SOX CAN'T HOLD ON, DROP 4-2 TO YANKEES by Tim Scott In a game filled with crucial calls and costly blunders, the Red Sox lead of the American League East is hanging by a loose thread tonight, as they dropped a crucial 4-2 contest to the New York Yankees. At series end, they still lead their archrivals by just a half game. Jon Lester got the start in the rubber game of the series. His night ended early, thanks in large part to a 40-pitch first inning. The lefty left the bases loaded in the first, but allowed an RBI double to Robinson Cano to put the Yankees up 1-0. Astonishingly, AJ Burnett was solid for the Yankees. The troubled starter only allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 5.1 innings. His only blemish came in the fourth inning, when Dustin Pedroia hit a towering two run blast to center field, driving in Adrian Gonzalez, and putting the Red Sox on top, 2-1. After Lester left in the fifth, Alfredo Aceves (9-2) came into the game. He pitched a solid sixth inning, but the wheels on his appearance (and ultimately, the game) fell off in the seventh. In that fateful inning, the Yankees exploded for 3 runs, which proved to be the difference. Russell Martin had the death blow on a 2-run double. Martin eventually scored on a pinch-hit RBI single by Eric Chavez, which put the Yankees ahead 4-2. The Red Sox lost the game for many reasons, but one big one was how the Yankees bullpen stifled their hitters. From the sixth until the eighth, the Red Sox couldn't muster a single hit at a critical time of the game. Cody Wade (3-0), Rafael Soriano, and David Robertson held the Sox down and never looked back. However, the Red Sox had a serious chance to make some noise in the ninth inning. Despite the fact that Mariano Rivera was in the game, the Red Sox had two walks in the inning, along with a Marco Scutaro single, leaving the bases loaded with 2 outs when Adrian Gonzalez, one of the top run-producers to stutter to the plate. The result? Gonzalez watched a pitch on the lower outside corner get called for strike 3, giving the Yankees a 4-2 win. As a team, the Red Sox only had 6 hits, and left 10 men on base. Pedroia led the team with 2 hits, and drove in the only 2 runs the Sox could get. He also got a stolen base in the game. Also, David Ortiz's single in the fifth inning extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Currently, the Sox maintain a fragile 1/2 game lead over the Yankees. As the Yankees head back home to play the Blue Jays, the Red Sox stay put at Fenway to start a 3-game series with the Texas Rangers. Andrew Miller (6-1) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Rangers counter with Derek Holland (12-5). The game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning YANKEES: Robinson Cano doubled to left. Curtis Granderson scored. (NYY, 1-0) 4th Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia homered (18) to center. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 2-1) 7th Inning YANKEES: Russell Martin doubled to right. Chris Dickerson and Jesus Montero scored. (NYY, 3-2) YANKEES Hitters: Russell Martin (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Robinson Cano (2-5, 2 2B, RBI), Curtis Granderson (2-4), Derek Jeter (2-4), Eric Chavez (1-1, RBI), Jesus Montero (0-4, MLB Debut) RED SOX Hitters: Dustin Pedroia (2-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB), Adrian Gonzalez (1-3, 2B), Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3), Marco Scutaro (1-5) YANKEES Pitchers: AJ Burnett (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR, 96 PC), Boone Logan (0.1 IP, K, 4 PC), Cody Wade (0.1 IP, 4 PC, [W, 3-0]), Rafael Soriano (1 IP, BB, 2 K, 21 PC, [H, 17]), David Robertson (1 IP, BB, K, 25 PC, [H, 30]), Mariano Rivera (1 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K, 28 PC, [SV, 36]) RED SOX Pitchers: Jon Lester (5 IP, 7 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 114 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K, 42 PC, [L, 9-2], [H, 8]), Daniel Bard (0.2 IP, 2 H, ER, K, 15 PC, [B, 3]), Felix Doubront (1.1 IP, BB, 2 K, 23 PC), Dan Wheeler (0.2 IP, 9 PC) Line Score NYY 100 000 300-4 11 0 BOS 000 200 000-2 6 0 WP: Wade (3-0) LP: Aceves (9-2) SV: Rivera (36) GAME NOTES NYY: 1B Mark Teixeira left the game after the sixth inning with a bruised left knee. RED SOX TRANSACTIONS Activated 1B Conor Jackson (acquired in trade w./ OAK), and called up RP Felix Doubront from AAA Pawtucket. RED SOX WIN, 9-3 IN RAIN-FILLED GAME by Tim Scott BOSTON---In a game filled with 3 hours worth of rain delays, the Red Sox came away with a solid 9-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics, avenging the horrific 15-5 loss from last night. In the win, David Ortiz drove in 2 runs, and Jason Varitek added three of his own, helping Jon Lester (14-6) secure the victory. Lester had a very solid outing on the mound. Going 6 innings, the lefty allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts. It would be the Red Sox who scored first. In the first, Dustin Pedroia drove in Marco Scutaro with an RBI single, but got thrown out while trying to extend the hit into a double. Despite allowing a Brandon Allen homer in the top of the second, the Sox surged back with a 3-run second. Varitek started it when he launched a 2-run homer into the right-field bullpen, boosting the Sox to a 3-1 lead. Eventually, Jacoby Ellsbury doubled in Mike Aviles to get the Sox up 4-1 after 2. The A's scored once more in the third, by way of a sac fly by ex-Sox member Coco Crisp. But it would be the Sox that would further extend their lead that inning. Thanks to a 2-run double by Ortiz, and a corresponding sac fly by Carl Crawford, the Sox were back in business with a 7-2 lead. Scutaro and Varitek drove in a pair of runs in the 4th and 5th innings, helping the Sox ramp up their lead to 9-2, and leave A's rookie starter Guillermo Moscoso (6-8) with a terrible start. The youngster went 4 innings, allowing 8 runs on 9 hits on 93 pitches. At the end of 6 innings, the rain was starting to fall, and the first rain delay was called. That delay took up to an hour, but the game soon resumed play at roughly 3:10. The two teams played the 7th inning, and, with the score holding at 9-2, the rain kept on falling. With that, the second (and longer) rain delay was called. Combined both rain delays took 3 hours, resulting in a delayed start for Game 2. At about 5:35, the game resumed. In the ninth inning, the A's struck again against call-up Michael Bowden, scoring on an RBI single by Cliff Pennington. Yet Bowden got out of the jam, and the Sox would proceed to win 9-3. Game 2 should begin at 6:50, when the Sox and A's wrap up the season series. Erik Bedard (0-2) will face A's pitcher Graham Godfrey (1-1), and the game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to left. Marco Scutaro scored. (BOS, 1-0) 2nd Inning OAKLAND: Brandon Allen homered (3) to left. (Tied, 1-1) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek homered (9) to right. Josh Reddick scored. (BOS, 3-1) 3rd Inning OAKLAND: Coco Crisp flied out to center. Jemile Weeks scored. (BOS, 4-2) 3rd Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz doubled to center. Adrian Gonzalez and Pedroia. (BOS, 6-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Scutaro singled to center. Aviles scored. (BOS, 8-2) 5th Inning BOSTON: Varitek singled to left. Ortiz scored. (BOS, 9-2) 9th Inning OAKLAND: Cliff Pennington singled to right. Kurt Suzuki scored. (BOS, 9-3) OAKLAND Hitters: Cliff Pennington (2-4, RBI), Brandon Allen (1-4, HR, RBI), Coco Crisp (1-4, RBI), Kurt Suzuki (1-4, 2B) BOSTON Hitters: Jason Varitek (2-4, HR, 3 RBI), Mike Aviles (3-4, SB), David Ortiz (2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Marco Scutaro (2-5, 2B, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (1-3, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4, 2B), Carl Crawford (0-3, RBI), Jacoby Elsbury (1-4, 2B, RBI), OAKLAND Pitchers: Guillermo Moscoso (4 IP, 9 H, 8 R [7 ER], 2 BB, HR, 93 PC), Craig Breslow (1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 30 PC), Jerry Blevins (2 IP, H, K , 26 PC), Fautino de los Santos (1 IP, K, 10 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: Jon Lester (6 IP, 3 H, 2 R [1 ER], 2 BB, 4 K, HR, 87 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, H, 12 PC), Michael Bowden (2 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, K, 42 PC) Line Score OAK 011 000 001-3 8 1 BOS 133 110 00x-9 13 1 WP: Lester (14-6) LP: Moscoso (6-8) OAKLAND TROUNCES SOX WITH 15-5 WIN by Tim Scott BOSTON---It was a very long game in Boston tonight. The Red Sox, fresh off a dominating series against the Rangers, failed to take advantage of their weaker foes, the Oakland Athletics. However, it would be the A's that would act as the dominating team, dishing out 16 hits as they trounced the Red Sox, 15-5. A ten-run deficit is the biggest loss the Red Sox have allowed since they lost to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 11-0 back on May 5. Getting the start for the Red Sox, in his 6th attempt for win #200, was Tim Wakefield (6-6). Wakefield endured one of his worst outings of the season. The 45-year old starter went just 4 innings, allowing 8 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits, with 3 strikeouts. Wakefield now is one short of tying Hall of Famer Steve Carlton in a dubious category: most attempts at getting win #200. (It took Carlton 7 tries to get his 200th) Even though the A's won, it was the Red Sox that got on the board first. Adrian Gonzalez continued his hot streak, lining an RBI single to right, putting the Sox up 1-0. It would be the only time the Red Sox had the lead. In the second inning, David DeJesus & Cliff Pennington each had RBI singles against Wakefield, putting the A's on top, 2-1. But it wouldn't stop there. The A's proceeded to score 8 runs in the 4th inning. The charge was led by 2-run homers by Scott Sizemore & Josh Willingham, along with a 2-run double by Hideki Matsui. At the end of four, the A's were up 8-1. The Red Sox were hoping for a miracle. It was only yesterday that the A's held a 7-1 lead over the Yankees, yet the Yankees came back with 3 grand slams, and won 22-9 over the A's. Unfortunately, they could not achieve that goal. Despite back to back home runs from Dustin Pedroia & David Ortiz, and an RBI from Marco Scutaro, the Red Sox could not come close to the A's commanding lead. After Wakefield exited the game, recent call-up Scott Atchison tried to stop the bleeding. Atchison did the best of all the Sox pitchers tonight. The reliever went 3 innings, allowing just 1 run (on an RBI double by Pennington) on 3 hits. After 7, the A's led 9-4. But the levees broke further in the 8th inning, when Matt Albers entered the game. Albers, who has been on a downwards spiral to obscurity, continued his depression, allowing 4 runs in the eighth inning. Three RBI doubles by Brandon Allen, DeJesus, and Willingham, plus an RBI single by Kurt Suzuki gave the A's a 13-4 lead after 8. The damage was so crippling on the Red Sox, that, in an effort to preserve pitchers for tomorrow's doubleheader, they put in outfielder Darnell McDonald to pitch. McDonald allowed 2 runs in an inning of work (the 2 runs came on an 2-RBI double by Willingham), but the Sox still trailed 15-4. Boston did manage to get 1 run back in the ninth. Josh Reddick had an RBI double in his only at-bat, putting the Sox on the board one last time, still down 15-5. Despite the loss, the Red Sox still maintain first place in the AL East. The Yankees lost today to the Baltimore Orioles, 12-5, giving the Sox a solid 1 game lead. Tomorrow, the Red Sox and A's take part in a doubleheader, to avoid the possible onslaught of Hurricane Irene. The first game will start at 12:00 ET, where Jon Lester (13-6) will start against A's rookie Guillermo Moscoso (6-7). The nightcap will start at 5:00, when Erik Bedard (0-2) starts against rookie Graham Godfrey (1-1). Both games will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning RED SOX: Adrian Gonzalez singled to right. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 1-0) 2nd Inning ATHLETICS: David DeJesus singled to right. Brandon Allen scored. (Tied, 1-1) 4th Inning ATHLETICS: Scott Sizemore homered (7) to left. Kurt Suzuki scored. (OAK, 4-1) 4th Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia homered (17) to left. (OAK, 8-2) 5th Inning RED SOX: Marco Scutaro grounded out to short. Ellsbury scored. (OAK, 8-4) 7th Inning ATHLETICS: Pennington doubled to left. Suzuki scored. (OAK, 9-4) 8th Inning ATHLETICS: Allen doubled to right. Weeks scored. (OAK, 10-4) 9th Inning ATHLETICS: Willingham doubled to left. Sizemore and Weeks scored. (OAK, 15-4) 9th Inning RED SOX: Josh Reddick doubled to right. Scutaro scored. (OAK, 15-5) ATHLETICS Hitters: Josh Willingham (2-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), David DeJesus (2-5, 2B, 3 RBI), Cliff Pennington (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Scott Sizemore (1-4, HR, 2 RBI), Hideki Matsui (1-6, 2B, 2 RBI), Brandon Allen (2-6, 2 2B, RBI), Jemile Weeks (3-5, 2 2B) RED SOX Hitters: David Ortiz (3-4, 2B, HR, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-3, HR, RBI), Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, 2B, 3B, SB), Adrian Gonzalez (1-5, RBI), Marco Scutaro (1-5, RBI), Josh Reddick (1-1, 2B, RBI) ATHLETICS Pitchers: Gio Gonzalez (5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 105 PC), Brian Fuentes (1 IP, H, BB, 21 PC), Grant Balfour (0.1 IP, K, 5 PC), Craig Breslow (1 IP, 10 PC), Jerry Blevins (1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K, 24 PC) RED SOX Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (4 IP, 8 H, 8 R [4 ER], 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 90 PC), Scott Atchison (3 IP, 3 H, ER, 59 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB, K, 32 PC), Darnell McDonald (1 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 24 PC) LINE SCORE OAK 020 600 142-15 16 1 BOS 100 210 001- 5 11 1 WP: Gonzalez (11-11) LP: Wakefield (6-6) TRANSACTIONS: Red Sox recalled RP Scott Atchison from AAA Pawtucket. They also optioned C Ryan Lavarnway to Pawtucket. SOX HIT 4 HOMERS, WIN 6-0 VS. RANGERS by Tim Scott ARLINGTON, Texas---The victory felt great for the Red Sox, who just took 3 games out of 4 against one of the toughest teams in the American League. Tonight, the Sox dropped the power bomb atop the Rangers, beating them 6-0, and maintaining their 1 game lead over the Yankees. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Andrew Miller (6-1). Miller had his second straight shutout outing, going 6.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and 6 strikeouts on 83 pitches. His ERA lowered from 4.99 to 4.42 throughout the course of the game, giving many fans optimism about the youngster. Miller got a lot of run support in this game. It started in the first inning, when Adrian Gonzalez launched a solo shot to straight-away center, putting the Sox on top 1-0. David Ortiz followed up with a solo homer of his own (his 25th on the season), further extending the lead, 2-0. In the third inning, Gonzalez hit his 5th homer in 3 days (and second multi-homer game of the series), parking a liner to left-center to give the Sox a solid 4-0 lead. To cap off the homer rally, Jarrod Saltalamacchia continued his hot streak, hitting his 13th homer of the year, driving in Carl Crawford, and jetting the Sox past the Rangers, 6-0. Alexi Ogando (12-6) had a tough night for the Rangers. In his first full season, he had been pretty solid. However, he allowed a career-high 4 home runs in the game (his previous high was 3 against the Yankees in April), and watched his ERA rise up 27 points. Ogando did manage to strikeout 5 Red Sox hitters in the game, and only walked one hitter on 77 pitches. After the fourth, it was a pretty quiet game. Alfredo Aceves & Dan Wheeler had solid relief outings, shutting down the Rangers for 1.2 innings combined, striking out 4 batters combined, and securing the 6-0 victory. It was a good thing that the Red Sox secured the victory. In New York, their archrivals came back from a 7-1 deficit to demolish the Oakland Athletics, 22-9. The Yankees had a record 3 grand slams in the game, from Russell Martin, Mark Teixeria, & Curtis Granderson. The Sox still maintain a 1 game lead over the Yankees. The Red Sox will be heading home to Boston to start the 3-game series tomorrow with the Athletics. Tim Wakefield (6-5) will start for the Sox, trying to pursue his 200th win for the 6th time this year. He will counter with Gio Gonzalez (10-11). The game will be broadcast on NESN. **SCHEDULE CHANGE!!!: Due to the predicted effects of Hurricane Irene, there will be a doubleheader on Saturday. The first game will start at 12:00, and Game 2 will begin at 5:00. Fans who had tickets to the August 28 (Sunday) game are invited to attend the game on Saturday at 5. Both games will be broadcast on NESN.** GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez homered (22) to center. (BOS, 1-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz homered (25) to right. (BOS, 2-0) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Gonzalez homered (23) to left-center. Jed Lowrie scored. (BOS, 4-0) 4th Inning BOSTON: Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered (13) to left. Carl Crawford scored. (BOS, 6-0) BOSTON Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez (2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-4, HR, 2 RBI), David Ortiz (1-3, HR, RBI), Josh Reddick (1-4, 2B) TEXAS Hitters: Michael Young (1-4, SB) BOSTON Pitchers: Andrew Miller (6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 83 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1.1 IP, BB, 2 K, 31 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 2 K, 16 PC) TEXAS Pitchers: Alexi Ogando (4 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, BB, 5 K, 4 HR, 77 PC), Scott Feldman (4 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K, 54 PC), Mike Adams (1 IP, H, K, 10 PC) Line Score BOS 112 200 000-6 9 1 TEX 000 000 000-0 3 0 WP: Andrew Miller (6-1) LP: Alexi Ogando (12-6) SOX EDGE RANGERS, 13-2, GET BACK 1ST by Tim Scott ARLINGTON, Texas---The Boston Red Sox bats got really hot as the temperatures in Texas rose. The Sox scored 13 runs on 16 hits against the Rangers, winning 13-2 over their western foes. Carl Crawford had 5 RBIs, and Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, & Adrian Gonzalez drove in 2 each. With the heavy run support, Josh Beckett (11-5) held the Rangers tight in 6 innings of work, allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 4 strikeouts. His only blemish was a solo homer he allowed to Mike Napoli in the fourth. The Red Sox scored a run in almost every inning of tonight's game, except in the third and ninth innings, giving Rangers starter Matt Harrison (10-9) a tough outing on the hill. The bats exploded for 4 runs in the first. It started when Pedroia had an RBI single to right. In his first game in 6 days, David Ortiz lined the first pitch he saw to right for an RBI single. Crawford then proceeded to drive in 2 runs with an RBI double. At the end of the first inning, the Sox were up 4-0, and looking hungry for more runs. Pedroia drove in another run in the second inning, with another RBI single against Harrison, providing the Red Sox a spacious 5-0 lead. Two innings later, Marco Scutaro drove in Darnell McDonald with an RBI double to give the Sox a powerful 6-0 advantage. After Napoli's home run, the Rangers had a spark in confidence. That spark, however, was quickly defused by Beckett's stellar pitching, as they could not push another run across in the next 2 innings. In the fifth, Crawford had an RBI sac fly, upping the lead to 7-1. That was the final straw on Harrison's night. In 5 innings, the starter allowed 7 runs on 11 hits. That ties his season high for must runs allowed in a game (4/26 against the Toronto Blue Jays). The following inning, Ellsbury launched his 23rd homer of the season to right against Yoshinori Tateyama, driving in McDonald, and increasing the lead to 9-1. Crawford, who isn't really known for his power, hit a towering 2-run bomb to center against Darren O'Day. The power surge wasn't done yet, as Gonzalez hit his 3rd homer in 2 days off O'Day, putting the Sox up 13-1. Texas had one last hurrah before the end of the game. Against Matt Albers, Napoli had an RBI single to put the Rangers on the board, despite trailing 13-2. Despite it being a non-save situation, Jonathan Papelbon shut down the Rangers in the ninth, securing a solid 13-2 victory for the Red Sox. Meanwhile, in the Bronx, the Yankees lost their second straight against the Oakland Athletics. In effect, the Red Sox now maintain a 1 game lead over the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East, the first time that's happened since last Tuesday. The Sox will wrap up their series with the Rangers tomorrow evening at 8:05. Andrew Miller (5-1), who gets the spot-start after a stellar performance against Kansas City last week, will pitch for Boston, while the Rangers counter with young phenom Alexi Ogando (12-5). The game will be broadcast on NESN and MLB Network. GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to left. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 1-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Pedroia singled to left. Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 5-0) 4th Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro doubled to left. Darnell McDonald scored. (BOS, 6-0) 4th Inning TEXAS: Mike Napoli homered (22) to left. (BOS, 6-1) 5th Inning BOSTON: Crawford flied out to right. Ortiz scored. (BOS, 7-1) 6th Inning BOSTON: Ellsbury homered (23) to right. McDonald scored. (BOS, 9-1) 7th Inning BOSTON: Crawford homered (9) to center. Jed Lowrie scored. (BOS, 11-1) 8th Inning BOSTON: Gonzalez homered (21) to right. Scutaro scored. (BOS, 13-1) 8th Inning TEXAS: Napoli singled to left. Elvis Andrus scored. (BOS, 13-2) BOSTON Hitters: Carl Crawford (2-3, 2B, HR, 5 RBI), Jacoby Ellsbury (3-5, HR, 2 RBI, SB), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4, HR, 2 RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-4, 2 RBI), David Ortiz (2-5, 2B, RBI), Darnell McDonald (2-4) TEXAS Hitters: Mike Napoli (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Josh Beckett (6 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR, 110 PC), Franklin Morales (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 22 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, K, 15 PC) TEXAS Pitchers: Matt Harrison (5 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, BB, 4 K, 93 PC), Yoshinori Tateyama (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, HR, 18 PC), Darren O'Day (2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 40 PC), Mark Lowe (IP, 12 PC) Line Score BOS 410 112 220-13 16 0 TEX 000 100 010-2 6 0 WP: Beckett (11-5) LP: Harrison (10-9) GONZALEZ, SCUTARO HELP SOX WIN, 11-5 by Tim Scott The Red Sox, who were attempting to avenge a painful 4-0 loss, came away victorious, 11-5, against the Texas Rangers. Adrian Gonzalez & Marco Scutaro had 3 RBIs, and John Lackey (12-9) recorded his 12th win. Lackey, who also had a barrier to overcome (a loss against the Rays on Wednesday), went 6.2 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, with 5 strikeouts. For the first time all season, Lackey's ERA is below 6 (currently standing at 5.98), which is a season low for him. It was Boston that got on the board first. Gonzalez hit the first of his 2 home runs on the night to right field, driving in Jacoby Ellsbury (his first game since Friday), and giving the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. It was Gonzalez's first home run in 84 at-bats, but he wasn't done yet. In the second inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia & Scutaro each had RBIs. Saltalamacchia had an RBI double, and Scutaro drove in a run via a sacrifice fly. The Sox would continue to surge in the third inning, with an RBI sac fly from Carl Crawford, and an RBI double from Ryan Lavarnway put the Sox up 6-0 at the end of 2.5 innings. However, Lackey hit a big road bump in the bottom half of the third, letting up 3 runs. One came on a walk by Elvis Andrus, & the other two sacrifice flies by Josh Hamilton & Michael Young put the Rangers within 3 of a solid Red Sox lead. But the Red Sox did not give up. In the fourth inning, Gonzalez hit his second homer of the evening, a tape measure shot to center field, putting the Sox up 7-3. That was his 20th homer of the season, and his 2nd in as many at-bats. Yet it would be Hamilton that would follow up with a homer of his own in the bottom of the 5th. Against Lackey, Hamilton launched a shot out to right, adding up the score to 7-4, the Red Sox on top. The Rangers starter, Colby Lewis (11-9) had a start he will probably want to forget about. Entering the game, the 32-year old starter had an ERA of 3.83. However, when he allowed 7 earned runs in 6 innings of work (10.50 ERA for the game), his ERA sharply ballooned up to 4.10, an increase of 0.27 points. In the eighth inning, the Sox had an offensive spark. Scutaro started the fire with a 2-run double against Mark Lowe (who allowed 2 runners Darren Oliver left on) to put the Sox up 9-4. Then, Dustin Pedroia lined a 2-run double of his own, driving in Scutaro and Gonzalez. The Sox really carved up the Rangers bullpen, leaving an 11-4 crater upon Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Ian Kinsler did not end the night poorly for the Rangers. With 2 outs in the ninth, he lined his 21st homer over the left field wall against Dan Wheeler to put the Rangers on the board on last time, 11-5. Yet, after Kinsler touched home plate, the fans (all 25,705 of them) knew the game was over. When Andrus was retired for the final out, the Red Sox had virtually played the entire game better than the Rangers, and the better team came out on top. The Yankees lost 6-5 to the Oakland Athletics, leaving first place in the American League East a deadlock tie between the Red Sox and Yankees. The Yankees will play Oakland tomorrow at 7:05, with CC Sabathia (17-7) on the hill. Meanwhile, the Red Sox will try to maintain the tie, or maybe even take the lead, against the Texas Rangers tomorrow at 7:00. Josh Beckett (10-5) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Rangers will counter with Matt Harrison (10-8). The game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez homered (19) to right. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 2-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled to deep right. Jed Lowrie scored. (BOS, 3-0) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Crawford flied out to right. Josh Reddick scored. (BOS, 5-0) 3rd Inning TEXAS: Elvis Andrus walked. Yorvit Torrealba scored. (BOS, 6-1) 4th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez homered (20) to center. (BOS, 7-3) 5th Inning TEXAS: Josh Hamilton homered (17) to right. (BOS, 7-4) 8th Inning BOSTON: Scutaro doubled to deep left. Lavarnway and Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 9-4) 9th Inning TEXAS: Ian Kinsler homered (21) to left. (BOS, 11-5) BOSTON Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez (3-4, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Marco Scutaro (1-3, 2B, 3 RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-4, 2 2B, RBI), Jed Lowrie (2-5), Ryan Lavarnway (2-5, 2B), Jacoby Ellsbury (1-4, SB) TEXAS Hitters: Ian Kinsler (2-5, HR, RBI), Josh Hamilton (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Endy Chavez (2-4, SB), Elvis Andrus (0-4, RBI), Michael Young (0-2, RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: John Lackey (6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR, 106 PC), Franklin Morales (0.1 IP, 5 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1 IP, BB, 2 K, 18 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, H, ER, K, HR, 14 PC) TEXAS Pitchers: Colby Lewis (6 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 102 PC), Darren Oliver (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 31 PC), Mark Lowe (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 20 PC), Yoshinori Tateyama (1 IP, K, 9 PC) Line Score BOS 222 100 040-11 14 0 TEX 003 010 001-5 8 0 WP: Lackey (12-9) LP: Lewis (11-9) NAPOLI'S HOMER SMASHES SOX, 4-0 by Tim Scott The Red Sox could never get their engines rolling against the Texas Rangers, ultimately falling to their western foes, 4-0, in the first game of a 4-game set. The Sox could only muster 4 hits, and left men on base. Boston's lack of offensive production did not help Erik Bedard's (0-2) bid for his first win as a member of the Red Sox. Bedard went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits with 4 strikeouts on the evening. Texas scored their first run in the third inning, when Elvis Andrus singled in Craig Gentry to put the Rangers up, 1-0. The play was controversial because it looked like Josh Reddick caught the ball on a dive. However, the umpires didn't agree, and the play was defined as a trap. With that, the Rangers got an early lead. However, the main offensive point of the evening, came when Mike Napoli launched his 21st homer of the season to left, driving in Josh Hamilton & Michael Young, and giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead after 6. Throughout the night, the Red Sox could not master the pitching of Rangers ace CJ Wilson (13-5). Wilson went 6.