Doubront Allows Big Fifth Again In Loss (55-58)

Doubront only went 4.1 innings

This was another rough game for the Red Sox as their losing streak extends to three against a team just coming off an eleven game losing skid. However, that team, the Cleveland Indians, got off to a scorching start as leadoff hitter Jason Donald homered on Felix Doubront's third pitch to make it 1-0. Doubront settled down and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched very well for the next few innings, but the Red Sox got going in the fourth. Dustin Pedroia singled to lead off the inning for Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez turned on an inside fastball to drive it well over the wall in right for a two-run homer to make it 2-1. The Red Sox kept going in the fourth as a leadoff single for Jacoby Ellsbury turned to a leadoff double as he stole second. Two batters later, he would score as Dustin Pedroia singled up the middle to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.

Gonzalez hit his 12th homer

However, the Indians answered in a big way in the bottom of the fifth. After Casey Kotchman grounded out to start the inning, Doubront was seemingly not able to get another one-- allowing a single and a walk to the next two hitters. One would score when Asdrubal Cabrera worked a great at bat before driving a line drive past Will Middlebrooks at third and down the third base line for an RBI double. Doubront pitched around Shin-Soo Choo (rightly) to load the bases and set up the double play. It almost worked out as planned as Carlos Santana hit a hard ground ball to the right of the shortstop. It was too far to the right, though, and it got into the outfield for an RBI single to tie it up at 3-3. Doubront was taken out of the game here and Andrew Miller came in only to allow a sacrifice fly and give the Indians a 4-3 lead. It stayed that way for a few innings, but in the eighth the Indians loaded the bases with one out. Jason Donald drove in a run as he reached on a fielder's choice to make it 5-3. The Indians held the lead and the Red Sox were done.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4, 1 BB, 1 R, 3 SB
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4

Dull Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB
Carl Crawford- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez's two-run home run in the fourth inning was one of few bright spots in a bitter night for the Red Sox-- he is now .310/12/74.

Clutch Rallies Help Sox Win Third Straight (26-24)

Lester settled down after a
shaky start

The Red Sox continue to play well of late-- beating the Tigers last night to move within 2.5 games of first place. The Tigers started quickly, loading the bases with three singles (Worth, Cabrera, and Fielder) and just one out. Delmon Young knocked one of them in with a slow bouncer to second baseman Nick Punto-- Punto got one, but it wasn't enough to turn two and the Tigers would score. After a scoreless second inning, the Tigers benefitted by a leadoff triple to center field by Tigers rookie Quintin Berry. Berry would score on a sacrifice fly when Danny Worth hit a fly ball to center to make it 2-0. However, the inning wasn't over on a one out double by Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera got to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a Prince Fielder groundout-- using some very good base running to take a 3-0 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox got a rally of their own going. Adrian Gonzalez doubled to right-center and was driven in when David Ortiz smacked a home run to dead center to cut the Tigers' lead to 3-2.

Adrian Gonzalez had a go-ahead
double 

The rally kept going though, as Kevin Youkilis hit a bloop single to right before Will Middlebrooks crushed a home run over the monster to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. It would stay at 4-3 for a while, but in the seventh inning, they put two runners on with two outs. One would score when Miguel Cabrera doubled him home to tie things up at 4-4. Two out rallies appeared to be the Red Sox' friend as with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, they put two runners on. The Red Sox scored one when Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground-rule double to right. They got one more in the eighth when Kevin Youkilis hit a homer to left field to make it 6-4. Alfredo Aceves shut down the Tigers in the ninth and the Red Sox won by that score.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (13)
Daniel Nava- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Matt Albers- 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Kelly Shoppach- 0-4, 2 K, 3 LOB
Nick Punto- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez was a key in two scoring opportunities as he went 2-4 with a pair of doubles, including the go-ahead one, driving in a run and scoring one-- he is now .273/4/27.

Red Sox Add Salt At Just The Right Time (23-23)

Josh Beckett pitched a great game

This is getting ridiculous as the Red Sox continue to sway between .500 and below-- with last night's clutch win they moved above, but it's only for now probably. Well, last night's game was a fantastic one from the pitching department as Josh Beckett and David Price matched each other pitch for pitch to start the game. This ballgame was still scoreless up until the bottom of the sixth. That was when the Red Sox had runners at first and second with two outs in the inning. The scoreless tie was broken when Will Middlebrooks knocked a single up the middle to score David Ortiz and give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

Saltalamacchia had a pinch-hit
walk-off homer

However, the Rays proceeded to jump on off of Josh Beckett in the next inning. They would put runners at the corners with no outs to start the inning. A sacrifice fly by Ben Zobrist and an RBI single by Luke Scott would change the tie to give the Rays a 2-1 lead. The bottom of the seventh was scoreless and Josh Beckett would be taken out with a 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 K line-- yet he was set to lose the game. Andrew Miller and Rich Hill respectively pitched strong eighth and ninth innings to set the Red Sox up for their last chance. Daniel Nava walked to lead off the inning, and Scott Podsednik bunted him over. This put a man on second with one out for pinch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Salty made the Rays pay by crushing a pitch into the bullpens to win it 3-2 for the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Rich Hill- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, W(1-0)
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 1 BB
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Marlon Byrd- 0-3, 2 K

Player of the Game:
Josh Beckett- Even when his team wasn't scoring runs, Beckett put the Sox in a great position to win by only allowing two runs in seven strong-- he is now 4-4/4.15/45.

