Lester Tagged With First Ever Loss To O's In Comeback (68-84)

Lester was strong early on

This disappointing season has just kept on going, even though the Red Sox showed some promise as a spoiler a few days ago, they're back to losing three straight. This pitching matchup looked like a good one coming into the game with Jon Lester (9-12, 4.95) facing off against impressive O's rookie Miguel Gonzalez (6-4, 3.57). The strong pitching matchup played right into things for the first few innings. Neither team scored for a little while, until the Red Sox got a little rally in the third. It started off when Daniel Nava hit a liner down the first base line that probably would've gone for a triple if a fan had not interfered. Anyhow, he was standing on second when Pedro Ciriaco drove him with a double off the monster. However, the O's came right back-- putting two runners in scoring position with no outs in the fourth. Matt Wieters delivered for the Birds with a two-run single to make it 2-1.

However, he unraveled late

The strong pitching matchup continued for another inning, but the Red Sox got right back into the thick of things in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs in the inning and nobody on, the Red Sox got back to back singles for Pedro Ciriaco and Scott Podsednik to put runners at the corners. Dustin Pedroia was the man as usual here as he singled on a grounder past the third baseman to score Ciriaco and tie things up at 2-2. However, once again, the Orioles climbed back ahead as soon as the Red Sox scored. An Adam Jones walk with one out in the sixth set up an RBI double down the first baseline for Matt Wieters. Wieters got to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored on a liner up the middle for Mark Reynolds. Lester actually wound up going seven decent innings but wound up with his first ever loss to Baltimore, as he's now 14-1.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Jose Iglesias- 1-3

Dull Spots:
Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4
James Loney- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco did a typically good job on top of the lineup last night, batting 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI double-- he is now .297/2/19.

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 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 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.

Lester Shuts Down Yankees In Easy Win (59-62)

Lester lowered his ERA to 5.03

It's always nice to beat the Yankees, and especially when it's a relatively easy and stress free win powered by strong starting pitching and decent offense. The Red Sox got all of that in a nice win in the middle game of this weekend's series in New York. The Red Sox bats got off to a quick start off Yankees' rookie David Phelps, putting Carl Crawford at second base with two outs in the first. Adrian Gonzalez came up and promptly powered a low and away fastball to the opposite field for a two-run homer to make it 2-0. It took them a few innings, but the Yankees finally benefitted from a home run of their own in the fourth inning. That was when Curtis Granderson took advantage of a two-out two-strike mistake fastball by Jon Lester, left up and over the plate, pounding it into the bleachers in center field.

Gonzalez had a two-run homer

Luckily, the Red Sox got that run right back in the top of the fifth-- putting Pedro Ciriaco on first base with one out. An unusual suspect in Nick Punto got the RBI here, driving a liner into the corner in right field. Right fielder Andruw Jones bobbled the ball which allowed Punto to coast into the third after making it 3-1. After that, both starting pitchers really settled down and pitched great ball games. David Phelps (3-3, 2.53) actually put up the longest start of his young career-- going 6.2 innings and allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out 7 in the game. However, he would get the loss due to the fine work done on the other side of the ball by Jon Lester-- who allowed a run on 5 hits in 7 innings. The Red Sox got an insurance run on a wild pitch in the ninth, but they coasted Lester's fine start to a 4-1 win.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K, W (7-10)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (25)
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 4-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Nick Punto- 1-3, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5, 1 K, 4 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 4 K, 3 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jon Lester- The Red Sox really took advantage of a great start here today by Jon Lester, who went seven strong innings to earn the win-- he is now 7-10, 5.03.

