Red Sox Fall Apart Late As Rays Avoid Sweep (68-82)

Matsuzaka only lasted three innings

This was a pretty miserable game for the Red Sox as it went from being a reasonably close game to a bloodbath almost instantly. The Red Sox got off to a good start, as Pedro Ciriaco singled and stole second to lead off the first. He would score on a bloop single to left for Jacoby Ellsbury. That would be it for them in the inning, though, and the Rays would come back in the second. The Rays loaded the bases on three straight singles to start the inning, and tied things up on a walk. Amazingly, they didn't score again the inning as Dice-K tightroped out of danger. The Red Sox would also get that run back in the third, as they led off the inning with a walk and a single. They'd score two on a Jacoby Ellsbury single and a Dustin Pedroia forceout to make it 3-1. However, a Ben Zobrist RBI single would cut into that and make it 3-2.

This was a frustrating game for the
Red Sox, illustrated by this pickoff

From that point on, it was all Rays. They got off to a screaming start in the fourth when Jeff Keppinger led things off with a home run. Matt Joyce followed him up with a single, and then another home run-- this time by Carlos Pena would make it 5-3. However, the real damage came in the sixth inning. The Rays started things off by putting two in scoring position with no outs due to some shoddy defense. Both runners scored when Desmond Jennings tripled into the gap in left-center to make it 7-3, but on an error in right field, Jennings scored as well to make it 8-3. The Rays kept going, loading the bases still with no outs. They'd score two more runs here on a sacrifice fly by Luke Scott and an RBI single by Jeff Keppinger. They proceeded to load the bases again and on two walks, scored two more runs to end the scoring in a seven run sixth, making it 12-3. They grabbed one more run on a Matt Joyce single in the ninth, but the damage was largely done.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4, 2 R
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-3, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
The Pitching- 8 IP, 15 H, 13 R, 10 BB, 5 K, L (68-82)
Cody Ross- 0-3, 2 K, 2 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-3, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jacoby Ellsbury- Going 3-3 with 2 RBIs on the day, Ellsbury was certainly not the reason the Sox were stymied by Chris Archer and the Rays-- he is now .280/4/26.

Red Sox Rally, Play Spoiler On Rays (67-81)

Cook got his fourth win of the year

This was a really great game for the Red Sox-- it displayed a number of things we haven't seen lately. First and foremost, a win, but also a pitching game-- things we haven't seen recently apart from the Blue Jays series. On that note, pitching was very prominent in this game as Alex Cobb (8-9, 4.26) and Aaron Cook (3-10, 5.18) practically matched each other pitch for pitch for the first few innings. It wasn't until the bottom of the fifth that the Rays finally got something going off Cook. The Rays started things off with a Luke Scott single, Jeff Keppinger lineout, and Carlos Pena single to put runners at the corners with one out. The Rays took the first run on a safety squeeze by Ryan Roberts, just scoring Scott fr, third. However, it didn't take the Red Sox long to catch up at all. With two outs and Jose Iglesias on third base, all Jacoby Ellsbury needed was a base hit. However, he got much more than that when he sent a line drive over the wall in right-center to make it 2-1.

Ellsbury had a tie breaking home run

Things got going faster for the Red Sox in the seventh inning. On a single, walk, and failed force attempt they were able to load the bases with no outs. Two runs came in when Mauro Gomez lined a ball over the third baseman's head and into left field for a two-run, pinch-hit single. On a sacrifice bunt and intentional walk, the Red Sox managed to load the bases again-- this time with one out. It was Ellsbury again here as the center fielder drilled a single to score another run and give the Red Sox a 5-1 lead. The Red Sox held that lead for a few innings, but the Rays cut it into it a little in the ninth inning. Mark Melancon came in to pitch and promptly allowed a leadoff single to B.J. Upton. Upton stole second and got to third on a wild pitch, eventually scoring on a Ben Zobrist groundout. However, that would be it as the Red Sox closed down a 5-2 win.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, W (4-10)
Rich Hill- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Junichi Tazawa- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
James Loney- 2-4, 1 R
Mauro Gomez- 1-1, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 K
Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4, 1 R, 2 K, 4 LOB
Scott Podsednik- 0-2, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Jacoby Ellsbury- Ellsbury had the key hit and then some, going 3-5 with a home run and 3 RBIs as he led the Sox to victory-- he is now .273/4/23.