Late Rallies Help Sox Strike Even (21-21)

Clay Buchholz wasn't too
good, allowing 5 runs

After long last, the Red Sox are back at the .500 mark. After being 11-11 and going on a miserable losing streak, they are finally back at 21-21. Tommy Hunter and Clay Buchholz threw two perfect innings each to start the game, and this was looking like a pitching duel. However, the Red Sox broke out in the third when a Daniel Nava single and Marlon Byrd double put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Mike Aviles singled up the middle to score Nava, and Byrd would score later on a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia-- barely beating the throw by Nick Markakis to make it 2-0. The Orioles would take the Red Sox' two runs and raise them two more in the third when they loaded the bases to start the inning. After an 11 pitch at bat, Xavier Avery walked in a run, and the O's would get another cheapie when J.J. Hardy knocked an infield hit to tie it at 2-2. Nick Markakis would walk in a run to give the Orioles a lead before Adam Jones drove in a run on a double play to make it 4-2 in the third. The Orioles would score another in the fourth when Chris Davis led off the inning with a line drive home run to right-center.

David Ortiz hit his 10th
home run of the year

Things were looking bleak when the Orioles had a 5-2 lead heading into the sixth, but David Ortiz put all that behind him by hitting a moonshot onto Eutaw Street behind right field. Ortiz's slam would power the Red Sox' offense as a double and a single put a pair in scoring position with no outs. They would score two on a sacrifice fly by Daniel Nava as well as scoring on an obvious balk (even I picked it up!) by Tommy Hunter to tie the game at 5-5. The offense continued to roll for the Red Sox in the seventh when they loaded the bases with just one out. Adrian Gonzalez hit a deep fly ball to left, caught on the warning track, but it would drive in the speedy Mike Aviles to give the Sox a 6-5 lead. Will Middlebrooks proceeded to give the Red Sox an insurance run by driving a clean single up the middle to make things 7-5. The Red Sox would get another insurance run in the eighth when Dustin Pedroia drove in Che-Hsuan Lin on a single to make it 8-5. The O's took a run in the eighth but it didn't matter as the Red Sox won 8-6.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K, W (1-0)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, SV (10)
Mike Aviles- 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
David Ortiz- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Rich Hill- 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia had a very strong night last night, going 2-4 with a double to go with scoring a run and driving in two-- he is now .305/5/20 this year.

Red Sox Roll Over Indians Behind Doubront (14-19)

Doubront pitched very
well last night

Well, I feel great because I was actually at Fenway Park last night, and I experience a good, clean win for the Sox. After a couple of scoreless innings for both sides to start the game, Mike Aviles singled to lead off the third on a blooper into center. Two batters later, and on a 2-1 count, Aviles took off for second base. In this situation, the hit-and-run worked to perfection as Dustin Pedroia doubled high off the monster in left-center and Aviles just beat the throw to home; he wouldn't have scored without the hit-and-run. However, he would've scored on the next play anyway as David Ortiz crushed a high line drive into deep left-center and just out of the reach of center fielder Michael Brantley. Pedroia scored on the play to give the Sox a 2-0 lead after three innings of baseball. The Red Sox got right back at it in the fourth, though, as a Daniel Nava single and Jarrod Saltalamacchia ground-rule double put two runners in scoring position with one out. Mike Aviles delivered with a line drive to Shelley Duncan in left, Nava barely scored on the play-- just sliding under catcher Lou Marson's glove.

Pedroia had a key RBI double

Felix Doubront continued to put up zeros on the board-- but he had thrown about 80 pitches entering the sixth inning, which would be his last. Lou Marson doubled into short right, past a diving Ryan Sweeney, to start things off in the sixth. However, Doubront minimized the damage about as much as he could-- allowing the run on an infield hit to Jason Kipnis on some miscommunication in the Red Sox infield. Felix Doubront would be taken out after that inning with a fantastic final line of 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K, he would later earn his third win of the year and is now 3-1/4.46/37. In the bottom of the sixth, with two outs and two strikes, Cody Ross did some damage by hitting an absolute moonshot over the AAA-insurance sign on the monster. With a 4-1 lead, the Sox entered three different relievers (Andrew Miller, Vicente Padilla, and Alfredo Aceves) into the ballgame for the seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively. None of them allowed a hit and Aceves picked up his seventh save of the season.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (7)
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-3, 1 R
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- Doubront pitched an excellent ballgame last night, picking up his third win of the year, going six innings and allowing just a run.

