Projo Sox Blog

BOSTON _ With Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay getting a day off on Sunday, manager Terry Francona looked at the numbers against Toronto ace Roy Halladay and knew who would be Bay's replacement on Sunday.

Rocco Baldelli entered the game with a career .357 average against Halladay with a 5-for-14 performance, including a home run and one RBI in 16 plate appearances. Baldelli added to that success when he absolutely crushed a solo homer off Halladay in the bottom of the second inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead.

"You'd have to ask Rocco, but for whatever reason sometimes guys may see the ball better off certain people," said Francona. "He got a fastball in his first at-bat that he could handle. He's a strong kid."

The shot was the Cumberland native's sixth of the season for the Sox.

"He's a good offensive player," added the manager. "He's exceeded our expectations as far as communicating and being a good teammate. . . When he does feel good, he's a good player. He's a good hitter, a strong kid."

--JOE McDONALD

 Tags  Rocco Baldelli Roy Halladay Terry Francona

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