How Blue Jays Ted Lilly Outdueled Pedro Martínez 22 Years Ago Today
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Twenty-two years ago on Aug. 23, Lilly stepped onto the mound at SkyDome against the Boston Red Sox and produced arguably the finest start of his Blue Jays career.
The left-hander threw a complete-game shutout, allowing only three hits and two walks while striking out a career-high 13 in Toronto's 3-0 victory.
Doing this against any lineup would have been impressive, but Lilly was facing a Red Sox order featuring David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek. This was the same Boston team that would later break the “Curse of the Bambino” and win its first World Series in 86 years. Lilly also had little room for error with future Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez starting opposite him.
There is little to be said about Martínez that has not already been shouted to high heaven, but the praise is warranted. During an era overflowing with offense, Martínez produced numbers that looked like they belonged to a different sport entirely. His magnum opus came in 2000, when he posted a 1.74 ERA while the average American League pitcher allowed nearly five earned runs per nine innings.
By 2004, Martínez was no longer that era-defining force, but he was still an elite pitcher. He struck out 10 Blue Jays while allowing three runs over seven innings that night.
Lilly Rewrote the Blue Jays Record Book
Lilly struck out six consecutive hitters between the first and third innings, surpassing the previous Blue Jays record of five straight. He eventually reached 13 strikeouts, breaking the franchise record for a left-handed pitcher previously shared at 11 by David Wells and Al Leiter. Boston manager Terry Francona reportedly called it potentially the best game he had seen pitched against the Red Sox that season.
The Blue Jays did not exactly hit like the 1927 Yankees. Reed Johnson opened the bottom of the first with a home run, and Toronto finished with only four hits. However, with the way Lilly was pitching, three runs were more than enough.
Alek Manoah went on to break Lilly's strikeout record by pushing it to seven, while Robbie Ray recorded 14 strikeouts in a game in 2021.
Those records eventually belonged to someone else, but the numbers were never the most impressive part of Lilly's night. A last-place Blue Jays team shut out the eventual World Series champions while its starter outdueled one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
Lilly ultimately finished his career as a 15-year veteran and two-time All-Star, leaving him with plenty more to remember than a pair of franchise records that eventually disappeared. And if Dylan Cease continues pitching the way he has, Toronto's record book may soon undergo another rewrite.
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Wesley Dixon is a sports writer focused on thoughtful analysis, roster-building angles, player development and feature-style storytelling. He has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA, with work centered on breaking down team direction, player fit and the larger stories behind the game. Wesley is a lifelong MLB fan, following multiple teams throughout the league. He is excited to bring that same detail-oriented approach to On SI.