Anderson's Slam Leads Sox Over Twins (1-0)

Anderson hit a grand slam today

After such a long winter, the Red Sox are finally back to playing real major league opponents; and as today's game indicated, they were ready. The first few innings of the game were quiet for both teams. Josh Beckett put together a decent start in his first game-- he pitched 2 innings, allowing no runs and a hit while walking one. His control was a bit shaky, but he came through and didn't allow any runs. In fact, the next couple of innings were still quiet-- with Andrew Miller putting on a very impressive performance-- after walking the leadoff batter in the 3rd inning, he struck out the side; he went 2 innings, allowing no runs or hits, while striking out three and walking just one. In the bottom of the 4th was when the Red Sox came through. After a baserunning gaffe in which Dustin Pedroia was out at home, Mike Aviles bounced one up the middle for a 2-run single to put the Sox on the board. However, in the 5th inning, Mark Melancon came on for his Red Sox debut and didn't do so well-- he allowed a run on two hits in the inning. After a spotless sixth by Justin Thomas, the Twins tied it on a single through the right side by Ben Revere off Tony Pena Jr. However, in the bottom of the 7th-- the Sox put the game away for good. Jason Bulger was awful, walking the bases loaded-- in fact, he even walked in the run that put the Sox ahead with a 3-2 lead. However, it wasn't a walk that hurt him most. With the bases loaded and one out, he dropped a curve into Lars Anderson's wheelhouse and Anderson turned on it, sending a high drive into the right field seats for a grand slam that made it 7-2 Sox. In the next inning, the Sox scored another on a beautiful RBI triple by Oscar Tejeda. The Twins scored in the 9th, but it was far too little and the Sox took the game 8-3. 


Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 2 innings, no runs, no hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Justin Thomas- 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 2 strikeouts
Dustin Pedroia- 1-2, 1 double, 1 run, 1 walk
Oscar Tejeda- 1-1, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 triple
Lars Anderson- 2-2, 1 run, 4 RBI, 1 home run
Mike Aviles- 2-2, 2 RBI
Alex Hassan- 0-0, 2 walks, 2 runs


Dull Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 inning, 1 run, 2 hits
Tony Pena Jr.- 1 inning, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-3, 4 left on base
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 2 left on base
Kelly Shoppach- 0-1, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base

Red Sox Re-Sign Andrew Miller

For some depth, the Red Sox re-signed lefty Andrew Miller. Unfortunately, it may not just be for some depth as they signed him to a major league contract. Miller had an awful season for the Sox in 2011, going 6-3/5.44/50 in 17 games (12 starts) and 65 innings for the Red Sox. In the minors at AAA Pawtucket, he fared much better, going 3-3/2.47/61 in 13 games (12 starts) and 65 2/3 innings. Miller started off the season very well for the Red Sox, jumping out to a 4-1 start. However, he trailed off due to control problems and was very bad for much of the season. The Red Sox tried him out in the bullpen later in the year, and he pitched without too much success-- same control problems and everything, including a 6 runs in 1 1/3 innings performance in Texas. I don't really know why the Red Sox signed him to a major league deal, as I don't even want him on our roster as a #5 starter.

The Rays Are Really Beginning To Scare Me (86-63)

Last night was a bad game, as the Sox fell to the Rays in a game that was just not fun at all. With runners at 1st and 2nd in the 3rd inning for the Rays, B.J. Upton hit a soft ground ball to shortstop. The only problem was that he broke his bat, and part of it flew and almost hit Marco Scutaro so he dodged the bat... and the ball... and a run came in to score. The next batter, Evan Longoria, would lock up the game right there by hitting a 3-run homer to right-center to make it 4-0. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Sox loaded the bases with 1 out, and Adrian Gonzalez grounded to first base to score a run and make it 4-1. Two batters after Johnny Damon was hit by a pitch in the 6th inning, Casey Kotchman belted a 2-run homer to right center to make it 6-1. Then in the next inning, B.J. Upton knocked a 2-run shot over the green monster to make it 8-1. Later in the inning, after a walk and a single, Casey Kotchman drove another run in with a single. With runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs (Jose Iglesias had his first major league hit!), Darnell McDonald drove in a run to make it 9-2.
        Kyle Weiland was very good for the first two innings, but then he totally lost it and was only able to go 3 innings, allowing 4 runs. Then came a pair of good innings by Trever Miller and Scott Atchison. However, then Franklin Morales allowed 2 runs in an inning and Matt Albers allowed 3 in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Miller relieved them with 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Michael Bowden threw a scoreless inning. David Ortiz was more or less our only offensive bright spot, as he went 2-2 before he was taken out to give him a break. Marco Scutaro was also decent, going 2-3. Tonight, the Sox will look to maybe.... beat the Rays? With Josh Beckett (12-5/2.49/155) going against James Shields (15-10/2.70/210).

Bright Spots:
Trever Miller- a scoreless inning, getting the Sox out of a jam
Scott Atchison- a scoreless inning
Andrew Miller- 1 2/3 scoreless inning
Michael Bowden- a scoreless inning
David Ortiz- 2-2
Marco Scutaro- 2-3

Dull Spots:
Kyle Weiland- 4 runs in 3 innings
Franklin Morales- 2 runs in an inning
Matt Albers- 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4 with a strikeout and 3 LOB
Dustin Pedroia- 0-3 with a strikeout and an LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 5 LOB

Not a good game, and I'm beginning to panic.

