BoSox Fly By Blue Jays

Pete Schourek wasn't intimidated about facing the Blue Jays in the homer-friendly SkyDome.

Schourek allowed four hits in eight innings and kept Toronto in the park for the first time at home this season as the Boston Red Sox won their sixth straight, 8-1 on Monday night.

Toronto had been averaging seven runs per game at home and homered in a club-record 21 straight games.

"We knew the stats," said Schourek who allowed only one unearned run. "I was a tad worried, but I have confidence in my ability."

After Marty Cordova singled to left in the fourth inning, Schourek (2-3) retired the final 13 batters he faced.

Schourek, who was released by Pittsburgh on April 1, and signed by Boston on April 2, has pitched at least six innings in five of his last seven starts. The Red Sox are paying just $200,000 of his $2 million contract.

"I was shocked to read in the paper that (Pittsburgh GM) Cam Bonifay was given the go ahead to eat my salary," Schourek said. "The Pirates did me a favor. ... I got on a better team."

The first-place Red Sox moved a game ahead of the idle New York Yankees in the AL East.

The Blue Jays scored their lone run in the third inning on third baseman Wilton Veras' throwing error.

"You probably don't call home and say, 'Mom, I'm facing Pete Schourek tonight,"' Toronto's Carlos Delgado said. "Names and stats don't do it. You have to do it on the field."

The Red Sox scored three runs in the fifth off Frank Castillo (1-3) on Donnie Sadler's run-scoring infield single, Darrin Lewis' RBI single and Trot Nixon's run-scoring groundout.

Boston made it 5-1 in the seventh on Lewis' RBI single and Mike Stanley's sacrifice fly.

Trot Nixon's two-run double, and Brian Daubach's RBI single made it 8-1 in the ninth.

Castillo allowed three runs two earned on seven hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

"I felt like I threw pretty well, but they were able to find the holes," Castillo said.

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