Meanwhile, Toronto's Tomo Ohka was sitting in front of his locker, engrossed in the sports section of Canada's best-selling newspaper.
Toronto Sun
Jays in a black hole
By Ken Fidlin
Over the course of this eight-game slide, the Jays have been outscored 64-27, which translates into an average score of something like 8-3. That just about tells the story of how close -- not very -- the Jays have been to their opponents during the streak. They now have lost five of the eight by six runs or more, and that injury-riddled Toronto team that had been hanging tough through the early part of the season, is now in a perplexing state, indeed.
"You look around the room at all these great hitters and you just wonder how we could be all struggling at the same time," said Lyle Overbay, who may have made a personal breakthrough, even if the team's plight worsened. Overbay belted a pair of solo home runs to give him five for the year and perhaps it is an indication that he is on the back nine of his slow start.
No word of a lie: Ricciardi upbeat
By Steve Buffery
"I won't go home and slit my wrists," Ricciardi said last night. "But, (Tuesday) night, it took me a long time to get to sleep, because you start thinking (about the team). Even when you're sleeping you're mind is thinking all the time: 'What can we do better? What can I do better? How can I help us? What can I do as a general manager to help these guys win?'
"I hate losing. I don't think I've ever been a good loser, from the time I was in Little League. I don't sleep good when we lose. When we lose and we get beat, I can live with that. More than when we cough a game up."
Zambrano on bubble
By Ken Fidlin
The Blue Jays brain trust will decide today or tomorrow on the status of Victor Zambrano's scheduled start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Zambrano was roughed up for the second consecutive start on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox and it's possible the Jays will look to replace him in the rotation.
The likely choice would be Casey Janssen, who has pitched well in middle relief (12 games, 161/3 innings, two earned runs) and is probably ticketed for a regular spot in the starting rotation along with Dustin McGowan next year.
Globe & Mail
Jays plummet to eighth loss in row
By Robert Macleod
The Blue Jays, those who remained behind to talk, anyway, are all still mouthing the same clich
