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.

Buchholz' Meltdown Leads To Third Straight Loss (59-65)

Buchholz allowed seven runs

Every once in a while, even your ace is allowed a rough start and Clay Buchholz certainly had one last night. Buchholz and Jered Weaver both held the opposition scoreless for the first two innings but the Angels got going in the third inning. This all started when Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar each singled to put runners at first and third. The consecutive hits continued as Chris Iannetta drove in a run and moved Aybar to third with a soft single to right field. The next play was sort of a win-win for both sides as Mike Trout grounded into a double play, but allowed a run to score and make it 2-0 in the process. The fourth also started off well for the Angels as Albert Pujols started things off with a leadoff double. They scored one when Mark Trumbo singled up the middle, but he was caught stealing later. They scored their next run after a two-out double by Howie Kendrick and RBI single by Maicer Izturis to make it 4-0.

Lavarnway had an RBI double

However, the Red Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth-- starting with a two out single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He scored when Ryan Lavarnway doubled off the wall in left-center to get the Red Sox on the board. Lavarnway scored on a double off the monster by Mike Aviles that looked like a home run off the bat, but would cut it to a 4-2 deficit. However, the Angels just kept rolling right along in the sixth inning-- starting with a one out solo home run over the deep part of the monster by Howie Kendrick. After that, Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar put together back-to-back singles again. The Angels would actually load the bases on a single by Mike Trout before a two-run single by Torii Hunter really put the Red Sox away at 7-2. The Red Sox scored once more on an RBI double by Cody Ross, but a disappointing night regardless.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 3-5, 1 SB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 2 SB
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 5.1 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K, L (11-4)
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Scott Podsednik- Podsednik did a great job as a leadoff man and catalyst in a losing effort, going 3-5 with 3 singles and a steal-- he is now .370/1/8.

Big Fifth Sinks Sox In Attempt For Sweep (53-52)

Cook was roughed up again

The Red Sox headed into this matchup with Aaron Cook (2-4, 4.50) going against Rick Porcello (7-6, 4.56) in a matchup of two sinkerballers. Both were effective early on but a big fifth innings for the Tigers led to a loss. After a leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury and a two-out walk by Adrian Gonzalez-- the Red Sox were in business in the first inning. Cody Ross delivered with a jam shot over to right field that fell for an RBI single. After two quick outs to start the fourth, the Tigers came roaring back with a double by Prince Fielder. Brennan Boesch would drive him in with a single up the middle that tied it at 1-1. After that came the fifth inning-- the Tigers put two runners in scoring position with one out. Austin Jackson drove one in with a hard grounder to left. Another came in when Quintin Berry grounded out to second to put a man on second for Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera did what he does best, crushing one onto Lansdowne Street for a two-run homer. However, the Tigers weren't done as Prince Fielder followed him up with a homer to center to make it 6-1.

Crawford had his second homer

From that point on, all the Red Sox could really do was claw back into the game. Craig Breslow came in to make his Red Sox debut and, in the sixth, did well. In the bottom of the sixth, the Red Sox actually put together a little rally of their own. They loaded the bases on three singles to start the inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia then grounded into a double play to score a run, and Will Middlebrooks singled to right to score another and make it 6-3. After Ryan Kalish walked, it was Pedro Ciriaco with a clutch single to right to cut it to 6-4. The Red Sox cut it further in the bottom of the seventh on a leadoff home run by Carl Crawford-- his second of the year. However, the Tigers got that run right back when Delmon Young looped one around the Pesky Pole to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead which would eventually be the final after a strong ninth for Jose Valverde.

Bright Spots:
Craig Breslow- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Junichi Tazawa- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 R
Carl Crawford- 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Aaron Cook- 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, L (2-5)
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 2 K, 5 LOB

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- This wasn't much of a game for the Red Sox offense-- despite scoring five runs-- but Cody Ross's 2-4, RBI day stood out among them-- he is now .261/16/51.

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.