Middlebrooks Reportedly With Broken Wrist

Despite the win last night, the Red Sox got depressing news to go hand in hand with that win. After being hit on the wrist in the ninth inning of last night's game, Will Middlebrooks reportedly has suffered a broken wrist. This is a particularly nasty injury as it almost derailed David Ortiz's career and can definitely be a nagging injury. Hopefully, it has no real effect on Middlebrooks' career-- but he will miss at least a good portion, if not all of the remaining season. This raises the question of who will play third base in Middlebrooks' absence. The main candidates should be Mike Aviles, Pedro Ciriaco, Nick Punto, and Danny Valencia. Aviles has played plenty of third in his career, but he's been below average with a -17.7 UZR and has been great at shortstop this year with an 11.6 UZR-- he should remain at shortstop. Ciriaco is the most intriguing option on this list, as he hasn't played much third in his career (just 6 innings) but it would present the Red Sox with an opportunity to get his bat in the lineup. Punto and Valencia should remain backup plans as neither have hit well-- .200 and .198, respectively-- or played good defense at the hot corner. I think the Red Sox should try and move Ciriaco to third with Aviles sticking at short.

Red Sox Tease Fans Again In Heartbreaker (53-55)

Buchholz lowered his ERA to 4.48

The Red Sox have practically entered a new league of heartbreaking as they've blown leads and lost in back-to-back games against the lowly Minnesota Twins. They started off strong, with Ryan Kalish working a leadoff walk against Cole DeVries in the first. He would score almost immediately on an RBI double by Carl Crawford to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. It quickly became 2-0 in the second inning when Mike Aviles lifted one over the green monster. After that, DeVries settled down and Clay Buchholz continued his masterful outing as nobody else scored until the fifth. That was when Jamey Carroll singled with one out, and advanced to second on a faulty pickoff throw by Buchholz. He would score on a throwing error by Kelly Shoppach to cut it to 2-1. It took them until the eighth, but after putting men on first and second, they tied the game on a Justin Morneau sacrifice fly.

Ciriaco hit his first major league homer

That was when the real excitement started to happen, as Pedro Ciriaco came in to pinch-hit for Ryan Kalish leading off the eighth. Ciriaco delivered by hitting the first home run of his major league career over the green monster to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. They continued in that inning as Dustin Pedroia stole second base with two outs, after reaching on a hit by pitch. Cody Ross delivered with a clutch RBI single to give the Red Sox a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth. After Alexi Casilla doubled with one out, the Twins quickly made it a one-run game on an RBI single by Jamey Carroll. They then put two men on with two outs and two strikes to Joe Mauer. Alfredo Aceves painted the corner with a fastball, which was called a ball that ran it to a full count. The next pitch was left up and Mauer devoured it, going the other way for a three-run homer to make it 6-4. That was it, the Red Sox had broken our hearts again.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB
Alfredo Aceves- 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 K, L (2-7)
Kelly Shoppach- 0-3, 3 K, 1 LOB
Nick Punto- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Buchholz tragically did not win this game because of a horrible bullpen, but his seven strong innings were the highlight of the night-- he is now 9-3/4.48/80.

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.

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.

Ciriaco The Hero As Sox Return To .500 (51-51)

Doubront held the Yankees to a run

Both this game and this series were must-wins for the Red Sox-- and despite quite a bit of difficulty over the series, they won. With this series win over the Yankees, the Red Sox are back somewhat to respectability at .500. Plus, with Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.54 ERA) and Hiroki Kuroda (10-7, 3.34) going against each other, it didn't look quite so promising. Luckily, the Red Sox had the first blow after an Adrian Gonzalez single and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walk would put runners at first and second with two outs. The struggling Ryan Sweeney (1-16 since the All-Star Break) stepped up to the plate and drove a ball into the gap in left-center. It was going to score Gonzalez anyways, but Andruw Jones took a bad route in left field that allowed Saltalamacchia to score from first and give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Ciriaco had the go-ahead RBI single

It stayed at 2-0 for quite a while as Doubront and Kuroda each pitched well for some time. The Yankees finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Russell Martin led things off with an opposite field home run to right. Two batters later, Doubront was pulled with a line of 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K. The Yankees would strand two in that inning, but got right back to business in the eighth. After a two-out double by Andruw Jones, it was Martin again with a single up the middle to tie things up at 2-2. Neither team scored in the ninth, so it took them until the tenth to get going. A leadoff walk by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a single for Will Middlebrooks (after a questionable call on a hit by pitch which led to Bobby Valentine being ejected) led runners at the corners with an out. It was Pedro Ciriaco with the key hit-- a blooper to right-- to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K
Alfredo Aceves- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, W (2-6)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 2B
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB
Ryan Sweeney- 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco continues to rack up hits against the Yankees with a very clutch RBI single last night to give the Sox a late lead-- he is now .349/0/8 since being called up.