Weekly News

At this point of the season, this was a strangely good week for the Red Sox as we saw them go 3-3-- losing a series to the Yankees before winning one in Toronto. For the first time this year, 2011 Player of the Year Jacoby Ellsbury has won the Player of the Week after batting .360/0/2 this past week. Last year's MVP runner-up is now batting .267/3/20 in this injury-riddled season. For his team leading ninth time of the year, the Pitcher of the Week is Clay Buchholz. In his win yesterday, Buchholz allowed one earned run in the seven innings and is now 11-6, 4.33 this season. The Performance of the Week goes to Mauro Gomez. In Friday's win in Toronto, Gomez went 2-4 with three runs scored and a two-run, go ahead triple. Finally, the Game of the Week was Tuesday's 4-3 walk off win against the Yankees, exemplifying the perfect win basically. Next week, the Red Sox will go to Tampa Bay for four games and face the Orioles at home for three.

Red Sox Win Tight One In Toronto (65-80)

Matsuzaka was roughed up as usual

Last night was a surprisingly good game for the Red Sox as they won a fairly exciting game in Toronto. This game started off like a pitching duel as neither team scored until the bottom of the third when the Blue Jays broke out. Daisuke Matsuzaka loaded the bases entirely on his own accord on a hit by pitch and two walks, with one out. The first run scored, also on Dice-K's own accord, on a wild pitch while Brett Lawrie was batting. Lawrie would wind up walking on another wild pitch for Dice-K to make it 2-0 with the Blue Jays' bats not even coming off of their shoulders. The final run of the inning came on a groundout by Adam Lind. That was bad, but the Red Sox struck back in the top of the fourth. A Cody Ross walk and Mauro Gomez put runners at first and second to start things off. Ryan Lavarnway did the damage by raking a line drive just over the wall in left field to make it 3-3.

Gomez's go ahead triple was the key hit

The Red Sox just kept rolling along in the fifth inning as well. With two outs in the inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases on a single, walk, and a fielder's choice. Two runs came in on an RBI single to right for Daniel Nava, giving the Red Sox a 5-3 lead. It stayed there until the bottom of the sixth when Adam Lind's one out triple put a good chance to score up. That score happened on an RBI single by Yunel Escobar to cut it to a 5-4 lead. The Jays kept eating into that lead as a leadoff single in the eighth by Colby Rasmus set up a key hit. That key hit was Brett Lawrie's game tying RBI triple. However, the Red Sox would have their key strike in the ninth inning, as a couple of singles and a fly out put runners at first and second and one out. It would be Mauro Gomez with the key hit, as he tripled into the gap in right-center past a diving Anthony Gose. That scored two runs, and a third came in on a Ryan Lavarnway sac fly as the Red Sox wrapped up a win.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 R
Cody Ross- 1-4, 2 R
Mauro Gomez- 2-4, 3 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-5, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Vicente Padilla- 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R
James Loney- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Mauro Gomez- Not only did Gomez have the key hit, a two run triple, but he also went 2-4 and scored three runs-- he is now .297/2/14.

Red Sox Play Spoiler, Walk Off Against Yanks (64-78)

Lester walked seven but wasn't bad

The Red Sox put together a rare good game against the Yankees last night, and in doing so, brought things to a tie at the top of the AL East. The Yankees got going pretty early in the first inning, starting off the game with a walk to Derek Jeter and a double by Nick Swisher. They would actually wind up loading the bases in the inning, but would only wind up getting one run on a groundout by Robinson Cano. It took the Red Sox a few innings to catch up, but in the bottom of the third they did just that. Pedro Ciriaco started things off with a leadoff double, and was promptly advanced to third on a groundout for Mike Aviles. Jacoby Ellsbury kept the rally going, singling up the middle to tie things at 1-1. Ellsbury made an essential steal then, taking his 13th bag of the year with a steal of second and would score on a single to right to give the Red Sox the lead.

Ellsbury had a walk-off single

It took the Yankees until the sixth, but Jon Lester's walks finally caught up to him (he walked seven total). A Curtis Granderson walk, Andruw Jones single, and Jayson Nix bunt put two in scoring position with one out. Almost immediately, the Yankees both tied things and nabbed the lead in one feld swoop as Derek Jeter popped one just out of Ryan Kalish's reach in right field. It popped over the short fence along the right field foul line for a ground-rule double to score two runs and make it 3-2. However, the Red Sox got one of those runs right back in the bottom of the sixth when Dustin Pedroia homered on a line drive into the first row of the monster seats. From that point on, there was a slew of relievers and unfulfilled rallies until the bottom of the ninth. Pedro Ciriaco and Mike Aviles had back-to-back one out singles off Yankees reliever David Robertson. However, things got really bad for New York when Jacoby Ellsbury singled hard to right, just scoring Ciriaco in time for a walk-off single.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, W (1-0)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 4-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Scott Podsednik- 0-3, 2 LOB
James Loney- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4, 3 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jacoby Ellsbury- Happy birthday to Jacoby Ellsbury, as on his birthday, he went 4-5 with 2 RBIs including the walk-off single-- he is now .268/3/20.