Late Rally Not Enough As Sox Drop Series To Toronto (85-58)

The first blood of the game was drawn on a bloop single in the 1st by David Cooper to make it 1-0. However, the next batter, J.P. Arencibia crushed a ball high in the air to left for a 3-run homer to make it 4-0. Then, the Jays padded their lead even further in the 3rd with an opposite field home run for Edwin Encarnacion to make it 5-0. It stayed that way until the 7th inning when the Sox put two on with a Jason Varitek walk and a Darnell McDonald single with two outs. Jacoby Ellsbury would deliver with a line drive double to left to score Varitek and make it 5-1. The next batter, Marco Scutaro hit a hard line drive through the left side of the infield to score two and make it a game again at 5-3. However, the Blue Jays got one of those back as Eric Thames crushed a homer to right field to make it 6-3 in the bottom of the 7th. The Blue Jays got another run on back-to-back one out doubles by Brett Lawrie and David Cooper to make it 7-3 in the 8th inning. In the 9th, the Sox got one of those back on a homer to right for Jason Varitek to make it 7-4, but it wasn't enough.
       Andrew Miller was pretty bad, allowing 5 earned runs in 5 innings, as he is now 6-3/5.48/43. Michael Bowden allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Felix Doubront allowed a run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning and Matt Albrs threw 2/3 scoreless. Jacoby Ellsbury had a pretty good day for the Sox, as he went 2-5 with a run and an RBI. Marco Scutaro, however, who has been very hot lately, had another awesome day, going 3-4 with 2 RBIs, as he is now .291/5/44, as he's having a career high in batting average, along with making some nice plays in the field yesterday (left). Jason Varitek had a pretty good day, going 1-3 with 2 runs and a solo homer, as he is now .233/11/33, pretty decent for a backup catcher. Tonight, the Sox head all the way from Toronto to Tampa Bay and will send John Lackey (12-11/6.11/95) against Wade Davis (9-8/4.50/86).

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with a run and an RBI
Marco Scutaro- 3-4 with 2 RBIs
Jason Varitek- 1-3 with 2 runs and a solo homer

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 5 runs in 5 innings for the loss
Felix Doubront- a run in 2/3 of an inning
Dustin Pedroia- 0-5 with 3 strikeouts and 5 LOB
David Ortiz- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3 with a strikeout and an LOB
Jed Lowrie- 0-4 with an LOB

Well, that was a tough game, and series... but at least the Yankees lost!

This Game, Well... Kinda Sucked (83-54)

This was a bad game, I actually don't really want to blog it, but I feel it is my duty. Andrew Miller allowed two straight walks to open up the ballgame, and after Josh Hamilton struck out, Michael Young hit an RBI single to make it 1-0. Then Adrian Beltre hit a sacrifice fly to center which allowed another run to score. After singles by Yorvit Torrealba and David Murphy, and a bunt by Craig Gentry; Ian Kinsler knocked a 3-run homer to left to make it 5-0. Later in the inning, two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Rangers, and when Mike Napoli walked it became 6-0. Elvis Andrus singled to lead off the 4th, he stole second and later in the inning came in on a single by Adrian Beltre. In the 5th, David Murphy hit a solo home run to make it 8-0 and then later in the inning, a 2-run homer by Elvis Andrus would, mercifully, end the scoring and make it 10-0.
     Andrew Miller was awful, just awful, allowing 6 runs and walking 4 in just 1 1/3 innings. Michael Bowden was good, allowing just 1 run in 2 2/3 innings, and Matt Albers was terrible, allowing 3 runs in an inning. Tim Wakefield was very good in relief, though, tossing 4 shutout innings and allowing just 3 hits. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-2, the other hit in the ballgame was Jacoby Ellsbury, who went 1-4. This was a terrible game. Today, Erik Bedard (4-9/3.45/113) will pitch against Colby Lewis (11-9/4.19/140).

Bright Spots:
Michael Bowden- 1 run in 2 2/3 innings
Tim Wakefield- 4 shutout innings, wow!
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-2

Dull Spots:
Everybody else

This was probably the worst game we've played all year.

Weekly News

After last night's 4-0 win, the Sox concluded a very nice 5-2 week, that would move them from 1 game behind to 2 games up on the Yankees. Our Player of the Week is Adrian Gonzalez, who had a fantastic week, batting .393/5/9, he is now having a great season at .345/23/103. Our Pitcher of the Week, for his 2nd time, is Andrew Miller who had a very good start against the Rangers, going 6 1/3 shutout innings, striking out 6, as he is having his best season in the Major Leagues at 6-1/4.42/39. As so often happens, the Performance of the Week also went to the Player of the Week, as onTuesday (8/23/11), Adrian Gonzalez went 3-4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs. The Game of the Week was Thursday (8/25/11), as the Sox just played dominant baseball in a 6-0 win. Miller pitched well, Adrian Gonzalez hit 2 home runs, a good game. In the upcoming week, the Sox will take an off-day tomorrow, then the Yankees will come to town for 3 games and the Rangers will come to town for 3 games.