Red Sox Start And Finish Strong In Clutch Win (50-51)

Lester was good apart from the fifth

It's such a relief to finally get a win in a tough stretch like this, and the Red Sox finally got one yesterday. They started out very strong as Pedro Ciriaco and Dustin Pedroia each singled with one out in the first. Ciriaco would score when Adrian Gonzalez doubled to right, also pushing Dustin Pedroia to third. Both Pedroia and Gonzalez would score on a double by Will Middlebrooks to make it 3-0 in just the first inning. The Yankees would get on the scoreboard in the third inning on a home run by Chris Stewart to cut it to 3-1 off Jon Lester. However, the Red Sox would give Lester a little bit of insurance in the fifth inning when Pedro Ciriaco singled and Dustin Pedroia walked with two outs. Adrian Gonzalez came up and promptly hit one up and over the short porch in right field to make it 6-1.

Ciriaco's three runs and Gonzalez's
four RBIs were huge in this game

However, Lester would cough that lead back up almost immediately as he allowed a leadoff walk to Andruw Jones. That walk would quickly turn into two runs as Jayson Nix got ahold of one for a two-run shot to right. After putting two runners in scoring position with one out, the Yankees took another run on an RBI groundout by Derek Jeter to cut it to 6-4. It took until the eighth inning for the Yankees to finish what they had started, after a leadoff single by Raul Ibanez. The next two batters struck out, to bring up Mark Teixeira with a man on first and two outs. Teixeira did what he does best and crushed one to deep right to tie the game at 6-6. Luckily, the Red Sox came storming back in the ninth on a one-out walk by Jacoby Ellsbury. He would score when Pedro Ciriaco hit a fly ball to center that was misplayed by Curtis Granderson and fell for an RBI triple. Dustin Pedroia knocked Ciriaco in with a sac fly and the Red Sox would win 8-6.

Bright Spots:
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (22)
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-5, 3 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-3, 1 BB, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Daniel Nava- 1-3

Dull Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 K
Kelly Shoppach- 0-4, 2 K, 3 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 3 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez continues to ride his hot streak, as he went 3-5 with a home run, a double, and four RBIs yesterday-- he is now .294/10/62 on the year.

Red Sox, Gonzalez, Spoil Youkilis's Return (46-44)

Cook was great but did not receive a
win last night

Last night's game was an unlikely pitching duel with Aaron Cook going up against youngster Dylan Axelrod. However, it certainly didn't start out that way for either team. With one out in the top of the first inning, familiar face Kevin Youkilis came up and received a huge standing ovation from the home fans. Afterwards, he worked out a long at bat before singling up the middle. Youkilis showed his all out hustle on the next play as Adam Dunn hit a slow roller to second. Pedro Ciriaco threw it to first to record the out as usual, but as a part of the shift they had played on Dunn-- nobody was covering third. Youkilis took sight of this and took off for third, Adrian Gonzalez's throw to the nearest man was errant and Youkilis scored. In the bottom of the first with one out, another familiar face-- Carl Crawford came up and singled up the middle. After a David Ortiz single brought him to third, he would tie the game on a line to right by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 1-1.