Red Sox Fall On Walkoff Heartbreaker (62-68)

Buchholz raised his ERA to 4.50

Last night was a very heartbreaking game as the Red Sox held the lead up until the cusp of winning, as Alfredo Aceves blew another save. The Angels started off the game very early, jumping to a 1-0 lead as leadoff hitter Mike Trout homered on the second pitch Clay Buchholz (11-4, 4.47) threw. He was followed up by a walk to Torii Hunter, who advanced to third on an Albert Pujols single. Hunter would eventually score on a sacrifice fly for Mark Trumbo to make it 2-0. The Red Sox would get one of those runs back when Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove one deep to right-center for a solo home run-- his team-leading 22nd of the year. However, it would be in the fourth that the Red Sox really cut loose, loading the bases with no outs to start the inning. They would score a pair of runs on RBI singles by James Loney and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and another when Ryan Kalish grounded into a double play to make it 5-2.

Saltalamacchia hit home run #22

It took them till the sixth, but the Angels still weren't quite done with Clay Buchholz. They got back one run on a deep home run to center for Albert Pujols, cutting it to 5-3. With two outs in the inning, a Mark Trumbo walk as Howie Kendrick proceeded to double perfectly into the gap in left-center to score Trumbo from first and cut the Red Sox' lead to one run. Buchholz would last one more inning after that, exiting the game with a solid but certainly not great line of 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K-- he is now 11-4, 4.50 this season. Closer Alfredo Aceves entered the game for the eighth and tossed a 1-2-3 inning in his first game back from a three-game suspension. However, come the ninth, there were some problems as a walk and a hit by pitch with one out set up a big inning. A Mike Trout single tied things up at 5-5, and it was a Torii Hunter sacrifice fly that did the damage with a sacrifice fly as the Angels walked off.

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 2 R
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
James Loney- 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Jose Iglesias- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Saltalamacchia had a big game last night, going 2-4 with a solo home run and RBI single-- he is now .231/22/52.

Dice-K Powers Sox To Series Win Over Royals (62-67)

Matsuzaka went seven strong innings

The Red Sox have gotten off to a good start in the post-Gonzalez realm as they edged out a win yesterday before a fairly easy feel good win at Fenway Park today. The game got off to a predictable start with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound as he walked the leadoff hitter Jarrod Dyson and allowed him to steal second. Dyson would eventually score on a sacrifice fly for Alex Gordon but as it turned out, Matsuzaka really settled down from there on. The Red Sox got that early run right back in the bottom of the first when Jacoby Ellsbury belted a solo home run just over the three foot wall in right. Neither team scored in the second inning, but the Red Sox put a little rally together in the third inning. Two one out singles for Scott Podsednik and Dustin Pedroia set up an eventual two-run single for Cody Ross to make it 3-1.

Cody Ross went 2-4 with 3 RBIs

After strong fourth and fifth innings for Luke Hochevar (7-11, 4.95), he ran into trouble again facing the Red Sox' bats in the sixth inning. With one out, Jacoby Ellsbury and Cody Ross knocked back-to-back doubles as Ross drove in Ellsbury and also put himself in scoring position. He would extend the lead to 5-1 when James Loney drove him in with a single up the middle. Those would be the last runs of the ballgame for either side as Daisuke Matsuzaka settled down to really have a great day in his grand return to the majors-- finishing with a line of 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K and earning his first win of the year. After his departure, Clayton Mortensen and Vicente Padilla combined for a scoreless eighth and Andrew Bailey walked one in an otherwise shutdown ninth. Overall a good win in Boston.

Bright Spots:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (1-3)
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 1 R
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI
James Loney- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 LOB
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-3, 2 K

Player of the Game:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- Matsuzaka had his best start in a long time for the Red Sox, allowing one unearned run and striking out six in seven innings-- he is now 1-3/5.10/20.