Gone-zo! Adrian Powers Sox Over Rangers (80-50)

Last night, the Sox played a very good game all around, hitting well and stifling the Rangers in a 6-0 win. In the 1st inning, with 2 outs, Adrian Gonzalez took a low fastball to center field for his first home run of the game. An inning later, David Ortiz took a low and inside fastball, and crushed it to dead right field giving the Sox an early 2-0 lead. After Jed Lowrie walked in the 3rd, Adrian Gonzalez did literally the same thing as he did last time up, taking a low fastball and turning it around the center field to make it 4-0. After Carl Crawford lined a single up the middle in the 4th, Jarrod Saltalamacchia immediately delivered by crushing an outside fastball right back where it came, homered to the opposite field to give the Sox a 6-0 lead, which they easily held.
     This game was probably the best I've ever seen Andrew Miller pitch as he was dominant, striking out 6 and walking 2 while allowing 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings; he is now 6-1/4.42/39. He was relieved with Alfredo Aceves, who threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Dan Wheeler who threw a scoreless inning in relief. Adrian Gonzalez (left) had a great game, going 2-4 with 2 home runs, a solo and a 2-run, as he is having a great season at .348/23/102. David Ortiz went 1-3, but that one hit was a big solo home run, as he is now .301/25/81. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4, including that 2-run homer that really put the game away, as he is now .251/14/44. Tonight, the Red Sox will head back home to face Oakland, and will put Tim Wakefield (6-5/4.97/69) out on the hill to get his 200th win against Gio Gonzalez (10-11/3.24/155).

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 6 1/3 scoreless innings
Alfredo Aceves- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief
Dan Wheeler- 1 scoreless inning of relief
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with 2 home runs
David Ortiz- 1-3 with a solo home run
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5 with 2 strikeouts and 2 runners left on base
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4 with a strikeout

This was a great game for us, and after the Yankees beat the A's we remain in 1st by a game.

Francona Reign As Tito's Unusual Lineup Whacks 13 Hits (76-48)

Last night, the Red Sox pulled off a lopsided 7-1 win against the Royals, despite one of Terry Francona's strangest lineups this year. The Royals actually scored first as Mike Moustakas doubled to left to lead off the 3rd. After Alcides Escobar bunted him to third base, Alex Gordon hit a long fly ball into the gap and Jacoby Ellsbury made a fantastic running catch (Check Web Gems or something), Moustakas still scored but it could've been much worse. In the 4th inning, Carl Crawford doubled down the 1st base line to lead off the inning. One batter later, Darnell McDonald hit a long blooping liner into the gap, it just evaded Melky Cabrera's glove and once all the dust settled, it was an RBI triple. The batter later, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a fly ball to center field and McDonald scored on. In the 5th, the Sox led off the inning with singles by Jed Lowrie and Ryan Lavarnway (Congrats on his 1st MLB hit!!!). After an out, Jarrod Saltalamacchia took an 0-2 changeup over the wall for a 3-run homer to give the Sox a 5-1 lead. It stayed that way until the 8th inning, when Jacoby Ellsbury was hit square in the back to start the inning. He stayed in the ballgame though and after a double down the 3rd base line for Mike Aviles, the Sox were in business. Adrian Gonzalez flew out to Alex Gordon to score a run and make it 6-1 and after a ground ball hit by Dustin Pedroia skipped under Alcides Escobar's glove, the Sox scored another and made it 7-1.

Andrew Miller was very sharp in his spot start, he only allowed 3 hits and a run through 5 1/3 innings and walked only 1 batter. After last night's start, he stands at 5-1/4.99/33. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves, who really did a great job by saving the bullpen, he pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and striking out 3. Jacoby Ellsbury played a good game, going 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Mike Aviles also did well against his old team going 2-5 with a run scored and a double. Adrian Gonzalez broke out of his slump, going 3-4 with an RBI and 2 doubles. Jed Lowrie went 3-4 with a run scored in a good day for him. Ryan Lavarnway only went 1-4, scoring a run, but congratulations on your first major league hit, the beginning of a long and fruitful career we hope. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) only went 1-5, but that one hit, the 3-run homer, was the key play of the game, as it changed the game from a nailbiter to a rout, he is now .246/12/41. Darnell McDonald went 1-4 with a run and an RBI, but that hit was a triple, his 1st of the season. Tonight, Tim Wakefield (6-4/4.90/66) will seek 200 wins for the 5th time, this time against Felipe Paulino (1-5/3.76/75 with the Royals) and the Royals.

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- he was very sharp, allowing just 1 run and 3 hits in 5 1/3

Alfredo Aceves- pitched great out of the bullpen with 3 2/3 scoreless innings

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Mike Aviles- 2-5 with a double and a run scored

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4 with an RBI and 2 doubles

Jed Lowrie- 3-4 with a run scored

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-5 with a key 3-run homer

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

This was a great game for the Sox, and I'm really glad we're hitting again!