Gonzalez had a huge home run

However, Aaron Cook (who wasn't deserving of that run anyway) and Dylan Axelrod both settled down tremendously after that point. The score was still 1-1 when Axelrod was taken out after 6.2 strong innings of work and when Cook was taken out after 7. However, the Red Sox were not so kind against the White Sox bullpen in the following innings. After a pair of walks to lead off the eighth against Leyson Septimo, Adrian Gonzalez stepped up to the plate. He displayed some of that power that we acquired him for when he crushed a pitch over the deep part of the Green Monster to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead. However, David Ortiz was injured rounding second and is having an MRI today-- we all hope the best. Anyways, a Mike Aviles RBI single later in the inning would score the final run to close out a strong 5-1 win.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, W (3-0)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R, 1 BB
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Mike Aviles- 1-4, 1 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-4, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 3 K, 4 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- If not for Gonzalez, the Red Sox may not have even won this game as he went 2-4 with two of the biggest hits of the night-- an RBI single and three-run homer, he is now .288/7/50.

Red Sox Pitching Varies In Split Squad Double-Header (10-9)

Doubront threw 6 strong innings

In the 1:05 game today, the Red Sox faced the Miami Marlins and some solid pitching led them to a decisive win. They got going very quick-- scoring three runs in the first inning after Jose Iglesias and Pedro Ciriaco led off the ballgame with an error and a double to put two in scoring position. A single by Cody Ross, a groundout by David Ortiz, and a single by Ryan Lavarnway would net them a 3-0 lead. The Marlins scored one in the second on a leadoff home run by Austin Kearns to cut the lead to 3-1. However, despite that blemish, Felix Doubront was very good. He pitched for 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts in a very good outing. The Sox picked up another run in the sixth after the Sox put runners at first and second with Dan Butler and Ryan Lavarnway, Ryan Sweeney would promptly drive in Butler with a ground ball single to get a 4-1 lead. The Red Sox' bullpen was very solid and preserved Doubront's lead. Doug Mathis struck out one in a perfect inning, Clayton Mortensen struck out two in a perfect inning, and Justin Thomas tossed a perfect inning to end the game. Some very strong pitching was nice to see from the Sox in this game, but it wasn't all so nice today.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Doug Mathis- 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 1 strikeout
Clayton Mortensen- 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 2 strikeouts
Justin Thomas- 1 inning, no runs, no hits
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-3, 1 run, 1 double
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Ryan Sweeney- 1-3, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Derrik Gibson- 0-2, 1 strikeout
Mitch Dening- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base
Lars Anderson- 0-3, 1 strikeout, 4 left on base
Nate Spears- 0-3, 1 strikeout, 2 left on base
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alfredo Aceves was roughed up

While the game against the Marlins exhibited some very strong pitching, the same could not be said about the 1:35 game against the Phillies. The Phillies twice in the first and four times in the second to take a 6-0 lead early on. The Sox reclaimed some of that lead when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a fly ball into right field which Hunter Pence lost in the sun-- the ball fell for a 2-run triple to make it 6-2. The Phillies continued to score, however, and knocked Alfredo Aceves out of the game after three innings-- he allowed nine runs on ten hits. Michael Bowden allowed a run in the fourth, but he settled down and allowed just that run in his two innings of work. The Sox scored in the sixth inning when three consecutive singles by Jonathan Hee, Nick Punto, and Josh Kroeger netted Kroeger an RBI single. The Sox got a little rally going in the eighth culminating in a two-run single by Peter Hissey finished the scoring with a score of 10-5. Red Sox pitchers closed out the game well with scoreless (and hitless) innings by Franklin Morales, Andrew Bailey, Vicente Padilla, and Garrett Mock-- the only baserunners came on walks by Bailey and Mock.