Red Sox Edge Royals Behind Ciriaco, Ross (61-67)

Doubront had a bad inning

This was a great game in so far as the Red Sox won, it was some good baseball, and there were a few strong individual performances-- all great in the position the Red Sox are in right now. The Red Sox took off to a 1-0 lead in the first, scoring when Cody Ross drove in Pedro Ciriaco with a single. They scored again in the second inning when Mike Aviles hit a high fly ball off the monster, scoring Mauro Gomez all the way from first to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. Felix Doubront held the Royals in check for the next few innings, but they finally got to him in a big fourth inning. With two outs and two strikes, the Royals put together a sustained rally--starting with singles by Eric Hosmer and Johnny Giavotella. They scored one run when Tony Abreu hit a soft liner to left for an RBI single and they scored three more when Lorenzo Cain drilled one into the monster seats in left to make it 4-2.

Loney made his Red Sox debut

However, the Red Sox came back in the fifth-- starting with a one out solo home run for Pedro Ciriaco. After that, the Red Sox managed to put runners at the corners for James Loney. In his second at bat with the Red Sox, Loney took a first pitch fastball up the middle for an RBI single to make it 4-4. After putting runners at first and second with no outs, the Red Sox finally scored on a two out RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury. They did some more damage in the seventh as they loaded the bases with two outs. Scott Podsednik hit a seemingly inning ending ground ball but in a Buckner-esque play, the ball rolled right through Alcides Escobar's legs for a run. They scored another on an infield single by Pedro Ciriaco. The Royals scrambled for two runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single (Tony Abreu again!). However, the Red Sox got one back on a homer for Dustin Pedroia to make it 8-6 and won.

Bright Spots:
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (1)
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
James Loney- 1-5, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco did a fantastic job leading off, going 3-5 while scoring two runs, driving in two more, and knocking a home run-- he is now .360/2/16.

Cook, Gomez Shine But Sox Fall Blow Huge Lead (60-67)

Gomez went 4-6 with 3 RBIs

Last night was just another episode in the disappointment that is the 2012 season as they blew a huge lead to fall in extras in one of the worst teams in baseball. The Royals started off hot, beginning the game with four consecutive hits. Two runs came in on Alex Gordon's double off the wall and Gordon scored on Billy Butler soft shot to right to make it 3-0 very early on. Cook held the Royals quiet in the bottom of the second and that was when the Red Sox got to work, starting with a one out solo blast to left for Mauro Gomez-- his first major league home run to cut it to 3-1. After that, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway each singled then promptly scored when Mike Aviles put one just over the green monster for a three-run homer to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. However, the Red Sox were far from done as they loaded the bases with no outs in the third. They scored three-- two on an error by Jeremy Guthrie and one on a sacrifice fly by Jarrod Saltalamacchia to make it 7-3.

Ross had an RBI single

The Red Sox still weren't done though as they put runners at the corners and two outs in the fourth inning. They wound up scoring two runs on RBI singles by Cody Ross and Mauro Gomez to give them a commanding 9-3 lead. Aaron Cook held it there for the next few innings, but when he turned it to the bullpen for the seventh, things got ugly. The Royals loaded the bases on a hit and two walks with one out off Andrew Miller. Miller allowed two to score on an RBI single by Alex Gordon before being pulled for Mark Melancon. Melancon allowed two more runs to come in on a double by Billy Butler and a single for Salvador Perez. Finally, Craig Breslow came in and allowed the inevitable game tying two-run triple that make it 9-9. It stayed there all the way until the twelfth inning when the Royals took a run on an RBI single for Tony Abreu and that was basically it.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB
Craig Breslow- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, K
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Scott Podsednik- 2-6
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B
Cody Ross- 3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Mauro Gomez- 4-6, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB
Mike Aviles- 2-6, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-5, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R

Player of the Game:
Mauro Gomez- In his first game filling in for the traded Gonzalez, Gomez was fantastic-- driving in three and hitting his first MLB home run in a 4-6 day-- he is now .318/1/6.

Red Sox Edge Royals To Break Four Game Skid (60-66)

Lester won his third straight game

On the heels of a potentially huge night for the Red Sox, they were able to end a four game skid by knocking off a Royals in a close game. After a scoreless top half of the first, the Red Sox got going in the bottom of the first-- starting off the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. They would score two runs on the fourth consecutive single to start things off against Bruce Chen (9-10, 5.45), a knock by David Ortiz in his first game back from a heel injury. The second inning was scoreless all around, but the Royals struck back in the third inning on a leadoff homer over the monster by Eric Hosmer. A two out walk for Alcides Escobar set up a tie game at 2-2 when Alex Gordon hit a double to deep center to score the speedy Escobar all the way from first base.