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, and striking out 4 batters. He also walked 2, and threw 110 pitches. It certainly didn't help that the Sox were 0-4 with runners in scoring position (RISP). The main culprit of this was Carl Crawford, who went 0-2 in that statistic. Also, with top hitters Jacoby Ellsbury & David Ortiz out of the lineup due to injury, the Sox had no clutch driving forces to upend the Rangers pitching. After being shocked silent by Wilson's stunning performance, the Sox could not hit any of the Rangers bullpen. Koji Uehara, Mike Adams, & Neftali Feliz held the Sox to only 2 baserunners in the final 1.2 innings, causing great concern for the Sox faithful. Even though Matt Albers & Franklin Morales pitched well in relief, the Red Sox could not bounce back, and ultimately fell 4-0 to the Rangers. Since the Yankees had an off day, the loss leaves the Sox a full game between their rivals. Tomorrow's game hopes to be an improvement from tonight's travesty. John Lackey (11-9), who got the loss in his last start against the Rays, will get the start for the Sox in tomorrow's game. The Rangers will hand the ball to their #2 starter, Colby Lewis (11-8). The game will start at 8:05, and will be broadcast on NESN and the MLB Network. GAME STATS 3rd Inning RANGERS: Elvis Andrus singled to right. Craig Gentry scored. (TEX, 1-0) 6th Inning RANGERS: Mike Napoli homered (21) to left. Josh Hamilton and Michael Young scored. (TEX, 4-0) RED SOX Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez (1-3), Dustin Pedroia (1-3), Jed Lowrie (1-4), Carl Crawford (1-4) RANGERS Hitters: Michael Young (2-4), Mike Napoli (1-4, HR, 3 RBI), Elvis Andrus (1-3, CS, PO, RBI), Yorvit Torrealaba (1-4, 2B) RED SOX Pitchers: Erik Bedard (6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K, HR, 108 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, H, 2 BB, 24 PC), Franklin Morales (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC) RANGERS Pitchers: CJ Wilson (6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 110 PC), Koji Uehara (0.1 IP, 2 PC), Mike Adams (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC), Neftali Feliz (1 IP, 2 BB, K, 23 PC) Line Score BOS 000 000 000-0 4 0 TEX 001 003 00x-4 8 0 WP: Wilson (13-5) LP: Bedard (0-2) LESTER, McDONALD LEAD SOX TO 6-1 WIN by Tim Scott Attempting to avenge last night's devastating 9-4 loss, the Red Sox came into Sunday's game determined, and came out of it with a solid 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. With strong pitching from Jon Lester (13-6), and a combined 10 hits, the Red Sox gained momentum heading into their next series with the Texas Rangers. For the first four innings, it was a tight game between Lester and Danny Duffy (3-8). After 4 innings, the teams had a combined 4 hits (3 for the Sox, 1 for the Royals). However, in the fifth inning, Jason Varitek broke the ice, crushing a triple to deep right center, driving in Jed Lowrie, and giving the Sox a 1-0 lead. The production wouldn't stop there. In the sixth, Darnell McDonald lined his 5th homer of the year to left, putting the Sox up 2-0. After the sixth, Duffy was done for the night. The 22-year old starter went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts. But the Royals problems weren't done there. When the Royals put in All-Star reliever Aaron Crow in the game, they thought their problems would stop. However, Carl Crawford ripped the band-aid off the Royals chances with his 8th homer of the year, a blast to right-center, putting the Sox up further, 3-0. Through six innings, Lester was throwing a fantastic games. Against the team he threw his no-hitter against 3 years ago, he was consistent and dominant, allowing just 1 hit through 6. However, he did run into control problems, walking 4 batters. Kansas City did make a brief comeback in the seventh. After a Johnny Giavotella triple, Mike Moustakas slapped the Royals on the board with an RBI single. Eventually, with 2 on, Daniel Bard did what he does best, shutting down the Royals for 2 innings, striking out 3 batters, and bouncing the ball back into the Red Sox's court. It was in the eighth inning that the Red Sox really poured out the run support. Against young reliever Louis Coleman, the Sox slugged out three runs, thanks to Adrian Gonzalez (RBI single), Jed Lowrie (RBI sac fly), & Ryan Lavarnway (RBI double), giving the Sox a solid 6-1 lead. Eventually, Tim Collins & Joakim Soria calmed the Sox down the final 1.1 innings, but the damage was firmly done. Dan Wheeler shut down the Royals in the ninth, striking out 2 batters, and slamming the door on the series as the Red Sox rolled, 6-1. Tomorrow, the Red Sox head to Texas to play a four-game series with the Texas Rangers. Erik Bedard (0-1) will get the start for the Red Sox, facing the Rangers' ace CJ Wilson (12-5). The game will start at 8:05, and be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 5th Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek tripled to right. Jed Lowrie scored. (BOS, 1-0) 6th Inning BOSTON: Darnell McDonald homered (5) to left. (BOS, 2-0) 7th Inning BOSTON: Carl Crawford homered (8) to right-center. (BOS, 3-0) 7th Inning KANSAS CITY: Mike Moustakas singled to right. Johnny Giavotella scored. (BOS, 3-1) 8th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez singled to center. Marco Scutaro scored. (BOS, 4-1) BOSTON Hitters: Darnell McDonald (3-5, HR, RBI), Ryan Lavarnway (2-4, 2B, RBI), Jason Varitek (1-4, 3B, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-3, RBI), Carl Crawford (1-3, HR, RBI) KANSAS CITY Hitters: Johnny Giavotella (1-4, 3B), Mike Moustakas (1-3, RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Jon Lester (6 IP, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 113 PC), Daniel Bard (2 IP, 3 K, 24 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC) KANSAS CITY Pitchers: Danny Duffy (6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR, 102 PC), Aaron Crow (1 IP, H, ER, 2 K, HR, 13 PC), Louis Coleman (0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, K, 25 PC), Tim Collins (0.1 IP, BB, K, 9 PC), Joakim Soria (1 IP, K, 8 PC) Line Score BOS 000 011 130-6 10 1 KCR 000 000 100-1 3 0 WP: Lester (13-6) LP: Duffy (3-8) ROYALS BURN SOX WITH 8-RUN 6TH, 9-4 by Tim Scott The Royals offense, which seemed to be hibernating in the first two games, angrily awoke from their slumber, slugging out 8 runs against the Red Sox in the bottom of the 6th inning, sufficient enough for a 9-4 Royals victory. With the Royals victory, Red Sox SP Tim Wakefield fell short of his 200th win for the fifth consecutive time, still hanging at 199. It seemed after the fifth that Wakefield would have his wish granted. In the third, Marco Scutaro had an RBI double-play, driving in rookie Ryan Lavarnway. In the fourth, the Sox pushed their lead to 3-0, thanks to RBIs by Carl Crawford & Darnell McDonald. Despite an RBI double by Royals DH Billy Butler in the third, the Red Sox maintained a comfortable 4-1 lead after 5 1/2 frames. The Sox cemented their lead with a Lavarnway RBI single (his first MLB RBI). However, fate would intercept the chances of a victory, and flip the other game completely into the other team's favor. To put in an analogical way, the Royals simply knew what was coming. In that fateful 6th inning, Jeff Francouer started the tear with an RBI double. Immediately following him, Mike Moustakas repeated the same feat, pulling the Royals within 1. Two batters later, Chris Getz drove in Moustakas with an RBI single. With no reasonable chance at his 200th now, Wakefield was taken out in favor or reliever Matt Albers (4-4). Albers did horribly; his ERA went up nearly a full run. His troubles mounted when Alex Gordon launched a go-ahead 2-run double to center, putting the Royals up 5-4. Melky Cabrera & Eric Hosmer (2 RBI) drove in the final 3 runs of the rally, slugging an 8-run sixth, and forcing a commanding 9-4 beating upon the Red Sox. Luckily, the remainder of the Red Sox bullpen held the Royals to 1 hit in the final 2 innings. Franklin Morales & Dan Wheeler provided the Sox with great relief pitching, holding the score. Unfortunately, the Sox were unable to make any attempt at a comeback. Good pitching by the Royals, led by Felipe Paulino (2-5), held the Sox to only 3 hits in the final 3 innings of the game (10 for the entire game). The relievers who overpowered the Sox offense were Blake Wood, Tim Collins, & Greg Holland. The Yankees lost their game, 9-4 to the Minnesota Twins, so the Red Sox still remain 0.5 games back of the Yankees, heading into Sunday. Getting for the Sox in the season finale (against the Royals) is Jon Lester (12-6), who pitched well in his last start. He will start against Danny Duffy (3-7), who had a very rough outing against the Yankees in his last start. The game will start at 2:10, and be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 3rd Inning RED SOX: Marco Scutaro grounded into 4-6-3 double play. Ryan Lavarnway scored. (BOS, 1-0) 3rd Inning ROYALS: Billy Butler doubled to right. Alcides Escobar scored. (Tied, 1-1) 4th Inning RED SOX: Carl Crawford singled to center. Dustin Pedroia scored. (BOS, 2-1) 6th Inning RED SOX: Lavarnway singled to center. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 4-1) 6th Inning ROYALS: Jeff Francoeur doubled to center. Eric Hosmer scored. (BOS, 4-2) RED SOX Hitters: Carl Crawford (2-4, RBI), Ryan Lavarnway (2-3, RBI), Darnell McDonald (1-3, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-4), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1-4, 2B) ROYALS Hitters: Alex Gordon (3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Eric Hosmer (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI), Jeff Francoeur (2-4, 2B, RBI), Mike Moustakas (2-4, 2B, RBI) RED SOX Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 97 PC), Matt Albers (0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 21 PC), Franklin Morales (1.1 IP, H, K, 17 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, H, 17 PC) ROYALS Pitchers: Felipe Paulino (6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 101 PC), Brandon Wood (1 IP, H, K, 13 PC), Tim Collins (0.1 IP, H, K, 8 PC), Greg Holland (1.2 IP, K, 16 PC) Line Score BOS 001 201 000-4 10 0 WP: Paulino (2-5) LP: Albers (4-4) RED SOX OVERPOWER ROYALS, WIN 7-1 by Tim Scott Tonight, the Red Sox overpowered the Kansas City Royals pitching staff, dishing out 13 hits and 7 runs in a solid victory, 7-1. Adrian Gonzalez & Jed Lowrie each had 3 hits, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a 3-run home run as the Sox rolled to their second straight win. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Andrew Miller (6-1). Miller had a solid pitching performance, going 5.1 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts. It would be the Royals that would get on the board first. Alex Gordon drove in Mike Moustakas with a sac fly in the third inning, briefly giving the Royals a 1-0 edge. However, it would be the Red Sox that would score, and hold the lead for the remainder of the game. It started in the fourth, when Darnell McDonald launched an RBI triple to right-center, scoring in Carl Crawford. Following that, Jacoby Ellsbury pushed the Sox ahead with an RBI sac fly of his own. At the end of 4, the Sox had a comfortable 2-1 lead. The lead would get more comfortable from that point on. In the fifth,Saltalamacchia launched his 12th home run of the season, against Jeff Francis (4-14), over the left field bleachers, driving in 3 runs, and giving the Sox a 5-1 lead. The Sox would add more runs in the 8th, Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia contributed an RBI sac fly and RBI single, respectively, giving the Sox an overpowering 7-1 lead. It was powerful relief pitching by Alfredo Aceves that kept Royals hitters at bay. Filling in for Miller in the 6th, Aceves only allowed 1 hit in 3.2 innings, striking out 3 batters, and getting key outs when needed. In addition, Aceves recorded his second save of the season for the Red Sox. In other news, Ryan Lavarnway recorded his first major league hit. It was a single to right in the fifth inning. Later, he scored on the Saltalamacchia homer. Tomorrow, the Red Sox continue their four game series in Kansas City with an exciting contest at 8:10. Tim Wakefield (6-5) will make his fifth attempt at win #200, as he faces Royal pitcher Felipe Paulino (1-9). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 3rd Inning KANSAS CITY: Alex Gordon flied out to right. Billy Butler scored. (KC, 1-0) 4th Inning BOSTON: Darnell McDonald tripled to right. Carl Crawford scored. (Tied, 1-1) 4th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to center. McDonald scored. (BOS, 2-1) 5th Inning BOSTON: Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered (12) to left. Jed Lowrie and Ryan Lavarnway scored. (BOS, 5-1) 8th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez flied out to left. Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 6-1) 8th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia reached on error by Alcides Escobar. Mike Aviles scored. (BOS, 7-1) BOSTON Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez (3-4, 2 2B, RBI), Jed Lowrie (3-4), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1-5, HR, 3 RBI), Darnell McDonald (1-4, 3B, RBI) KANSAS CITY Hitters: Alex Gordon (0-2, RBI), Jeff Francoeur (1-3, 2B), Mike Moustakas (1-2, 2B), Billy Butler (1-4, 2B) BOSTON Pitchers: Andrew Miller (5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 83 PC), Alfredo Aceves (3.2 IP, H, BB, 3 K, 45 PC) KANSAS CITY Pitchers: Jeff Francis (5 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, K, HR, 91 PC), Everett Teaford (3 IP, 2 H, 2 R [1 ER], BB, 3 K, 44 PC), Nathan Adcock (1 IP, BB, 10 PC) Line Score BOS 000 230 020-7 13 0 KC 001 000 000-1 4 1 WP: Miller (5-1) LP: Francis (4-14) SV: Aceves (2) GAME NOTES BOS-Jacoby Ellsbury left the game in the 8th inning after being hit by a pitch. PEDROIA GUIDES SOX OVER ROYALS, 4-3 by Tim Scott It was a tight game all around, but the Boston Red Sox were the last ones standing on Friday, edging out the Kansas City Royals in a 4-3 victory. Dustin Pedroia led the charge for the Sox, driving in 3 runs, and Josh Beckett (10-5) had a solid pitching performance for the Sox, as they snapped a 2-game losing streak. The Royals started the scoring in the first inning, when Billy Butler drove in Alex Gordon on a sacrifice fly. This is the second straight start that Beckett allowed a run in the first. In his previous start against the Mariners, he allowed 5 runs in the first. Luckily, he only allowed one, and held the game tight. Jason Varitek gave the Red Sox their first burst of run support in the second inning, when he lined an RBI single against Luke Hochevar (8-10), driving in Carl Crawford (who stole 2 bases that inning). However, the rally ended that same at-bat, when Varitek was nailed at second base by Gordon's rocket throw. The Sox continued their surge in the top of the third. With two on, Pedroia ripped a 2-run single to left, driving in Mike Aviles & Jacoby Ellsbury. The Sox had a solid 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the third. However, it would be the Royals that would make a surge of their own against Beckett. Gordon continued his hot streak by crushing a 2-run homer to left, driving in Alcides Escobar, and tying the score up at 3. Despite having 6 strikeouts in his 6 innings of work, Hochevar was unable to keep the band-aid on the Royals' tie. Instead, Pedroia ripped it off with a total slash to center, driving in Jed Lowrie. The Sox would take the lead, 4-3, and never look back. With dominate relief outings by Daniel Bard & Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox were able to hold the Royals to only 1 hit in the final two innings, securing a solid 4-3 win for the Sox. Even though the Royals lost, they had two consistent threats on the offensive side of the plate. Gordon went 2-4 with the double and 2-run home run, and Butler went 3-3 on the evening with an RBI to his credit. In other news, Ryan Lavarnway made his major league debut for the Red Sox, replacing Kevin Youkilis (15-day DL) on the roster. The rookie went 0-4 with a strikeout in the game, batting 7th and playing DH. Tomorrow, the series resumes at 8:10, when the Red Sox take on the Royals for Game 2. Andrew Miller (4-1) makes his first start in less than a month for the Sox. He will face Jeff Francis (4-13). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning KANSAS CITY: Billy Butler flied out to right. Alex Gordon scored. (KC, 1-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek singled to left. Josh Reddick scored. (Tied, 1-1) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to center. Mike Aviles and Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 3-1) 3rd Inning KANSAS CITY: Alex Gordon homered (16) to left. Alcides Escobar (Tied, 3-3) 5th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to center. Jed Lowrie scored. (BOS, 4-3) BOSTON Hitters: Dustin Pedroia (3-4, 2B, SB, 3 RBI), Jason Varitek (1-3, RBI), Jed Lowrie (1-3, 2B), Josh Reddick (1-3, 2B), Carl Crawford (1-4, 2 SB) KANSAS CITY Hitters: Billy Butler (3-3, RBI), Alex Gordon (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Josh Beckett (7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K, HR, 110 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, H, K, 15 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 2 K, 15 PC) KANSAS CITY Pitchers: Luke Hochevar (6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 114 PC), Blake Wood (1.2 IP, H, K, 23 PC), Tim Collins (0.1 IP, BB, 10 PC), Aaron Crow (1 IP, K, 7 PC) Line Score BOS 012 010 000-4 9 0 KC 102 000 000-3 8 0 WP: Beckett (10-5) LP: Hochevar (8-10) SV: Papelbon (29) PRICE PITCHES RAYS TO 4-0 WIN OVER SOX by Tim Scott After a grueling doubleheader the previous night, the Red Sox offense was really asleep, only connecting on 3 hits as they stumbled further down the standings, losing to the Rays, 4-0, in the finale of their 3-game series. Getting the start for the Red Sox was John Lackey (11-9), who endured another tough start. He allowed 4 runs (3 earned) in 6.2 innings, with 7 strikeouts, but got no run support form the Red Sox. Lackey's troubles began in the second inning, when Ben Zobrist had an RBI groundout, scoring in Johnny Damon, and giving the Rays a 1-0 lead. But the real trouble came in the fourth and fifth innings, when BJ Upton & Evan Longoria each had solo home runs over the Green Monster, securing a 3-0 lead over Lackey. Lastly, the Rays took their final stroke of pride in the seventh inning, when Zobrist had an RBI double against Lackey, forcing the Rays to a powerful 4-0 lead. David Price (11-10) pitched a great game for the Rays, going 8 innings, allowing 3 hits with 6 strikeouts to his credit. The only three batters to get hits for the Sox were Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, & Kevin Youkilis. Ellsbury's lone hit was a triple that gave the Sox temporary optimism. Tomorrow, the Sox will head to Kansas City to play the Royals for a 4-game series. Josh Beckett (9-5) will get the start for the Sox, while he'll face former #1 pick Luke Hochevar (8-9). The game starts at 8:10, and will be on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning RAYS: Ben Zobrist grounded out to third. Johnny Damon scored. (TB, 1-0) 4th Inning RAYS: BJ Upton homered (17) to left. (TB, 2-0) 5th Inning RAYS: Evan Longoria homered (19) to left. (TB, 3-0) 7th Inning RAYS: Ben Zobrist doubled to left. Kelly Shoppach scored. (TB, 4-0) RAYS Hitters: Ben Zobrist (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI), BJ Upton (2-4, 2B, HR, RBI), Johnny Damon (2-5, 2B), Evan Longoria (1-3, HR, RBI) RED SOX Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3, 3B), Dustin Pedroia (1-3), Kevin Youkilis (1-4) RAYS Pitchers: David Price (8 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 116 PC), Kyle Farnsworth (1 IP, 13 PC) RED SOX Pitchers: John Lackey (6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R [3 ER], 3 BB, 7 K, 125 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1.1 IP, H, 3 K, 26 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 15 PC) Line Score TBR 010 110 100-4 7 0 WP: Price (11-10) LP: Lackey (11-9) NIEMANN, RAYS STING SOX OUT OF 1ST, 6-2 by Tim Scott The Red Sox were simply outplayed in the second half of the doubleheader. The Rays pitched better, hit better, and ran better, topping the Red Sox 6-2, ultimately knocking them out of first (due to a Yankees 9-7 over the Royals). BJ Upton & Ben Zobrist each had 3 hits for the Rays, and Desmond Jennings, Johnny Damon, & Casey Kotchman each contributed 2 in the winning effort. The Rays started the scoring against Erik Bedard (0-1) in the second, with a fielder's choice by Sean Rodriguez that resulted in a run, due to an error by Jed Lowrie. Matt Joyce made the score 2-0 with an RBI groundout. In the top of the third inning, the Red Sox pulled something they have not done in 17 years. Rodriguez hit a ground ball to Lowrie. Lowrie stepped on third, threw it to Dustin Pedroia, who stepped on second, and threw it to Adrian Gonzalez to wrap up the Red Sox' first triple play since July 8, 1994, when John Valentin turned an unassisted TP against the Seattle Mariners. In the bottom of the third, Jason Varitek launched his 8th homer of the season off of Jeff Niemann (8-4), putting the Sox within 1. In the fifth, the Rays added to their lead, when Jennings launched his fifth homer of the season over the Green Monster, giving the Rays a 3-1 lead. Jacoby Ellsbury helped the Sox inch closer to the lead, launching his 22nd homer of the year (and his second of the day) to right field. After 6, the Sox were only down 3-2. Trouble struck the high point, when Matt Albers stepped on the mound in what became one of the messiest innings ever. Upton started the trouble, when he had an RBI single to right. Then, Zobrist stole home on a double steal, putting the Rays up 5-2. Kotchman drove in Upton with an RBI single to secure a 6-2 lead. Niemann wound up going the distance for the Rays, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, with 10 strikeouts to his credit. With that, the Rays were able to secure the nightcap with a stunning 6-2 win. The series wraps up tomorrow afternoon at 1:35, when the Sox try to regain first place. John Lackey (11-8) will get the start for the Sox, while the Rays will counter with their ace David Price (10-10). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning RAYS: Sean Rodriguez reaches on fielder's choice. Ben Zobrist scored on throwing error by Jed Lowrie. (TB, 1-0) 2nd Inning RAYS: Matt Joyce grounded out to second, BJ Upton scored. (TB, 2-0) 3rd Inning RED SOX: Jason Varitek homered (8) to right. (TB, 2-1) 5th Inning RAYS: Desmond Jennings homered (5) to left. (TB, 3-1) 6th Inning RED SOX: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (22) to right. (TB, 3-2) 8th Inning RAYS: Upton singled to right. Evan Longoria scored. (TB, 4-2) 8th Inning RAYS: Ben Zobrist stole home against Matt Albers. (TB, 5-2) 8th Inning RAYS: Casey Kotchman singled to center. Upton scored. (TB, 6-2) RAYS Hitters: Ben Zobrist (3-4, 2 SB), BJ Upton (3-4, SB, RBI), Desmond Jennings (2-5, HR, RBI), Johnny Damon (2-5, 2B), Casey Kotchman (2-4, RBI) RED SOX Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (1-4, HR, RBI), Jason Varitek (1-3, HR, RBI), Jed Lowrie (1-3) RAYS Pitchers: Jeff Niemann (9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K, 2 HR, 114 PC) RED SOX Pitchers: Erik Bedard (6 IP, 7 H, 3 R [1 ER], 6 K, HR, 102 PC), Matt Albers (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 30 PC), Franklin Morales (0.2 IP, H, K, 14 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, H, 12 PC) Line Score TBR 020 010 030-6 12 0 WP: Niemann (8-4) LP: Bedard (0-1) GAME NOTES: Red Sox turned a triple play in the third inning. ELLSBURY GOES DEEP AS SOX WIN 3-1 by Tim Scott In the first game of a day-night doubleheader, the Red Sox proved victorious with great pitching from Jon Lester (12-6) and a towering 3-run home run by Jacoby Ellsbury as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1. Even though the Sox won, the Rays had the first run, when Evan Longoria drove in Desmond Jennings on a groundout. After that, Lester was flawless. After allowing 2 hits in the first, Lester only allowed 1 other hit in the game. Lester wound up pitching 7 solid innings, striking out 8 Rays on 113 pitches. Lester was challenged throughout the game by the pitching of "Big Game" James Shields (11-10). Shields went the distance for the Rays, only allowing 3 hits and striking out 6 Red Sox batters. Shields's only folly came in the third inning, when Ellsbury lined his 21st home run of the season over Pesky Pole, driving in Josh Reddick & Mike Aviles, giving the Sox a solid 3-1 lead. Daniel Bard & Jonathan Papelbon pitched solidly in relief, allowing 0 hits in 2 innings, with Bard racking up 2 strikeouts. With that, the Red Sox took the day portion of the DH, 3-1. Erik Bedard (0-0, 4.50 ERA) gets the start for the Sox in the nightcap, while he faces the Rays' Jeff Niemann (7-4). The game started at 7:10 ET and is on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning TAMPA BAY: Evan Longoria grounded out to third. Desmond Jennings scored. (TB, 1-0) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (21) to right. Josh Reddick and Mike Aviles scored. (BOS, 3-1) Tampa Bay Hitters: Evan Longoria (1-4, RBI), Ben Zobrist (1-4, 2B), Desmond Jennings (1-4, RBI) Boston Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3, HR, 3 RBI), Josh Reddick (1-3), Mike Aviles (1-3) Tampa Bay Pitchers: James Shields (8 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K, HR, 114 PC) Boston Pitchers: Jon Lester (7 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 8 K, 113 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 10 PC) Line Score TB 100 000 000-1 3 0 WP: Lester (12-6) LP: Shields (11-10) SV: Papelbon (28) ORTIZ, ELLSBURY WORTH EXTENSIONS by Taylor Snyder There are two players in my opinion that should definitely be extended at the end of the 2011 season, and those 2 are Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz. The 1st player that should definitely be extended is Ellsbury, because of his major contributions for the Red Sox for this whole season. He, in my opinion, is carrying the Red Sox with his explosive hitting and great fielding. His big numbers show it all with 21 HR’s and 77 RBI’s with 153 hits this season, and he is one of the hottest players in baseball right now. He has done so much to help the team. The good thing about Ellsbury though is he will be leading off for the Sox through 2013, but then after that is when they will have too worry about him. But as of right now, he is definitely worth a keep for a long time in Boston. The other player that the Sox should definitely re-sign is Big Papi himself, David Ortiz. He is a big keeper in Boston because of his long hard work he has done in Boston, winning 2 World Series titles with them, and being such a fan favorite. I don’t see how you could ever put him on another team. He should stay in Boston for a very long time. He has improved greatly since 2010. In 2010 he had 32 homers and 102 RBI’s. This year Ortiz 24 homers and 74 RBI’s and is batting 300. And has still got a good amount left in him for the remainder of the season. Every time I watch Ortiz play it seems like he just gets better every time, and I think he will just continue to improve. A couple of years ago people thought Ortiz was fading away after struggling the whole 2008 and 2009 season. But Ortiz has shown us something, and that’s that he will just continue to improve and will never let down the fans of Boston. But I am not the only one a lot of people agree that they couldn’t envision him anywhere else. Ortiz is a great hitter and he is a great player so if I were the Red Sox GM, I would sign Ellsbury and Ortiz over the off-season! MLB DRAFT SIGNING DEADLINE TODAY Who will the Red Sox sign by the end of the night? by Tim Scott Tonight is one of the craziest nights in the baseball season. Today is the deadline to sign all 2011 Draft players. Many significant deals in the past have been made on deadline, most notably the signings of Bryce Harper (2010) and Stephen Strasburg. Currently, #1 pick Gerrit Cole has not signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he's expected to sign by the end of the night. Currently, the Red Sox have signed 5 of their top ten picks. However, the Red Sox have not signed their four first-round selections: RHP Matt Barnes, C Blake Swihart, LHP Henry Owens, and OF Jackie Bradley Jr. Here is some analysis on who the Red Sox have signed, who they should be able to sign, and the picks they most likely won't be able to acquire. ALREADY SIGNED OF Williams Jerez (2nd Round, Brooklyn, NY) Jerez was won of the first picks to sign with the Red Sox, when he signed on July 12. Jerez has good credentials with the bat, hitting .692 in his high school league in New York. Currently, with the GCL Red Sox, the speedy OF is hitting .250 with 8 RBIs and 4 SB. According to SoxProspects.com, he is expected to play 2012 with the Lowell Spinners. C Jordan Weems (3rd Round, Columbus, GA) Weems was a recent signee into the Red Sox organization. A very good offensive and defensive catcher, the Red Sox did not hesitate to select him in the third round. Currently with the GCL Red Sox, Weems is struggling to adapt to pro ball, only hitting .100 (2-20) in 6 games. He has also struck out 7 times. He is expected to make a slow yet steady rise throughout the Red Sox farm system in the future. LHP Miguel Pena (6th Round, San Jacinto JC) A draftee for the third consecutive season, having been picked by San Diego and Washington in the past, Pena decided to settle down and become a member of the Red Sox organization. With solid numbers at San Jacinto JC (10-3, 1.91 ERA, 93 K), Pena made the jump up to Lowell for the 2011 season. He possesses valuable pitches that will take him far. Currently on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury, Pena was in the midst of a hot streak, going 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 5 games with the Spinners. Due to his injury, he might have to repeat the 2012 season with the Spinners. 