Bright Spots:
Franklin Morales- 1 inning, no runs, no hits
Andrew Bailey- 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Vicente Padilla- 1 inning, no runs, no hits
Garrett Mock- 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 1 walk
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4, 1 triple, 2 RBIs
Peter Hissey- 1-1, 2 RBIs
Mike Aviles- 2-3
Nick Punto- 3-4
Josh Kroeger- 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 3 innings, 10 hits, 9 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 2 strikeouts, 1 left on base
Kolbrin Vitek- 0-2, 1 strikeout

Red Sox Battle Back In Tie To Yanks (9-7)

Cook allowed 2 runs in 4 innings

I went to bed unhappy last night-- after watching the game through the top of the eighth I was tired of watching the Red Sox bats flail (even in a spring training game)-- however, they battled back and I wish I'd seen it. After a scoreless game for the first three innings, the Yankees finally got to starter Aaron Cook for two runs in the fourth inning on an RBI triple by Curtis Granderson and an RBI single for Andruw Jones. Cook was taken out after that inning, and he wound up with 4 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts in a decent outing. On a two-run single by Doug Bernier in the fifth, the Yankees took two more runs and a 4-0 lead. However, Ross Ohlendorf settled down and only allowed those two runs in his three innings. Mark Melancon pitched a perfect eighth inning-- leading to the Red Sox' half of the inning. After a popup by Mike Aviles to lead off the inning, Jason Repko doubled with one out. Pedro Ciriaco proceeded to knock him in with a double to make it a 4-1 game. Nate Spears singled to right to make it 4-2, knocking in Ciriaco. Lars Anderson then flashed some power with a double to center to make it 4-3 and really cut the lead down-- however, Anderson would be stranded. Scott Atchison allowed a hit and struck out a batter in a scoreless ninth to lead into the Red Sox' half of the inning with a 4-3 deficit. Ryan Sweeney singled to lead off the inning, and after a popup for Ryan Lavarnway, Mike Aviles doubled to put two in scoring position with one out. Bobby Valentine then put on one of the most exciting plays in baseball-- the suicide squeeze. With Jason Repko at the plate, he decided not to risk the out so he put on the squeeze and it worked-- Sweeney scored and Aviles advanced to tie it at 4-4. However, with the winning run at third and a tie game, Pedro Ciriaco struck out swinging to end the game.

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 inning, no runs, no hits
Scott Atchison- 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout
Jason Repko- 1-1, 1 run, 1 double, 1 RBI, the suicide squeeze
Nate Spears- 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Lars Anderson- 1-1, 1 double, 1 RBI
Ryan Sweeney- 2-4, 1 run

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-3
Dustin Pedroia- 0-2, 1 strikeout, hurt his left forearm
Kevin Youkilis- 0-2
Cody Ross- 0-3, 2 strikeouts, 1 left on base
Ryan Lavanrway- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base

Red Sox Beat Rays Some Moore (9-4)

Buchholz threw 5 strong innings

Cody Ross hit home run #2

Today was a good day for the Red Sox as they continued on this very nice trend of consistently winning. The game started off strong as Cody Ross homered to left, continuing his excellent spring. After a scoreless bottom half for the Rays, the Sox went right back to work with Josh Kroeger leading off the inning with a home run to right. However, in the bottom of the second, the Rays did a little too as Evan Longoria led off the inning with a bomb to left to cut the Red Sox' lead to one. However, in the third, the Red Sox began to take advantage of Rays' starter Matt Moore's shaky control. Three walks in the inning loaded the bases with one out for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Salty worked a full count before walking. Josh Kroeger then hit a high fly ball to left which would result in a sacrifice fly to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead. The Sox got going quickly in the fourth-- after Jason Repko was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Nate Spears singled to right to put runners at the corners. Alex Hassan promptly hit a soft liner into center field to score a run and give the Sox a 5-1 lead. Mike Aviles then grounded into a tailor made double play; however, Spears scored to make it a 6-1 game. All this while, Clay Buchholz pitched very well for the Sox-- putting together his strongest start yet. He went five innings, allowing a run on four hits and no walks while striking out four. In the sixth inning, Mauro Gomez led off the inning with a single but it took two outs before they got a rally going. After Gomez advanced to second on a wild pitch, Alex Hassan grounded to third where Longoria threw the ball away, allowing a run to score. The bottom of the sixth did not go so well however, with Justin Thomas allowing two runs before a very good throw by Nate Spears to catch Jeff Keppinger at third base ended the inning. The Rays scored again in the seventh to make it only 7-4, but other than that Vicente Padilla's night was quite good (3 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts) as he closed out the game after the Sox made it 8-4 in the ninth.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 5 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-2, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Josh Kroeger- 1-3, 1 run, 2 RBIs, 1 home run, 1 sac fly
Nate Spears- 2-4, 2 runs, 1 steal
Alex Hassan- 2-2, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Justin Thomas- 1 inning, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 strikeouts
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 run, 3 left on base