Red Sox Prove That They Are the Better Sock (66-40)

Today, the Red Sox closed out a series win over the White Sox with a 5-3 win. The Red Sox took an early lead in the 2nd inning on a 2-run homer by Jason Varitek into the left-center bleachers. However, it didn't last long as the White Sox cut it to 2-1 when Tyler Flowers scored on a rocket double by Brent Morel. In the 3rd, the White Sox tied it when, with runners at 1st and 3rd, Alex Rios singled through the let side of the infield. The White Sox took a lead in the 4th when, with 2 runners in scoring position, Alexei Ramirez singled in Gordon Beckham to make it 3-2. It stayed that way until the 7th, when with 2 runners in scoring position, Dustin Pedroia lined a ball back up the middle to make it 4-3. In the 9th, the Sox padded their lead when Adrian Gonzalez lined an RBI double down the right field line to make it 5-3.

Andrew Miller was alright, allowing 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings, as he is now 4-1/5.36/25. He was relieved with a scoreless inning by Alfredo Aceves, 1 1/3 scoreless innings by Daniel Bard, and a scoreless inning by Jonathan Papelbon. Jacoby Ellsbury had a pretty good game today, going 2-5 with 2 runs scored, doing his job from the front of the lineup. Dustin Pedroia went 2-4 with that huge 2-run single, as he is now .309/15/59, as he is having another MVP year. Speaking of MVP years, Adrian Gonzalez went 2-5 with an RBI double, improving himself to .357/18/90. Jason Varitek (left) only went 1-4, but his hit was a 2-run homer, and he is now .237/7/22. Marco Scuatro went 2-4 with a run scored, as he was saying "We don't need no Mike Aviles!" Tomorrow, the Sox will go back to Fenway to face the Indians, and will send John Lackey (9-8/6.20/66) against Josh Tomlin (11-5/4.01/73).

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings to go with 8 strikeouts

Aceves, Bard, and Papelbon- 1 hit and no runs in 3 1/3 innings

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with 2 runs scored

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with 2 RBIs in a key single

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-5 with an RBI double

Jason Varitek- 1-4 with a 2-run homer

Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with a run

Dull Spots:

Kevin Youkilis- 0-3

Carl Crawford- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts

This was a good game for the Red Sox, good pitching and good hitting, woohoo!

Red Sox Offense Blows Up In 5th Inning, Beats Royals (63-38)

Last night, the Red Sox won a slugfest against the Royals by a score of 13-9. The Royals took an early lead in the 1st inning when Eric Hosmer doubled in Melky Cabrera to make it 1-0. Later in the inning, Billy Butler tagged up on a hard line drive to left field to make it 2-0. However, in the bottom of the 1st, a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez cut it to 2-1 before an RBI double for David Ortiz made it 2-2. With the bases loaded in the 2nd inning, Billy Butler hit a ground-rule double over Josh Reddick's head to make it 4-2. However, the Red Sox got one back in the 3rd on a double for Dustin Pedroia to make it 4-3. Then, a 2-run double for David Ortiz made it 5-4, as the Sox took another lead. In the 4th, the Royals took another lead on a 2-run homer by Alex Gordon and a solo homer by Billy Butler to make it 7-5. In the bottom half, Carl Crawford walked with the bases loaded to make it 7-6. All hell broke loose in the 5th inning, however, as the Sox put runners at 1st and 2nd to start the inning. Drew Sutton then put down an epic bunt, which after two errors, Suttonwound up at 3rd and the score was 8-7 Red Sox. An RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez made it 9-7 later in the inning, and a 2-run single by David Ortiz made it 11-7. A long sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick made it 12-7, scoring Dustin Pedroia. In the 7th inning, Jason Varitek crushed a home run over the green monster to make it 13-7. In the 9th, the Royals got a few runs on RBI singles by Mike Moustakas and Matt Treanor to make it 13-9.

Andrew Miller was, frankly, awful; he allowed 7 runs, 5 earned, in 3 2/3 innings, as he is now 4-1/5.45/17. Alfredo Aceves out of the bullpen, however, was very good, earning the win with 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, as he is now 6-1/3.28/41, as he's been a great acquisition for Theo. Matt Albers followed with a scoreless inning and Franklin Morales allowed 2 runs in an inning to close the game. Adrian Gonzalez played a great game, going 2-3 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .348/17/84. Dustin Pedroia, on the other hand, played a simply fantastic game, coming just a home run away from the cycle by going 4-5 with 3 runs and an RBI, as he is now .304/13/51. David Ortiz also played a great game, going 4-5 with 5 RBIs, as he is now a fantastic .306/19/64. Jason Varitek only went 1-5, but his one hit was a flat out bomb, that made him .235/6/20. Jacoby Ellsbury did well off the bench, going 2-3 with a run scored. Tonight, John Lackey (8-8/6.28/63) will face Bruce Chen (5-3/3.30/44) in the 3rd game of this 4 game series.

Bright Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- 3 1/3 shutout innings out of the 'pen.