3B Travis Shaw (9th Round, Kent State) Shaw signed immediately after the draft for an $110,000 signing bonus. Previously drafted by the Sox in the 32nd round (2008), Shaw wrapped up his career at Kent State with stellar numbers. Even though he played 3B in college, scouts believe he should move to 1B due to his frame. Shaw has done well in his first season with Lowell, hitting .283 with 6 HR and 26 RBI in 40 games. Shaw is expected to play with Greenville in 2012. OF Cody Koback (10th Round, Wisconsin-Stevens Point) Koback was a recent signee of the Red Sox, signing on July 31. He is a solid contact hitter with above-average speed. With Wisconsin-Steven Point, Koback hit a spectacular .424 AVG with 8 HR and 47 RBI in 44 games. Currently, with the GCL Red Sox, Koback is tearing it up, hitting .357 with 1 RBI in 10 games. He is expected to start 2012 with Lowell. EXPECTED TO SIGN LHP Matt Barnes (1st Round, Connecticut) There are many reasons why Matt Barnes was the 2011 first round pick for the Red Sox. He has a very good fastball (clocked out at a whopping 97 MPH!), and also throws a solid changeup, curveball, and slider. The 6'4'' righty had a solid season with the Huskies in 2011, going 11-4 with a 1.62 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 16 starts. His signing status is almost certain. According to sports blog OverTheMonster, Barnes is almost certain to sign a contract with the Sox. Should he sign, Barnes should begin his professional journey with Greenville. However, Alex Speier of WEEI contradicts that, saying that it won't be shocking if Barnes does not sign before the deadline. Time will tell on this decision. C Blake Swihart (1st Round, Bedford, TX) The signing of Blake Swihart will have some sort of dramatic conclusion. Swihart fell down to the 26th overall pick due to his strong commitment to play with the University of Texas in 2012, and due to the fact he is seeking a $4 million signing bonus. Scouts project that Swihart might also play 3B if he signs with the Red Sox. Due to his demands, should the Red Sox sign him, he will take a chunk of Red Sox draft money, which might affect other signings throughout the night. LHP Henry Owens (1st Round, Huntington Beach, CA) Even though Owens has a scholarship to pitch with the University of Miami (FL) in 2012, Owens is projected to be signed by the end of the night, and play with the GCL Red Sox. Owens possesses a 6'7'' frame, with some good stuff on the mound. With his high school, he went 11-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 114 K in 13 games. If Owens signs, he might get an excess above his slot value. If he does sign, he should pitch with Greenville in 2012. RHP Noe Ramirez (4th Round, Cal State Fullerton) Ramirez was a good pitcher in a class of great pitchers this year. If he went in another year, he would definitely go higher than where has selected this year. However, the Sox picked him up in the fourth round, and hope to sign him. Like fellow draftee Jackie Bradley, Ramirez is a Scott Boras client, which means he will get a big bonus and a late deal should he sign. The Red Sox have offered big deals like these for late draftees, so Ramirez will be no different. Should Ramirez sign, he should begin 2012 with the Lowell Spinners. UNLIKELY TO SIGN OF Jackie Bradley (1st Round, South Carolina) A pivotal part of South Carolina's championship success the last 2 years, it is no wonder why Bradley was snatched as the 40th overall pick. Even though he had an off-season in his junior year, the Sox saw value in him, and selected him in the sandwich round. According to his agent, Scott Boras, it is unlikely that Bradley will sign with the Red Sox. Instead, the real question is if Bradley will return to South Carolina for his senior year. He could return, or play in an independent league to increase his draft value in 2012. SS Mookie Betts (5th Round, Brentwood, TN) Recently, Betts turned down a slot-recommended deal, which indicates that this shortstop might be heading to play ball with the University of Tennessee. Stranger things have happened, but seems highly likely that Betts will not sign with the Red Sox tonight. LHP Cody Kukuk (7th Round, Lawrence, KS) Kukuk was originally expected to be selected as a late-first round. But due to his demands for a high signing bonus ($1.05 million), he slipped down to the seventh round, where the Red Sox drafted him. According to WEEI.com, he sent an email to all 30 MLB teams saying that if he didn't get a big signing bonus, he would enroll at the University of Kansas in 2012. It will be a stretch, but it seems likely that Kukuk won't sign. OF Senquez Golson (8th Round, Pascagoula, MS) Signing Golson is one of the biggest questions the Red Sox have been pondering thus far. Golson, with his talent and speed, is also playing football at the University of Mississippi. According to sources, he has started practicing with the team. The signs are pointing to him not signing with the Sox, but due to the new NFL CBA limiting signing bonuses of rookies, he could sign for an enticing offer. SOURCES: WEEI and Sox Prospects. SOX LOST 5-3, NO 200TH FOR WAKE by Tim Scott Tim Wakefield could not finish his conquest for a 200th win for the 4th straight time, falling to the Mariners in a heartfelt battle, 5-3. Even though he lost, Wakefield went the distance, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits with 4 strikeouts. If it wasn't for a rowdy third inning, Wakefield would've secured his 200th win and given the Red Sox a win. It started when Jack Wilson drove in Casper Wells with an RBI infield single. That was quickly followed by an RBI sac fly by Franklin Gutierrez. Also, Mike Carp had an RBI single in the inning to push the Mariners lead up to 3-0. The Sox scored once in the fourth, by way of a sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie. Otherwise, for most of the game, the Red Sox were silenced by the impressive pitching of Charlie Furbush (3-4), who only allowed 4 hits in 7 innings and struck out 6 hitters. Yet the Mariners kept piling up the runs. Dustin Ackley singled in a run in the fifth, and Casper Wells launched his 2nd homer in as many days harshly over the left field wall, as the Mariners climbed to a 5-1 lead. However, the Red Sox would temporarily shift the momentum towards their favor. In the 8th, against Jeff Gray, Kevin Youkilis launched a 2-run bomb to left, driving in Dustin Pedroia, and putting the Sox within 2 of the Mariners lead. In the ninth, Brandon League shut down the Red Sox 1-2-3, striking out 2, and solidifying his 29th save, and a Mariners 5-3 victory. The Yankees-Rays tilt was postponed due to rain, so the Red Sox remain 1.5 games atop the Yankees in the East. For travelling purposes, the Red Sox will take the day off. On Tuesday, the Red Sox will have a day-night double header at Fenway, beginning at 1:05. In the day game, Jon Lester (11-6) will start for the Sox against James Shields (11-9). At 7:10, the night game, the Sox will start Erik Bedard (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. the Rays Jeff Niemann (7-4). The games will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 3rd Inning MARINERS: Jack Wilson singled to short. Casper Wells scored. (SEA, 1-0) 3rd Inning MARINERS: Franklin Gutierrez flied out to left. Wilson scored. (SEA, 2-0) 3rd Inning MARINERS: Mike Carp singled to right. Kyle Saeger scored. (SEA, 3-0) 4th Inning RED SOX: Jed Lowrie flied out to left. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (SEA, 3-1) 5th Inning MARINERS: Dustin Ackley singled to center. Ichiro Suzuki scored. (SEA, 4-1) 6th Inning MARINERS: Casper Wells homered (7) to left. (SEA, 5-1) 8th Inning RED SOX: Kevin Youkilis homered (17) to left. Dustin Pedroia scored. (SEA, 5-3) RED SOX Hitters: Kevin Youkilis (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Dustin Pedroia (1-4), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4), David Ortiz (1-4), Jed Lowrie (1-3) MARINERS Hitters: Casper Wells (1-3, HR, RBI), Ichiro Suzuki (2-4), Dustin Ackley (1-3, RBI), Mike Carp (1-4, RBI) RED SOX Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (8 IP, 9 H, 5 R [4 ER], 2 BB, 4 K, HR, 94 PC) MARINERS Pitchers: Charlie Furbush (7 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 95 PC), Jeff Gray (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, HR, 19 PC), Brandon League (1 IP, 2 K, 17 PC) Line Score SEA 003 011 000-3 6 2 WP: Furbush (3-4) LP: Wakefield (6-5) SV: League (29) SEATTLE BURNS SOX WITH 5-4 WIN by Tim Scott Safeco Field was the site of pure torture and torment for the Boston Red Sox. After a 5-run first, and a bad-call, the Red Sox were unable to overcome those obstacles, and took a hard loss, 5-4, at the hands of the Seattle Mariners. Josh Beckett (9-5) had arguably one of his worst starts of the season. His troubles, which led to the demise of the game, took off in the first. It started when Ichiro Suzuki lined a solo home run to right, giving the Mariners the early 1-0 lead. The troubles continued a few batters later, when Mike Carp ripped a 2-run singe to center, driving in Franklin Gutierrez & Dustin Ackley. Eventually, Casper Wells capped the rally with a 2-run homer of his own, giving the Mariners a 5-0 advantage after 1 inning. In the fourth, the Red Sox had a good chance at scoring a run. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right. Jacoby Ellsbury attempted to score from third, but Suzuki threw him out at home plate, ending the Sox's chances that inning. That play resulted in Terry Francona's ejection from the game. In the sixth inning, the Red Sox erupted for four runs in the inning. It started when Ellsbury lined his 20th home run of the season to right, driving in Marco Scutaro. Soon afterwards, Dustin Pedroia repeated the same feat, giving the Red Sox new life, trailing only 5-4. But it would be the Mariners bullpen that would shut down the Sox's hopes. After relieving Felix Hernandez (11-10) from hardships, Jamey Wright & Brandon League only allowed 1 hit in the final two innings to secure the win for the Mariners. Today, the rubber game of the series will be played to determine the winner at 4:10. Tim Wakefield will try to pursue his 200th win, and he will counter Charlie Furbush for that honor. The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning MARINERS: Ichiro Suzuki homered (2) to right. (SEA, 1-0) 1st Inning MARINERS: Mike Carp singled to center. Franklin Gutierrez and Dustin Ackley scored. (SEA, 3-0) 1st Inning MARINERS: Casper Wells homered (6) to left. Mike Carp scored. (SEA, 5-0) 6th Inning RED SOX: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (20) to right. Marco Scutaro scored. (SEA, 5-2) 6th Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia homered (16) to right. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (SEA, 5-4) RED SOX Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-3, HR, 2 RBI), Dustin Pedroia (1-4, HR, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4), Mike Aviles (2-3), Marco Scutaro (1-3, 3B) MARINERS Hitters: Casper Wells (2-4, HR, 2 RBI), Jack Wilson (2-3, 2B), Mike Carp (1-3, 2 RBI), Franklin Gutierrez (2-4), Ichiro Suzuki (1-4, HR, RBI) RED SOX Pitchers: Josh Beckett (5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, BB, 6 K, 2 HR, 99 PC), Matt Albers (1.2 IP, H, 3 K, 26 PC), Franklin Morales (0.2 IP, K, 6 PC), Alfredo Aceves (0.2 IP, 2 K, 10 PC) MARINERS Pitchers: Felix Hernandez (7 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 107 PC), Jamey Wright (1 IP, H, BB, 18 PC), Brandon League (1 IP, 2 K, 14 PC) Line Score BOS 000 004 000-4 10 0 WP: Hernandez (11-10) LP: Beckett (9-5) SV: League (28) GAME NOTES RED SOX MGR Terry Francona ejected in the fourth inning for arguing a call at home plate. REDDICK POWERS SOX PAST M's, 6-4 by Tim Scott It was a see-saw game from start to finish, but it would be the Red Sox that would overcome, and beat the Seattle Mariners, 6-4 in Seattle. David Ortiz and Josh Reddick had 2 RBIs on the night as the Red Sox won their first game since Tuesday. Getting the start for the Red Sox was John Lackey (11-8). Lackey went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs on 10 hits with 3 strikeouts. Lackey was the beneficiary of a consistant Red Sox offensive attack. Despite being down 2-0 in the second, Ortiz changed all of that, by hitting a solo homer to center. The Sox would tie the score later in the inning, on a Mike Aviles RBI sac fly. However, the Mariners would retake the lead. Dustin Ackley started up the engine, with an RBI single in the second, giving the Mariners a 3-2 lead. The Mariners would follow that up with an RBI double from Mike Carp (who had 2 RBIs earlier in the first), securing a Mariners 4-2 advantage. Yet, it would be the future of the Red Sox that would secure the winning effort. In the fifth, Jed Lowrie hit a solo home run to right, coming within 1 of the Mariners lead. The Sox would follow that up in the sixth, when Reddick hit a go-ahead 2-run blast to right, scoring in Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and provided the Sox with a 5-4 lead. The following inning, Ortiz would drive in Adrian Gonzalez with an RBI single, finalizing the Sox 6-4 lead. Franklin Morales, Daniel Bard, & Jonathan Papelbon mowed down the Mariners from the 7th-inning on, allowing 2 hits, and striking out 5 combined batters. The Red Sox will continue the series later tonight at 10:10 against the Mariners. Tim Wakefield (6-4) will get the start for the Red Sox, in his pursuit of his 200th win. He will face Charlie Furbush (2-4). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning SEATTLE: Mike Carp singled to center. Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutierrez scored. (SEA, 2-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz homered (24) to center. (SEA, 2-1) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Mike Aviles flied out to right. Carl Crawford scored. (Tied, 2-2) 2nd Inning SEATTLE: Dustin Ackley singled to left. Luis Rodriguez scored. (SEA, 3-2) 4th Inning SEATTLE: Carp doubled to center. Gutierrez scored. (SEA, 4-2) 5th Inning BOSTON: Jed Lowrie homered (4) to right. (SEA, 4-3) 6th Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick homered (5) to right. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 5-4) 7th Inning BOSTON: Ortiz singled to left. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 6-4) BOSTON Hitters: David Ortiz (2-5, HR, 2 RBI), Josh Reddick (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4, 2B), Dustin Pedroia (2-4), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-4) SEATTLE Hitters: Mike Carp (3-5, 2B, 3 RBI), Dustin Ackley (2-4, RBI), Franklin Gutierrez (2-4) BOSTON Pitchers: John Lackey (6 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 108 PC), Franklin Morales (0.2 IP, H, K, 14 PC), Daniel Bard (1.1 IP, BB, 3 K, 21 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, H, K, 14 PC) SEATTLE Pitchers: Blake Beavan (6.1 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, BB, K, 3 HR, 96 PC), Jeff Gray (1.2 IP, H, BB, K, 15 PC), Daniel Cortes (1 IP, H, 9 PC) Line Score BOS 020 012 000-6 13 0 WP: Lackey (11-8) LP: Beavan (3-3) SV: Papelbon (27) LATE TWINS RALLY TOPS SOX, 5-2 by Tim Scott Even though the Sox had late surge in the eighth inning, the Red Sox were unable to hold down the Minnesota Twins in the series finale, losing 5-2 after the Twins scored 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Red Sox snapped their 4-game winning streak, and currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Yankees. Despite a horrific eighth inning, Jon Lester (11-6) pitched an alright game for the Sox. The lefty went 7.1 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, with 4 strikeouts. He also had 5 walks on the evening. It would be the Twins that would strike first. In the first inning, Jim Thome lined an RBI single to right, driving in Joe Mauer, and giving the Twins a 1-0 lead early on. In the 6th inning, the Twins struck again, this time via an RBI double by Mauer. This play was controversial because the Red Sox thought the ball did not touch the fan, which would nullify the ground-rule double. However, the call was upheld, and the Twins took a 2-0 lead. Throughout the night, the Sox were baffled by Nick Blackburn. Blackburn only allowed 6 hits over 6.2 innings, striking out 4 and allowing only 1 run (0 earned). In the seventh inning, the Red Sox start a rally. Marco Scutaro started the rally, by driving in Mike Aviles with an RBI single, putting the Sox within a run, 2-1. In the eighth inning, David Ortiz would continue to torment his former team, by launching his 23rd home run of the season, and tying the score up at 2. However, it would be the bottom half of the eighth inning that the Twins would really bring it. Thome started the fire again, this time with an RBI double that broke open the tie, 3-2. Danny Valencia and Tsuyoshi Nishioka provided the other 2 RBIs for the Twins, giving them a 5-2 lead after 8. Glen Perkins (4-2) and Joe Nathan provided the relief for the Twins, shutting down the Sox, and giving the Twins a solid 5-2 win. The Red Sox will take the day off tomorrow, but will begin a 3-game series with the Seattle Mariners at 10:10 on Friday. John Lackey (10-8) will get the start for the Sox while the Mariners will counter with Blake Beavan. The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning TWINS: Jim Thome singled to center. Joe Mauer scored. (MIN, 1-0) 6th Inning TWINS: Mauer doubled to left. Ben Rever scored. (MIN, 2-0) 7th Inning RED SOX: Marco Scutaro singled to left. Mike Aviles scored. (MIN, 2-1) 8th Inning RED SOX: David Ortiz homered (23) to center. (Tied, 2-2) 8th Inning TWINS: Thome doubled to left. Mauer scored. (MIN, 3-2) 8th Inning TWINS: Danny Valencia doubled to left. Jason Repko scored. (MIN, 4-2) RED SOX Hitters: David Ortiz (2-3, HR, RBI), Mike Aviles (2-3, 2B), Marco Scutaro (1-5, RBI) TWINS Hitters: Jim Thome (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Delmon Young (2-2), Joe Mauer (1-2, 2B, RBI), Danny Valencia (1-4, 2B, RBI) RED SOX Pitchers: Jon Lester (7.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 119 PC), Alfredo Aceves (0.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 15 PC), Andrew Miller (0.1 IP, BB, K, 8 PC) TWINS Pitchers: Nick Blackburn (6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R [0 ER], 2 BB, 4 K, 108 PC), Glen Perkins (1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, K, HR, 28 PC), Joe Nathan (1 IP, K, 17 PC) Line Score BOS 000 000 110-2 8 0 WP: Perkins (4-2) LP: Lester (11-6) SV: Nathan (9) RED SOX ROLL PAST TWINS, 4-3 by Tim Scott The feeling was satisfactory for the Red Sox tonight. Becoming the benefactors of a Yankees 6-4 loss to the Angels, the Red Sox outplayed the Minnesota Twins, winning 4-3, and their 4-game winning streak is extended further. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Erik Bedard. Bedard did not factor into the decision, going 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, along with 6 strikeouts to his credit. However, he did have 4 walks on the evening. It was the Twins that would strike first. Michael Cuddyer started the fire with an RBI sac-fly to right. Bedard, who had control problems throughout the night, walked in the second run, in the form of Delmon Young. At the end of the first, the Twins were up with a comfortable 2-0 lead. However, it would be the Red Sox that would make another commanding comeback against the Twins. Tonight's hero was Darnell McDonald, who blasted a 2-run home run against Francisco Liriano. McDonald's 5th home run of the year evened up the score at 2 after 5 innings. Jason Varitek, who scored on the home run by McDonald, continued the Red Sox rally with an RBI single to left, scoring in Jed Lowrie, and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. After Bedard left the game, Matt Albers (3-2), despite getting the win, created a lot of tension on the mound in the sixth. The costly blow was an RBI double by Tsuyoshi Nishioka, evening the score at 3. With the bases loaded in the seventh, David Ortiz bounced an infield single to the pitcher, which managed to score in Dustin Pedroia, and give the Sox the go-ahead run, 4-3. The Red Sox bullpen from the seventh inning on was dominant. Franklin Morales, Daniel Bard, & Jonathan Papelbon held batters to just one hit over 3 innings, with 2 strikeouts combined. With that, the Red Sox held their tight lead, and took home the 4-3 victory. Tomorrow, the Sox wrap up their three-game series with the Twins at 8:10. Jon Lester (11-5) will get the start for the Sox, while the Twins will counter with Nick Blackburn (7-9). The game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning MINNESOTA: Michael Cuddyer flied out to center. Ben Revere scored. (MIN, 1-0) 5th Inning BOSTON: Darnell McDonald homered (5) to left. Jason Varitek scored. (Tied, 2-2) 6th Inning BOSTON: Varitek singled to left. Jed Lowrie scored. (BOS, 3-2) 6th Inning MINNESOTA: Tsuyoshi Nishioka doubled to right. Danny Valencia scored. (Tied, 3-3) 7th Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz singled to the pitcher. Dustin Pedroia scored. (BOS, 4-3) BOSTON Hitters: Darnell McDonald (2-3, HR, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4, 2B), Jason Varitek (1-3, RBI), David Ortiz (1-3, RBI) MINNESOTA Hitters: Tsuyoshi Nishioka (2-4, 2B, RBI), Joe Mauer (2-5, R), Danny Valencia (2-4, R) BOSTON Pitchers: Erik Bedard (5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 90 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 2 K, 30 PC), Franklin Morales (0.2 IP, H, K, 20 PC), Daniel Bard (1.1 IP, K, 14 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 7 PC) MINNESOTA Pitchers: Francisco Liriano (6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 7 BB, 4 K, HR, 109 PC), Matt Capps (0.1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 18 PC), Phil Dumatrait (0 IP, H, 2 PC), Alex Burnett (1 IP, 7 PC), Jose Mijares (1.2 IP, 2 K, 23 PC) Line Score BOS 000 021 100-4 6 0 WP: Albers (4-3) LP: Capps (3-6) SV: Papelbon (26) ORTIZ HELPS SOX BEAT TWINS, 8-6 by Tim Scott After playing a grueling 4-hour game against the Yankees the previous night, the Red Sox had another late rally in the 9th inning to top the Minnesota Twins, 8-6. David Ortiz was pivotal in the win, going 4-5 with a double, homer, and 3 RBIs. In his third attempt at gaining his 200th career win, Tim Wakefield came up empty again. Even though he couldn't get the win, the 45-year old knuckler went 7 innings, allowing 5 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, with 4 strikeouts to his credit. The Sox were the first to get on the board, courtesy of an RBI single by Marco Scutaro. The Sox could have had more runs on the play, but Jed Lowrie (in his 1st game since coming off the DL) was thrown out at third. However, it would be in the second inning when the Twins really started to challenge Wakefield. Jason Kubel started the fury with an RBI single, driving in Michael Cuddyer. It was a close play at home, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia misplayed the ball, and Cuddyer was able to score. It continued when Kubel scored on a Jim Thome double to center. Eventually, Thome scored on a passed ball by Saltalamacchia. At the end of the inning, the Twins were up 3-1. Kubel kept the drive moving for the Twins, lining a solo home run to right, adding to a 4-1 Twins lead. The following inning, Joe Mauer doubled in Trevor Plouffe, rising the pressure upon the Red Sox, and forcing a 5-1 lead upon them. Despite being down 5-1 after 5 innings, the Red Sox didn't give up hope. With Scott Baker getting increasingly tired after every pitch. It would be in the 6th inning that the Red Sox would regain the momentum, and get back in the game. It started when Adrian Gonzalez drove in Carl Crawford with a sac fly to get back within 3. Two batters later, David Ortiz launched a 441-foot bomb to right field, driving in Gonzalez, and putting the Red Sox within one of the Twins lead. Then, it was Saltalamacchia, who made up for the errors in the second inning with a game-tying home run to right, pinning the score at an even 5-5. Two innings later, Mike Aviles reached on a fielder's choice. The significance of the fielder's choice was that Mauer misplayed the throw from Matt Tolbert, allowing Ortiz to score, untying the knot, and putting the Sox on top, 6-5. However, Wakefield's attempt at win #200 was spoiled when Alfredo Aceves (8-1) entered the game. In the 8th, Kubel lined a single to center, scoring in Plouffe, and tying the score at 6. Glen Perkins (3-2) entered the game in the 8th inning, but it was in the 9th inning when he really melted. With 2 on, Ortiz continued his stride with an RBI single to center, scoring in pinch-runner Darnell McDonald. The next batter, Saltalamacchia, drove in Dustin Pedroia with an RBI double, giving the Sox a sturdy 8-6 lead. In another impressive outing, Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 25th save of the year, retiring all three batters he faced (2 with strikeouts), and securing the third straight Red Sox win. Tomorrow, the series resumes at 8:10, when the Sox try to go for their fourth straight victory. Erik Bedard (4-7 in SEA) will attempt to secure his first win as a member of the Red Sox. The Twins will counter against Francisco Liriano (7-9). The game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro singled to center. David Ortiz scored. (BOS, 1-0) 2nd Inning MINNESOTA: Jason Kubel singled to right. Michael Cuddyer scored on error by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. (Tied, 1-1) 2nd Inning MINNESOTA: Jim Thome doubled to center. Kubel scored. (MIN, 2-1) 2nd Inning MINNESOTA: Thome scored on a passed ball by Saltalamacchia. (MIN, 3-1) 4th Inning MINNESOTA: Kubel homered (9) to right. (MIN, 4-1) 5th Inning MINNESOTA: Joe Mauer doubled to center. Trevor Plouffe scored. (MIN, 5-1) 6th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez flied out to left. Carl Crawford scored. (MIN, 5-2) 6th Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz homered (22) to right. Gonzalez scored. (MIN, 5-4) 6th Inning BOSTON: Saltalamacchia homered (11) to right. (Tied, 5-5) 8th Inning BOSTON: Mike Aviles reached on a fielder's choice to short. Ortiz scored on an error by Joe Mauer. (BOS, 6-5) 8th Inning MINNESOTA: Kubel singled to center. Plouffe scored. (Tied, 6-6) 9th Inning BOSTON: Ortiz singled to center. Darnell McDonald scored. (BOS, 7-6) 9th Inning BOSTON: Saltalamacchia doubled to left. Dustin Pedroia scored. (BOS, 8-6) BOSTON Hitters: David Ortiz (4-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Marco Scutaro (3-4, RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-3, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-5) MINNESOTA Hitters: Jason Kubel (3-4, HR, 2 RBI), Trevor Plouffe (2-4, 2B), Matt Tolbert (2-3) BOSTON Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (7 IP, 8 H, 5 R [3 ER], 4 K, 102 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1 IP, 2 H, ER, 13 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 2 K, 14 PC) MINNESOTA Pitchers: Scott Baker (6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 5 K, 2 HR, 93 PC), Phil Dumatrait (0.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 14 PC), Matt Capps (0.2 IP, 5 PC), Glen Perkins (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R [1 ER], K, 23 PC), Joe Nathan (0.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 15 PC) Line Score BOS 010 004 012-8 17 2 WP: Aceves (8-1) LP: Perkins (3-2) SV: Papelbon (25) RED SOX TRANSACTIONS:
REDDICK BRINGS SOX BACK TO TOP, 3-2 by Tim Scott It might have been a roller coaster game, but the Boston Red Sox managed to beat the odds, and regain first place in the AL East with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees. The hero of the game was Josh Reddick, who got the game-winning single against Phil Hughes (2-5) for the win. The length of the game (4 hours, 15 minutes) eclipsed 2 truly great pitching performances. Getting the start of the Red Sox was Josh Beckett, who went 6 solid innings allowing just 1 run on 6 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts to his credit. For the Yankees, Freddy Garcia surprised the critics, by holding the Sox to just 1 run on 5 hits over 5 innings. Marco Scutaro, who would go 4-4 on the night, gave the Red Sox the first run of the game, by driving in Kevin Youkilis on an RBI single to left. However, it would be in the 5th inning when the Yankees would provide the equalizer. In an unlikely form, Eduardo Nunez launched his 4th homer of the year against Beckett over the Green Monster to tie the score at 1. Two innings later, against Matt Albers, leadoff batter Brett Gardner launched a line drive homer into the bullpen, helping the Yankees gain a 2-1 lead. Many Red Sox jams were aborted after Garcia left the game. With quality relief performances from Boone Logan, Cody Wade, Rafael Soriano, & David Robertson, the Red Sox could only get 3 hits in those 3 innings, but the most alarming stat was 0 runs. After Albers allowed the homer, Franklin Morales, Daniel Bard, & Jonathan Papelbon held the Yankees to 1 hit in 2 innings of work. Also, Wheeler struck out all 3 Yankees he faced, which gave the Sox momentum for the 9th inning. Entering the inning, many experts thought the Red Sox were done when one of the greatest closers of all time, Mariano Rivera, entered the game. But there's something about Fenway Park that gives the Sox a boost in confidence against the closer. After all, it was Rivera that allowed Dave Roberts to steal the base that ultimately led to a Red Sox comeback and a trip to the World Series. Maybe the same could be written tonight. The rally began with a Scutaro double off the Green Monster. Scutaro advanced to third on a sac bunt by Jacoby Ellsbury, and he would score on a sac fly by Dustin Pedroia, handing Rivera a blown save, and the Red Sox more life in extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Daniel Bard pitched a flawless inning, retiring all three batters he faced (Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, & Nick Swisher). In the bottom half, the Red Sox ganged up on Hughes, and really hit the ball well. It started when David Ortiz lined a ground-rule double to right. Eventually, he was replaced as a pinch-runner by Darnell McDonald. After an intentional walk of Carl Crawford, the stage was set for Reddick. On the first pitch, Reddick lined a fair ball into the left field corner, scoring in McDonald, and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 victory. With the win, the Red Sox regain full possession of first place, and more momentum heading into their series with the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. That series will begin on Monday, with Tim Wakefield (6-4) getting the start for the Red Sox. Wakefield will try to achieve his 200th career victory, but he will have to counter with Twins starter Scott Baker (8-6) to reach that plateau. The game will start at 7:00, and be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro singled to right. Kevin Youkilis scored. (BOS, 1-0) 5th Inning YANKEES: Eduardo Nunez homered (4) to left. (Tied, 1-1) 7th Inning YANKEES: Brett Gardner homered (5) to right. (NYY, 2-1) 9th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia flied out to left. Scutaro scored. (Tied, 2-2) 10th Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick singled to left. Darnell McDonald scored. (BOS, 3-2) YANKEES Hitters: Brett Gardner (3-5, HR, 2 SB, RBI), Russell Martin (2-4), Eduardo Nunez (1-4, HR, RBI) BOSTON Hitters: Josh Reddick (1-5, RBI), Marco Scutaro (4-4, 2B, RBI), Carl Crawford (3-4), David Ortiz (2-4, 2B), Dustin Pedroia (1-3, RBI) YANKEES Pitchers: Freddy Garcia (5 IP, 5 H, ER, 3 BB, K, 96 PC), Boone Logan (0.1 IP, H, BB, 11 PC), Cody Wade (0.2 IP, H, 18 PC), Rafael Soriano (1 IP, K, 18 PC), David Robertson (1 IP, H, 2 K, 16 PC), Mariano Rivera (1 IP, H, ER, 9 PC), Phil Hughes (0.1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 13 PC) RED SOX PITCHERS: Beckett, Albers, Morales, Wheeler, Papelbon, Bard LINE SCORE NYY 000 010 100 0-2 8 0 BOS 010 000 001 1-3 11 0 WP: Bard (2-5) LP: Hughes (2-4) ELLSBURY, LACKEY POUND YANKS, 10-4 by Tim Scott In a true stunner, the Red Sox ran the score up on the Majors'-winningest pitcher, CC Sabathia (16-6), to beat the Yankees, 10-4, and regain a share of first place. The Red Sox were led by Jacoby Ellsbury's 6 RBIs, and a 4-4 night from Carl Crawford. Getting the start for the Sox was John Lackey (10-8), who went 6 strong innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts on the evening. It was a close game up until the 3rd inning, when Ellsbury opened the run-gates with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring in Crawford. Immediately after, Dustin Pedroia doubled in Jarrod Saltalamacchia to give the Sox a comfortable 2-0 advantage. However, the Yankees came storming back against Lackey in the fourth. Thanks to an RBI double play by Nick Swisher and a game-tying single by Eric Chavez, the Yankees managed to tie the score at 2, putting the Sox in a familiar yet uncomfortable position. Despite the 2-2 tie against a power pitcher in Sabathia, the Red Sox never relented, and really opened the floodgates in the fourth. Crawford and Marco Scutaro lined RBI singles to left and center, adding more pressure on Sabathia. At that point, he allowed as many earned runs in 4.2 innings as he did in the entire month of July. The game really opened up when Ellsbury lined a three-run homer (his 19th of the year) to right. In sum, Sabathia allowed the most runs in a single outing during his Yankee career tonight (his ERA elevated to 2.81), and only lasted 2 more innings. Even though the Yankees got 2 more runs in the 5th (Derek Jeter RBI single) and 8th (Mark Teixeira's 32nd HR of the year), the Sox were still determined to make more of a run. With rookie Hector Noesi on the hill, the Red Sox really tied off against the youngster. A 2-RBI single by Ellsbury, and a Pedroia sac fly gave the Red Sox a very comfortable advantage, putting a 10-4 strain on the Yankees pitching staff. When Dan Wheeler retired Teixeira on a fly out to right, the Red Sox regained the confidence they needed, and a jump up in the standings. Currently, the Sox and Yankees remain in a deadlock tie for first in the AL East (69-43 each). It will be winner-take-all tomorrow night, when the Sox and Yanks take on each other in the rubber game of the series. The Red Sox will send out their ace Josh Beckett (9-4) to regain first place for Boston, while the Yankees will send out veteran Freddy Garcia (10-7). The game will start at 8:05, and be broadcast on ESPN. GAME STATS 3rd Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to right. Carl Crawford scored. (BOS, 1-0) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia doubled to deep left. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 2-0) 4th Inning YANKEES: Nick Swisher grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Curtis Granderson scored. (BOS, 2-1) 4th Inning YANKEES: Eric Chavez singled to left. Mark Teixeira scored. (Tied, 2-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Crawford singled to left. Kevin Youkilis scored. (BOS, 3-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro singled to left. Mike Aviles scored. (BOS, 4-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Ellsbury homered (19) to right. Crawford and Scutaro scored. (BOS, 7-2) 5th Inning YANKEES: Derek Jeter singled to center. Francisco Cervelli scored. (BOS, 7-3) 8th Inning YANKEES: Mark Teixeira homered (32) to right. (BOS, 7-4) 8th Inning BOSTON: Ellsbury singled to center. Josh Reddick and Crawford scored. (BOS, 9-4) YANKEES Hitters: Francisco Cervelli (3-4, 2B), Mark Teixeira (1-4, HR, RBI), Eric Chavez (2-4, RBI), Derek Jeter (1-5, RBI) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, HR, 6 RBI), Carl Crawford (4-4, 2B, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI) YANKEES Pitchers: CC Sabathia (6 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, BB, 6 K, HR, 94 PC), Luis Ayala (1 IP, 2 BB, 27 PC), Hector Noesi (1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 31 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: John Lackey (6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 115 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1 IP, H, 15 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, 2 H, ER, K, HR, 16 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, H, BB, K, 22 PC) Line Score NYY 000 210 010-4 10 0 BOS 002 500 030-10 11 1 WP: Lackey (10-8) LP: Sabathia (16-6) SOX BOW OUT OF FIRST TO YANKS, 3-2 by Tim Scott All it took was one bad inning to turn what was a stellar outing from Jon Lester (11-5) into a costly one, as the Red Sox lost, 3-2, to the New York Yankees. With this loss, the Red Sox drop out of first place, now sitting a meager 1 GB behind their rivals. Despite the loss, it was the Red Sox that jumped to an early lead in the third. Jacoby Ellsbury started the surge with an RBI double that bounced off the Green Monster, and gave the Red Sox an early 1-0 lead. One inning later, David Ortiz launched his 21st homer of the season over the right field wall, which gave the Sox a 2-0 lead. The Sox had a chance to capitalize further against Yankees starter Bartolo Colon. They had the bases loaded, and the man at the bat was the MLB RBI leader Adrian Gonzalez. Instead, Yankees MGR Joe Girardi made a wise decision, by bringing in reliever Boone Logan (3-2). Ultimately, it was Logan that had the last laugh, when he struck out Gonzalez to end the inning. Through 5 innings, Lester was dominating the Yankees lineup, allowing 0 runs on 2 hits with 7 strikeouts to his credit. However, it would be in the 6th inning when the course of the game would be changed for the worst. With runners on, Curtis Granderson ripped a liner to center, which drove in Eduardo Nunez and put the Yankees on the board. Eventually, an RBI double play by Robinson Cano tied the score, and ultimately, Nick Swisher doubled in the go-ahead run to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. In addition to their offensive surge in the the 6th, the Yankees never looked back due to their bullpen. Cody Wade, Rafael Soriano, & David Robertson held the Sox hitless from the 6th inning onward, setting the stage for Mariano Rivera to get his 29th save of the season, and give the Yankees a 3-2 victory. Tomorrow is Game 2, and the Red Sox hope to bounce back against the Yankees, and regain possession of 1st place. The game will start at 4:10, with John Lackey (9-8) getting the start for the Sox against MLB wins leader CC Sabathia (16-5). The game will be on FOX. GAME STATS 3rd Inning RED SOX: Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to center. Marco Scutaro scored. (BOS, 1-0) 4th Inning RED SOX: David Ortiz homered (21) to right. (BOS, 2-0) 6th Inning YANKEES: Curtis Granderson singled to center. Eduardo Nunez scored. (BOS, 2-1) 6th Inning YANKEES: Robinson Cano grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Derek Jeter scored. (Tied, 2-2) 6th Inning YANKEES: Nick Swisher doubled to left. Granderson scored. (NYY, 3-2) YANKEES Hitters: Nick Swisher (2-3, RBI), Curtis Granderson (1-4, RBI) RED SOX Hitters: David Ortiz (1-4, HR, RBI), Carl Crawford (2-4, 2B), Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3, 2B, RBI), Josh Reddick (2-4) YANKEES Pitchers: Bartolo Colon (4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K, HR, 94 PC), Boone Logan (1 IP, H, 2 K, 18 PC), Cody Wade (0.1 IP, 7 PC), Rafael Soriano (1 IP, K, 11 PC), David Robertson (1 IP, 11 PC), Mariano Rivera (1 IP, H, 2 K, 14 PC) RED SOX Pitchers: Jon Lester (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 108 PC), Matt Albers (2 IP, BB, 2 K, 29 PC), Randy Williams (0.2 IP, K, 15 PC), Alfredo Aceves (0.1 IP, 3 PC) Line Score NYY 000 003 000-3 5 0 WP: Logan (3-2) LP: Lester (11-5) SV: Rivera (29) SOX CAN'T MASTER MASTERSON, FALL 7-3 by Tim Scott A former Red Sox pitcher proved to be the dominant force between the Indians' 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox tonight. In Erik Bedard's debut, it was former Sox farmhand Justin Masterson (9-7) mastered the Red Sox offense, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 9 strikeouts on the night. Despite the loss, it was the Red Sox who got on the board first. Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz drove in runs in the first, to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. Yet, it was from that point on that the Indians had control. It was in the second inning when the Indians roared against Bedard. On two infield hits, the Indians managed to turn routine groundouts into RBI production zones, with Matt LaPorta and Austin Kearns driving in runs on an infield single and fielder's choice respectively. The Indians fully took the lead the following inning, when Carlos Santana drove in Asdrubal Cabrera on an RBI single to give the Indians a 3-2 lead. However, the Red Sox would briefly bounce back into the game. Against his former teammate, Josh Reddick drilled a liner to right that went over Pesky Pole, and tied the score up at 3. It was Reddick's 5th homer of the season. Once Bedard ended his outing after 5 innings of work, Franklin Morales (0-1) entered the game. It was then when the Indians brought out the wrecking ball. A few batters into his outing, Morales allowed Santana to launch a 2-run bomb to center field, which ultimately gave the Indians outright control of the game, 5-3. In the 7th, Travis Hafner doubled against new reliever Andrew Miller, which drove in Cabrera, and gave the Indians a 6-3 advantage. Also, in the 9th inning, the Indians drove in their 7th and final run, courtesy of new import Kosuke Fukodome's RBI double. Due to the domination of the Indians bullpen (Vinne Pestano, Tony Sipp & Chris Perez), the Red Sox were unable to recover from their deficit, and fell 7-3. Since the Yankees won 7-2 against the White Sox, the situation in the AL East is currently in a tight tie for first between the Red Sox and Yankees. That tie will be settled tomorrow evening, when the Red Sox host the Yankees at 7:10. Jon Lester (11-4) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Yankees will counter with Bartolo Colon (8-6). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning RED SOX: Adrian Gonzalez doubled to center. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 1-0) 1st Inning RED SOX: David Ortiz singled to right. Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 2-0) 2nd Inning INDIANS: Matt LaPorta reached on an infield single to first. Carlos Santana scored. (BOS, 2-1) 2nd Inning INDIANS: Austin Kearns grounded out to first. Kosuke Fukodome scored. (Tied, 2-2) 3rd Inning INDIANS: Santana singled to right. Asdrubal Cabrera scored. (CLE, 3-2) 4th Inning RED SOX: Josh Reddick homered (5) to right. (Tied, 3-3) 6th Inning INDIANS: Santana homered (16) to center. (CLE, 5-3) 7th Inning INDIANS: Travis Hafner doubled to center. Cabrera scored. (CLE, 6-3) 9th Inning INDIANS: Kosuke Fukodome doubled to left. Cabrera scored. (CLE, 7-3) INDIANS Hitters: Carlos Santana (3-4, HR, 3 RBI), Kosuke Fukodome (3-5, 2B, RBI), Travis Hafner (3-4, 2 2B, RBI), Matt LaPorta (2-5, 2B, RBI) RED SOX Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-3), Josh Reddick (1-4, HR, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-4, 2B, RBI) INDIANS Pitchers: Justin Masterson (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 9 K, HR, 118 PC), Vinnie Pestano (1.1 IP, BB, K, 16 PC), Tony Sipp (0.2 IP, 9 PC), Chris Perez (1 IP, 12 PC) RED SOX Pitchers: Erik Bedard (5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 5 K, 70 PC), Franklin Morales (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, HR, 12 PC), Alfredo Aceves (0.2 IP, H, 2 K, 14 PC), Andrew Miller (2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 71 PC), Dan Wheeler (0.1 IP, 5 PC) Line Score CLE 021 002 101-7 14 1 WP: Masterson (9-7) LP: Morales (0-1) ELLSBURY DOES IT AGAIN! SOX WIN 4-3 by Tim Scott He did it again! For the second straight night, less than 24 hours after the first, Jacoby Ellsbury led the Sox to another walk-off victory over the Cleveland Indians. This time, it was a solo home run to straight center that did the trick, giving the Sox a beneficial 4-3 win over the Indians. Getting the start for the Sox was the ageless wonder Tim Wakefield, who was denied another attempt at his 200th win. Even though he didn't factor in the decision, the 45-year old starter went 6.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts to his credit. Yet, it was the Sox that gave Wakefield an early boost in the first. David Ortiz provided the early spark, driving in Adrian Gonzalez & Kevin Youkilis to give the Sox an early 2-0 lead against Indians starter Carlos Carrasco. However, in the fourth, the Indians would come storming back. Jason Kipnis launched his 3rd home run in as many days, inching the Indians closer to the lead, 2-1. In the same inning, Travis Hafner leveled the playing field with an RBI double, driving in Asdrubal Cabrera to tie the score at 2. Soon, in the bottom of the 4th, the Red Sox retook the lead. Marco Scutaro reached on a fielder's choice, driving in David Ortiz, and the Sox were back in business with a 3-2 advantage. Entering the seventh, it seemed like Wakefield would get his 200th win. But, Ezequiel Carrera spoiled his chances, lofting a ground-rule double to right, which scored in the tying run (Lonnie Chisenhall). Immediately after that, Randy Williams entered the game, and pitched an excellent performance (1.1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K). In the 8th, after Carrasco walked Youkilis on his 112th (career-high) pitch of the night, the Indians turned to their own lefty specialist Tony Sipp to finish the job. Sipp stranded a runner at second base, and also managed to retire all 3 Red Sox batters he faced. After Jonathan Papelbon retired the Indians 1-2-3 in the ninth, it would be the offense's turn to finish the job. With Indians RP Joe Smith on the mound, the Sox were confident that they could make a run. Despite Darnell McDonald and Scutaro already retired, it would be Ellsbury that would wield the ultimate at-bat of the night. One night removed from his walk-off single against Vinnie Pestano, Ellsbury was determined to repeat the feat. After taking strike one looking, Ellsbury launched a missile to deep center field. All Carrera could do was look up, and the ball was out of the park. Ellsbury hit his 2nd walk off hit in as many days, and gave the Red Sox a well-deserved win. It also helped greatly, because the Yankees destroyed the White Sox with an 18-7 win, so the difference between the rivals remains at 1 game. Tomorrow, the series wraps up at 7:10 at Fenway. Erik Bedard (4-7 w/SEA) will make his Red Sox debut against the Indians, who will counter with former Sox pitcher Justin Masterson (8-7). The game will be televised on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz singled to left. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis scored. (BOS, 2-0) 4th Inning CLEVELAND: Jason Kipnis homered (4) to right. (BOS, 2-1) 4th Inning CLEVELAND: Travis Hafner doubled to right. Asdrubal Cabrera scored. (Tied, 2-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro reached on a fielder's choice to short. Ortiz scored. (BOS, 3-2) 7th Inning CLEVELAND: Ezequiel Carrera hit a ground-rule double to right. Lonnie Chisenhall scored. (Tied, 3-3) 9th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (18) to center. (BOS, 4-3) CLEVELAND Hitters: Jason Kipnis (1-2, HR, RBI), Ezequiel Carrera (1-3, 2B, RBI), Travis Hafner (1-3, 2B, RBI) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (1-5, HR, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-4), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4), Josh Reddick (2-2), David Ortiz (1-3, 2 RBI) CLEVELAND Pitchers: Carlos Carrasco (7 IP, 9 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 5 K, 112 PC), Tony Sipp (1 IP, 2 K, 14 PC), Joe Smith (0.2 IP, H, ER, HR, 8 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR, 99 PC), Randy Williams (1.1 IP, BB, K, 24 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, K, 14 PC) Line Score CLE 000 200 100-3 5 1 WP: Papelbon (4-0) LP: Smith (2-2) Bedard to Boston! by Taylor Snyder The Boston Red Sox were looking for a pitcher at the trade deadline to help their pitching staff with all of the injuries they have had. The Sox currently have Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Bobby Jenks on the DL. These were three pitchers that were supposed to step it up for the Sox this year. Jenks, who was a big acquisition for them, and Buchholz, who was supposed to be a top pitcher for the Sox after having a good past years with the Red Sox. The Red Sox would be seeking Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez this season sits at a record of 6-9 and has an ERA of 4.46, and has a career record of 56-45 and a 3.66 ERA. Jimenez has spent 4 and half years in Colorado, and has very successful years. He has become one of the top pitchers in baseball over the past couple of years. He would be a great fit for Boston to support their good pitching staff. But this trade that Boston had hoped for would not be done, when the Cleveland Indians outbid the Red Sox in acquiring Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians would have to give away 4 impressive prospects. These 4 men were pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, as well as Joe Gardner and Matt McBride. Some Indians fans saw this as a huge win, but some others think it’s a huge mistake because of Jimenez not producing well this year, and not becoming the top pitcher the Rockies had hoped for. Sox fans were upset to see Jimenez go to the Indians, but they wouldn’t be done yet. The sox would go out and acquire Erik Bedard from the Seattle mariners at the last second before the trade deadline. It was a 2 step deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that they made a minute earlier in order to get the Mariners to accept the trade. Red Sox owner Theo Epstein said, “We would not have been satisfied if we would not have got a starter before the trade deadline”. Bedard was not the first choice for the Sox because he missed a lot of the season with injuries, and not impressing anyone in his last start. With Jimenez gone, and Rich Harden’s medical history, they knew to think ahead and work out a deal with the Dodgers and package prospect Portland outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang with a Dodger prospect outfielder Trayvon Robinson to land Bedard and a minor-league reliever Josh Fields. Despite Bedard struggling lately, he still liked his performance before injuring his knee. He was at one point one of the league’s most dominant pitchers with a 8-3 record in 11 starts with a 1.77 ERA a 191 Batting average against, 16 strikeouts and 15 walks in 71 1/3 innings. Those are some very impressive and promising numbers, which is why Theo had some faith in Erik. All Bedard needs to do is stay intact for two months, because he represents a short-term fix and not a long term solution. But when it is all done, we would like to get top players like Harden or Jimenez, but we all welcome Erik Bedard to Boston and see what he can do for the Red Sox pitching staff. ELLSBURY LEADS SOX TO 3-2 WALKOFF WIN by Tim Scott It may have taken a 1 hour, 35 minute rain delay, an intense pitching duel, and some mighty threats, but the Red Sox were able to avoid all of the pressure, and walk-off to a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians. After the long rain delay, the Red Sox gave the ball to Josh Beckett for the start. Two batters into the game, he hurled a fastball to Jason Kipnis, who clubbed it into the bullpen for a solo home run. The Indians had the early lead, 1-0 after 1. In the second inning, a series of strange events occured. On a routine grounder, Carl Crawford was able to reach on a fielder's choice because Kipnis misplayed the ball. Eventually, Jason Varitek drove in a run on a strikeout, tying up the score at 1-1. Quickly into the fourth, the Indians came roaring back. This time, it was Lonnie Chisenhall who gave the Sox trouble. The rookie slammed a ball into the bullpen, giving the Indians their 6th homer in 2 days, and also the 2-1 lead. The Indians gave the Red Sox a lot of problems early on, and David Huff was responsible primarily. Huff went 5 innings, allowing 1 run (0 ER) on 3 hits with 6 strikeouts. However, he threw 102 pitches, so he had to end his stellar performance early. Instead, it was his replacement Rafael Perez that blew a comfy lead for the Indians. Kevin Youkilis was the culprit, launching a solo missile over the Green Monster, and driving the Red Sox to a tie at 2-2. The bullpen for the Red Sox did excellent. Franklin Morales and Jonathan Papelbon (3-0) only allowed 1 hit combined over 3 innings of work, and struck out 4 batters as well. However, the Sox would really come through in the 9th. Against Vinnie Pestano (1-1), the Sox managed to get 2 on with 1 out, setting the stage for Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury lined a routine grounder down the third base line for a basehit, scoring in pinch-runner Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 win by way of the walk-off. The Sox maintain sole possession of first place with their win. Also today, the Yankees beat the White Sox, 6-0. Currently, the Sox lead the Yankees by 1 game. With the walk-off win, the Sox gain valuable momentum heading into Game 3 of the contest. Getting the start for the Sox tomorrow is Tim Wakefield (6-4), who is pursuing win #200 with the Red Sox. Countering him will be Carlos Carrasco (8-9). The game will start at 7:10 and be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning CLEVELAND: Jason Kipnis homered (3) to right. (CLE, 1-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek struck out swinging. David Ortiz scored on WP by D. Huff. (Tied, 1-1) 4th Inning CLEVELAND: Lonnie Chisenhall (3) to right. (CLE, 2-1) 6th Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis homered (16) to left. (Tied, 2-2) 9th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury singled to center. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 3-2) CLEVELAND Hitters: Jason Kipnis (1-4, HR, RBI), Lonnie Chisenhall (1-4, HR, RBI) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (1-5, RBI), Kevin Youkilis (1-4, HR, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-4, SB) CLEVELAND Pitchers: David Huff (5 IP, 5 H, R (0 ER), 2 BB, 6 K, 102 PC), Rafael Perez (0.2 IP, H, ER, K, HR, 12 PC), Joe Smith (1.1 IP, H, K, 15 PC), Tony Sipp (1 IP, BB, K, 17 PC), Vinnie Pestano (0.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 10 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: Josh Beckett (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 7 K, 2 HR, 85 PC), Franklin Morales (2 IP, H, 3 K, 22 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, K, 10 PC) LINE SCORE CLE 100 100 000-2 7 2 WP: Papelbon (3-0) LP: Pestano (1-1) GAME NOTES The game was delayed for 1 hour, 35 minutes due to rain. BOS-3B Kevin Youkilis was ejected in the bottom of 8th by 1B umpire Gerry Davis for arguing balls and strikes. TRANSACTIONS Boston activated SP Erik Bedard to the active roster. Optioned INF Drew Sutton to AAA Pawtucket. INSTANT REPLAY BURNS OUT SOX, 9-6 by Tim Scott What turned out to be a rarity in any circumstance proved to be the difference. A single by Asdrubal Cabrera that was overturned due to instant replay because the ball left a scar on a lady's leg ended up burning out the hopes of a Red Sox victory. With that, the Indians rolled to a 9-6 win. Cabrera was the main star on the night for the Indians. In the game, the All-Star shortstop went 3-5 with an eye-popping 2 home runs and 4 RBIs at times which proved costly for the Red Sox. Who might've been the cause for this stunning loss? Getting the start for the Sox was John Lackey. Lackey may have had a no-decision, but allowed 5 runs on 8 hits in 6.2 innings, and 5 strikeouts. Lackey also allowed 2 home runs in the game (back-to-back jacks from Cabrera and Travis Hafner) and threw 106 pitches (only 74 strikes). Even though Lackey had his issues, the Red Sox maintained good ground early on. In the first, Marco Scutaro gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead with an RBI single. That was followed up in the 3rd, when Kevin Youkilis drove in Adrian Gonzalez with a triple. However, Youkilis was thrown out at home plate while trying to stretch into a homer. Soon afterwards, Carl Crawford lined a solo homer (his 7th of the season) into the rightfield bullpen, upping the Red Sox lead to 3-1. It seemed as if the Sox had figured out Indians starter Josh Tomlin, but it was soon after when the Indians discovered Lackey's weak spot. In the 4th, the Indians grabbed a slice of the Red Sox lead, when Kosuke Fukodome drove in a run with a fielder's choice. However, it was in the 6th inning that trouble started to roam onto Fenway. Entering the game, Cabrera was hitting .289 with 17 homers. It was in the 6th inning when Cabrera discovered his power stroke. Against Lackey, he lofted a fly ball over into the bullpen area, giving the Indians the 4-3 lead, and more insecurity for Lackey. Historically, after giving up the lead, Lackey is pretty rough, and gets batters out. He didn't prove that tonight. The next batter, Hafner, launched another home run, this time to right center, extending the Indians lead to 5-3. Yet the Red Sox managed to even out the damage, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia launched his 10th home run of the year to right, driving in Crawford, and evening the score at 5. This would be the last time the Sox would be tied up with the Indians. After Lackey was taken out after allowing a hit to Ezequiel Carrera, lefty Franklin Morales came in, and struck out Michael Brantley to end the seventh. Despite scoring 5 runs in the first 7 innings, the bulk of the Indians offense would come in the 8th. Entering the game, Daniel Bard had the highest shutout streak in the American League, going 26.1 innings without allowing a run. That streak ended tonight, and it came with a fateful overturned call thanks to instant replay. This was the situation. With Jason Kipnis on first, Cabrera lines a shot to right. It appears at first that the ball made an awkward ricochet off the wall, and RF Josh Reddick made a clean throw to third. However, Indians manager Manny Acta debated that the ball bounced off something in the stands and back onto the field, thus making it a home run. After a few minutes of deliberation and instant replay, it turns out the ball hit a woman in the knee, and it ricocheted back onto the field. The play was overturned, and Cabrera had homer #2 for the night, giving the Indians a 7-5 lead. Bard allowed another run via a Matt LaPorta double, and the Indians ended the inning with an 8-5 lead. In the 9th, Indians rookie Jason Kipnis launched his second career home run against Matt Albers, increasing the Indians lead. Despite an RBI double by Jacoby Ellsbury in the 9th, the Indians were able to close out the victory, and defeat the Red Sox 9-5. The Red Sox had 12 hits and left only 4 men on base, but it was pitching that led to their loss tonight. As a whole, the 5 Sox pitchers (Lackey, Morales, Bard, Randy Williams, Albers) allowed 9 runs on 13 hits, and allowed 4 home runs. Tomorrow, the Sox hope to avenge tonight's loss at 7:10, when they play Game 2 against the Indians. Josh Beckett (9-4) will get the start for the Sox while the Indians counter with David Huff (1-1). The game will be on NESN, and BHS blogger Tim Scott will try to get the game on live feed. If not, the game will just be on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro singled to right. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 1-0) 3rd Inning CLEVELAND: Michael Brantley doubled to deep right. Ezequiel Carrera scored. (Tied, 1-1) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis tripled to center. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 2-1) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Carl Crawford homered (7) to right. (BOS, 3-1) 4th Inning CLEVELAND: Kosuke Fukodome reached on a fielder's choice to short. Asdrubal Cabrera scored. (BOS, 3-2) 6th Inning CLEVELAND: Cabrera homered (18) to right. Jason Kipnis scored. (CLE, 4-3) 6th Inning CLEVELAND: Travis Hafner homered (10) to right. (CLE, 5-3) 6th Inning BOSTON: Saltalamacchia homered (10) to right. Crawford scored. (Tied, 5-5) 8th Inning CLEVELAND: Cabrera homered (19) to right. Kipnis scored. (CLE, 7-5) 8th Inning CLEVELAND: Matt LaPorta doubled to left. Carlos Santana scored. (CLE, 8-5) 9th Inning CLEVELAND: Kipnis homered (2) to right. (CLE, 9-5) 9th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ground-rule double to left. Mike Aviles scored. (CLE, 9-6) CLEVELAND Hitters: Asdrubal Cabrera (3-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Jason Kipnis (3-5, 2B, HR, RBI), Ezequiel Cabrera (2-4) BOSTON Hitters: Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Carl Crawford (2-4, HR, RBI), Kevin Youkilis (2-4, 3B, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-5) CLEVELAND Pitchers: Josh Tomlin (6 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 94 PC), Rafael Perez (1 IP, H, 12 PC), Vinnie Pestano (1 IP, 2 K, 10 PC), Chris Perez (1 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 K, 23 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: John Lackey (6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 5 K, 2 HR, 106 PC), Franklin Morales (0.1 IP, K, 3 PC), Daniel Bard (0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, HR, 20 PC), Randy Williams (0.2 IP, 2 H, 11 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, H, ER, K, HR, 16 PC) Line Score: CLE 001 103 031-9 13 0 BOS 012 002 001-6 12 1 WP: R. Perez (4-1) LP: Bard (1-5) GAME NOTES BOS-SS Marco Scutaro left the game in the top of the 5th due to dizziness. PEDROIA LEADS RED SOX TO 5-3 WIN by Tim Scott Today was truly a great day for the Boston Red Sox. Along with the acquisition of Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox managed to secure another, more significant victory. They edged out the Chicago White Sox, 5-3, taking 2 out of 3 in the series. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Andrew Miller. After 5.2 innings, Miller left the game with another no-decision to his credit, allowing 3 earned runs on 10 hits with 8 strikeouts to his credit. Miller also allowed 1 walk, and threw 106 pitches on the afternoon. It was the Red Sox who struck the board first. In the second inning, Jason Varitek lined his 7th home run of the year off of Mark Buehrle, driving in Darnell McDonald, and providing the Red Sox with a 2-0 advantage after 2 innings. But the White Sox would finally get under Miller's nerves, and they started in the second inning. Brent Morel started the charge for the White Sox, driving in a run with a double to deep center. In the third, Alex Rios capitalized on an opportunity, by driving in Carlos Quentin with an RBI single. In the fourth, Alexei Ramirez drove in Gordon Beckham with an RBI single of his own. At the end of four, the White Sox had the upper hand, leading the Red Sox, 3-2. However, it would be in the 7th inning that the Red Sox would storm back and fend off the pesky Chicagoan Sox. Dustin Pedroia, who ended the month with a .407 average, drove in 2 runs with an RBI single against Jesse Crain (5-3), giving the Sox a comfortable 4-3 advantage. In the 9th, Adrian Gonzalez provided the Red Sox with insurance runs, driving in Jacoby Ellsbury with an RBI single, giving the Red Sox a 5-3 lead. If there was a part of the game that the Red Sox dominated in, it would be relief. Alfredo Aceves (7-1), Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon held the White Sox to only 1 hit over 2.1 innings of work, with 5 strikeouts (3 from Papelbon) to their credit. The Red Sox return to Fenway Park to start a four game series with Cleveland Indians. Game 1 of that series will be tomorrow at 7:00. John Lackey (9-8) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Indians will counter with Josh Tomlin (11-5). The game will be on NESN and ESPN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek homered (7) to left. Darnell McDonald scored. (BOS, 2-0) 2nd Inning WHITE SOX: Brent Morel doubled to center. Tyler Flowers scored. (BOS, 2-1) 3rd Inning WHITE SOX: Alex Rios singled to left. Carlos Quentin scored. (Tied, 2-2) 4th Inning WHITE SOX: Alexei Ramirez singled to center. Gordon Beckham scored. (CWS, 3-2) 7th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to center. Marco Scutaro and Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 4-3) 9th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez doubled to right. Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 5-3) BOSTON Hitters: Dustin Pedroia (2-4, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-5, 2 2B, RBI), Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, SB), Marco Scutaro (2-4) WHITE SOX Hitters: Brent Morel (2-3, 2B, RBI), Alexei Ramirez (2-5, 2B, RBI), Carlos Quentin (2-5), Alex Rios (1-5, RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Andrew Miller (5.2 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, BB, 8 K, 106 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1 IP, BB, K, 25 PC), Daniel Bard (1.1 IP, H, K, 15 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 3 K, 17 PC) WHITE SOX Pitchers: Mark Buehrle (6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR, 105 PC), Jesse Crain (0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R [1 ER], 15 PC), Chris Sale (1 IP, BB, 2 K, 19 PC), Jason Frasor (1 IP, H, ER, BB, K, 25 PC), Will Ohman (0.2 IP, H, BB, K, 13 PC) Line Score BOS 020 000 201-5 10 1 CWS 011 100 000-3 11 0 WP: Aceves (7-1) LP: Crain (5-3) SV: Papelbon (24) GAME NOTES: CWS-Paul Konerko left the game in the top of the 5th with an injured left leg after being hit by a pitch in the 4th. RED SOX TRANSACTIONS