Ortiz went 2-4 with 2 RBIs in his return

The Royals kept rolling right along in the fourth inning starting with a walk, single, and walk with one out in the inning. They'd score once on an infield single by Johnny Giavotella to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. However, Jon Lester proceeded to settle down after that and threw three scoreless innings to follow up those rough ones-- finishing the night with a line of 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K. When the day was done, he had won his third straight start to get to 8-10 and 4.98 on the year. However, that was the time that the Red Sox got going-- starting with a walk and a single to lead things off. Scott Podsednik moved the runners up a base each on a sacrifice bunt and both scored when Pedro Ciriaco knocked a two-run RBI double to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. After a couple off scoreless innings by the bullpen corps, Andrew Bailey recorded his first save as a member of the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K, W (8-10)
Andrew Bailey- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, SV (1)
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 1 R
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Cody Ross- 0-4, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco had the big hit in this game with a two-run go ahead double in the seventh, also going 2-4 with a run-- he is now .349/1/14.

Red Sox Swept After High Scoring Heartbreaker (59-66)

Morales lasted all of 2.2 innings

Last night was an incredibly disappointing game as the Red Sox blew a huge lead to fall to the Angels in extra innings. After a double by Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox scored on a first inning RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez. They put together a huge inning in the second-- starting with a leadoff double by Mauro Gomez. Gomez scored on a single by Scott Podsednik, who would score later on an RBI single to center by Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury and Ciriaco (who also singled) would both score when Dustin Pedroia got ahold of one and sent it to left for a three-run homer to make it 6-0 in the second. However, it didn't take long at all for the Angels to complete disintegrate that lead-- as they scored eight times in the third inning on RBI singles for Howie Kendrick, Chris Iannetta, Mike Trout, and Torii Hunter, RBI walks by Kendrys Morales and Vernon Wells, and reaching on an error by Erick Aybar. When the dust settled on the third, it was 8-6 Angels.

Pedroia drove in five runs

However, the Red Sox fought back-- starting in the eighth when Cody Ross drove in Dustin Pedroia, who had reached on a single. The Red Sox would come back all the way to tie it up again in the sixth on a long home run to left for Mike Aviles. They went on to put Pedro Ciriaco at second base, who scored and gave the Red Sox the lead when Jacoby Ellsbury drove him in with a double. However, the Angels went on to put runners at first and second with two outs for Mike Trout. Trout singled to drive in a run and tie the game at 9-9 in the seventh inning. The Red Sox went on to put together a two out rally in the eighth-- singling four consecutive times (Podsednik, Ciriaco, Ellsbury, and Pedroia) and scoring twice. However, the Angels came right back to take the lead on a Vernon Wells long-ball and two RBI singles by Mike Trout and Torii Hunter. The Red Sox would tie it in the bottom of the ninth on a home run by Cody Ross to send it to extra innings at 12-12. A Kendrys Morales home run and a Vernon Wells RBI double gave the Angels two more runs to send them to a 14-13 win as a Dustin Pedroia RBI wasn't enough.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Mark Melancon- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Vicente Padilla- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 4-6, 4 R, 1 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 4-6, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Franklin Morales- 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Clayton Mortensen- 0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB
Andrew Bailey- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia had a fantastic game, going 4-6 with 3 runs scored, 5 driven in, a double, and a home run-- he is now .281/11/52.

Red Sox Collapse In Sixth For Second Straight Game (57-61)

Cook took a no-hitter into the sixth

It's always such a shame when your starting pitcher takes a no-hitter into the sixth inning and still loses and it's also disappointing when every run the team allows is in one inning. In this game, both of those disappointments took place against the Orioles. In fact, both starting pitchers were quite good throughout the first innings and neither team scored in the first four. However, a pair of one out singles in the fifth got a rally started for the Red Sox. That rally continued as Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to the warning track in right center to score one and make it 1-0. The next and final run of the inning scored when Carl Crawford hit a sacrifice fly. The next inning was scoreless but the Orioles got a rally going in the sixth. A one out walk and a single (breaking up Aaron Cook's no hit bit) put two runners on base for the middle of the lineup. 

They scored their first run when Nate McClouth singled to right-center, also moving runners up to the corners with one out. The next play should've been a double play ball as Aaron Cook cleanly fielded a groundball back to him. However, he threw it away to allow a run to score and make it 2-2. That was when Matt Wieters hit a ground-rule double to the warning track in left to give the O's a lead. Two more would score on a Mark Reynolds single to make it 5-2 and end Cook's night. The Red Sox got a run back on an RBI groundout in the seventh but it wasn't enough and they fell 5-3. 