Matt Albers- a scoreless inning of relief

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs

Dustin Pedroia- 4-5 with 3 runs and an RBI as well as 3/4 of a cycle

David Ortiz- 4-5 with 5 RBIs

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-3 with 1 run off the bench

Dull Spots:

Andrew Miller- 7 runs in 3 2/3 innings in a bad start

Franklin Morales- 2 runs in 1 inning out of the bullpen

Darnell McDonald- 0-2 leading off for some reason

Well, this was a fun one to watch, nice and roller-coasterey, hey, I'm a blogger, I can make up words!

Red Sox Blank Orioles In Series Finale (59-37)

Yesterday, the Red Sox concluded a series win against the Orioles by beating them 4-0. The Red Sox got their first run in the top of the 3rd on a solo home run by Jacoby Ellsbury. In the 4th, Josh Reddick came in to score on a groundout by Jason Varitek to make it 2-0. In the 7th, another homer by Jacoby Ellsbury made it 3-0. In the 8th, the bases were loaded, setting up for a walk by Carl Crawford to make it 4-0, the final score, as the O's couldn't do anything, managing just 2 hits.

Andrew Miller was very good, allowing no runs through 5 2/3 innings, however, he had some control issues, walking 6. After that start, he is n

ow 4-1/4.65/16, as he's been very good except for one start. Matt Albers, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon didn't even allow a hit i

n 1 1/3, 1, and 1 innings, respectively. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 2-4 with 2 solo homers, as he is now a fantastic .316/15/54. Who would have guessed that, at this point in the season, Jacoby Ellsbury who have 2 fewer home runs than Adrian Gonzalez, and Dustin Pedroia would have 8 more steals than Carl Crawford. Adrian Gonzalez also had a great game, going 4-5 with a run scored and raising the average to .343. Josh Reddick went 2-3 with a run scored in a good game, and Carl Crawford went 2-3 with an RBI. Tomorrow, the Red Sox will head back to Fenway to face the Mariners, and will send John Lackey (7-8/6.70/59) against Felix Hernandez (8-8/3.26/146).

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- 2 hits in 5 2/3 shutout innings

Matt Albers- 1 1/3 shutout innings

Daniel Bard- 1 scoreless inning

Jonathan Papelbon- 1 scoreless inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with 2 solo home runs

Adrian Gonzalez- 4-5 with a run scored

Josh Reddick- 2-3 with a run scored

Carl Crawford- 2-3 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Marco Scutaro- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts

Jason Varitek- 0-4 with an RBI, but a strikeout and 5 runners left on base

Yamaico Navarro- 0-4 with a strikeout and 4 runners left on base

This was a very good game for the Sox, as they just dominated the Orioles.

Death By Pitching For Astros, As Red Sox Dominate (48-34)

Last night, the Red Sox routed the Astros 10-4 in a fitting way to send me on my way to camp. The Red Sox got off to a good start early, putting runners at first and third to start the game. Adrian Gonzalez hit a single through the right side, scoring Ellsbury and making it 1-0. The Red Sox proceeded to load the bases in the inning, setting up for a walk to David Ortiz to make it 2-0. Then, Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, but the run still scored to make it 3-0. In the bottom half, Angel Sanchez singled after a Michael Bourn triple to make it 3-1. It stayed like that until the 5th, when consecutive doubles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia made it 4-1. In the 6th, Hunter Pence homered to left field to make it 4-2. In the 7th, Yamaico Navarro came in to pinch hit for the pitcher, and hit his first career home run on a shot to left field to make it 5-2. In the bottom half, the Astros loaded the bases, and the Red Sox walked Hunter Pence to make it 5-3. In the 8th, the Red Sox loaded the bases, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3. Then, Darnell McDonald came up, I expected him to ground into a double play and the inning would be over, instead, he put the game away on a blast to left field. A BLAST. Then in the 9th, an RBI single by Kevin Youkilis made it 10-3. In the 9th, a Matt Downs RBI single made it 10-4, but that was it.

Andrew Miller has greatly impressed me so far, with another good start tonight, going 6 innings and allowing 2 runs. He is now 2-0/3.06/13. Alfredo Aceves allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning, Bard threw a scoreless third, Jenks tossed a scoreless inning, and Wheeler allowed a run in an inning. Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-4 with 2 runs scored. Dustin Pedroia (left) went 3-5 with a run and an RBI along with 3 double plays turned. Adrian Gonzalez went 3-5 with 3 runs and an RBI in a good game, raising the average to .353. Kevin Youkilis went 3-5 with a run and an RBI. Darnell McDonald only went 1-4, but that home run was too big to let go of, he is now .125/2/6, ouch. And, props to Yamaico Navarro on his first major league home run, ask my mom, I believed in you! Today, Josh Beckett (6-3/2.20/80) will go for the sweep against Jordan Lyles (0-3/4.50/28).

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- 2 runs in 6 innings, another impressive outing

Bobby Jenks- a scoreless inning of relief (for once)

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4 with 2 runs scored

Dustin Pedroia- 3-5 with a run and an RBI

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with 3 runs and an RBI

Kevin Youkilis- 3-5 with a run and an RBI

Darnell McDonald- 1-4 with a crushed 3-run homer

Yamaico Navarro- first MLB home run, need I say anything else?