Red Sox are Wheeling and Dealing By: Shane Godek A day before the trade deadline, the Red Sox tried to improve their roster for their playoff run. They first went to the Kansas City Royals and made a deal to acquire utility infielder Mike Aviles. Aviles has five homeruns and ten steals on the season and can play second and third base, as well as his natural position, shortstop. The Sox surrendered third baseman Yamaico Navarro along with right-handed pitching prospect Kendal Volz. Navarro has scattered 8 hits over 37 at bats this season for the Sox, and is considered to be a potential every day starter in the future. Volz was a ninth round pick for the Red Sox, and has shown some promise this year, striking out 56 batters over 51 and 1/3 innings. This deal gives the Red Sox an upgrade on their bench, as well some added speed. It is expected that Aviles will be sent down when Jed Lowrie returns, and the Red Sox will try to turn him into and outfielder before roster expansion in September. The Red Sox also traded for Oakland pitcher Rich Harden… almost. The principle to send prospect Lars Anderson to the A’s for Harden was on the table, but the Red Sox backed out after team doctors didn’t like what saw in Harden’s medicals. For a guy who has shown the only thing he does consistently in his career is get hurt, this shouldn’t come as much of a shock. The Red Sox dodged a bullet by backing out of the deal at the last second. All that Harden would have given them was another arm that needs rehabbing in the minors a month from now. With Ubaldo Jimenez already traded, and Hiroki Kuroda making it clear he wants to go down with the ship in L.A, the Red Sox are going to turn their attention to acquiring pitcher Erik Bedard. Even though Bedard recorded only 4 outs and gave up 5 runs in his return from the the D.L on Friday, the Sox would like to add another arm to the rotation. Personally, I think the Red Sox would get the same pitcher in Erik Bedard as they would in Rich Hill. They would be better off calling up Kevin Millwood and taking their chances with him if they need another starter. He has a 4.1 ERA in 12 starts for the AAA-Pawtucket Red Sox this year, and has actually logged 41 career postseason innings with a 3.92 ERA. Granted, the last time he played October baseball was in 2002, but I really don’t think he would do worse than Rich Harden or Erik Bedard, and he doesn’t cost us a prospect. If the Red Sox are going to make any moves, it will be to acquire bullpen depth. Guys like Rafael Betancourt and Grant Balfour could both be on the market, and the Red Sox could benefit from adding another arm to their pen. After that, there isn’t much on the market that the Red Sox would want. A guy like Ryan Ludwick may intrigue the Sox, but it appears that the Indians and the Pirates are making it a two horse race for Ludwick’s skills. Another right handed bat that may attract the Sox is Josh Willingham, but the Red Sox don’t appear to be willing to meet the A’s price for him. He and Ludwick would add power from the right side of the plate, and play right field for Boston, something that the Sox could use. The Red Sox certainly have talent in house, but is it enough to compete with the other American league teams that are adding pieces add the deadline? Only time will tell us that. Maybe this year will be the year that the Sox don’t pull off a monster deal. You can never count them out though. As long as Theo Epstein is leading the front office, they are always a threat to swoop in at the last second and steal a player away from another contender. If they do make a deal, let’s just hope they catch lightning in a bottle, not J.D Drew in a bottle. LESTER PITCHES RED SOX TO 10-2 VICTORY by Tim Scott After a rough slide of 2 consecutive losses, the Red Sox managed to pull together, and went back on the winning path with an impressive 10-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. The day started with the acquisitions of Mike Aviles (who played an inning in the field) from the Royals, and Rich Harden from the Athletics. From the start, it was a sign that the Sox were taking care of business. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Jon Lester (11-4), who was trying to overcome his ND vs. the Royals on Monday. He did so successfully, going 8 solid innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits with 8 strikeouts to his credit. Despite four quiet innings, the Red Sox really exploded in the 5th against White Sox starter Philip Humber (8-7). Jarrod Saltalmacchia started the charge with an RBI double. Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia each added sacrifice flies, and Kevin Youkilis drove in a run with an RBI single. The Sox were up 4-0 after 4.5 innings. The White Sox had brief surges of confidence in the 7th and 8th innings. Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham each had solo home runs, and the White Sox inched back 5-2. In the 8th, the Sox had an RBI from Scutaro, but it was in the 9th when the Sox really shined. Adrian Gonzalez and Youkilis had back-to-back home runs, which drove in three runs. Also, Saltalmacchia and Scutaro drove in 2 more runs, and the Sox rolled to a 10-2 victory. Today's game was truly a refreshment for the Sox as opposed to their last two. The Sox slugged out 15 hits, drove in 10 runs, and only left 9 men on base. They also held the White Sox to 2 runs on 5 hits, despite only 4 LOB. The Sox wrap up the series on Sunday at 2:10 against the White Sox. Andrew Miller (4-1) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the White Sox will counter with Mark Buehrle (8-5). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 5th Inning BOSTON: Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled to right. Carl Crawford scored. (BOS, 1-0) 5th Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro flied out to right. Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 2-0) 5th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia flied out to right. Josh Reddick scored. (BOS, 3-0) 5th Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis singled to third. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 4-0) 7th Inning WHITE SOX: Paul Konerko homered (25) to left. (BOS, 4-1) 8th Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro singled to center. Reddick scored. (BOS, 5-1) 8th Inning WHITE SOX: Gordon Beckham homered (8) to left. (BOS, 5-2) 9th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez homered (18) to right. Pedroia scored. (BOS, 7-2) 9th Inning BOSTON: Youkilis homered (15) to left. (BOS, 8-2) 9th Inning BOSTON: Saltalamacchia doubled to right. Crawford scored. (BOS, 9-2) 9th Inning BOSTON: Scutaro singled to center. Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 10-2) BOSTON Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez (3-4, HR, 2 RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-4, RBI), Kevin Youkilis (2-5, HR, 2 RBI), Carl Crawford (2-4, 2 RBI), Jarrod Saltalmacchia (2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Marco Scutaro (2-3, 2 RBI) WHITE SOX Hitters: Paul Konerko (1-3, HR, RBI), Gordon Beckham (1-3, HR, RBI) RED SOX Pitchers: Jon Lester (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K, 98 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, H, BB, 16 PC) WHITE SOX Pitchers: Philip Humber (4. IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 86 PC), Will Ohman (1.2 IP, 2 H, BB, K, 36 PC), Jason Frasor (0.2 IP, K, 9 PC), Brian Bruney (1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, BB, 2 HR, 58 PC), Matt Thornton (0.1 IP, K, 3 PC) LINE SCORE BOS 000 040 015-10 15 0 CWS 000 000 110-2 5 1 WP: Lester (11-4) LP: Humber (8-7) RED SOX TRANSACTIONS:
RED SOX WEEK IN REVIEW (7/24-7/29) by Tim Scott RED SOX 12, Mariners 8 (July 24, 2011) With Hot Spot bloggers Tim Scott and Kevin Linsey in the audience, the Red Sox did not disappoint, completing the sweep of the mediocre Mariners. Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Josh Reddick each had multi-hit games, and Tim Wakefield (6-3) got his 2000th career strikeout as a member of the Red Sox. The Mariners were powered by homers by Miguel Olivo and Brendan Ryan, but the Sox came up with the win, 12-8. ROYALS 3, Red Sox 1 (July 25, 2011) In a 14-inning thrill ride, the Royals managed to crash the Red Sox homestreak joy ride, winning 3-1, and spoiling Jon Lester's return from the DL. The Royals scored 2 runs in the 14th against Randy Williams (0-1), courtesy of Mike Aviles and Alcides Escobar. Gonzalez, David Ortiz, and Reddick managed to get 7 key hits for the Red Sox. Two of Reddick's hits were doubles. RED SOX 13, Royals 9 (July 26, 2011) Dustin Pedroia was the hero of the 13-9 Red Sox win, going 4-5, with just a home run short of the cycle. Ortiz also went 4-5, hitting 3 doubles and driving in 5 runs. Alfredo Aceves (6-1) got the win for the Sox, going 3.1 solid innings, with 3 strikeouts to his credit. Gonzalez also had 3 RBIs in the winning effort. For the Royals, Alex Gordon and Billy Butler went deep, and Aviles had 3 hits. RED SOX 12, Royals 5 (July 27, 2011) Pedroia and Gonzalez had 3 hits each, and Ortiz had a crucial grand slam, as the Red Sox rolled to their second straight win, 12-5. Despite a lackluster outing, John Lackey (9-8) got the win, striking out 3 in 5.2 innings. Jacoby Ellsbury also had 2 RBIs in the win. The Royals were powered by Gordon, Butler, Hosmer, Jeff Francoeur, and Brayan Pena, who each had multi-hit games. Hosmer and Butler each hit home runs in the game. ROYALS 4, Red Sox 3 (July 28, 2011) Despite key offensive production by Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Drew Sutton, the Sox were unable to aid Josh Beckett (9-4), as the Sox dropped a close 4-3 contest to the Royals. Butler and Mike Moustakas each had key RBIs against Beckett, helping their starter Luke Hochevar (7-8) get the win. Chris Getz led the Royals with 2 hits. WHITE SOX 3, Red Sox 1 (July 29, 2011) In what appeared to be a great pitching duel, Gavin Floyd (9-9) out-pitched Wakefield (6-4), as the White Sox rolled to a 3-1 win. Only Saltalamacchia, Sutton, and Marco Scutaro had hits for the Sox, with Saltalamacchia driving in their lone run with home run #9 in the 3rd. Paul Konerko and AJ Pierzynski had the RBIs for the Royals, with Pierzynski hitting the crucial 2-run homer in the 7th inning. ELLSBURY LEADS SOX TO 3-1 WIN by Tim Scott A pitcher's duel throughout the game, the Red Sox managed to continue their hot streak against the Seattle Mariners, winning 3-1. This is the third straight win for the Sox, and the 14th straight loss for the struggling Mariners. Getting the start for the Sox was Josh Beckett (9-3). Beckett impressed, going 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 7 hits along with 7 strikeouts. Beckett managed to lower his already impressive ERA to 2.07, which is the third-best in MLB. However, the Mariners starting pitcher also had a great performance. Despite being tacked with the loss, rookie Blake Beavan (1-2) did well in the first 6 innings. However, his night was overshadowed when he allowed 3 runs in the 7th inning. Essentially, it was only the 7th inning when offense took force. In the top half, for the Mariners, Mike Carp hit his 2nd homer in as many days, launching a Josh Beckett offering over the right field wall. The Mariners were up 1-0 heading into the bottom half of the frame. With 2 on, Jacoby Ellsbury continued to assault AL pitching with a 2-run single, scoring in Jason Varitek and Marco Scutaro. Also, Ellsbury scored on a wild pitch by reliever Aaron Laffey to give the Sox a 3-1 lead. Great relief work by Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, who notched save #23 with a 17-pitch ninth, led the Sox to an impressive 3-1 win over the Mariners. Earlier in the game, Dustin Pedroia extended his 20-game hitting streak with a double off of Beavan in the 2nd. The second baseman went 2-4 in the win. Ellsbury and Scutaro also had two hits for the Sox. The only bright spot in the Mariners' loss was Dustin Ackley, who went 3-5, leading the charge for the struggling M's. Tomorrow, the Sox and Mariners wrap up their three-game series at Fenway at 1:35. Tim Wakefield (5-3) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Mariners counter with All-Star Michael Pineda (8-6). The game will be broadcast on NESN. Also, tomorrow, Boston Hot Spot reporters Tim Scott and Kevin Linsey will cover the game live from Fenway Park. They will cover the game via live blogging. Their blog of the game can be accessed at Cover It Live.com, and they will begin blogging at 1:30. Hope you can tune in! GAME STATS 7th Inning SEATTLE: Mike Carp homered (2) to right. (SEA, 1-0) 7th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury singled to center. Jason Varitek and Marco Scutaro scored. (BOS, 2-1) 7th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury scored on a wild pitch by Aaron Laffey. (BOS, 3-1) SEATTLE Hitting: Dustin Ackley (3-5), Mike Carp (1-4, HR, RBI) BOSTON Hitting: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, 2 RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-4, 2B), Marco Scutaro (2-3, 2B) SEATTLE Pitching: Blake Beavan (6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 4 K, 104 PC), David Pauley (0 IP, H, 2 PC), Aaron Laffey (1.1 IP, BB, 17 PC) BOSTON Pitching: Josh Beckett (7 IP, 7 H, ER, BB, 7 K, HR, 118 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, H, BB, K, 19 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, H, K, 17 PC) Line Score SEA 000 000 100-1 9 2 BOS 000 000 30x-3 10 0 WP: Beckett (9-3) LP: Beavan (1-2) SV: Papelbon (24) RED SOX POUND MARINERS, 7-4 by Tim Scott The Boston Red Sox were not intimidated by 2010 Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez (8-9) on Friday. Instead, they pounded his stuff all around Fenway Park, rolling to their 2nd straight win, 7-4 against the Seattle Mariners. Getting the start for the Sox was John Lackey (8-8). Despite having a rough first inning, Lackey was able to overcome the obstacles, and throw 7 solid innings, allowing 1 run on 8 hits with 4 strikeouts to his credit. The Mariners struck first in the first, when Dustin Ackley lined an RBI single to left, scoring in Ichiro Suzuki. At the end of the first, the M's had a 1-0 advantage. But the Sox stormed back in the first, thanks to a Kevin Youkilis RBI single to left. Dustin Pedroia, who extended his 19-game hitting streak with a single in the first, scored on the play, tying the score up at 1. From that point on, the Red Sox had the upper hand on the struggling Mariners, who have now lost 13 straight games. In the third, Jacoby Ellsbury continued his tear of AL pitching, launching his 16th homer of the season to right, putting the Sox up 2-1. However, it was in the 7th when the Red Sox really erupted. Adrian Gonzalez started the 5-run rally by driving in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ellsbury with a single. Also, Kevin Youkilis had a 2-run double, and David Ortiz had an RBI single of his own to propel the Sox, 7-1. The Mariners had a brief attempt at a comeback, when outfielder Mike Carp launched his first homer of the season against Franklin Morales, a 3-run blast that put the Mariners within 3 of the Sox lead, 7-4. Yet it was the relief mastery of Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon that kept the glue in place, retiring the last 4 Mariners hitters with ease, and giving the Sox the 7-4 win. Tomorrow, the series resumes at 7:10 between the Red Sox and Mariners. Josh Beckett (8-3) will get the start for the Sox, while the Mariners counter with rookie Blake Beavan (1-1). The game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning SEATTLE: Dustin Ackley singled to left. Ichiro Suzuki scored. (SEA, 1-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis singled to left. Dustin Pedroia scored. (Tied, 1-1) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (16) to right. (BOS, 2-1) 7th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez singled to center. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 4-1) 7th Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis doubled to left. Pedroia and Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 6-1) 7th Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz singled to center. Youkilis scored. (BOS, 7-1) 8th Inning SEATTLE: Mike Carp homered (1) to right. Miguel Olivo and Justin Smoak scored. (BOS, 7-4) SEATTLE Hitting: Ichiro Suzuki (2-5, 2B, 2 SB, R), Miguel Olivo (2-4, 2B), Jack Cust (2-4, 2B), Mike Carp (1-4, HR, 3 RBI) BOSTON Hitting: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, HR, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (3-3), Kevin Youkilis (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-3, 2 RBI) SEATTLE Pitching: Felix Hernandez (6.1 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 BB, HR, 117 PC), Jeff Gray (0.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 10 PC), Josh Luebke (1 IP, K, 14 PC) BOSTON Pitching: John Lackey (7 IP, 8 H, ER, 4 K, 101 PC), Franklin Morales (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K, HR, 25 PC), Daniel Bard (0.1 IP, 3 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, K, 7 PC) Line Score SEA 100 000 030-4 11 1 BOS 101 000 50x-7 13 0 WP: Lackey (8-8) LP: Hernandez (8-9) SV: Papelbon (22) GAME NOTES BOS-Kevin Youkilis left game in 7th inning with an injured right hand. ELLSBURY POWERS SOX TO 4-0 WIN by Tim Scott Even though the game started at 12:35 (the second earliest game the Sox will play this year), the Boston Red Sox managed to best the Orioles in every category, edging them 4-0 to wrap up the 3 game series. Getting the start for the Sox was Andrew Miller (4-1). Miller, despite 6 walks, managed to hold the Orioles to only 2 hits in 5.2 innings. He also had three strikeouts, and got out of jams whenever necessary. The Sox were fueled by power from one source. It might sound ironic, but Jacoby Ellsbury launched two homers against the Orioles. The first came in the third, over the rightfield wall (401 ft). Also, he launched the second to right with a distance of 379 feet. The unlucky pitcher who allowed the homers was Jake Arrieta (9-7). Also, the Sox got some RBIs from Jason Varitek (RBI groundout in 4th) and Carl Crawford (RBI walk in 8th). The Orioles only had 2 hits on the night. The first was by Craig Tatum in the fifth, and Derrek Lee added one more in the 6th. All of these hits came against Miller. The Red Sox, however, had 12 hits. The majority came from Jacoby Ellsbury (2), Adrian Gonzalez (4), Josh Reddick (2), and Carl Crawford (2). Also, Dustin Pedroia, who now has an 18 game hitting streak, and Kevin Youkilis had hits in the winning effort. Matt Albers, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon kept the Orioles hitless for 3.1 innings, avenging the 6-2 loss yesterday. The Red Sox take the day off tomorrow, but return to Fenway Park to play the Seattle Mariners in a 3-game series. John Lackey (7-8) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Mariners counter with 2010 Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez (8-8) at 7:10. The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 3rd Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (14) to right. (BOS, 1-0) 4th Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek grounded out to second. Josh Reddick scored. (BOS, 2-0) 7th Inning BOSTON: Ellsbury homered (15) to right. (BOS, 3-0) 8th Inning BOSTON: Carl Crawford walked. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 4-0) BOSTON Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez (4-5), Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Josh Reddick (2-3), Carl Crawford (2-3, 2B, RBI) BALTIMORE Hitters: Derrek Lee (1-4), Craig Tatum (1-3) BOSTON Pitchers: Andrew Miller (5.2 IP, 2 H, 6 BB, 3 K, 103 PC), Matt Albers (1.1 IP, 2 K, 13 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, 9 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, K, 13 PC) BALTIMORE Pitchers: Jake Arrieta (7 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 4 K, 2 HR 111 PC), Mark Hendrickson (0 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB 21 PC), Mark Worrell (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC), Jason Berken (1 IP, H, BB, 9 PC) Line Score BOS 001 100 110-4 12 0 BAL 000 000 000-0 8 0 WP: Miller (4-1) LP: Arrieta (9-7) SOX CAN'T TOP ORIOLES, LOSE 6-2 by Tim Scott When the opportunity arose, the Red Sox couldn't capitalize, and they wound up losing to the Baltimore Orioles, 6-2, snapping a three-game winning streak. Kyle Weiland (0-1) made his second major league start for the Sox, and didn't continue to impress. In 6 innings, Weiland went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts to his credit. Weiland started experiencing problems early, especially in the second inning. It started when Mark Reynolds doubled to deep left, scoring in speedster Adam Jones, putting the Orioles on the board first for the second night in a row. Quickly, Nolan Reimold followed up with an RBI groundout, scoring in Matt Wieters. For the second straight night, the Red Sox were down 2-0 at the end of 2 innings. Usually, the Sox are successful in overcoming early deficits of 2 or more runs, but tonight was a different story. Despite having the most losses in the majors (with 13), Jeremy Guthrie (4-13) was solid for the Orioles tonight. In 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits, with 4 strikeouts on 110 pitches. He was successful in the first 4 innings, allowing just 4 hits and holding the Majors-best run-scoring offense scoreless. To make matters worse, the Orioles got one more piece of offense against Weiland, thanks to a Matt Wieters RBI single. However, in the 5th inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia propelled the Sox with his 8th homer (his 2nd in 2 days), which scored in Josh Reddick, and pulled the Sox within one of the Orioles lead. But the momentum would soften in the 8th. After a stellar performance on Sunday, Alfredo Aceves ran into a speed bump. With a runner on, Derrek Lee smacked a 2-run bomb to right. Also, Mark Reynolds followed up with a solo shot, making it a back-to-back home run performance. Jim Johnson held the Sox hitless for two innings, and snapped the Red Sox surge by retiring Carl Crawford with a groundout. The Sox will wrapup the series with the Orioles at 12:35 pm. Andrew Miller (3-1) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Orioles will counter with Jake Arrieta (9-6). The game will be broadcast on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning ORIOLES: Mark Reynolds doubled to left. Adam Jones scored. (BAL, 1-0) 2nd Inning ORIOLES: Nolan Reimold grounded out to short. Matt Wieters scored. (BAL, 2-0) 3rd Inning ORIOLES: Wieters singled to right. Nick Markakis scored. (BAL, 3-0) 5th Inning RED SOX: Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered (8) to right. Josh Reddick scored. (BAL, 3-2) 8th Inning ORIOLES: Derrek Lee homered (10) to right. Wieters scored. (BAL, 5-2) 8th Inning ORIOLES: Reynolds homered (21) to center. (BAL, 6-2) RED SOX Hitters: Josh Reddick (3-4, 2B), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1-3, HR, 2 RBI) ORIOLES Hitters: Mark Reynolds (3-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Matt Wieters (2-3, RBI), Adam Jones (2-4), Derrek Lee (1-3, HR, 2 RBI) RED SOX Pitchers: Kyle Weiland (6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 100 PC), Alfredo Aceves (2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, K, 35 PC) ORIOLES Pitchers: Jeremy Guthrie (7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K, 110 PC), Jim Johnson (2 IP, 22 PC) Line Score BOS 000 020 000-2 8 0 BAL 021 000 03x-6 8 0 WP: Guthrie (4-13) LP: Weiland (0-1) SV: Johnson (1) PEDROIA DOES IT AGAIN; SOX WIN 15-10 by Tim Scott The Red Sox rallied late in the 8th inning, battling against the Orioles bullpen, and winning their third straight game versus the Orioles, 15-10. The Red Sox got the start from Tim Wakefield, who went 4.2 innings, allowing 7 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Wakefield's first folly came in the first, when Derrek Lee tripled to deep center, scoring in Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, putting the Orioles up 2-0. But the Sox came roaring back against Orioles starter Brad Bergesen. In the 3rd, Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a solo homer, and, along with RBI singles from Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez put the Red Sox up 3-2 after 3. In the fourth, Marco Scutaro (Error) and Jacoby Ellsbury (Sac Fly) drove in more runs for the Sox, extending their lead to 5-2. Their early surge was capped in the 5th, when Josh Reddick lined a solo homer to right. However, it was in the fifth when the Orioles came storming back against Wakefield. JJ Hardy started the rally, when he lined a 2-run bomb to left, and then Adam Jones repeated the feat, only with a solo shot. Before you knew it, the Sox were down 7-6...to the Orioles! The Sox eventually tied the score in the 7th, when Kevin Youkilis drove in Jacoby Ellsbury with a complementary RBI single. But that was only the start of something much greater. The Orioles sent Mike Gonzalez (1-2) to the hill in the 8th, and he had a very forgettable performance. It started when Dustin Pedroia had a 2-run double, then Kevin Youkilis had a 2-run double, followed by an RBI single by Carl Crawford, and then a bases-clearing double by Darnell McDonald. Eventually, the score was 15-7 Red Sox after the top of the 8th. The Sox had a brief hiccup in the 8th on the pitching side. After a solid relief performance by Dan Wheeler (2-1), the Red Sox handed the ball to call-up Randy Williams, who allowed 3 runs to the Orioles in the 8th before Franklin Morales ended the Orioles hopes in the 9th. The Sox have won 3 straight, and head into game 2 of this series with heavy momentum. Tomorrow, the Sox will start rookie Kyle Weiland (0-0) against the Orioles Jeremy Guthrie (3-13). That game will begin at 7:05 and will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning BALTIMORE: Derrek Lee tripled to center. Adam Jones and Matt Wieters scored. (BAL, 2-0) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered (7) to left. (BAL, 2-1) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to left. Marco Scutaro scored. (Tied, 2-2) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez singled to left. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 3-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Scutaro safe on error at first. Carl Crawford scored. (BOS, 4-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Ellsbury flied out to left. Saltalamacchia scored. (BOS, 5-2) 5th Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick homered (4) to right. (BOS, 6-2) 5th Inning BALTIMORE: JJ Hardy homered (14) to left. Felix Pie scored. (BOS, 6-4) 5th Inning BALTIMORE: Jones homered (16) to left. (BOS, 6-5) 5th Inning BALTIMORE: Nolan Reimold doubled to left. Wieters and Lee scored. (BAL, 7-6) 7th Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis singled to left. Ellsbury scored. (Tied, 7-7) 8th Inning BOSTON: Pedroia doubled to right. Darnell McDonald and Scutaro scored. (BOS, 9-7) 8th Inning BOSTON: Youkilis singled to center. Ellsbury and Pedroia scored. (BOS, 11-7) 8th Inning BOSTON: Crawford singled to right. Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 12-7) 8th Inning BOSTON: Darnell McDonald doubled to left. Youkilis, Reddick, and Crawford scored. (BOS, 15-7) 8th Inning BALTIMORE: Hardy singled to left. Josh Bell scored. (BOS, 15-8) 8th Inning BALTIMORE: Nick Markakis singled to left. Robert Andino and Hardy scored. (BOS, 15-10) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (3-4, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-5, 2B, 3 RBI), Kevin Youkilis (2-6, 3 RBI), Carl Crawford (2-5, RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-5, HR, RBI), Darnell McDonald (1-1, 2B, 3 RBI) BALTIMORE Hitters: JJ Hardy (2-5, HR, 3 RBI), Adam Jones (2-5, HR, RBI), Matt Wieters (2-5), Derrek Lee (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI), Nick Markakis (1-5, 2 RBI), Nolan Reimold (1-5, 2B, 2 RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 93 PC), Dan Wheeler (2.1 IP, BB, 3 K, 38 PC), Randy Williams (1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K, 31 PC), Franklin Morales (1 IP, 3 K, 18 PC) BALTIMORE Pitchers: Brad Bergesen (5 IP, 8 H, 6 R (4 ER), 3 K, 2 HR, 79 PC), Troy Patton (1 IP, H, ER, BB, 2 K, 28 PC), Jason Berken (0 IP, H, 2 PC), Mike Gonzalez (1 IP, H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 34 PC), Matt Worrell (0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, 11 PC), Chris Jakubauskas (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K, 27 PC) Line Score BOS 000 321 180-15 16 0 BAL 200 050 030-10 12 1 WP: Wheeler (2-1) LP: Gonzalez (1-2) PEDROIA LEADS SOX, 1-0 IN 16 INNINGS by Tim Scott This game was truly one of the greatest (and longest) the Red Sox will probably play this year. In a 16 inning pitchers duel, the Red Sox rolled to a series win over the Rays, 1-0. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Josh Beckett, who went 8 innings, allowing only 1 hits and 6 strikeouts. He had to contend with Rays starter Jeff Niemann, who had an equally stellar performance, going 8 innings with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts. After the two starters ended their nights, the game was truly a tug-of-war against the bullpens. The Red Sox pitched Daniel Bard (1 IP), Matt Albers (1.2 IP), Franklin Morales (1.1 IP), Alfredo Aceves (5-1; 3 IP), and Joanthan Papelbon (1 IP, SV), who only held the Rays to 2 hits in 8 innings. The Rays went ahead and pitched Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta, JP Howell, Jake McGee, Juan Cruz, Cesar Ramos, Brandon Gomes, and Alan Russell (1-2). They allowed three hits in their 16 innings of work. But the ultimate moment of the game came in the 16th inning, when Dustin Pedroia lined an RBI single to right off of Russell, scoring in Josh Reddick for the game's lone run. Along with a Papelbon save in the 16th, the Sox rolled to their second consecutive win. Their next game is on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 in Baltimore. Tim Wakefield (5-3) will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Orioles will start Brad Bergesen (1-6). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 16th Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia singled to right. Josh Reddick scored. Marco Scutaro to second. (BOS, 1-0) RED SOX Hitters: Dustin Pedroia (3-7, 2B, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-7), Marco Scutaro (1-5) RAYS Hitters: Johnny Damon (1-6), Evan Longoria (1-5), Sean Rodriguez (1-6) RED SOX Pitchers: Josh Beckett (8 IP, H, 6 K, 106 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, H, BB, K, 27 PC), Matt Albers (1.2 IP, H, 2 K, 20 PC), Franklin Morales (1.1 IP, K, 19 PC), Alfredo Aceves (3 IP, 2 K, 27 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, K, 11 PC) RAYS Pitchers: Jeff Niemann (8 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 10 K, 118 PC), Kyle Farnsworth (1 IP, H, 2 BB, K, 19 PC), Joel Peralta (0.1 IP, BB, 9 PC), JP Howell (0.2 IP, 3 BB, 25 PC), Jake McGee (0.1 IP, BB, K, 14 PC), Juan Cruz (0.2 IP, K, 9 PC), Carlos Ramos (1 IP, 7 PC), Brandon Gomes (3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K, 48 PC), Alan Russell (1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 21 PC) Line Score BOS 000 000 000 000 000 1-1 5 0 TB 000 000 000 000 000 0-0 3 0 WP: Aceves (5-1) LP: Russell (1-2) SV: Papelbon (21) GAME NOTES: TB: Rays MGR Joe Maddon was ejected after arguing a check swing call in the 11th. TB: Rays bench coach Dave Martinez was ejected for arguing in the 11th. ORTIZ, REDDICK LEAD SOX TO 9-5 WIN by Tim Scott When they needed to the most, the Red Sox rallied behind starter John Lackey (7-8), winning 9-5 over the Rays, and maintaining stable ground over the Yankees (who won earlier, 4-1 over the Blue Jays). Lackey went 5.