Red Sox Can't Reform From Early Struggles (7-4)

Kevin Youkilis had one RBI

In last night's game, the Red Sox never fully gained control in a very close pitching game. Jon Lester allowed runs in the second and fourth innings, as he never really could command his pitches-- throwing over 80 in four innings. His final line stood at 4 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. In the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox offense made their first and last true rally. Pedro Ciriaco led off the inning with a double to left. Kevin Youkilis quickly drove him in by hitting a single into left to score the run and make it 2-1. However, that's exactly how the score would stay. Both Red Sox and Twins pitchers were solid the rest of the way. Andrew Miller and Andrew Bailey each threw scoreless innings (the 5th and 6th, respectively) and each struck out two, but Miller walked one as well-- solid outings for both pitchers. Jesse Carlson allowed a hit in an otherwise uneventful inning. Scott Atchison allowed two hits and struck out one in two innings of work. However, on the bad side-- the Red Sox hitters only had six hits last night, walked only once, and struck out ten times. Now, it's true that several minor leaguers were playing but that has got to change.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1 inning, no runs or hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Andrew Bailey- 1 inning, no runs or walks or hits, 2 strikeouts
Jesse Carlson- 1 inning, 1 hit, no runs
Scott Atchison- 2 innings, 2 hits, no runs, 1 strikeout
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-3, 1 run, 1 double
Kevin Youkilis- 1-2, 1 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-2

Dull Spots:
Nate Spears- 0-4, 2 strikeouts, 1 left on base
Darnell McDonald- 0-2, 2 left on base
Josh Kroeger- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 2 left on base
Dan Butler- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 3 left on base
Kelly Shoppach- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base
Tony Thomas- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 3 left on base
Jason Repko- 0-2, 2 strikeouts

Bard Blows Game As Sox Fall To Cards (7-3)

Pedroia hit a home run today

Well, so far the Red Sox have lost twice this spring, and two of those times have been to the Cardinals. Both of the games against the Cardinals have been blown in the 8th inning by a Red Sox pitcher. The Cardinals first took the lead in the 2nd inning as one of few blemishes in a very good outing by Alfredo Aceves: 4 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts. The Sox then scored three in the fourth inning. A one-out double by David Ortiz and a two-out double for Ryan Lavarnway knotted up the score at 1-1. Darnell McDonald proceeded to homer over the psuedo-monster in left field to make it 3-1. After an inning in which Justin Thomas allowed two hits in a scoreless inning, the Sox took a 4-1 lead in the 5th after Dustin Pedroia (right) led off the inning with a homer. However, the Cardinals scored three to tie it up in the sixth. The Sox took a 6-4 lead back though in the 6th when, after three consecutive walks, Pedro Ciriaco doubled to left. Unfortunately, in the eighth, the game unraveled in front of Daniel Bard who wound up with 7 runs in 2.2 innings. Chorye Spoone closed things out by allowing a run on four hits in 1.1 innings.

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 4 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-3
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-2, 1 double, 2 RBIs
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run
Darnell McDonald- 2-2, 1 run, 2 RBIs, 1 homer

Dull Spots:
Daniel Bard- 2.2 innings, 6 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, 1 strikeout
Chorye Spoone- 1.1 innings, 4 hits, 1 run
Juan Carlos Linares- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 4 left on base
Cody Ross- 0-3, 2 strikeouts, 2 left on base
Mike Aviles- 0-2, 1 left on base