Red Sox Cut It Close But Still Fall To White Sox (46-45)

Lester allowed six runs in four
innings of work

Last night was a bad game all together-- they started out with a huge deficit, came back a bit, and still lost. It all started when the White Sox had a huge first inning, putting runners at first and second with one out. Paul Konerko doubled to right and off the first base bag to score one and the other came in on a bloop single to center by Alex Rios. Luckily, the Red Sox matched the White Sox in the first inning as Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a single and stole second. Carl Crawford cashed in with a single of his own to score a run, then stole second in the next at bat. Daniel Nava advanced him to third with a groundout and Adrian Gonzalez sent a rocket up the middle to score Crawford and make it 2-2. With a runner on first and two outs, Alejandro De Aza delivered with a double down the left field line to score Alexei Ramirez from first and make it 3-2.

The next runs for the White Sox were bitterly painful-- as they put runners at first and second with two outs. It would be an old friend delivering for the White Sox in the fourth inning, as Kevin Youkilis drove a three run homer over the monster to make it 6-2 (why couldn't he have done that when the Sox were shopping him?). With a man on second in the sixth inning, it was De Aza again as he singled to right to make it 7-2. The Red Sox started their comeback in the eighth as Carl Crawford made it to third with two outs. Will Middlebrooks drove him in with a single to right and then came the big hit as Kelly Shoppach delivered a two-run pinch-hit home run to cut it to 7-5. However, it would be an incomplete comeback as the Sox did nothing in the ninth and fell by that score.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 K
Franklin Morales- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 R, 1 SB
Carl Crawford- 3-4, 2 R, 2 SB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Kelly Shoppach- 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K, L (5-7)
Daniel Nava- 0-3, 1 K, 3 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3, 1 K, 2 LOB
Ryan Sweeney- 0-3, 1 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 2 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-3, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford may be providing a spark to this time as he continued his strong start by going 3-4 with two runs, two steals, and an RBI in the loss.

Winning Streak Extends To Four In Commanding Win (8-10)

Doubront had a decent night

The Red Sox just continued to pound the baseball last night-- as they have scored six or more runs in the past five ballgames. Much as they did every game of the Twins' series, they got going early, putting runners at the corners with one out to start the game. Adrian Gonzalez doubled into left field to drive in one of them and David Ortiz quickly followed him up with an RBI single. However, the White Sox got one back in the bottom of the first when Paul Konerko drove in Adam Dunn with a double. After a scoreless second for both teams, the Red Sox went crazy in the third inning off the White Sox. They loaded the bases with only one out in the inning (off of Phillip Humber, who recently threw a perfect game, mind you) before Kevin Youkilis shot a fastball to the opposite field which carried into the bullpen for a grand slam-- the Red Sox' first of the year. Jarrod Saltalamacchia proceeded to go back-to-back with Youkilis to make it a 7-1 game in the third inning.

Youkilis hit a grand slam

The White Sox would score another pair of runs on an A.J. Pierzynski single in the bottom of the third and a Dayan Viciedo solo shot-- but Felix Doubront held them for the majority of the night. The Red Sox took a couple more runs in the fifth when Jarrod Saltalamacchia crushed a ball to left-center field for his second home run of the game and fourth of the year-- giving the Sox a 9-3 lead. Felix Doubront held the Red Sox through six innings-- going 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K-- he is now 1-0/4.09/22 on the season. Junichi Tazawa continued to firm his role in the Red Sox' bullpen by rolling along for three shutout innings with a stellar line of 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K.The Red Sox would score another run in the ninth when Ryan Sweeney drove in Mike Aviles with a single-- but for the most part, the game was quiet after the sixth inning. It's still very nice to see the Red Sox moving along at such a pace, heck, one more game and they will have completely evened out that five game losing streak.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K, W (1-0)
Junichi Tazawa- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K
Ryan Sweeney- 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Dull Spots:
Lars Anderson- 0-3, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Kevin Youkilis- Youkilis put the Sox firmly ahead with his third inning grand slam-- but his day was not done as he went 3-4 and is now .241/2/9 on the year.

Bullpen Blows Huge Lead In Loss To Yankees (4-10)

Doubront pitched well but was
 overshadowed

The Red Sox' bullpen struck again in today's loss as they went down to the Yankees despite putting up a huge lead early on. The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead early in the first inning on RBI doubles by both Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz. They would take three more in the second inning on an RBI single up the middle for Mike Aviles, a sac fly for Ryan Sweeney, and an RBI single for Dustin Pedroia. This knocked out Freddy Garcia after just 1.2 shaky innings of work. However, the Red Sox continued to beat up on newcomer Clay Rapada-- scoring two in the third to take a 7-0 lead early on. In the fifth inning, the game was seemingly put away when Cody Ross crushed a two-run homer to center to help the Sox take a 9-0 lead. Then from there, everything was downhill.

