Snyder cruises in BoSox victory; Papelbon injures shoulder

BOSTON (AP) -- Even when the Boston Red Sox get good news about their pitching, it's overshadowed by the bad news.

Elias Says

Papelbon Boston beat Toronto 2-1 with Jonathan Papelbon, Craig Breslow and Mike Timlin each recording an out in the ninth inning. The Red Sox won only one other game since 2000 in which three relievers entered the game in the ninth inning and recorded one out apiece to finish off the game. Boston beat Detroit under those conditions on Aug. 27, 2004, with Timlin, Alan Embree and Curtis Leskanic doing the honors. • For more Elias Says, Click here.

On a night when Kyle Snyder (4-3) allowed two hits in seven innings of a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, closer Jonathan Papelbon left with a shoulder injury and starter Curt Schilling was scratched from his next start with a mild strain in his right side.

That came several hours after the Red Sox announced Friday that rookie Jon Lester has a treatable form of lymphoma.

Manager Terry Francona met with his team about an hour before the game to talk about Lester.

"We certainly care a lot about these guys, regardless of how they play or pitch or run or hit, from the first guy on the roster to the last guy," Francona said. "It's very difficult."

Papelbon, going for his 36th save, felt a burning sensation in his shoulder on his 11th pitch and left the game. He thinks it's a strain and he may pitch again in a few days.

"The doctors and the trainers think it's just a fatigue issue," he said. But if his shoulder doesn't get stronger overnight, he could undergo an MRI.

The news that Schilling would miss his scheduled start Monday against the Chicago White Sox was revealed after the game by Francona. He said Schilling felt a strain while warming up in Oakland on Wednesday.

"He showed up [Thursday] very, very stiff," Francona said.

Red Sox starters Tim Wakefield and Matt Clement are on the disabled list and position players David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Wily Mo Pena, Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon and Alex Gonzalez have been sidelined for a while.

Even Snyder felt pain in his back in the fifth but kept pitching and struck out a season-high eight batters, retired the last nine he faced and let only two reach second base.

"He was outstanding," Francona said, "I mean, flat-out outstanding."

Toronto manager John Gibbons agreed.

"We didn't get any big hit," he said. "Snyder shut us down. He got that big ol' breaking ball going."

Boston scored on Mike Lowell's 17th homer and a balk by Ted Lilly (11-12) and has won two straight after a six-game losing streak.

The Blue Jays are 0-5 on their seven-game road trip and fell four games behind second-place Boston in the AL East.

Papelbon left the game with runners at second and third and one out in the ninth after grabbing his shoulder on a pitch that Lyle Overbay fouled off. Craig Breslow then struck out Overbay.

Mike Timlin then allowed an RBI infield single to Alex Rios that put the tying run at third. Bengie Molina, who had been thrown out at third tagging up in the eighth, grounded out to short for the final out, giving Timlin his third save in nine chances.

Boston took a 1-0 lead against on Lowell's homer with one out in the second. On Thursday, Lowell hit a three-run homer in the first in the Red Sox's 6-4 victory.

The Red Sox made it 2-0 in the fifth after Lilly retired the first two batters. Eric Hinske doubled and took third before Gabe Kapler walked. Hinske scored on a balk.

"I didn't think (it was a balk) but I'm going to have a biased opinion," Lilly said. "It's unfortunate that the game ultimately was decided on something like that."<

Snyder's previous career high for strikeouts was six, accomplished four times. The last time was on July 31 against the Indians.

"I am not an overpowering guy," he said. "I don't really consider myself a strikeout pitcher."

On Friday, he walked Overbay in the second, gave up a double to John McDonald and a walked Johnson in the third and allowed a double to Rios in the fifth.

Game notes
Toronto 3B Troy Glaus left the game in the bottom of the fifth with a sinus infection and was replaced by John Hattig. ... The Red Sox played again without DH David Ortiz (resting after being tested for heart palpitations), LF Manny Ramirez (knee) and OF Wily Mo Pena (wrist). ... In rehabilitation assignments for Triple-A Pawtucket against Ottawa, Boston RF Trot Nixon played nine innings as a designated hitter and went 0-for-4, while C Jason Varitek caught five innings and went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in the first inning. Pawtucket won 3-1. Nixon and Varitek are expected to play for Pawtucket again Saturday.