Dull Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- a run in 2/3 of an inning

Marco Scutaro- 0-4

The Red Sox crushed the Astros, and I'm glad I can leave town on a good note. Bye!

Weekly News

This was not a great week for the Red Sox, they went 2-4, dropping series to the Pirates and Padres. Adrian Gonzalez (right), however, had a great week, going .500/1/7. He batted .500, 13-26! Gonzalez is having a great season, as he is now .361/16/71, leading the AL in just about every offensive category. The pitcher of the week was Andrew Miller, who went 1-0/3.09/10 in 2 starts this week, as the Red Sox' trainers have done wonders with him. The Game of the Week was Tuesday (6/20/11), as the Sox broke a 3-3 deadlock in the 7th inning, to win the game 14-5. The performance of the week was Adrian Gonzalez on the afore-mentioned date, as he went 3-5 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs in a great game. I really hope that the Sox can turn it around next week. However, on a more serious note, this is my last Weekly News before I go to camp for 2 weeks. So, be expecting the annual Triple Weekly News on July 16, which can put a leading player way ahead in the Player of the Year standings, or give a new player a good shot at it.

Sox Avoid Sweep, End Skid At Four (45-32)

Today, the Red Sox played a good game, beating the Pirates 4-2 to end their losing skid at 4 games. The Red Sox took their first lead in the 4th, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia came home on a throw into the stands by Andrew McCutchen to make it 1-0. However, in the bottom half, the Pirates tied it on a sacrifice fly by Ronny Cedeno (great catch by Ellsbury!). In the 5th, the Pirates took a lead on an RBI single by Andrew McCutchen to make it 2-1. In the 6th, Kevin Youkilis came in to tie the game on a sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick. In the 7th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs. An RBI groundout by Dustin Pedroia and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Youkilis were enough to give the Sox a 4-2 lead.

Andrew Miller (top right) was very good in his 2nd start with the Sox, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned in 6 innings. He earned the win, and he is now 1-0/3.09/10. Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-3 with a walk, raising his average to a remarkable .361. Kevin Youkilis also had a good game, going 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) went 1-3 with a runs scored. After an off day Monday, on Tuesday the Sox head to Philly for a marquee matchup with Josh Beckett (6-2/1.86/79) and Cliff Lee (8-5/2.87/114).

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- 1 earned run and a win in 6 innings

Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning

Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning

Jonathan Papelbon- his 14th save with a scoreless inning

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3 with a walk

Kevin Youkilis- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-3 with a run scored

Dull Spots:

Darnell McDonald- 0-4 with 8 freaking runners left on base, we need to get rid of this guy!

This was a good game, and I'm glad they avoided the sweep.

Adrian Sparks Late Rally Against Old Team (44-28)

Last night, the Red Sox creamed the Padres 14-5, or it would appear that way as the score was actually deadlocked at 3-3 in the 7th inning. The Sox took an early lead in the 1st with a bases loaded single by David Ortiz to make it 1-0. In the 3rd, Kevin Youkilis scored on a double by David Ortiz. With the bases loaded in the 4th, Jacoby Ellsbury grounded into a double play, but the run scored to make it 3-0. In the top of the 6th, Orlando Hudson whacked a 3-run homer over the monster to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the 7th, a clutch double by Adrian Gonzalez, scoring Dustin Pedroia, made it 4-3. The Red Sox proceeded to load the bases in the inning, while 2 hit batters made it 6-3. Josh Reddick hit a 2-run single to make it 8-3. The Red Sox then loaded the bases again, as a walk to Dustin Pedroia made it 9-3. A 2-run single by Adrian Gonzalez made it 11-3, as he had 3 RBIs in the inning. Next, a 2-run double by Kevin Youkilis pushed it to 13-3, a 10-run inning. In the 8th inning, an RBI single by Chris Denorfia made it 13-4. But in the bottom of the 8th, the Red Sox got the run back with a bases loaded walk to Jacoby Ellsbury, making it 14-4. In the 9th, a Jesus Guzman single, scoring Chase Headly made it 14-5, the final.

This was Andrew Miller's first start in a Red Sox uniform and overall, I was very impressed. He wound up allowing 3 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, but all of those were just on the home run as he was very sharp overall. Matt Albers earned the win, allowing no runs in 1 1/3 innings. Michael Bowden and Tommy Hottovy each allowed a run in a scoreless inning. Dustin Pedroia went 1-4 with 3 runs and an RBI in a good day. Adrian Gonzalez (left) had a great game against his old team, going 3-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs, as he is now .353/15/67. Kevin Youkilis had a good game, going 2-4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs. David Ortiz's stats were literally identical to Youkilis' as they each had a great game. Marco Scutaro went 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, as he's been good since coming off the DL. Tonight, Alfredo Aceves (3-1/3.30/24) will go against Mat Latos (4-8/4.06/68).

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- Miller was very sharp through most of his outing

Matt Albers- the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Dustin Pedroia= 1-4 with 3 runs and an RBI

Kevin Youkilis/David Ortiz- 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs each

Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI

Dull Spots:

None!

This was a great game and the Sox really exploded late!