Bright Spots:

Craig Breslow- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Carl Crawford- 0-2, 2 RBI

Scott Podsednik- 1-2, 1 R

Nick Punto- 1-4, 2 R

Dull Spots:

Cody Ross- 0-4, 3 K, 3 LOB

Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:

Jacoby Ellsbury- Ellsbury's RBI double in the fifth was one of few offensive bright spots for the Red Sox as he almost knocked his second home run-- he is now .270/1/11.

Red Sox Coast To Rout Over Indians (57-59)

Lester struck out 12 in 6 innings

While it's nice to see your team win close games like walk-offs, every once in a while, it's awfully fun to watch them just beat up on a team and that's what we got today. They started off hot, scoring on an RBI double by Dustin Pedroia in the first. Then again in the first as Adrian Gonzalez blasted a two-run homer to make it 3-0. The Indians got their first and only run of the game in the first on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Santana. With two men on base and two outs in the second, the Red Sox kept going as they scored twice on a double by Carl Crawford to make it 5-1. Indians starter Corey Kluber (0-0, 6.10) settled down briefly in the third before going back to doing damage in the fourth as he allowed the Red Sox to put a man on second with one out. Kelly Shoppach delivered with an RBI single to make it 6-1 and knock Kluber out after just four innings.

Crawford went 3-4 with 3 RBIs

Kluber was lucky he got out of things before they got really ugly in the fifth inning, starting with the Red Sox putting two men on and no outs. RBI singles by Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored those two runners and made it 8-1. Danny Valencia picked up his first RBI with the Red Sox next on a sacrifice fly. After him, Kelly Shoppach struck out to jeopardize the Red Sox chances by leaving two men on with two outs. Luckily, they delivered as Jacoby Ellsbury delivered a two-run double. He was followed by an RBI double for Carl Crawford and, two batters later, a two-run double by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 14-1. Lester continued to coast for a couple more innings after that, leaving with a line of 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K and picking up the win. The Red Sox easily held the Indians and won 14-1.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K, W (6-10)
Clayton Mortensen- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Carl Crawford- 3-4, 2 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 3-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 SB
Kelly Shoppach- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford really pulled off a well rounded game here, going 3-4 with 3 doubles, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBIs-- he is now .280/3/16.

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.

Red Sox Pound Darvish, Rangers To Return To .500 (55-55)

Cook made a bid to stay in
the rotation

This series did not look promising for the Red Sox, but they still managed to pull of a big win in the first game against rookie phenom Yu Darvish. The Rangers actually scored first in this game, beginning on Nelson Cruz's leadoff double in the second inning. They quickly grabbed the first run as David Murphy singled to center. In the third inning, however, the Red Sox matched and raised the Rangers rally-- beginning with a leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury scored when Carl Crawford doubled down the first base line to put himself at second, still with no outs. There would be one out by the time Crawford came in, but he did as Adrian Gonzalez doubled on just about the same hit Crawford had. The Red Sox just kept rolling in the fourth inning, putting runners at first and second with one out. One would score when Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to left, also putting runners at second and third. Both Ellsbury and Mike Aviles (who was on third) would score on a sacrifice fly for Carl Crawford and a Dustin Pedroia double, respectively, to make it 5-1.

Pedroia had 3 doubles 

There was no more scoring for the Red Sox until a Dustin Pedroia leadoff double got things started in the seventh. Adrian Gonzalez drove Pedroia in with an RBI single but that was all they got in the inning, pushing it to 6-1. However, it was in the eighth that the Red Sox did some real damage off the Rangers' bullpen corps. With a man on first and one out, Carl Crawford doubled off the green monster in left-center to score Ellsbury from first base and make it 7-1. They kept going in the inning, though, as Dustin Pedroia walked to put runners at first and second with one out. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with a single to right to score Crawford and move Dustin Pedroia to third to put runners at the corners. One more scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly for Cody Ross to make it 9-1. The Rangers got a run on an Adrian Beltre home run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Red Sox won.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K, W (3-5)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-5, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 3-5, 1 R, 3 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 RBI
Ryan Kalish- 1-3, 1 R, 1 SB
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford did it all last night, going 2-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three runs batted in-- he is now .292/3/13.

Morales, Gonzalez Power Sox To Avoid Sweep (54-55)

Morales got his third win

If the Red Sox had been swept by the Twins today, it would be about time to punt this season and sell on the waiver wire. However, with Franklin Morales going for them, they managed to pull off a solid win in Boston. It took them a few innings, but they finally got an early rally going in the third inning. A single and a double put runners at second and third with no outs. They would score one in the inning when Carl Crawford grounded out to shortstop and another when Adrian Gonzalez drove Jacoby Ellsbury in with a bloop single to center. The Twins finally cracked the scoreboard after a leadoff walk and stolen base for Alexi Casilla. He would eventually score on a deep sacrifice fly by Ben Revere. However, the Red Sox would more than make up for that run as Adrian Gonzalez powered a two-run homer over the monster in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1.