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 10 hits, with 7 strikeouts to his credit. In the first inning, many thought that this would be another short yet bitter outing for the starter. The scoring started when Casey Kotchman reached on an infield single, scoring in Johnny Damon. Matt Joyce pitched in an RBI single soon after, and BJ Upton capped the Rays first inning surge with an RBI single of his own. At the end of the first, the Rays had a comfortable lead of 3-0. From the start, the Sox would have to face a challenging starter in James Shields (8-8). After a tight first inning, Josh Reddick launched a 2-run homer to right, narrowing the score to 3-2. But it was in the third inning when the Red Sox took total control. Thanks to 2 RBI doubles by JD Drew and David Ortiz (which scored in 3 runs combined), the Red Sox had a safe 5-3 lead, giving Lackey some comfort. To cap the early surge, Jacoby Ellsbury continued one of his own, launching another solo homer to right, adding to the 6-3 Red Sox lead. Despite an attempt at a comeback, thanks to a Matt Joyce solo homer in the Rays favor, the Sox controlled most of the game with ease. They ran Shields into one of his worst outings of the year, as he went 6 innings allowing 6 runs on 6 hits, but he did have 8 strikeouts. In the 7th, the Sox hit deep into the Rays bullpen. Dustin Pedroia started the late surge with a solo homer. This marks the 5th time that Pedroia has homered over the last 5 games. In the 9th, the Sox really went hard to solidify their lead. Kevin Youkilis drove in a run with a walk, and then David Ortiz followed up with an RBI groundout. Even though Evan Longoria had an RBI single, the Red Sox won, 9-6, and still maintain a comfortable lead over the New York Yankees (1.5 GB). Lackey improved to 7-8 on the year, and the Sox are now 1-1 after the All-Star Break. Tomorrow, the Sox wrap up their 3-game series with the Rays at 8:05 on Sunday Night Baseball. The matchup should fit its billing, as Josh Beckett (8-3) takes the mound for the Sox, while the Rays counter with Jeff Niemann (4-4). The game will be on ESPN. GAME STATS 1st Inning RAYS: Casey Kotchman reached on infield single to short. Johnny Damon scored. Ben Zobrist to second. (TB, 1-0) 1st Inning RAYS: Matt Joyce singled to right. Zobrist scored. Evan Longoria to third. (TB, 2-0) 1st Inning RAYS: BJ Upton to left. Longoria scored. Joyce to second. (TB, 3-0) 2nd Inning RED SOX: Josh Reddick homered (3) to right. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. (TB, 3-2) 3rd Inning RED SOX: David Ortiz doubled to deep center. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis scored. (BOS, 4-3) 3rd Inning RED SOX: JD Drew doubled to deep right. David Ortiz scored. (BOS, 5-3) 4th Inning RED SOX: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (13) to right. (BOS, 6-3) 5th Inning RAYS: Joyce homered (13) to right. (BOS, 6-4) 7th Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia homered (13) to right. (BOS, 7-4) 9th Inning RED SOX: Youkilis walked. Marco Scutaro scored. Ellsbury to third. Pedroia to second. (BOS, 8-4) 9th Inning RED SOX: Ortiz grounded out to the pitcher. Ellsbury scored. Pedroia to third. Youkilis to second. (BOS, 9-4) 9th Inning RAYS: Longoria singled to right. Kotchman scored. (BOS, 9-5) RED SOX Hitting: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, HR, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-5, HR, RBI), David Ortiz (1-3, 2B, 3 RBI), Josh Reddick (1-4, HR, 2 RBI) RAYS HItting: Matt Joyce (3-5, HR, 2 RBI), Casey Kotchman (2-5, 3B, RBI), BJ Upton (2-5, RBI), Sam Fuld (1-4, 3B) RED SOX Pitching: John Lackey (5.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R [3 ER], BB, 7 K, HR, 107 PC), Randy Williams (1 IP, K, 10 PC), Daniel Bard (1.1 IP, H, K, 18 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 2 H, ER, K, 16 PC) RAYS Pitching: James Shields (6 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 2 HR, 106 PC), Juan Cruz (0.2 IP, H, ER, HR, 7 PC), Cesar Ramos (1.1 IP, 2 K, 16 PC), Brandon Gomes (0 IP, 2 H, 2 R [0 ER], 13 PC), Jake McGee (0.1 IP, K, 6 PC), Adam Russell (0.2 IP, BB, K, 16 PC) Line Score BOS 023 100 102-9 9 2 TB 300 010 001-5 13 2 WP: Lackey (7-8) LP: Shields (8-8) TRANSACTIONS: Red Sox placed RHP Bobby Jenks (back tightness) on 15-day DL. Purchased the contract of LHP Randy Williams from Pawtucket (AAA), and designated LHP Tommy Hottovy for assignment. SOX LOSE, 9-6 TO RAYS, SNAP STREAK by Tim Scott In their first game back from a long All-Star break, the Sox pitching wasn't fresh, as they dropped a 9-6 contest to the Tampa Bay Rays, snapping their 6-game winning streak. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Andrew Miller (3-1). Miller had his shortest outing of the year, going 2.2 innings, allowing 7 runs on 5 hits, with 5 walks on 85 PC. His problems began in the first inning, when he allowed an RBI single to BJ Upton, which scored Ben Zobrist, and put the Rays up 1-0. After Darnell McDonald launched his 3rd homer of the season against David Price (9-7), the Rays got to more business, when Zobrist launched a grand slam over the left field wall, giving the Rays a beneficial 5-1 lead. Eventually, Jacoby Ellsbury continued his hot streak with home run #12 of the season, putting the Sox back in the game, 5-2. Yet, Zobrist and Sam Fuld drove in runs in the third by ways of a walk and an RBI single respectively. Later in the game, Dustin Pedroia and Marco Scutaro hit homers, and Kevin Youkilis had an RBI single. But the Rays made the difference with former Red Sox 1B Casey Kotchman launching a 2 run home run, which gave the Rays the 9-6 lead. Tomorrow, the Sox will continue the series against the Rays. John Lackey (9-6) will get the start for the Sox, against the Rays James Shields (9-7). The game will be at 4:10 on FOX. GAME STATS 1st Inning RAYS: BJ Upton singled to center. Ben Zobrist scored. Evan Longoria to second. (TB, 1-0) 2nd Inning RED SOX: Darnell McDonald homered (3) to left. (Tied, 1-1) 2nd Inning RAYS: Zobrist homered (11) to left. Elliot Johnson, Sam Fuld, and Johnny Damon scored. (TB, 5-1) 3rd Inning RED SOX: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (12) to right. (TB, 5-2) 3rd Inning RAYS: Fuld singled to right. Casey Kotchman scored. Kelly Shoppach to second. (TB, 6-2) 3rd Inning RAYS: Zobrist walked. Shoppach scored. Fuld to third. Damon to second. (TB, 7-2) 6th Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia homered (12) to center. (TB, 7-3) 6th Inning RAYS: Casey Kotchman homered (4) to right. Upton scored. (TB, 9-3) 7th Inning RED SOX: Marco Scutaro homered (5) to left. Yamaico Navarro scored. (TB, 9-5) 8th Inning RED SOX: Kevin Youkilis singled to right. Pedroia scored. RED SOX Hitting: Dustin Pedroia (3-4, 2B, HR, RBI), Kevin Youkilis (2-4, RBI), Marco Scutaro (1-4, HR, 2 RBI) RAYS Hitting: BJ Upton (2-5, RBI), Ben Zobrist (1-3, HR, 5 RBI), Casey Kotchman (2-4, HR, 2 RBI), Kelly Shoppach (2-3, R) RED SOX Pitching: Andrew Miller (2.2 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, HR, 85 PC), Alfredo Aceves (2.1 IP, H, BB, K, 47 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, K, 15 PC), Franklin Morales (1 IP, H, 15 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, H, BB, 2 K, 26 PC) RAYS Pitching: David Price (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 7 K, 3 HR, 121 PC), Joel Peralta (0.2 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, K, HR, 17 PC), Jake McGee (0.1 IP, K, 5 PC), Juan Cruz (0.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 14 PC), JP Howell (0.1 IP, K, 6 PC), Kyle Farnsworth (1.1 IP, K, 20 PC) Line Score BOS 011 001 210-6 8 0 TB 142 002 00x-9 11 0 WP: Price (9-7) LP: Miller (3-1) SV: Farnsworth (18) SOX BEAT O'S, 8-6, WIN 6TH STRAIGHT by Tim Scott Winning a game is a great way to end the first half of the season, but winning 6 games in a row results in jubilant euphoria, especially for Boston Red Sox fans. The Sox rolled over the Orioles, 8-6, to end the 1st half on a 6-game winning streak, and maintaining a 1-game lead over the Yankees. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Kyle Weiland, who made his major league debut. Weiland didn't really do as impressive as people thought. The rookie went 4 innings, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts to his credit. The Sox struck first in the first inning. It started when David Ortiz singled in Dustin Pedroia. Later, Josh Reddick drove in Adrian Gonzalez by way of the sacrifice fly to get a 2-0 lead against Orioles starter Mitch Atkins. The one inning that Weiland looked unimpressive was the 2nd inning, when the O's scored all 6 of their runs. First, Derrek Lee launched his 9th home run of the season over the Green Monster, scoring in Matt Wieters. Then, Robert Andino, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Vladimir Guerrero all had individual RBI singles, to add to their 6-2 advantage. In that inning, the 24-year old threw 33 pitches (42% of his final total). But the Sox came roaring back against Atkins. In that inning, the Sox smacked 3 home runs. Marco Scutaro (4), Dustin Pedroia (11), and Kevin Youkilis (13) each had long balls against Atkins, and all of them went over the Green Monster, tying the score at 6. The tie-breaker occurred in the 4th, when David Ortiz walked in a run against Jeremy Guthrie (3-12), which added to the Sox's 7-6 advantage. In the 5th, Weiland's night came to an end when home plate umpire Marty Foster ejected him for hitting Vladimir Guerrero (who left the game later) with a pitch. Along with Weiland went manager Terry Francona. Then, in the 6th, Orioles pitcher Mike Gonzalez met the same fate as Weiland, as he was ejected for throwing a pitch behind Ortiz, which also resulted in O's manager Buck Showalter's exit. In the 7th, the Sox got some insurance when Jacoby Ellsbury drove in JD Drew with an RBI single. Alfredo Aceves (4-1), Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon closed out the game for the Red Sox, securing their 6th straight win, and a 4-game sweep of the Orioles. The Red Sox have a 4-game vacation, due to the All-Star break. Representing the Red Sox in festivities are: Adrian Gonzalez (All-Star, Home Run Derby), David Ortiz (All-Star, Home Run Derby), Jacoby Ellsbury (All-Star), Josh Beckett (All-Star), and Kevin Youkilis (All-Star), as well as minor leaguers Will Middlebrooks (Futures Game) and Chih-Hsien Chiang (Futures Game). The Home Run Derby will be tomorrow, and the All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday at Phoenix. When the Sox return, they will play the Rays in Tampa Bay for a 3-game series. GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz singled to center. Dustin Pedroia scored. Adrian Gonzalez to third. Kevin Youkilis to second. (BOS, 1-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick flied out to left. Gonzalez scored. Youkilis to third. (BOS, 2-0) 2nd Inning BALTIMORE: Derrek Lee homered (9) to left. Matt Wieters scored. (Tied, 2-2) 2nd Inning BALTIMORE: Robert Andino singled to right. Mark Reynolds scored. Nolan Reimold to third. (BAL, 3-2) 2nd Inning BALTIMORE: Nick Markakis reached on an infield single to short. Reimold scored. Andino to third. (BAL, 4-2) 2nd Inning BALTIMORE: Adam Jones singled to left. Andino scored. Markakis to third. (BAL, 5-2) 2nd Inning BALTIMORE: Vladimir Guerrero reached on an infield single to short. Markakis scored. Jones to second. (BAL, 6-2) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro homered (9) to left. (BAL, 6-3) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Pedroia homered (11) to left. (BAL, 6-4) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Youkilis homered (13) to left. Gonzalez scored. (Tied, 6-6) 4th Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz walked. Pedroia scored. Gonzalez to third. Youkilis to second. (BOS, 7-6) 7th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury singled to right. JD Drew scored. Scutaro to third. (BOS, 8-6) BALTIMORE HITTERS: Derrek Lee (1-4, HR, 2 RBI), Adam Jones (2-4, 3B, RBI) BOSTON HITTERS: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-5, 2B, HR, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-4, 2B), Kevin Youkilis (2-4, HR, 2 RBI), David Ortiz (1-4, 2 RBI), Jason Varitek (2-4, 2 2B) BALTIMORE PITCHERS: Mitch Atkins (1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, BB, 3 HR, 64 PC), Jeremy Guthrie (3.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 73 PC), Mike Gonzalez (0.2 IP, 2 K, 13 PC), Jason Berken (0.1 IP, K, 2 PC), Jim Johnson (1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K, 27 PC), Koji Uehara (1 IP, K, 11 PC) BOSTON PITCHERS: Kyle Weiland (4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR, 78 PC), Alfredo Aceves (3 IP, 4 K, 41 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, K, 9 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, BB, 2 K, 18 PC) LINE SCORE BAL 060 000 000-6 8 0 BOS 240 100 10x-8 13 0 WP: Aceves (4-1) LP: Guthrie (3-12) SV: Papelbon (20) GAME NOTES BAL: P Mike Gonzalez and MGR Buck Showalter were ejected in the bottom of the 6th after a pitch was thrown behind Boston DH David Ortiz. BAL: 3B Mark Reynolds left the game in the third inning due to a right hand contusion after being hit by a pitch. BAL: OF Vladimir Guerrero left the game after the seventh inning due to a right hand contusion after being hit by a pitch. BOS: P Kyle Weiland and MGR Terry Francona were ejected in the top of the 5th after Baltimore DH Vladimir Guerrero was hit by a pitch. ORGANIZATION ALL-STARS Boston: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, DH David Ortiz, OF Jacoby Ellsbury, 3B Kevin Youkilis, SP Jon Lester, SP Josh Beckett Pawtucket: SP Matt Fox Portland: 3B Will Middlebrooks, 2B Chih-Hsien Chiang, SP Stephen Fife, SP Alex Wilson, OF Alex Hassan Salem: SP Will Latimer, C Dan Butler, SP Chris Hernandez, 1B Reynaldo Rodriguez Greenville: RP Manuel Rivera, 1B Miles Head, LF Brandon Jacobs SOX BEAT O's 4-0, WIN 5th STRAIGHT by Tim Scott Behind strong hitting and pitching, the Boston Red Sox have extended their winning streak to 5 games with an impressive 4-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles. John Lackey (6-8) looked very impressive in a bounce-back start for the Sox. In 6.2 innings, Lackey allowed 3 hits and struck out 7 on 106 pitches. In other words, he was in command throughout the game. For the first four innings, the bats were quiet for both teams. Getting the start for the Orioles was Alfredo Simon (1-2), who went the first 4 innings without allowing a run. Yet, in the 5th, the outlook of his outing, and in turn the game changed. With two on, new AL-All Star Kevin Youkilis broke the silence with an RBI double that drove in Dustin Pedroia. Quickly afterwards, Josh Reddick smashed a 2-run double to give the Sox a 3-0 lead over the O's. Then, in the 7th, Youkilis connected on another RBI double, driving in Pedroia. Behind strong relief performances from Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, the Sox were able to secure their 5-game winning streak, and a win of the series. The major offensive contributors for the Sox were Jacoby Ellsbury, who was a homer short of the cycle, Kevin Youkilis, who had 2 doubles, and Josh Reddick, who contributed 2 RBIs. The series wraps up tomorrow at 1:35, when the Sox attempt to go for a 4-game sweep of the O's. The Sox will give the ball to Kyle Weiland (8-6, 3.00 ERA in AAA), who will be making his MLB debut tomorrow. The 2008 3rd-round pick out of Notre Dame will start against rookie Mitch Atkins (0-0, 1.50 ERA). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 5th Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis doubled to left. Dustin Pedroia scored. Adrian Gonzalez to third. (BOS, 1-0) 5th Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick doubled to right. Youkilis and Gonzalez scored. David Ortiz to third. (BOS, 3-0) 7th Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis doubled to right. Pedroia scored. (BOS, 4-0) BALTIMORE Hitters: Nick Markakis (1-3, SB) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (3-4, 2B, 3B), Kevin Youkils (3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Josh Reddick (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) BALTIMORE Pitchers: Alfredo Simon (4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, K, 87 PC), Mark Hendrickson (2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, K, 32 PC), Jim Johnson (1 IP, 10 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: John Lackey (6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K, 106 PC), Daniel Bard (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 18 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 1 K, 15 PC) Line Score BAL 000 000 000-0 4 1 BOS 000 030 100-4 10 1 WP: Lackey (6-8) LP: Simon (1-2) Around the Organization AAA: PAWSOX 2, Bisons (NYM) 0 F AA: FisherCats (TOR) 7, SEA DOGS 6 F/12 A+: RED SOX 9, Dash (CWS) 1 F A: Braves (ATL) 1, DRIVE 0 F SS: Renegades (TB) 10, SPINNERS 3 F GCL: Twins 2, RED SOX 1 F DSL: Brewers vs. RED SOX CRAZY NIGHT LEADS TO SOX WIN, 10-3 by Tim Scott What started with an 8-run 1st inning, and ended with an intense benches-clearing brawl resulted in a wild 10-3 win for the Boston Red Sox over the Baltimore Orioles. Getting the start for the Red Sox was Josh Beckett (8-3), who went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Beckett left the game with a mild hyperextension of his left knee, but the injury hopefully isn't too serious. Behind Beckett, the Sox provided plenty of offense against the Orioles pitchers. In the 1st, Kevin Youkilis drove in Dustin Pedroia on an RBI single. Soon, David Ortiz lined a 3-run homer to right. Later, Darnell McDonald drove in Jason Varitek and Marco Scutaro by way of a double. Afterwards, Jacoby Ellsbury singled in McDonald, and Adrian Gonzalez singled in Ellsbury to knock Zachary Britton (6-7) out of the game after 0.2 IP, with an 8-0 lead. That 8 run first inning proved to be the difference, but the Orioles got a big boost in the 5th. Against Beckett, Derrek Lee lined a solo homer, putting the O's on the board. Then, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones each had RBI singles to add to the 8-3 score. Then, in the 6th, Dustin Pedroia hit his 3rd homer in 4 days, adding to the 9-3 score, and later in the 8th, Josh Reddick tripled in Pedroia to give the Sox a 10-3 lead. But the real momentum of the night came right after the Reddick triple. Up for the Sox was Ortiz, who was facing Orioles pitcher Kevin Gregg. First, Gregg threw 2 inside fastballs at Ortiz, which caused tempers to flare, and a warning assigned to both players. What happened next changed the course of the game. The next pitch, Ortiz hit a fly ball to center. When Ortiz trotted down to first, Gregg was taunting Ortiz, and Ortiz reacted by attacking Gregg, resulting in a benches-clearing brawl. Gregg, Ortiz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Jim Johnson were all ejected as a result of the melee. Suspensions have yet to be determined. In the 9th, Scott Atchison shut down the Orioles to give the Sox their 4th straight win. Amidst the melee and the 8-run 1st, the Sox now pull another 1/2 game on top of the Yankees, whose game was PPD due to rain. Tomorrow, the Sox will continue the series against the Orioles, with Game 3 starting at 7:10. John Lackey (5-8) will get the start for the Sox, while the Orioles will counter with Alfredo Simon (1-1). GAME STATS 1st Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis singled to center. Dustin Pedroia scored. Adrian Gonzalez to second. (BOS, 1-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: David Ortiz homered (19) to right. Gonzalez and Youkilis scored. (BOS, 4-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: Darnell McDonald doubled to left. Jason Varitek and Marco Scutaro scored. (BOS, 6-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury singled to left. McDonald scored. (BOS, 7-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: Gonzalez singled to left. Ellsbury scored. Pedroia to third. (BOS, 8-0) 5th Inning BALTIMORE: Derrek Lee homered (8) to left. (BOS, 8-1) 5th Inning BALTIMORE: Nick Markakis singled to right. Felix Pie scored. Robert Andino to third. (BOS, 8-2) 5th Inning BALTIMORE: Adam Jones singled to center. Robert Andino scored. Markakis to second. (BOS, 8-3) 6th Inning BOSTON: Pedroia homered (10) to left. (BOS, 9-3) 8th Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick tripled to center. Pedroia scored. (BOS, 10-3) BALTIMORE Hitters: Adam Jones (2-4, RBI), Derrek Lee (2-4, 2B, HR, RBI) BOSTON Hitters: Dustin Pedroia (2-4, HR, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (2-2, RBI), David Ortiz (2-4, HR, 3 RBI), Darnell McDonald (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI) BALTIMORE Pitchers: Zachary Britton (0.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R (7 ER), 2 BB, K, HR, 42 PC), Brad Bergesen (3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K, 5O PC), Chris Jakubauskas (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 21 PC), Koji Uehara (1 IP, K, 11 PC), Kevin Gregg (1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 18 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: Josh Beckett (5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 68 PC), Matt Albers (2 IP, 4 K, 28 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 2 K, 13 PC), Scott Atchison (1 IP, H, 1 BB, 12 PC) Line Score BAL 000 030 000-3 8 1 BOS 800 000 01x-10 11 0 WP: Beckett (8-3) LP: Britton (6-7) GAME NOTES: BOSTON: Josh Beckett left game in 5th inning due to a mild hyperextension of his right knee. BALTIMORE: Brad Bergesen left game in the 4th inning due to a right forearm contusion. BOSTON'S David Ortiz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and BALTIMORE'S Kevin Gregg and Jim Johnson were ejected by umpire Mike Estabrook after an altercation. AROUND THE ORGANIZATION AAA: PAWSOX 5, Chiefs (WAS) 4 F AA: SEA DOGS 8, Fisher Cats (TOR) 3 F A+ Blue Rocks (KC) 2, RED SOX 0 Susp./2 A: Braves (ATL) 4, DRIVE 3 F SS: SPINNERS 9, IronBirds (BAL) 4 F GCL: Twins 5, RED SOX 1 F DSL: OFF DAY RED SOX BATS ERUPT IN 10-4 WIN OVER O'S by Tim Scott The Red Sox are playing their best baseball of the season, and it really showed tonight. The Sox cranked 6 home runs (including 3 in the 7th) to rout the Baltimore Orioles, 10-4, extending their winning streak to 3. The win today, and the Yankees 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, puts the Red Sox in 1st place by a 1/2 game entering Friday. It's the first time the Sox have been in first since June 25th. Starting the game for the Red Sox was Andrew Miller (3-0). Despite a rocky first inning in which he allowed 2 runs, he was pretty consistent throughout the night, going 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits on 97 pitches. It was the third inning when the Red Sox figured out how to hit rookie Jake Arrieta (9-6). Then, Dustin Pedroia launched his 9th homer of the season over the Green Monster to propel the Sox to a 3-2 lead. After the Orioles scored in the fourth, JD Drew drove in Josh Reddick to break the tie, and give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Yet, in was in the 5th when the Sox started to crank the long ball action. In that inning, Adrian Gonzalez went deep for the 17th time this season, adding to the Sox's 5-3 lead. In the 6th, Jacoby Ellsbury took Jason Berken deep on a 2-run home run to right field, adding to the 7-3 advantage. Then, in the 7th, against Pedro Viola, the Red Sox hit back to back to back home runs, thanks to David Ortiz, Josh Reddick, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Sox set a season high by hitting 6 homers on the night. Despite a Derrek Lee RBI groundout in the 8th, the Sox were able to pull out another successful win, and down the Orioles to begin a 4-game series. The four-game series resumes tomorrow at 7:10. Josh Beckett (7-3) will get the start for the Sox, while the Orioles counter with Zach Britton (6-6). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 1st Inning ORIOLES: Adam Jones singled to right. JJ Hardy scored. Nick Markakis to third. (BAL, 1-0) 1st Inning ORIOLES: Vladimir Guerrero grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Markakis scored. Jones out at 2nd. (BAL, 2-0) 3rd Inning RED SOX: Dustin Pedroia homered (9) to left. Marco Scutaro and Jacoby Ellsbury scored. (BOS, 3-2) 4th Inning ORIOLES: Hardy flied out to right. Mark Reynolds scored. Nolan Reimold to third. (Tied, 3-3) 4th Inning RED SOX: JD Drew grounded out to first. Josh Reddick scored. Jarrod Saltalamacchia to third. (BOS, 4-3) 5th Inning RED SOX: Adrian Gonzalez homered (17) to center. (BOS, 5-3) 6th Inning RED SOX: Ellsbury homered (11) to right. Scutaro scored. (BOS, 7-3) 7th Inning RED SOX: David Ortiz homered (18) to center. (BOS, 8-3) 7th Inning RED SOX: Reddick homered (2) to right. (BOS, 9-3) 7th Inning RED SOX: Saltalamacchia homered (6) to left. (BOS, 10-3) 8th Inning ORIOLES: Derrek Lee grounded out to second. Guerrero scored. (BOS, 10-4) ORIOLES Hitters: Robert Andino (2-3), Vladimir Guerrero (1-4, 2B, RBI) RED SOX Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Dustin Pedroia (2-5, HR, 3 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (3-5, HR, RBI), David Ortiz (2-4, 2B, HR, RBI), Josh Reddick (1-4, HR, RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-4, HR, RBI), ORIOLES Pitchers: Jake Arrieta (4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, K, 2 HR, 95 PC), Jason Berken (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, K, HR, 29 PC), Pedro Viola (0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 HR, 22 PC), Chris Jakubauskas (1.2 IP, 2 H, 19 PC) RED SOX Pitchers: Andrew Miller (5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 97 PC), Alfredo Aceves (2 IP, 15 PC), Scott Atchison (1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, K, 14 PC), Bobby Jenks (1 IP, H, 15 PC) Line Score BAL 200 100 010-4 8 1 BOS 003 112 300-10 13 1 WP: Miller (3-0) LP: Arrieta (9-6) AROUND THE ORGANIZATION AAA: Chiefs 8, PAWSOX 2 F AA: Mets 10, SEA DOGS 4 F A+: Blue Rocks 5, RED SOX 2 F A: Braves 5, DRIVE 4 (F/10) SS: SPINNERS 9, IronBirds 3 F GCL: RED SOX vs. Rays PPD DSL: RAYS 4, Red Sox 3 F/12 A New Perspective on How Important Nomar is to the Sox by Kevin L. Nomar Garciaparra’s last season as a shortstop for the Boston Red Sox was 2004, when he was traded at the trade deadline. Shortstops since then:Orlando Cabrera: Cabrera played for the rest of the ’04 season as the shortstop and was mostly a defensive whiz. He became a free agent after the ’04 season and was not re-signed. Edgar Renteria: Renteria was brought in by Theo Epstein over the winter of ’04-05 to be the starting shortstop. Renteria committed 30 errors (!) and was traded after the season. Alex Gonzalez: Another top-notch fielder played 111 games for the Red Sox in 2006. While he was a defensive star, he was lacking offensively and was not given a Sox jersey to begin 2007. Julio Lugo- Lugo played in 2007 and some of 2008. He hit leadoff until the team moved him to ninth after a low OPS to start the season. Dustin Pedroia- Now you say, “Waitaminit! Isn’t Pedroia a second baseman?” He played both second and short in the minors, but he was eventually given the second base job over Mark Loretta and was not a factor at SS for the Sox. Jed Lowrie- Rookie SS played most of the 2008 season, hitting and fielding average. Alex Cora- utility infielder who platooned with Lowrie in 2008. In 2009, Lowrie, Lugo and Cora split time playing SS. After all were below-expectations, Alex Gonzalez (yes, he is the same guy who played for the team in 2006) was given a Sox jersey. Marco Scutaro- Boston’s current SS was brought in for the 2010 season and played well enough to be retained for the 2011 season. He hits in the lower part of the order. After eight seasons of nine different shortstops, you see how important stability is at the shortstop position, like the kind Nomar Garciaparra brought. Is Marco Scutaro the next good Sox shortstop? Will Epstein bring another SS in for the 2012 season? Or maybe the world will end in 2012, and the Sox will never need another SS? We’ll just have to wait and see. CHARGED-UP SOX STING BLUE JAYS, 6-4 by Tim Scott Despite a few rain delays, and few delayed calls by umpire Tim McClelland, the Red Sox extended their winning streak to 2 with an impressive 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Starting the game for the Sox was Tim Wakefield (5-3). Wakefield ran into trouble early. In the 1st inning, he allowed an RBI single to Jose Bautista, scoring in Yunel Escobar, and pushing the Blue Jays lead up to 1-0. Yet, the Sox got to Jays starter Ricky Romero (7-8) to start the 1st, when Jacoby Ellsbury lined his 10th homer of the season to tie the score at 1. In the 2nd, Kevin Youkilis launched a solo shot to left, giving the Sox a 2-1 advantage. But the Jays got to Wakefield quickly afterwards. Bautista hit a sac fly to left, scoring in Rajai Davis, and Adam Lind singled in Yunel Escobar, giving the Jays a 3-2 lead. The fourth inning was when the Red Sox bats really began to spark the Jays. It started when Darnell McDonald singled in JD Drew to tie the score at 3. Eventually, Yamaico Navarro and Ellsbury doubled in 3 more runs, adding to a comfortable 6-3 lead. The Red Sox bullpen helped the cause. Daniel Bard and Dan Wheeler shut down the Jays in the 8th, and Jonathan Papelbon picked up save #19 in the 9th, despite allowing Yunel Escobar to add an RBI to the score. It was another successful day for the Red Sox. Winning their 2nd straight, the Sox hit .333 (11-33) on the night, driving in 6 runs, and only leaving 7 men on base. Ellsbury went 3-5, with 3 RBIs, and Youkilis went 3-4 with an RBI. The Sox will begin a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow at Fenway. The Red Sox will give the start to Andrew Miller (2-0) against the Orioles' Jake Arrieta (9-5) at 7:10. GAME STATS 1st Inning TORONTO: Jose Bautista singled to center. Yunel Escobar scored. (TOR, 1-0) 1st Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (10) to right. (Tied, 1-1) 2nd Inning BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis homered (12) to left. (BOS, 2-1) 3rd Inning TORONTO: Bautista flied out to left. Rajai Davis scored. (Tie, 2-2) 3rd Inning TORONTO: Adam Lind singled to center. Escobar scored. (TOR, 3-2) 4th Inning BOSTON: Darnell McDonald singled to left. JD Drew scored. (Tied, 3-3) 4th Inning BOSTON: Yamaico Navarro doubled to left. McDonald scored. Jarrod Saltalamacchia to second. (BOS, 4-3) 4th Inning BOSTON: Ellsbury doubled to deep center. Salatamacchia and Navarro scored. (BOS, 6-3) 9th Inning TORONTO: Escobar singled to left. Matt McCoy scored. (BOS, 6-4) TORONTO Hitters: Yunel Escobar (4-5, 2B, RBI), Jose Bautista (2-3, 2 RBI), Travis Snider (2-4, 2B) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Kevin Youkilis (3-4, 2 2B, HR, RBI), Darnell McDonald (1-2, RBI), Yamaico Navarro (1-4, 2B, RBI) TORONTO Pitchers: Ricky Romero (4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 96 PC), Shawn Camp (1.2 IP, H, K, 13 PC), Jon Rauch (0.1 IP, H, BB, 9 PC), Luis Perez (0.2 IP, K, 7 PC), Octavio Dotel (1 IP, 11 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (7 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 106 PC), Daniel Bard (0.2 IP, K, 8 PC), Dan Wheeler (0.1 IP, K, 5 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, H, ER, 3 K, 20 PC) Line Score TOR 102 000 001- 4 10 0 BOS 110 400 00x-6 10 0 WP: Wakefield (5-3) WP: Romero (7-8) SV: Papelbon (19) TRANSACTIONS: RED SOX placed LHP Jon Lester on 15-day DL with upper back strain. Recalled RHP Scott Atchison from AAA Pawtucket. AROUND THE ORGANIZATION AAA: PAWSOX 2, Chiefs 0 F AA: SEA DOGS 6, Mets 0 (F/6 innings) A+: RED SOX 3, Blue Rocks 2 F A: Tourists 5, DRIVE 4 F SS: IronBirds 2, SPINNERS 1 F GCL: RED SOX 8, Rays 6 F DSL: Pirates 6, RED SOX 5 F RED SOX GET PAST TORONTO, 3-2 by Tim Scott The Boston Red Sox avenged yesterday's tough loss to the Blue Jays with a big win over the Jays, 3-2. The Sox got an early boost from starter Jon Lester, who started the night with 4 no-hit innings, accompanied with only 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. However, after the 4th, Lester left the game with an upper back strain. According to Terry Francona, Lester will get his back checked out on Wednesday. For now, the starter is listed as day-to-day. The Sox offense got to Jays starter Brett Cecil (1-4) early. In the 2nd, Jason Varitek doubled to deep center, scoring in David Ortiz. Varitek scored later in the inning, thanks to a JD Drew single. The Sox were up 2-0 after two. Accompanying the lead for the Sox was Dustin Pedroia's 8th home run of the year, bumping the Sox's lead to 3-0. When Lester left the game, the Sox bullpen held the Jays scorless for 4 innings. Matt Albers (3-3), Franklin Morales, and Daniel Bard held the Jays to just 2 hits for 4 innings. However, the Jays would not go down without a fight. Against Jonathan Papelbon, the Major's top home run hitter Jose Bautista lined his 28th home run over the monster, driving in Corey Patterson to come within 1 of the lead. A bang-bang play to home plate, in which Darnell McDonald threw out Edwin Encarnacion at home gave Papelbon his 18th save, and the Sox a 3-2 victory. On Wednesday, the Sox wrap up their 3-game set with the Jays. In the rubber game, Tim Wakefield (4-3) will get the start for the Sox, while the Jays will throw Ricky Romero (7-7) at 7:10 tomorrow on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek doubled to left. David Ortiz scored. (BOS, 1-0) 2nd Inning BOSTON: JD Drew singled to right. Varitek scored. (BOS, 2-0) 3rd Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia homered (8) to left. (BOS, 3-0) 9th Inning TORONTO: Jose Bautista homered (28) to left. (BOS, 3-2) TORONTO Hitters: Jose Bautista (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) BOSTON HItters: Dustin Pedroia (1-4, HR, RBI), Jason Varitek (1-4, 2B, RBI), JD Drew (1-2, RBI), David Ortiz (1-3, 2B) TORONTO Pitchers: Brett Cecil (8 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, HR, 114 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: Jon Lester (4 IP, 0 H, BB, 5 K, 50 PC), Matt Albers (2 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K, 32 PC), Franklin Morales (1 IP, 14 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, H, K, 12 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, K, HR, 23 PC) Line Score TOR 000 000 002-2 6 0 BOS 021 00 00x-3 7 0 WP: Albers (3-3) LP: Cecil (1-4) SV: Papelbon (18) GAME NOTES BOS-Jon Lester left game in top of the 5th inning with an upper back strain. TRANSACTIONS: The Red Sox traded OF MIKE CAMERON to the Seattle Mariners for a PTBNL or cash. SCORES (within the Organization): AA: SEA DOGS 6, Mets 3 (G1) G2 in Pro. A+: RED SOX 3, Dash 2 A: Tourists 8, DRIVE 7 SS: Tigers 2, SPINNERS 0 GCL: Orioles 5, RED SOX 3 SOX DROP OPENER VERSUS JAYS, 9-7 by Tim Scott Even though the day was filled with the festivities that accompany the 4th of July, the Sox couldn't capitalize on the celebration, dropping the first game of a 7-game homestand to the Blue Jays, 9-7. The problems started early for the Red Sox. John Lackey (5-8) got the start for the Red Sox, and instantly, the Blue Jays launched fireworks off of him with their bats. In the first, Rajai Davis stole third base, but ended up scoring because Kevin Youkilis botched a throw from Jarrod Saltalamacchia, scoring in the game's first run. The Jays were up 1-0 at the end of the frame. It was the later 2 innings that really set the standard for Lackey. It started with Aaron Hill clubbing his 4th homer of the season over the monster, adding to a 2-0 lead. Then, John McDonald singled in Travis Snider to increase the lead to 3-0. In the third, Adam Lind singled to center, scoring in Eric Thames. That was followed by Aaron Hill singling it Jose Bautista. The icing on the atrocious run production cake was a 2 run double by Snider. Lackey was yanked after 2.1 IP, allowing 7 runs on 9 hits. Dan Wheeler stopped the bleeding for 2.2 innings, not even allowing a hit. The Sox had their own fireworks display in the 5th inning. It started with the hot-hitting Jacoby Ellsbury lining a 2-run triple into the gap in center. Dustin Pedroia walked in Ellsbury soon after, and Adrian Gonzalez hit a double off the Monster to drive in Pedroia. The Sox were down 7-4 after 5. Alfredo Aceves came in for Wheeler in the 6th, and had a brief struggle. In the 7th, Yamaico Navarro made an error that allowed Edwin Encarnacion to advance to second, thus scoring in Lind. Also, in the 8th, Davis doubled off the centerfield wall, scoring in McDonald. It was 9-4 after 7.5 innings. Up until the 8th, the Blue Jays had adequate pitching performances from Brandon Morrow (5-4; 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 K) and Luis Perez (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K). Jason Frasor came into the game for the Jays. Frasor allowed a 2-run triple to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, scoring in Navarro and David Ortiz. JD Drew drove in Saltalamacchia with a sac fly, pulling the Sox within 2 of the Jays. The Sox threatened in the 9th, with Jacoby Ellsbury on second. However, Frank Francisco collected his 10th save of the season, by striking out Pedroia, Gonzalez, and Navarro in order, snapping the Red Sox's 4-game winning streak. The series resumes tomorrow evening at 7:10 on NESN. Jon Lester (10-4), who is coming off a stellar start against the Phillies, will get the ball for the Red Sox, while the Jays will counter with Brett Cecil (1-3). GAME STATS 1st Inning TORONTO: Rajai Davis scored on error by Kevin Youkilis. (TOR, 1-0) 2nd Inning TORONTO: Aaron Hill homered (4) to left field. (TOR, 2-0) 2nd Inning TORONTO: John McDonald singled to right. Travis Snider scored. (TOR, 3-0) 3rd Inning TORONTO: Adam Lind singled to center. Eric Thames scored. Jose Bautista to second. (TOR, 4-0) 3rd Inning TORONTO: Hill singled to center. Bautista scored. Lind to second. (TOR, 5-0) 3rd Inning TORONTO: Snider doubled to center. Lind and Hill scored. (TOR, 7-0) 5th Inning BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury tripled to center. JD Drew and Marco Scutaro scored. (TOR, 7-2) 5th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia walked. Ellsbury scored. (TOR, 7-3) 5th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez doubled to left. Pedroia scored. (TOR, 7-4) 7th Inning TORONTO: Edwin Encarnacion safe at second on error by Yamaico Navarro. Lind scored. (TOR, 8-4) 8th Inning TORONTO: Rajai Davis doubled to center. McDonald scored. Davis to third on throw. (TOR, 9-4) 8th Inning BOSTON: Jarrod Saltalamacchia tripled to center. Navarro and David Ortiz scored. (TOR, 9-6) 8th Inning BOSTON: Drew flied out to left. Saltalamacchia scored. (TOR, 9-7) TORONTO Hitters: Rajai Davis (2-5, 2 2B, SB, RBI), Aaron Hill (3-5, HR, 2 RBI), Travis Snider (3-5, 3 2B, 2 RBI), John McDonald (2-4, RBI) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (4-5, 3B, 2 RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1-4, 3B, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-5, 2B, RBI), David Ortiz (1-3, 2B) TORONTO Pitchers: Brandon Morrow (5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 98 PC), Luis Perez (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K, 30 PC), Jason Frasor (1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 23 PC), Frank Francisco (1 IP, H, 3 K, 19 PC) BOSTON Pitchers: John Lackey (2.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 K, HR, 65 PC), Dan Wheeler (2.2 IP, 25 PC), Alfredo Aceves (2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, BB, K, 52 PC), Franklin Morales (0.1 IP, BB, 5 PC), Matt Albers (1 IP, H, K, 18 PC) Line Score TOR 124 000 110-9 13 0 BOS 000 040 030-7 11 2 WP: Morrow (5-4) LP: Lackey (5-8) SV: Francisco (10) GAME NOTES: BOS-Kevin Youkilis left game in 4th inning with upper back strain. RED SOX SWEEP ASTROS WITH 2-1 WIN by Tim Scott Despite a lot of missed opportunities that would've resulted in more runs, the Sox were able to back up AL All-Star Josh Beckett (7-3) with a pivotal win over the Houston Astros, 2-1, completing the sweep. The Sox could only get 6 hits off of the Astros. Jacoby Ellsbury contributed 2, while Kevin Youkilis drove in most crucial RBI in the 9th. In the 4th, Jason Varitek indirectly started the Red Sox offensive cannons by reaching on a fielder's choice. While trying to get Youkilis out at home, Brett Wallace uncorked a wild throw to score in Youkilis, and advance the runners one extra base. The Sox were up 1-0 at the end of the inning. Former Sox prospect Angel Sanchez provided the equalizer in the 5th, when he drove in Wallace on a single, evening the score at 1. In the 9th inning, the Sox had the bases loaded with Youkilis at the bat. On a 3-1 count, Mark Melancon (5-2) threw a high ball 4 that drove in Drew Sutton to up the Sox to a 2-1 advantage. After Beckett went 8 solid innings (striking out 11 batters), Jonathan Papelbon was able to get save #17 with a nice 9th inning to give the Sox their 4th straight win. The Red Sox ended their 9-game road trip Sunday, and head home to Fenway to play the Blue Jays on Monday at 1:35. On the 4th of July, John Lackey (5-7) will get the start for the Sox, while the Jays counter with Brandon Morrow (4-4). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 4th Inning BOSTON: Jason Varitek reached on a fielder's choice. Kevin Youkilis scored on a throwing error by Brett Wallace. JD Drew to third. Yamaico Navarro to second. (BOS, 1-0) 5th Inning HOUSTON: Angel Sanchez singled to center. Matt Downs scored. (Tied, 1-1) 9th Inning BOSTON: Youkilis walked. Drew Sutton scored. Dustin Pedroia to third. Adrian Gonzalez to second. (BOS, 2-1) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4), Kevin Youkilis (1-4, RBI), Jason Varitek (1-3, 2B) HOUSTON Hitters: Brett Wallace (2-4), Angel Sanchez (1-1, RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Josh Beckett (8 IP, 5 H, ER, 11 K, 102 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 1 H, 3 K, 20 PC) HOUSTON Pitchers: Jordan Lyles (5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 101 PC), David Carpenter (1 IP, H, K, 15 PC), Sergio Escalona (1.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 23 PC), Wilton Lopez (0.2 IP, 2 PC), Mark Melancon (1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 33 PC) Line Score BOS 000 100 001-2 6 0 HOU 000 010 000-1 6 1 WP: Beckett (7-3) LP: Melancon (5-2) SV: Papelbon (17) RED SOX WIN 3rd STRAIGHT, 10-4 by Tim Scott They did it again! The Boston Red Sox rolled to their third straight victory over the Houston Astros, 10-4. The Sox cranked 13 hits off of Astros pitching and held the Astros close with good pitching. The Sox got a jump start thanks due to first inning RBIs by Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, putting the Sox up, 3-0. The Astros quickly replied with an RBI single by Angel Sanchez in the 1st, inching the score to a 3-1 battle. Yet the Sox persisted. In the 5th, Dustin Pedroia doubled to left, scoring in Jacoby Ellsbury, adding to the 4-1 game. Despite a Hunter Pence homer in the 6th, rookie Yamaico Navarro went yard for the Sox in the 7th to add to the fire, putting up a 5-2 score. Even the a walk in the 7th in the Astros favor added to a 5-3 score, the Sox banded together, thanks to a Saltalamacchia sac fly, a Darnell McDonald three-run homer, and a Kevin Youkilis RBI single to add to a 10-3 score. Even though the Astros scored once more in the 9th, the Sox won the game, 10-4. Andrew Miller (2-0) got the win, going 6 strong innings. JA Happ (3-10) got the loss for the Astros. The two teams wrap up the series at 2:05 tomorrow. Josh Beckett (6-3) will get the start for the Sox against Jordan Lyles (0-3) on NESN. SIX-RUN RALLY LEADS SOX TO WIN, 7-5 by Tim Scott For the first six innings of tonight's game, it looked as if the Sox were still in a funk that has plagued them for the last week. It seemed like they couldn't hit Bud Norris, and it seemed the Astros produced more runs as the innings increased. However, something clicked, and the Sox rallied back. Propelled by a 6-run 7th inning, the Sox continued a 2-game winning streak with a big 7-5 win over the Houston Astros. In the first inning, it seemed the Sox would have a field day off of Norris. It started when Marco Scutaro lined his 3rd homer of the season to left field. Quickly, the Sox were up, 1-0. However, the Astros came back, and really got to Tim Wakefield...in the first inning. Hunter Pence hit a sac fly to center, scoring in speedster Michael Bourn from third, tying the score at 1. It was in the second inning, however, when the Astros launched into full offensive throttle on Wakefield. Ex-Sox minor league Angel Sanchez hit a successful suicide squeeze to Wakefield, scoring in Carlos Corporan to attain the lead for the Astros, 2-1. That was immediately followed by a Hunter Pence ground-rule double, which scored in Bourn, adding to the lead, 3-1. Later, in the 5th inning, Wakefield allowed a deep double to Carlos Lee, which scored in Sanchez to increase the lead to 4-1. Even though Wakefield allowed 4 runs in 5 innings at that point, Red Sox manager Terry Francona let him go another inning. Despite getting an out, his counterpart, Norris, lined a deep single to left, scoring in Clint Barmes, adding to a 5-1 lead. Eventually, the Sox yanked Wakefield out of the game, putting in former Astro Dan Wheeler (1-1). Wheeler got the two big outs to end the inning. For the first six, Bud Norris was in full control. Despite allowing the Scutaro homer in the first, Norris held the Sox hitless through six. In addition, he struck out 10 batters in 6 innings. Eventually, Norris got tired, and it really showed in the 7th. It started when he allowed JD Drew to line a single to center. After Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled to move Drew to second, Josh Reddick doubled to drive in Drew. Saltalamacchia scored on a single by Drew Sutton, and Dustin Pedroia drove in Sutton and Darnell McDonald by way of an RBI single off of Sergio Escalona (1-1). When the score was tied, 5-5, Adrian Gonzalez broke out of his slump, and blasted a 2-run double to break tie, and give the Sox a comfortable 7-5 advantage. In the 7th and 8th, Matt Albers, Franklin Morales, and Daniel Bard held the Astros tightly, paving the way for Jonathan Papelbon to get his 16th save of the year, and bringing the Sox to their 2nd straight win. The Sox and Astros will resume their 3-game series tomorrow at 7:05. Andrew Miller (1-0) will make his 3rd start for the Sox, trying to go for his 2nd straight win. Meanwhile, the Astros are countering with JA Happ (3-9). The game will be on NESN. Game Stats 1st Inning BOSTON: Marco Scutaro homered (3) to left field. (BOS, 1-0) 1st Inning HOUSTON: Hunter Pence flied out to center. Michael Bourn scored. (Tied, 1-1) 2nd Inning HOUSTON: Angel Sanchez reached on bunt single to third. Chris Corporan scored. Bourn to second. (HOU, 2-1) 2nd Inning HOUSTON: Pence hit a ground-rule double. Bourn scored. Sanchez to third. (HOU, 3-1) 5th Inning HOUSTON: Cliff Lee doubled to deep left. Sanchez scored. (HOU, 4-1) 6th Inning HOUSTON: Bud Norris singled to left. Clint Barmes scored. (HOU, 5-1) 7th Inning BOSTON: Josh Reddick doubled to left. JD Drew scored. Jarrod Saltalamacchia to third. (HOU, 5-2) 7th Inning BOSTON: Drew Sutton reached on infield single to short. Saltalamacchia scored. (HOU, 5-3) 7th Inning BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia singled to right. Reddick and Sutton scored. (Tied, 5-5) 7th Inning BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez doubled to deep left. Darnell McDonald and Pedroia scored. (BOS, 7-5) BOSTON Hitters: Josh Reddick (2-4, 2B, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (1-3, 2 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-5, 2B, 2 RBI) HOUSTON Hitters: Michael Bourn (2-5, 2 R, SB), Angel Sanchez (2-5, RBI), Hunter Pence (2-4, 2 RBI), Carlos Lee (2-5, RBI), Chris Johnson (2-4), Clint Barmes (2-4) BOSTON Pitchers: Tim Wakefield (5.1 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 91 PC), Dan Wheeler (0.2, K, 8 PC), Matt Albers (0.2 IP, K, 8 PC), Franklin Morales (0.1 IP, 1 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, 2 K, 12 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, H, 11 PC) HOUSTON Pitchers: Bud Norris (6 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 106 PC), Sergio Escalona (0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 7 PC), Wilton Lopez (1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, K, 20 PC), Fernando Abad (0.1 IP, 1 H, BB, K, 16 PC), Enerio Del Rosario (1.1 IP, 4 BB, 36 PC), David Carpenter (0.1 IP, 2 PC) Line Score BOS 100 000 600-7 8 0 HOU 120 011 000-5 13 0 WP: Wheeler (1-1) LP: Escalona (1-1) SV: Papelbon (16) LESTER, VARITEK LEAD SOX TO 5-2 WIN by Tim Scott It's finally over. The Red Sox finally broke out the bats, and trounced the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2, to snap a two game slide. The Red Sox cranked 13 hits off of Phillies pitching. Among these hits were a triple by Josh Reddick, a solo homer by Dustin Pedroia, and 2 homers from Jason Varitek. Certainly, the Sox offense was accompanied by an impressive pitching performance from Jon Lester (10-4). Lester went 7 innings, allowing 2 hits, and striking out 5. Lester snapped a 2-game personal losing streak, and improved to 2-0 lifetime vs. the Phillies. For the first four innings, the Sox were held tightly by Cole Hamels, only getting 2 hits off of him. However, an Adrian Gonzalez line drive hit his arm in the 4th, causing him to exit the game early. At the end of four, the Sox and Phillies were tied at 0. When the Phillies put in reliever David Herndon (0-2) in the fifth, the Sox really launched into full offensive mode. Starting with Reddick's 2nd triple this season, Drew Sutton drove him in quickly with a single to center. The Sox were quickly up, 1-0. Soon afterwards, Jacoby Ellsbury made his case for an All-Star appearance, by lining a single to left, scoring in Sutton. At the end of the inning, the Sox were up, 2-0. Herndon stayed in the game for the 6th, and his atrocious night was capped by Varitek's first homer of the night, a carrier that sailed over the right field wall. The Sox were up, 3-0 at the end of 6. Then, in the 8th, Drew Carpenter was put into the game. After Gonzalez struck out swinging, he came to face Pedroia. Pedroia hit a deep home run to right field, adding to the Red Sox lead, 4-0. Quickly after, Varitek hit his second homer to left field, and the Sox maintained a 5-0 lead. Today was the first time Varitek went deep two times since April 10, 2010 against the Kansas City Royals. The Phillies had a bright spot though in the 9th. Against Bobby Jenks, Ryan Howard hit his 17th homer of the season, which was an absolute bomb. The Phillies trailed only by 3 with 1 out in the 9th. Then, Jonathan Papelbon got the final two outs to snap the Red Sox two game losing streak. Today's win gives the Red Sox momentum heading into tomorrow, when they travel down to Houston to play struggling Astros, who have the worst MLB record entering Friday. The Sox will pitch Tim Wakefield (4-3) against the Astros' Bud Norris (4-6). The game will be at 8:05 and it will be on NESN. GAME STATS 5th Inning Boston: Drew Sutton singled to right. Josh Reddick scored. (BOS, 1-0) 5th Inning Boston: Jacoby Ellsbury singled to left. Sutton scored. Marco Scutaro to second. (BOS, 2-0) 6th Inning Boston: Jason Varitek homered (4) to right. (BOS, 3-0) 8th Inning Boston: Dustin Pedroia homered (7) to right. (BOS, 4-0) 8th Inning Boston: Jason Varitek homered (5) to left. (BOS, 5-0) 9th Inning Philadelphia: Ryan Howard homered (17) to right. Placido Polanco scored. (BOS, 5-2) BOSTON Hitters: Jacoby Ellsbury (3-5, RBI), Jason Varitek (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Josh Reddick (2-4, 3B, R), Drew Sutton (2-4, R, RBI), Marco Scutaro (2-4) PHILADELPHIA Hitters: Ryan Howard (2-3, HR, 2 RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Jon Lester (7 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 120 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, K, 8 PC), Bobby Jenks (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, HR, 11 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (0.2 IP, K) PHILADELPHIA Pitchers: Cole Hamels (4 IP, 2 H, 2 K, 53 PC), David Herndon (2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, K, HR, 46 PC), Drew Carpenter (2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 2 HR, 39 PC), Scott Mathieson (1 IP, 2 H, BB, 26 PC) Line Score BOS 000 021 020-5 13 0 PHI 000 000 002-2 4 0 WP: Lester (10-4) LP: Herndon (0-2) SV: Papelbon (15) The Red Sox: First Basemen Crazy By Tim Sorota (June 29, 2011)95% of the time, it doesn’t matter. 3% of the time, it isn’t that important. The 2% is the worry. The Red Sox are worried about the 2% in the future. Two of the best Sox players play first base. David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez rank one and two for homeruns and batting average on the team. When they are in an American League park, Ortiz is the DH. Gonzalez plays first. In national league parks, there is no DH. Only one man can play first base. So who plays and who sits? The Red Sox, along with every other team in the A.L., have to make a decision on who gets to play. Ever since Ortiz arrived in Boston in 2003, he has had to play first and someone else has had to move. Up until this year, they have had a suitable option. This year they have no good options. Do you put Gonzalez at first and sit a guy who is hitting .311 and has hit 17 long balls? Or do you sit Adrian Gonzalez who is leading the A.L. in hitting? Or maybe you sit neither. Manager Terry Francona has come up with a plan that would start Gonzalez in Right Field and Ortiz at first. Gonzalez isn’t fast and he isn’t a great fielder. That doesn’t translate well to Right Field. Also, Gonzalez needs to practice in Right. In one of the games, Gonzalez could get hurt and be out a long time. This whole issue brings up another question. Why are the Sox so loaded at one position? The team has a severe need at Short Stop, Right Field, and Catcher. When they acquired Adrian Gonzalez, they had to move a gold glove first basemen, Kevin Youkilis, to 3rd base. They have three all-star first basemen while their catcher is batting .253. Don’t get me wrong, Gonzalez is a great player, but, why are the Sox stock piling first basemen? I guess they like the position. Follow Tim Sorota on Twitter Sorota_HotSpot IBANEZ'S 2 RBI'S LEAD PHILLIES TO 2-1 WIN by Tim Scott What have happened to the Boston Red Sox that we know and love? Well, they just aren't playing like them. Even though they had Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz in the lineup tonight, they still managed to fall to the Phillies, 2-1. This marks the 6th time the Sox have lost in their last 8 games. The Sox saw a 1.5 game lead over the Yankees drop to a less impressive 2.5 game deficit at the end of the night. Some major work has to be done in Boston in order to restore our winning ways. In the game tonight, John Lackey (5-7) went 7.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 9 hits, and 5 strikeouts in his outing. The only blemishes that Lackey suffered proved costly in the end. After a Shane Victorino double to start the 2nd, Raul Ibanez lined an RBI single to put the Phillies up, 1-0. However, in the 5th, the Sox had a bright spot. Lackey helped his own cause by lining an RBI double off the right field wall to score in Josh Reddick. The score was tied, 1-1 at the end of the 5th. In the 7th, Lackey allowed what ultimately gave the Phillies the W, which came in the form of a solo homer for Ibanez, who was a triple away from the cycle. The Sox could only get 5 hits off of Vance Worley (3-1), who went 7 innings, allowed 1 run on 5 hits with 5 K's to his name. Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo held the Sox hit less in the remaining 2 frames. The Sox hope to drop their losing habits against the Phillies tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. Jon Lester (9-4) will get the ball for the Red Sox against Cole Hamels (9-4) on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning PHILLIES: Raul Ibanez singled to center. Shane Victorino scored. (PHI, 1-0) 5th Inning RED SOX: John Lackey doubled to deep left-center. Josh Reddick scored. (Tied, 1-1) 7th Inning PHILLIES: Raul Ibanez homered (9) to right. (PHI, 2-1) BOSTON Hitting: Josh Reddick (2-3, R), John Lackey (1-3, 2B, RBI) PHILLIES Hitting: Chase Utley (2-3, 3B), Raul Ibanez (3-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) BOSTON Pitching: John Lackey (7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K, 90 PC), Franklin Morales (0.1 IP, 3 PC) PHILLIES Pitching: Vance Worley (7 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 116 PC), Michael Stutes (1 IP, 12 PC), Antonio Bastardo (1 IP, 10 PC) Line Score BOS 000 010 000-1 5 0 PHI 010 000 100-2 8 0 WP: Worley (3-1) LP: Lackey (5-7) SV: Bastardo (3) LEE CONTINUES HOT STREAK, BLANKS SOX 5-0 by Tim Scott Cliff Lee (9-5) continued his hot streak over MLB hitters, expanding his 32 consecutive shutout inning streak at the Red Sox's expense, 5-0 in Philadelphia tonight. Lee went the distance, allowing just 2 hits (not to mention 0 entering the 6th inning) and 5 strikeouts on 112 pitches. The only 2 hits he allowed were a Marco Scutaro single in the 6th, and a Darnell McDonald double in the 7th. Meanwhile, in his first start in 13 days, Josh Beckett (6-3) didn't really look impressive. In 6 innings, he allowed 5 runs on 6 hits with only 1 strikeout. In dramatic fashion, his MLB-best ERA of 1.86 ERA completely vanished, floating up to 2.20 by the end of the night. The Phillies looked strong offensively from the start. In the 2nd inning, youngster Domonic Brown lined a 2-run bomb over the right field wall to put the Phillies up, 2-0. Then, in the 5th, Lee helped his own cause by lofting a sacrifice fly that scored in Brown to up the ante to 3-0 in the Phillies favor. The Phillies added 2 more runs on Shane Victorino's 9th homer of the season, upping the score to 5-0. After 6 innings, the Sox decided that Beckett was done for the day. The bullpen of the Sox did a fine job of holding the Phillies down tonight. In his first appearance since being activated off the DL, Franklin Morales went 1-2-3 in the 7th, and in the 8th, Bobby Jenks held the Phillies to one hit. The Sox now have lost 5 of their last 7 games, and head in to tomorrow's contest with a losing record in interleague play (6-7). John Lackey (5-6, 7.36 ERA) will get the start for the Red Sox, and he will face Phillies youngster Vance Worley (2-1, 2.83 ERA) at 7:05. The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS 2nd Inning PHIADELPHIA: Domonic Brown homered (5) to center field. Shane Victorino scored. (PHI, 2-0) 5th Inning PHILADELPHIA: Cliff Lee flied out to left. Domonic Brown scored. (PHI, 3-0) 6th Inning PHILADELPHIA: Shane Victorino homered (9) to right. Placido Polanco scored. (PHI, 5-0) BOSTON HITTERS: Marco Scutaro (1-3), Darnell McDonald (1-3, 2B) PHILADELPHIA HITTERS: Domonic Brown (2-3, HR, 2 RBI), Ryan Howard (1-2), Cliff Lee (0-1, RBI), Shane Victorino (1-3, HR, 2 RBI) BOSTON PITCHERS: Josh Beckett (6 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, BB, K, 2 HR, 84 PC), Franklin Morales (1 IP, 2 K, 14 PC), Bobby Jenks (1 IP, H, BB, 2 K, 25 PC) PHILADELPHIA PITCHERS: Cliff Lee (9 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 113 PC) Line Score: BOS 000 000 000-0 2 1 PHI 020 012 00x-5 6 0 WP: Cliff Lee (9-5) LP: Josh Beckett (6-3) AL East Scoreboard: Cardinals 6, Orioles 2 FINAL at Yankees 12, Brewers 2 FINAL Pirates 7, Blue Jays 6 FINAL Rays 4, Reds 3 FINAL SOX SNAP SLIDE, EDGE PIRATES 4-2 by Tim Scott It is finally over. The longest losing streak since the beginning of the season for the Sox has finally ended. Behind strong pitching from Andrew Miller (1-0), the Sox edged the Pirates, 4-2, snapping their 4-game losing streak. Today, the Sox were up against James McDonald. McDonald went 6 innings, allowing 2 hits and 5 strikeouts. The Sox managed to get a couple unearned runs (due to 4 Pirates errors) thanks to a Andrew McCutchen blunder in the 4th, which scored Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and a sac fly by Josh Reddick in the 6th. Meanwhile, the Pirates got their runs via a Ronny Cedeno sac fly in the 4th, and an RBI single by McCutchen in the 5th. When McDonald left the game in the 6th, the Sox and Pirates were tied at 2. Then, Tim Wood (0-2) entered the game. He managed to walk Marco Scutaro. Then, Wood was pulled when David Ortiz came up to bat. Daniel Moskos managed to walk Ortiz, and allow Jacoby Ellsbury to reach on a sac bunt attempt that loaded the bases. Chris Resop allowed an RBI ground out to Dustin Pedroia. After Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked, Kevin Youkilis hit a sac fly to right, to give the Sox a solid 4-2 advantage. Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon kept the game tight, not even allowing 1 hit as the Sox beat the Pirates for their first win since June 21st. The Sox take the day off Monday, but they play the NL's top team in Philadelphia in the form of the Phillies. Tuesday's game should be a classic. The Sox will pitch Josh Beckett (6-2, 1.86 ERA) versus the Phillies' Cliff Lee (8-5, 2.87 ERA) on Tuesday at 7:05. The game will be on NESN, MLB Network, and covered on the Boston Hot Spot. GAME STATS 4TH INNING BOSTON: Josh Reddick flied out to center. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored on throwing error by Andrew McCutchen. (BOS, 1-0) 4TH INNING PITTSBURGH: Ronny Cedeno flied out to center. Neil Walker scored. (Tied, 1-1) 5TH INNING PITTSBURGH: McCutchen singled to left. James McDonald scored. Garrett Jones tagged out at third. Chase D'Arnaud to second. (PIT, 2-1) 6TH INNING BOSTON: Josh Reddick flied out to left. Kevin Youkilis scored. (Tied, 2-2) 7TH INNING BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short. Marco Scutaro scored. David Ortiz to third. Jacoby Ellsbury to second. (BOS, 3-2) 7TH INNING BOSTON: Kevin Youkilis flied out to right. Ortiz scored. Ellsbury to third. Adrian Gonzalez to second. (BOS, 4-2) BOSTON TOP HITTERS: Adrian Gonzalez (2-3), Kevin Youkilis (1-3, RBI), Dustin Pedroia (1-5, RBI), Josh Reddick (0-3, RBI) PITTSBURGH TOP HITTERS: Andrew McCutchen (1-4, RBI), Ronny Cedeno (1-2, RBI) BOSTON PITCHERS: Andrew Miller (6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 109 PC), Alfredo Aceves (1 IP, 11 PC), Daniel Bard (1 IP, K, 10 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, BB, K, 15 PC) PITTSBURGH PITCHERS: James McDonald (6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 101 PC), Tim Wood (0 IP, ER, BB, 4 PC), Daniel Moskos (0 IP, BB, 7 PC), Chris Resop (1 IP, BB, 15 PC), Daniel McCutchen (2 IP, H, BB, K, 32 PC) Line Score Red Sox 000 101 200-4 6 2 Pirates 000 110 000- 2 5 4 WP: A. Miller (1-0) LP: T. Wood (0-1) SV: J. Papelbon (14) GAME NOTES: PIT: Jose Tabata left the game in the 1st inning with a left quadriceps injury. BOS: JD Drew left the game in the 2nd inning with a left eye contusion. AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST SCOREBOARD Orioles 7, Reds 5 F Rays 14, Astros 10 F Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 0 F Yankees 6, Rockies 4 F SOX LOSE TO PIRATES, 6-4, DROP OUT OF FIRST PLACE by Tim Scott When is this losing streak going to end? Right now, it seems like its taking forever to endure. Tim Wakefield (4-3), in his homecoming start against the Pirates, didn't seem to have his good stuff working for him. Instead, it went over the bleachers, in the form of a Lyle Overbay homer in the 4th. That proved to be the difference maker, as the Red Sox lost their fourth straight game against the Pirates, 6-4. Wakefield, despite having an early 2-0 lead entering the fourth, completely unraveled himself in the fourth, allowing four runs to score. Before that, the Sox had a comfortable lead. Adrian Gonzalez had 2 RBI's, one on an RBI groundout in the 1st, and another on his 16th home run of the year. In the fourth, Wakefield allowed the homer to Overbay, and also saw his own pitching foe, Jeff Karstens (3-2) line an RBI single into center, scoring in Ronny Cedeno. By the end of the fourth, Sox fans felt it was time to press the PANIC button. Then, it got worse in the fifth. With two runners in scoring position, Andrew McCutchen hit a routine grounder to Dustin Pedroia. Instead of making a routine groundout, the ball went through the seams of Pedroia's glove, causing an RBI E4 for McCutchen. Then, it was 5-2 Pirates. However, the Sox had a bright spot in the 7th. Facing the tiring Karstens, Josh Reddick lined his first homer of the year in right-center. Three batters later, Jacoby Ellsbury followed up with his 9th of the year. Eventually, with Pedroia on second, Gonzalez grounded out to second, ending the scoring threat. It didn't help that Matt Albers allowed power-threat Garrett Jones to lift a skyrocketing home run to give the Pirates a 6-4 lead. It also didn't help that the Red Sox could not take advantage of the Pirates bullpen, surrendering to Joel Hanrahan in the form of a Gonzalez strikeout. The Sox hope to avenge their last four losses tomorrow at 1:35, when they play the Pirates in their series finale. Andrew Miller, who got a no-decision in his last start, will get the ball for the Red Sox while the Pirates counter with James McDonald (5-4). GAME STATS 1ST INNING BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to short. Dustin Pedroia scored from third. (BOS, 1-0) 3RD INNING BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez homered (16) to left. (BOS, 2-0) 4TH INNING PITTSBURGH: Lyle Overbay homered (6) to right field. Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker scored. (PIT, 3-2) 4TH INNING PITTSBURGH: Jeff Karstens singled to center. Ronny Cedeno scored. (PIT, 4-2) 5TH INNING PITTSBURGH: McCutchen reached on an error by Pedroia. Chase D'Arnaud scored, and Garret Jones to 3rd. (PIT, 5-2) 7TH INNING BOSTON: Josh Reddick homered (1) to right center. (PIT, 5-3) 7TH INNING BOSTON: Jacoby Ellsbury homered (9) to right center. (PIT, 5-4) 7TH INNING PITTSBURGH: Garrett Jones homered (8) to right center. (PIT, 6-4); BOSTON TOP HITTERS: Adrian Gonzalez (1-2, HR, 2 RBI), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-2, 2B) PITTSBURGH TOP HITTERS: Ronny Cedeno (2-2, 2B), Lyle Overbay (1-2, HR, 3 RBI) BOSTON PITCHERS: Tim Wakefield (5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 71 PC) PITTSBURGH PITCHERS: Jeff Karstens (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 75 PC) Red Sox 101 000 100-4 9 1 Pirates 000 410 100-6 8 2 WP: Karstens (3-2) LP: Wakefield (4-3) SV: Hanrahan (22) AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST SCOREBOARD: Yankees 8, Rockies 3 F Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 1 (Top 4th) Reds 4, Orioles 3 (Top 4th) Rays 3, Astros 0 (Bottom 4th) SOX FAIL TO EXCEL, LOSE 3rd STRAIGHT TO PIRATES, 3-1 by Tim Scott What has happened to the Boston Red Sox that have dominated the American League for 3 months now? They have lost 3 games in a row to lower-level teams after losing 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Sox had an early lead in the top of the 1st, when Kevin Youkilis had an RBI groundout. That was really the only bright spot in the Red Sox's performance. It went downhill from there. In the third inning, the Pirates (38-37) got to Jon Lester (9-4). The scoring started when Jose Tabata hit a liner that got away from Youkilis, scoring in Ronny Cedeno, and keeping the bases loaded. Then, Chase D'Arnaud grounded into a double play, which scored in Michael McKenry (who played for the PawSox earlier this year). At the end of the inning, the score was 2-1 Pirates. In the 6th, Lyle Overbay capped the scoring with an RBI single to right, keeping the score in the Pirates favor, 3-1. The Sox were held tight by Paul Maholm (4-8), who went 5.1 IP, allowing 6 hits and 1 ER on 103 pitches. The Sox had some rallies against the bullpen, but they were eventually squandered by poor hitting with runners in scoring position. The bullpen did great for the Red Sox though. Matt Albers, Tommy Hottovy, and Dan Wheeler did not allow a run to score in 2 innings of work. Eventually, Joel Hanrahan retired Kevin Youkilis to rack up his 21st save, and the Sox surrendered their 3rd contest in a row. Tomorrow, the Sox (who are now 5-5 in interleague play) hope for a fresh new start against the Pirates tomorrow at 7:05. The Sox will pitch Tim Wakefield (4-2, 4.26 ERA) against his former team, while the Pirates will counter with Jeff Karstens (4-4, 2.54 ERA). The game will be on NESN, and live updates will be featured on the Boston Hot Spot. GAME STATS
BOSTON TOP HITTERS: Adrian Gonzalez (2-4), Jason Varitek (2-3) PITTSBURGH TOP HITTERS: Jose Tabata (2-4, RBI), Lyle Overbay (2-4, RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Jon Lester (6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K, 107 PC), Matt Albers (0.2 IP, H, 11 PC), Tommy Hottovy (0.1 IP, 7 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 2 K, 11 PC) PITTSBURGH Pitchers: Paul Maholm (5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 103 PC), Chris Resop (0.2 IP, 8 PC), Tony Watson (0.1 IP, H, BB, 21 PC), Daniel McCutchen (0.1, K, 4 PC), Jose Veras (1 IP, 2 H, K, 17 PC), Joel Hanrahan (1 IP, 11 PC) Line Score Red Sox 100 000 000-1 9 1 Pirates 002 001 00x-3 9 0 WP: P. Maholm (4-8) LP: J. Lester (9-4) SV: J. Hanrahan (21) AL EAST SCOREBOARD Reds 4, Orioles 4 (Bottom 9th) Blue Jays 4, Cardinals 4 (Bottom 8th) MUGGY DAY LEADS TO MESSY LOSS BY RED SOX, 5-1 TO PADRES by Tim Scott A game filled with four rain delays really reflected how the Boston Red Sox performed in their 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. After losing 5-4 last night to the struggling Padres (32-44), the Red Sox (44-30) hoped that John Lackey (5-6) would redeem the Sox. The problems only began at the start of the game. After a long rain delay, Lackey allowed a solo home run to Will Venable, his first of the season, to right field. Quickly, the Padres went up 1-0. The difference in the game really took shape in the fourth inning. It started when Lackey walked Orlando Hudson. That was followed by Anthony Rizzo being hit by a pitch. Eventually, after a Cameron Maybin bunt single, the bases were loaded for Venable. Venable took a 3-2 fastball high for ball 4, scoring in Hudson. Eventually, another RBI walk by Jason Bartlett, a wild pitch, and an RBI single by Chase Headley gave the Padres a 5-0 lead into the 4th. Youngster Michael Bowden got the final 2 outs of the fourth, but the damage was clearly done, and it hurt. Padres starter Clayton Richard (3-9) managed to keep a tight grip on the Sox's performance allowing only 1 earned run on 8 hits and 2 strikeouts in 5 innings of work. His only blemish was allowing former teammate Adrian Gonzalez to rip an RBI single in the 5th, scoring in Jacoby Ellsbury. Two more rain delays followed, but the two bullpens really kept the game tight in the late innings. For the Padres, Ernesto Frieri redeemed himself after his raunchy Game 1, going two innings, and only allowing 2 hits. The Red Sox were assisted by Bowden, Matt Albers, and Dan Wheeler, whom only allowed 3 hits in 4.2 innings of work. The Red Sox are now tied with the Yankees for first place. The Yankees won game 1 of their day-night doubleheader with the Reds, 4-2. If the Yankees win, they take sole possession of 1st by a half-game. The Red Sox would maintain first if the Yankees lose tonight. On Thursday, the Sox take the day off as they head to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates in a three-game set. On Friday, the Sox will pitch Jon Lester (9-3, 3.70) against the Pirates' Paul Maholm (3-8, 3.29) at 7:05. The game will be on NESN, on the radio on WEEI, and live on the Boston Hot Spot for live updates. GAME STATS Final Score: San Diego 5, Boston 1 Top 1st San Diego: Will Venable homers (1) to right. (SD, 1-0) Top 4th San Diego: Venable walked. Orlando Hudson scored. Anthony Rizzo to third. Cameron Maybin to second. (SD, 2-0) Top 4th San Diego: Jason Bartlett hit by pitch. Rizzo scored. Maybin to third. Venable to second. (SD, 3-0) Top 4th San Diego: With Chase Headley batting, Maybin scored on a wild pitch by John Lackey. Venable to third. Bartlett to second. (SD, 4-0) Top 4th San Diego: Headley singled to right. Venable scored. Bartlett to third. (SD, 5-0) Bottom 5th Boston: Adrian Gonzalez singled to center. Jacoby Ellsbury scored. Dustin Pedroia to second. (BOS, 5-1) SAN DIEGO TOP HITTERS: Will Venable (1-3, HR, RBI), Orlando Hudson (2-3, R), Cameron Maybin (2-2, R) BOSTON TOP HITTERS: Adrian Gonzalez (4-4, RBI), Kevin Youkilis (2-4) SAN DIEGO PITCHERS: Clayton Richard (5 IP, 8 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 97 PC), Ernesto Frieri (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K, 29 PC) BOSTON PITCHERS: John Lackey (3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 83 PC), Michael Bowden (1.2 IP, 2 H, BB, K, 32 PC), Matt Albers (2 IP, H, 2 K, 21 PC), Dan Wheeler (1 IP, 1 K, 16 PC) Line Score: Padres 100 400 000X-5 7 0 Red Sox 000 010 00XX-1 10 2 WP: C. Richard (3-9) LP: J. Lackey (5-6) AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST SCOREBOARD >Pirates 5, Orioles 4 F Orioles (33-39) Yankees 4, Reds 2 F Yankees (43-29) >Braves 5, Blue Jays 1 F Blue Jays (36-39) >Rays 6, Brewers 3 F Rays (41-34) REDS 10, Yankees 2 F Yankees (43-30) *-Game 2 of Day-Night Double Header EAST 1. Boston Red Sox (44-30) 2. New York Yankees (43-30) 0.5 GB 3. Tampa Bay Rays (41-34) 3.5 GB 4. Toronto Blue Jays (36-39) 8.5 GB 5. Baltimore Orioles (33-39) 10 GB Rizzo's RBI Tops Red Sox, 5-4 by Tim Scott In another epic contest between these two teams, the score was tied yet again to start the 7th inning. The only difference from yesterday was that it was the Padres that came away victorious. They snapped their grueling 6-game losing streak against the Red Sox with a 5-4 win. Before the game started, the Red Sox had to scratch Josh Beckett due to intestinal turmoil, so spot-starter Alfredo Aceves had to fill in for the ailing ace. Despite getting an early lead, thanks to a Kevin Youkilis RBI double, Aceves had trouble controlling the ball, walking in two runs in the 2nd, and allowing two hard hit RBI basehits to Cameron Maybin and Nick Hundley in the third. He left after the 5th inning, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, along with 6 walks and 4 strikeouts on 99 pitches. Eventually, the Sox rallied back from the 4-1 deficit with key hits. In the 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury ripped a single into center, scoring in Josh Reddick. In the 4th, Reddick returned the favor by driving in Jarrod Saltalamacchia with an RBI double, coming within 1 of the Padres. In the 6th, Adrian Gonzalez drove in Marco Scutaro to tie the score at 4. In the 7th, though, trouble struck the Red Sox. Chase Headley led of the inning with a single to right. That was followed by a ground-rule double by Jesus Guzman to get runners in scoring position. Dan Wheeler (0-1) intentionally walked Orlando Hudson, loading the bases. This set the stage for former Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo, who was to face new pitcher Daniel Bard. Rizzo proceeded to hit a hard grounder to Gonzalez. Gonzalez bobbled it, but managed to get Rizzo out at first, while Headley scored the go-ahead run. In the final innings, the Sox had a hard time hitting the Padres bullpen after hitting Mat Latos with proficiency. The tandem of Chad Qualls (4-3), Mike Adams, and Heath Bell only allowed 3 hits, as the Padres managed to end their 6-game losing streak at the Sox's expense. The series will conclude on Wednesday at 1:35. John Lackey (5-5) will start for the Red Sox against Padres pitcher Clayton Richard (2-9). The game will be on NESN. GAME STATS Bottom 1st Boston: Kevin Youkilis doubled to deep center. Adrian Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 1-0) Top 2nd San Diego: Jason Bartlett walked. Cameron Maybin scored. Nick Hundley to third. Chris Denorfia to second. (Tied, 1-1) Top 2nd San Diego: Chase Headley walked. Hundley scored. Denorfia to third. Bartlett to second. (SD, 2-1) Top 3rd San Diego: Maybin singled to center. Anthony Rizzo scored. (SD, 3-1) Top 3rd San Diego: Hundley doubled to left. Maybin scored. (SD, 4-1) Bottom 3rd Boston: Jacoby Ellsbury singled to center. Josh Reddick scored. (SD, 4-2) Bottom 4th Boston: Reddick doubled to deep center. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored. Marco Scutaro to third. (SD, 4-3) Bottom 6th Boston: Gonzalez singled to right. Scutaro scored. Pedroia to second. (Tie, 4-4) Top 7th San Diego: Rizzo grounded out to first. Headley scored. Jesus Guzman to third. Orlando Hudson to second. (SD, 5-4) SAN DIEGO TOP HITTERS: Jason Barlett (1-2, 1B, RBI), Anthony Rizzo (1-5, R, 2B, RBI), Cameron Maybin (1-3, RBI), Nick Hundley (2-3, 2B, RBI) BOSTON TOP HITTERS: Dustin Pedroia (1-2, 1B), Kevin Youkilis (4-5, 2B, RBI), Josh Reddick (2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI), Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (1-5, RBI) SAN DIEGO PITCHERS: Mat Latos (5.2 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 120 PC), Chad Qualls (1.1 IP, BB, 2 H, 30 PC), Mike Adams (1 IP, 2 K, 14 PC), Heath Bell (0.2 IP, H, K, 16 PC) BOSTON PITCHERS: Alfredo Aceves (5 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 6 BB, 4 K, 99 PC), Dan Wheeler (1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 1 K, 22 PC), Daniel Bard (1.2 IP, H, BB, 23 PC), Jonathan Papelbon (1 IP, 10 PC) Line Score: Padres 022 000 100-5 7 1 Red Sox 101 101 000-4 13 0 WP: Chad Qualls (4-3) LP: Dan Wheeler (0-1) SV: Heath Bell (19) UPDATED: 6/21/2011 at 10:55 PM AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST SCOREBOARD Reds vs. Yankees (PPD-Rain, DH Wednesday) >Brewers 5 Rays 1 F Rays (40-34) >Pirates 9, Orioles 3 F Orioles (33-38) >Braves 5 Blue Jays 1 F Blue Jays (36-38) AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST STANDINGS 1. Boston Red Sox (44-29) 2. New York Yankees (42-29) 1 GB 3. Tampa Bay Rays (40-34) 4.5 GB 4. Toronto Blue Jays (36-38) 8.5 GB 5. Baltimore Orioles (33-38) 10 GB BIG 10-RUN SEVENTH INNING LEADS RED SOX TO ABSOLUTE STOMPING OF THE PADRES, 14-5 by Tim Scott (June 20, 2011) With the score tied, 3-3 entering the bottom of 7th, and the Sox were feeling tight. However, against 4 different pitchers,the Red Sox took advantage of terrifying pitching to trounce the Padres, 14-5. After starting out with a 3-0 lead, thanks to key contributions by David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury, it was seeming to be another quality win for the Red Sox, who just came off a key series win over the Brewers. However, the Padres came full throttle in the 6th, in an unlikely form. 2B Orlando Hudson, who had yet to hit a home run all year, launched one over the Monster off of newcomer Andrew Miller, who was called up to replace the injured Clay Buchholz, to even the score. When Matt Albers (2-3) came in for Miller, the Sox started to rally around him. The seventh came, and reliever Cory Luebke (1-2) was pitching very well in relief for Wade LeBlanc. Ellsbury started the inning with a routine walk. Eventually, Dustin Pedroia reached on a fielder's choice, setting the stage for Adrian Gonzalez. The former Padre launched a blast off of his former teammate, deflecting off the monster to break the tie. But it didn't stop there. Jason Varitek and Marco Scutaro both drove in runs by getting hit by pitches by new pitcher Ernesto Frieri. By the time Frieri left, the score was 6-3 Red Sox, with the bases loaded. Eric Schriber came in right after, and that's when the meltdown occured. Pinch hitter Josh Reddick lined a 2-RBI single to center, Gonzalez also drove in 2 with a flared single into the corner, and, to top it all off, Kevin Youkilis launched a 2-run double off of the Monster to raise the score to 13-3 Red Sox. Pat Neshek was able to retire Ortiz with a strikeout, but the damage was far too severe for a big comeback. Despite bursts of confidence off of youngsters Michael Bowden and Tommy Hottovy in the later innings, the Padres (30-44) were unable to fully answer the damage the Sox (44-28) brought upon them. The Sox drove in one more run with an RBI walk by Pedroia, bringing the score to 14-4. By the time Hottovy retired Cameron Maybin on a fielder's choice, the game was over, with a 14-5 score to its name. The Sox smacked out 14 hits, and drove in 13 runs (Ellsbury's DP didn't count as an RBI). Every player except for Darnell McDonald, Mike Cameron, and Drew Sutton scored a run for the Sox, who have won their second straight game. The Padres have now dropped 6 contests in a row, and have lost 9 of their last 10 games. The series will resume tomorrow at 7:00. The Sox will pitch Josh Beckett (6-2, 1.86 ERA) against Padres ace Mat Latos (4-8, 4.06 ERA) in the second game of this series. The game will be on NESN, or on WEEI for radio listeners. GAME STATS 1st Inning Boston: David Ortiz hit a single to shallow left center. Dustin Pedroia scored. Adrian Gonzalez advanced to third. Kevin Youkilis advanced to second. (BOS, 1-0) 3rd Inning Boston: Ortiz doubled to right. Youkilis scored. Ortiz advanced to third on the throw. (BOS, 2-0) 4th Inning Boston: Jacoby Ellsbury grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Marco Scutaro scored. Mike Cameron out at second. Jason Varitek advanced to third. (BOS, 3-0) 6th Inning San Diego: Orlando Hudson homered (1) to left. Chase Headley and Ryan Ludwick scored. (SD, 3-0) 7th Inning Boston: Gonzalez doubled to deep left. Pedroia scores. (BOS, 4-3) 7th Inning Boston: Scutaro hit by pitch. Gonzalez scored. Ortiz to third. JD Drew to second (BOS, 5-3) 7th Inning Boston: Varitek hit by pitch.Ortiz scored. Drew to third. Scutaro to second. (BOS, 6-3) 7th Inning Boston: Josh Reddick singled to center. Drew and Scutaro scored. Varitek to second. (BOS, 8-3) 7th Inning Boston: Pedroia walked. Varitek scored. Reddick to third. Ellsbury to second. (BOS, 9-3) 7th Inning Boston: Gonzalez singled to right center. Reddick and Ellsbury scored. Pedroia to second. (BOS, 11-3) 7th Inning Boston: Youkilis doubled to left. Pedroia and Gonzalez scored. (BOS, 13-3) 8th Inning San Diego: Chris Denorfia reached on an infield single to second. Hudson scored. Nick Hundley to third. (BOS, 13-4) 8th inning Boston: Ellsbury walked. Drew scored. Scutaro to third. Reddick to second. (BOS, 14-4) 9th Inning San Diego: Jesus Guzman singled to center. Headley scored. (BOS, 14-5) TOP BOSTON HITTERS: David Ortiz (2-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K), Adrian Gonzalez (3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, K), Kevin Youkilis (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Marco Scutaro (2-4, 2 R, RBI) TOP SAN DIEGO HITTERS: Chase Headley (4-5, 2B, R), Orlando Hudson (3-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI) BOSTON Pitchers: Andrew Miller (5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HR, 89 PC), Matt Albers (1.1 IP, H, BB, K, 26 PC), Michael Bowden (1 IP, 3 H, ER, 25 PC), Tommy Hottovy (1 IP, 2 H, ER, K, 13 PC) SAN DIEGO Pitchers: Wade LeBlanc (3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K, 83 PC), Cory Luebke (3.1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 50 PC), Ernesto Frieri (0.1 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB, 26 PC), Evan Scribner (0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB 25 PC), Pat Neshek (1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 32 PC) Line Score SAN DIEGO 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1- 5 13 0 BOSTON 1 0 1 1 0 0 10 1 x-14 14 0 WP: Matt Albers (2-3) LP: Cory Luebke (1-2) UPDATED: 6/20/2011 at 11:19 PM AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST SCORECARD: Blue Jays 0 >Braves 2 F Blue Jays (36-37, 8.5 GB) >Yankees 5 Reds 3 F Yankees (42-29, 1.5 GB) >Orioles 8 Pirates 3 F Orioles (33-37, 10 GB) >Rays 8 Brewers 4 F Rays (40-33, 4.5 GB) CURRENT AL EAST STANDINGS 1. Boston Red Sox (44-28) 2. New York Yankees (42-29) 1.5 GB 4. Toronto Blue Jays (36-37) 8.5 GB 5. Baltimore Orioles (33-37) 10 GB |  Dustin Pedroia hits a 2-run homer against the Yankees on Thursday. (picture courtesy of MassLive)  Dustin Pedroia observes the rain from the Red Sox dugout as the Sox rolled through 2 rain delays to beat the Oakland Athletics, 9-3. (picture courtesy of Desert News)  Red Sox CF Jacoby Ellsbury slides into third on a triple. Despite this, the Sox would lose 15-5 to the Oakland Athletics. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Adrian Gonzalez hits the first of his home runs against the Texas Rangers. The Red Sox would win, 6-0. (picture courtesy of CBC Canada)  David Ortiz slides into home plate in the fifth inning of a 13-2 Red Sox victory over the Texas Rangers. (picture courtesy of The Globe and Mail)  Adrian Gonzalez rounds the bases after his second homer of the night. Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis watches in agony as the Sox would win, 11-5 to regain a tie for first place. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Dustin Pedroia fields a grounder as Rangers DH Michael Young watches during Monday's loss to the Rangers, 4-0. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Ryan Lavarnway doubles in a run in the eighth inning of tonight's 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Tim Wakefield exits the game in the sixth inning of the 9-4 Red Sox loss to the Royals. This was his fifth attempt at his 200th win. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Red Sox P Andrew Miller throws a pitch during Friday's 7-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. (picture courtesy of Desert News)  Carl Crawford tries to score against Royals catcher Salvador Perez during the 4-3 Red Sox win. (picture courtesy of WEEI.com)  David Price pitches in the first inning of the Rays' 4-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. (picture courtesy of Boston Globe)  Dustin Pedroia reacts after turning a triple play, the first Red Sox TP since 1994. The Sox would lose to the Rays, 6-2. (picture courtesy of CBC Canada)  Jacoby Ellsbury connects on a 3-run home run in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game 1 of the doubleheader. The Sox won, 3-1. (picture courtesy of The Globe and Mail)  David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury's contracts should be extended, according to HS blogger Taylor Snyder. (picture courtesy of Zimbio.com)  Matt Barnes, the first pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2011, hopes to be signed by the end of the night. (picture courtesy of UCONN.com)  Tim Wakefield, who threw a CG in a losing effort, throws a pitch in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Mariners. (picture courtesy of USA Today)  Jacoby Ellsbury slides into home plate after being called out at home during the 5-4 loss to the Mariners. (picture courtesy of Boston Globe)  John Lackey throws a pitch in the first inning of the Red Sox 6-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. (picture courtesy of Boston Globe)  David Ortiz is congratulated by his teammates after hitting 23rd home run of the year on Wednesday. (picture courtesy of ABC Sports)  David Ortiz heads back to the dugout during the 4-3 Red Sox win on Tuesday night. (picture courtesy of USA Today)  David Ortiz scores a crucial run in the eighth inning, scoring on a fielder's choice by Mike Aviles in the 8-6 Sox win. (picture courtesy of the Globe and Mail)  Dustin Pedroia connects on the game-inning sacrifice fly against Mariano Rivera in the 9th to send the 3-2 Sox win into extras. (picture courtesy of MassLive.com)  Jacoby Ellsbury launches a three-run home run to right as the Sox pounded the Yankees, 10-4 to regain a share of first in the AL East. (picture courtesy of The Globe and Mail)  Dustin Pedroia tries to avoid being taken down by Eduardo Nunez in Game 1 of the Red Sox-Yankees series. (picture courtesy of New York Times)  Erik Bedard reacts to an Indians hit during his first Red Sox start. The Red Sox would lose 7-3 to the Indians. (picture courtesy of NBC Sports)  Jacoby Ellsbury celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run against the Indians on Wednesday. (picture courtesy of USA Today)  Erik Bedard, who is seen watching tonight's Sox win, is looking to be a boost to the Red Sox rotation. (picture courtesy of Yahoo Sports)  Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis salutes the crowd after hitting a crucial solo home run in the 6th inning of a 3-2 Sox win. (picture courtesy of MassLive) .JPG.opt372x478o0,0s372x478.JPG) John Lackey reacts after allowing a home run in the 6th inning of the 9-6 Red Sox loss to the Indians. (picture courtesy of Boston Globe)  Andrew Miller throws a pitch during the 5-3 Red Sox win over the Chicago White Sox. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)   Jon Lester pitched for the Red Sox as they rolled 10-2 over the Chicago White Sox. (picture courtesy of TSN)  RED SOX WEEK IN REVIEW (July 24-29, 2011) by Tim Scott Jacoby Ellsbury led off Sunday's game against the Mariners with a double, in what turned out to be a 12-8 Sox win. (picture courtesy of The Boston Hot Spot)  Kevin Youkilis tries to throw out a player in the 3-1 Red Sox win on Saturday. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Jonathan Papelbon secures save #22 as the Red Sox roll to a 7-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. (picture courtesy of Yahoo Sports) .jpg) Andrew Miller throws a pitch in the 4-0 Red Sox win over the Orioles. (picture courtesy of Boston Globe)  Jeremy Guthrie pitches for the Orioles on Tuesday, a game in which the Orioles won 6-4 over the Sox. (picture courtesy of the Globe and Mail)  Jarrod Satalamacchia rounds the bases after homering in the third of tonight's game versus the Orioles. (picture courtesy of Associated Press).  Josh Reddick is congratulated by Kevin Youkilis after scoring the lone run in the Red Sox 1-0 win over the Rays. (picture courtesy of Boston Herald)  David Ortiz congratulates Josh Reddick for hitting a homer in Saturday's 9-5 win over the Rays. (courtesy of the Globe and Mail)  Andrew Miller reacts to the Red Sox 9-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Terry Francona talks to umpires following his ejection in Sunday's win over the Orioles (picture courtesy of MSNBC).  John Lackey pitches for the Sox in their 4-0 win over the Orioles (picture courtesy of USA Today).  David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg engage in a fight during the Sox's 10-3 win over the O's on Friday. (picture courtesy of MSNBC).  Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz during tonight's 10-4 win. (picture courtesy of MSNBC)  Dustin Pedroia tries to turn two against the Jays on Wednesday. (picture courtesy of CBC Sports).  Jon Lester pitches in tonight's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays (picture courtesy of the Associated Press).  Jose Bautista and Travis Snider react after the Blue Jays score 4 runs in the 3rd inning of the Red Sox's 9-7 loss. (picture courtesy of Toronto TV).  Josh Beckett throws a pitch in tonight's 2-1 win over the Astros. (picture courtesy of the Seattle PI)  Dustin Pedroia tries to complete a double play for the Red Sox in tonight's game with the Astros. (picture courtesy of Associated Press)  Jarrod Saltalamacchia tags out Clint Barmes in Friday's win over the Astros. (picture courtesy of the Associated Press).  Adrian Gonzalez up to bat for the Red Sox against the Phillies today. (picture courtesy of the New York Times)  Ortiz and Gonzalez high fiving as Gonzo goes back to the dugout. The Sox have to make a tough decision as to who plays first when the team plays in an N.L. ball park. (picture courtesy of NBC Sports)  Marco Scutaro turns a double play in today's Red Sox loss to the Phillies. (picture courtesy of Boston.com)  Josh Beckett pitching in tonight's 5-0 loss to the Phillies. (picture courtesy of the New York Times).  Jarrod Saltalamacchia is congratulated by teammates in the Red Sox's 4-2 over the Pirates. (picture courtesy of MSNBC).  Kevin Youkilis and Tim Wakefield reacting to the Red Sox defeat at Pittsburgh. (picture courtesy of MSNBC.)  Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis reacts to the Sox's loss to the Pirates, 3-1. (Picture courtesy of the Associated Press).  JOHN LACKEY (above) IN WEDNESDAY'S LOSS TO THE PADRES. (picture courtesy of WEEI).  David Ortiz (above) reacts after stealing a base in the fifth inning of the Sox's 5-4 loss to the Padres. Courtesy of the Seattle PI.  RED SOX 1B ADRIAN GONZALEZ CONNECTS ON A PITCH IN YESTERDAY'S 14-5 WIN (Courtesy of the Canadian Press) |
2011 Boston Red Sox Roster
PITCHERS: Alfredo Aceves (#91), Matt Albers (#32), Daniel Bard (#51), Josh Beckett (#19), Bobby Jenks (#52), John Lackey (#41), Jon Lester (#31), Andrew Miller (#30), Franklin Morales (#46), Jonathan Papelbon (#58), Tim Wakefield (#49), Dan Wheeler (#35)
CATCHERS: Jarrod Saltalamacchia (#39), Jason Varitek (#33)
FIRST BASEMEN: Adrian Gonzalez (#28), Drew Sutton (#44)
SECOND BASEMEN: Dustin Pedroia (#15)
SHORTSTOP: Marco Scutaro (#10)
THIRD BASEMEN: Kevin Youkilis (#20)
OUTFIELDERS: Mike Cameron (#23), JD Drew (#7), Jacoby Ellsbury (#2), Darnell McDonald (#54), Josh Reddick (#16)
DESIGNATED HITTER: David Ortiz (#34)
TRANSACTIONS (week of 6/24/11)
6/28/11: Activated P Bobby Jenks and P Franklin Morales each from the 15-day DL. Optioned P Scott Atchison and P Tommy Hottovy to AAA Pawtucket.
6/24/11: Recalled P Scott Atchison from Pawtucket. Optioned P Michael Bowden to Pawtucket.