Ross hit a home run

Mark Teixeira put the Yankees on the board in the sixth with a homer to left. The sixth was Felix Doubront's last inning, concluding a great day where his line was an impressive 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K. Vicente Padilla came into the game for Boston and promptly allowed a grand slam to Nick Swisher to cut their lead to 9-5. Later in the inning, off Matt Albers, Mark Teixeira went deep for three more runs to cut it to a 9-8 lead for the Sox. The meltdown continued in the eighth inning when they scored seven more runs off a variety a Red Sox pitchers, including Alfredo Aceves, Justin Thomas, and Junichi Tazawa. That inning's scoring was highlighted by three two-run doubles for Nick Swisher, Mark Teixeira, and Russell Martin. This concluded the scoring in a miserable 15-9 loss.



Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Junichi Tazawa- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Mike Aviles- 2-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 4-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 4-5, 1 RBI, 2 2B
Darnell McDonald- 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
The Red Sox Bullpen- 3 IP, 12 H, 14 R, 5 BB, 2 K

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- Doubront pitched well with six strong innings, departing with an eight run lead and what looked to be a sure victory.

Yankees Spoil Party In Fenway's 100th Birthday (4-9)

Clay Buchholz wasn't good 

With all the festivities entering the one hundredth anniversary of Fenway Park, one would think the Red Sox were practically geared to beat the Yankees. However, things got off to a slow start for the Sox when Dustin Pedroia lost a popup in the sun on the very first play of the game. Derek Jeter, who reached on that play, would come around later in the inning on a single by Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees would take two more runs in the second inning on an opposite field homer for Nick Swisher and a ball pulled into the bullpen by Eric Chavez to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The Red Sox would get onto the board in the bottom of the second when David Ortiz led off the inning with a home run just over the monster in left-center field. However, the Yankees would make up for that run in the fourth inning when Eric Chavez crushed his second home run of the game to dead center. The Yankees' home run party continued in the fifth inning when Alex Rodriguez knocked one to left.

Ortiz's homer was a rare bright spot
in today's loss

Cody Ross appeared to have gotten something started when he doubled to lead off the fifth. Mike Aviles kept the rally going, driving Ross in when Nick Swisher lost a fly ball in the sun, resulting in a double to make it 5-2. However, the Sox squandered their opportunity and didn't score again. To make matters worse-- Russell Martin made up that run in the sixth when he homered to left to make it a 6-2 game. Clay Buchholz was called from the game after that inning, and his day was not impressive-- 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 5 HR. Scott Atchison worked a nice seventh inning before allowing a double to lead off the eighth. He was removed in favor of Justin Thomas-- who worked a scoreless third of an inning before handing the ball off to Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa pitched well in relief, going 1.2 perfect innings to close out the 6-2 loss.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Junichi Tazawa- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Mike Aviles- 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 2B
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 HR

Dull Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 5 HR

Player of the Game:
David Ortiz- Even in games where the offense is quiet as many have this year, David Ortiz has continued to rake and his 2-4 mark with a home run continued his early season surge.

Losing Streak Extends To Three Against Pirates (9-7)

Lester was shaken up today

Jarrod Saltamacchia had a homer

Today was a tough one as the Sox dropped a close roller coaster game to the Pirates. The Sox got a little rally going in the second inning when Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled to left-center to start things. After a flyout by Ryan Lavarnway, Josh Kroeger lined an RBI single into right field to give the Sox a 1-0 lead. The Pirates tied it up and then took the lead in a big four-run third inning. Lester was taken out as his final line was a bit shaky at 3 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout. However, the Sox cut it close in the fourth when, after a leadoff double by Adrian Gonzalez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia went the other way with a homer to make it a 4-3 game. They proceeded to tie it up in the fifth when the Sox got a two-out rally going, culminating in an RBI double by Adrian Gonzalez. All the while, Junichi Tazawa had pitched very well in relief-- he allowed just a hit and struck out two in three innings of work. A two-out homer by Mauro Gomez netted the Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. However, the Pirates scored two in the bottom half off Andrew Bailey to give them a 6-5 lead and eventually the win. Neither team scored again as Franklin Morales closed out the loss with a scoreless inning.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 3 innings, 1 hit, no runs, 1 strikeout
Franklin Morales- 1 inning, no runs or hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 double
Mauro Gomez- 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 double, 1 home run
Josh Kroeger- 1-2, 1 RBI
Jason Repko- 1-2, 1 walk