Gonzalez drove in three runs

That fifth inning blemish was the only bad mark on a very strong start for Franklin Morales, seeing him go 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K. The Red Sox continued to add onto their lead, starting in the seventh inning. That was when they put runners at first and second with one out for Cody Ross. Ross delivered by driving a ground ball back up the middle to score a run and make it 5-1. A one out double by Ryan Kalish in the eighth set the Red Sox up to score some more. Kalish stole third and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury. Vicente Padilla came into the game in the ninth, with a five run lead. However, he did his best to cut that lead-- allowing a leadoff home run to Josh Willingham and later, a two-run homer to Ryan Doumit. Luckily, Alfredo Aceves did what he couldn't do last night-- shut the door with a 1-2-3 inning to put the Red Sox at just a game under .500.

Bright Spots:
Franklin Morales- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K, W (3-2)
Mark Melancon- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (23)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 3-5, 2 R, 1 SB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 SB
Ryan Kalish- 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 SB
Mike Aviles- 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB

Dull Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez's bat powered the Red Sox in this game as he went 2-3 with a two-run homer and an RBI single and is now .304/11/66 this season.

Red Sox Beat Verlander In Rain Shortened Game (53-51)

Beckett was taken out due to injury

Last night was a weird game in many ways for the Red Sox-- it was raining all night, and they finally decided to call the game in the sixth inning, giving the Red Sox a cheap win. Heading into the ballgame, though, it didn't look as though they'd be able to get anything cheap with reigning MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander (11-6, 2.54) set to pitch against Josh Beckett (5-9, 4.57). But the Red Sox started the game off in a big way, they did not score any runs-- they wound up stranding the bases loaded-- but were still able to make Verlander throw 35 pitches in the first inning. It would ultimately be the Tigers that scored first, as they loaded the bases on two walks and a hit for Miguel Cabrera. Beckett walked him on a 3-1 count to drive in a run, then motioned to the trainer and was taken out of the game due to some weird injury.

Ciriaco continued his fantastic start

Clayton Mortensen, who had been recalled that day, entered the game and got Prince Fielder to fly out to end the inning. It took the Red Sox until the fourth inning, but eventually they showed their support for Mortensen by loading the bases on two singles and a walk. Pedro Ciriaco promptly drove a low line drive into right field to score one and leave the bases loaded for Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury worked a walk off the Tigers ace and suddenly the Red Sox had a 2-1 lead, and no signs of stopping. Next came a very weird play as Carl Crawford hit a very slow bouncer to the right side of the pitcher's mound. Verlander went after it but couldn't rein it in and Omar Infante's view must have been blocked because the ball got by him and two runs scored to make it 4-1. It stayed there until the sixth, when the umpires finally decided to call the game and give the Red Sox their fourth straight win.

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Clayton Mortensen- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-2, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 0-3, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clayton Mortensen- When it seemed that this game would be over due to Beckett's injury and a tough situation, Mortensen came in and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings-- he is now 1-0/1.17/17 this year.

Red Sox Turn It On Late To Escape Last Place (52-51)

Buchholz lowered his ERA to 4.75

This was a good all around game for the Red Sox. However, it certainly didn't look like one when Austin Jackson of the Tigers led off the game with a home run on the second pitch of the ballgame. However, Clay Buchholz didn't let the first inning get out of hand and it was still 1-0 when the Red Sox came up to bat. Jacoby Ellsbury worked an excellent nine pitch walk and was promptly driven in as Carl Crawford knocked one high off the left-center portion of the monster. The ball got away from Austin Jackson a bit and Crawford coasted into third with an RBI triple. He would score on a groundout by Dustin Pedroia. However, the Tigers would tie things up in the third after Omar Infante tripled on a ball strikingly similar to Carl Crawford's. He would eventually score on a one-out single by Miguel Cabrera to tie it at 2-2.

