TORONTO – Roy Halladay allowed just six hits to win for the first time since June 7 and Rod Barajas drove in three runs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays past the Boston Red Sox, 3-1, in the American League on Sunday.
Halladay (11-3) could be the biggest prize available before the July 31 trade deadline. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said this month he would field offers for the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner, who is signed through 2010.
Barajas put the Blue Jays in front with a two-out, two-run double in the second off left-hander Jon Lester (8-7).
At New York, Joba Chamberlain won for the first time in almost a month as New York got home runs from Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez in a 2-1 victory over Detroit that completed a three-game sweep of the AL Central leaders.
Chamberlain (5-2) rebounded from two ineffective starts and New York edged punchless Detroit, 2-1, for the second consecutive day. Chamberlain allowed three hits over 6 2-3 innings in his longest effort since he tossed eight innings in New York’s, 5-2, victory at Cleveland on June 1.
It was the right-hander’s first victory since June 24 at Atlanta. Mariano Rivera finished for his 26th save in 27 opportunities and third of the series. It was the first time since September that Rivera saved three games in three days. At Cleveland, Ichiro Suzuki had three hits, scored twice and made a game-saving catch to help Seattle beat Cleveland, 5-3. (AP)