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 3 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
Andrew Bailey- 1 inning, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 strikeouts
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 2 left on base
Alex Hassan- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 2 left on base
Lars Anderson- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 3 left on base

Ciriaco The Hero Again In Red Sox Win (7-2)

Doubront was brilliant through 4

Last night was one hell of a pitching game on both sides with the Sox eventually coming out on top in a very tight game. Felix Doubront was spot on tonight, working four innings with his final line looking like 4 innings, 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts in a very good performance for the young lefty battling for a rotation spot. Michael Bowden then came on for the fifth inning and was brilliant allowing only a hit and striking out three in a scoreless inning. Vicente Padilla then upped his case for the fifth starter role by tossing three perfect innings while striking out four. Then, finally after eight strong innings by Red Sox (and Yankees) pitchers, the score finally broke. Leading off the ninth inning, Pedro Ciriaco hit a little bloop to right field. Normally this would be a single, however, in right field-- Zoilo Almonte of the Yankees tried to catch it on the run and it got by him. This allowed Ciriaco to easily get into third but Almonte threw the ball away and Ciriaco scored on an inside-the-park home run aided by two errors. Junichi Tazawa came on to get the save, and was very good, allowing just a hit and striking out three in the inning, closing out a rare 1-0 win over the Yankees.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 4 innings, 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Michael Bowden- 1 inning, 1 hit, no runs, 3 strikeouts
Vicente Padilla- 3 innings, no hits or runs, 4 strikeouts
Junichi Tazawa- 1 inning, 1 hit, no runs, 3 strikeouts

Dull Spots:
Mike Aviles- 0-3
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 2 left on base
Will Middlebrooks- 0-3, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base
Lars Anderson- 0-3, 2 strikeouts
Josh Kroeger- 0-3, 1 strikeout
Alex Hassan- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base

Red Sox End Streak In An Unlikely Way (3-0)

Justin Germano was impressive

Today was an interesting day for the Red Sox, in a game that was broadcasted by neither television or radio. Justin Germano (right) pitched well through the first two innings for Boston-- he allowed one hit and no runs with no strikeouts or walks either. In the 3rd inning, Oscar Tejeda and Juan Carlos Linares each singled to put runners at the corners with no outs. After a Mike Aviles popup, Ryan Sweeney drove Tejeda in with a sacrifice fly. Cody Ross then singled to keep the Sox in business, but they couldn't keep up the rally. However, in the bottom of the 3rd-- Justin Thomas was a bit rocky. In his lone inning, he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on two hits and a walk to give the Jays a 3-1 lead entering the 4th. A pair of one-out singles by Lars Anderson and Kelly Shoppach gave the Sox two baserunners, but Oscar Tejeda struck out to give the Sox two outs. Francisco Cordero of the Blue Jays tossed a wild pitch to move the runners up and then a rare throwing error by defensive wizard Omar Vizquel tied up the game at 3-3. That would be all either team would get as the game would stay tied.

Bright Spots:
Justin Germano- 2 innings, no runs, 1 hit, no walks or strikeouts
Tony Pena Jr.- 1 inning, 1 hit, no runs, walks, or strikeouts
Mark Melancon- 1 inning, no runs or hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Junichi Tazawa- 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit
Chorye Spoone- 1 inning, 1 hit, no runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Doug Mathis- 2 innings, 1 hit, no runs
Lars Anderson- 1-2, 1 run
Kelly Shoppach- 1-2, 1 run
Oscar Tejeda- 1-2, 1 run

Dull Spots:
Justin Thomas- 1 inning, 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk
Zach Gentile- 0-2, 1 strikeout
Jorge Padron- 0-2