Pedroia hit his 9th home run

It was still just 2-2 when Carl Crawford walked to lead off the sixth inning. However, it wouldn't be tied much longer as Dustin Pedroia took advantage of a high fastball and crushed it over the monster for a two-run homer to make it 4-2. With Brennan Boesch on first and one out, Alex Avila made the game a bit closer by splitting the game perfectly for an RBI double. The Red Sox got insurance in the bottom of the seventh though, starting with a leadoff triple by Kelly Shoppach. He would score when Jacoby Ellsbury lined a low pitch into right field for an RBI single to give the Red Sox a 5-3 lead. They'd get the ultimate insurance in the eighth, though, after a leadoff single by Adrian Gonzalez. Will Middlebrooks saw a pitch to his liking and sent it over the Green Monster for his 13th home run to give the Red Sox a 7-3 lead. They'd win by that score to get out of last and above .500.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 8 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (9-3)
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R
Will Middlebrooks- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4
Kelly Shoppach- 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B

Dull Spots:
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Despite a somewhat rough start for Buchholz, he really turned things around, working eight strong innings for the win-- he is now 9-3/4.75/77 this season.

Lester Hammered As Sox Return To Last (48-48)

Lester was simply crushed in every
aspect

This was a horrible game from start to finish, and I don't even want to write about it. The Blue Jays started off ridiculously strong as Brett Lawrie homered on the first pitch of the game, a sign of what was to come. After a walk and a single, Edwin Encarnacion drove in a run with a ground-rule double and J.P. Arencibia drove in another with a groundout. They took two more in the inning on an RBI double by Rajai Davis and an RBI bunt by Jeff Mathis to give them a very early 5-0 lead. However, the Red Sox bats came out strong too as they put runners at the corners with one out. Adrian Gonzalez came through with a bomb to right-center to score three and put the Red Sox right back in it at 5-3. That was before a second inning where back-to-back home runs over the monster by J.P. Arencibia and Rajai Davis netted the Jays four runs and a 9-3 lead, though.

Tazawa tossed three shutout innings

A rare sight in this game, a couple of scoreless innings followed that second. The Red Sox finally broke the snide with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that cut it to 9-4. However, a two-run shot by Travis Snider in the fifth extinguished that hope. The Red Sox would benefit from a homer of their own in the fifth, though, as Jacoby Ellsbury lifted one to center to make it 11-5. A two-out double by Ryan Sweeney in the sixth set up an RBI double for Mike Aviles, who scored on an RBI single by Nick Punto to make it 11-7 and make it reasonably close. However, it wouldn't stay that way for long as the Blue Jays erupted in the eighth for four runs to make it 15-7 and officially close the book on a miserable game and a miserable series for the Red Sox.


Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 4 IP, 9 H, 11 R, 5 BB, 2 K, L (5-8)
Mark Melancon- 0.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R
Daniel Nava- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez's first inning home run was one of very few bright spots in a horrible game, he is now .296/9/58 this season.

Ross, Gonzalez Back Doubront's Fine Start (47-45)

Doubront earned his 10th win
of the season

Once in a while, it's fun to just watch the Red Sox beat down on another team, and we got just that last night. As they have in every other game this series, the White Sox actually scored first. Back-to-back leadoff singles by Alejandro De Aza plus a double play ball put a runner on third with two outs for Paul Konerko. Konerko went the other way with an outside pitch and dropped a single in front of right fielder Cody Ross. However, also like every other game in this series, the Red Sox matched the White Sox in the first inning. A leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury put a man on second with two outs for Adrian Gonzalez-- who delivered with a liner to right to score Ellsbury easily and tie the game at 1-1. However, the real damage started in the third, when the Red Sox led off the inning with singles by Ellsbury and Carl Crawford-- putting runners at the corners and no outs. Cody Ross, batting #3, came up and wrapped it around the Fisk Pole for a moonshot three-run homer to make it 4-1.

Ross had a monster game with two
three-run homers

However, the Red Sox weren't nearly done and by the fourth inning had another chance of scoring. Pedro Ciriaco and Jacoby Ellsbury reached on singles and stood at first and second with two outs for Cody Ross again. Ross did pretty much exactly what he had done in his last at bat-- homering onto Lansdowne Street in left-center for another three-run homer to make it 7-1. The Red Sox weren't even done in that inning though, as Adrian Gonzalez put one of his own in the monster seats to give the Red Sox a commanding 8-1 lead in just the fourth inning. They had a bit left though, as a hit by pitch and a Cody Ross double put two in scoring position to lead off the sixth. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with a line drive to right-center to score both with a two-run single that would make it 10-1. The Red Sox held them to that and won by that score.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K, W (10-4)
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-4, 3 R, 1 2B
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R
Cody Ross- 3-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Ross really lit up the Red Sox offense last night, with two home runs, a double, and six RBI's to add to his great .269/15/47 season.