Sigh of relief

But Foulke wasn't pleased. His nameplate rested on the floor in his locker following the game. Either it fell or it was ripped down. When asked about his eight-batter ninth inning, he said, "Bad pitches, bad location, very disappointing. I let them get back in the ballgame. That's everything you need to know."

Four games into The Season After, reality has begun to sink in for the Red Sox. They might win another world championship, but in the meantime, they need to rediscover pitch location, timing, and confidence.

"Foulkey's going to be fine," asserted Trot Nixon, who homered in the third inning, his first hit of the season. "Bases loaded, two outs. That's not what you want, but that's why we pay him the big bucks. That's why we got him. He got into that, and he got out."

In three appearances totaling three innings this season, Foulke has given up three earned runs on five hits -- including Derek Jeter's walkoff home run Tuesday -- walked one, and hit a batter.

Last night he allowed three straight singles to Corey Koskie, Shea Hillenbrand, and Eric Hinske.

Hinske's hit scored a run, as did Gregg Zaun's ground out to second. bringing the Jays within 6-5. With two outs and Hinske on third, Foulke walked Frank Menechino on five pitches, then hit Reed Johnson with an 0-and-2 pitch. But he got the grounder he needed from Hudson, and the angst was for naught.

"I'll tell you," said bench coach Brad Mills, managing in Terry Francona's absence, "Terry, hurry up."

The good news? Bronson Arroyo, who hadn't pitched since giving up seven runs, six earned, a week ago in Arizona, allowed only three hits in his regular-season debut. The 28-year-old righthander threw 95 pitches, 61 for strikes, walked one, and struck out four, including Koskie to end the sixth. He walked off, his night done, with the Blue Jays 1-5 hitters a combined 0 for 15 against him.

"Bronson, you can't say enough about that outing," Mills said. "He hadn't pitched in [seven days] and he did an outstanding job. He enabled us to get to the bullpen.

"His maturity as a pitcher has come up, his confidence to throw offspeed pitches behind in the count. He's come a long way."