Red Sox Knock Five Home Runs In Comeback Victory (3-5)

Buchholz settled down nicely

Once again, the Red Sox have illustrated just how dominating they can be at home with a convincing win over the Rays. This game actually started off entirely in Tampa's favor-- however, as they scored four runs in a first inning highlighted by a three-run homer for Luke Scott. I kept telling myself that if the Red Sox could just score two runs, then this was a game again, and in the second inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia delivered by crushing a two-run homer to center field with two outs. The Rays got one of those runs back in the third when Luke Scott hit an RBI double off the monster to make it a 5-2 Rays lead. And from that point on, everything went in the Red Sox' favor. In the bottom of the third, Dustin Pedroia crushed an inside fastball over the green monster to make it 5-3. After a scoreless fourth, a two-out single for Kevin Youkilis kept the Red Sox' hopes alive before David Ortiz crushed a homer into right-center to tie the game. After that inning, Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson would be chased from the game with an unimpressive line of 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 1 K.

Cody Ross hit a two-run
homer and two-run double

The first runs of the comeback effort came in the seventh inning when Mike Aviles led off the inning by pulling a curveball over the monster to give the Sox a 6-5 lead. The Red Sox would proceed to load the bases with one out when Cody Ross doubled to left to give the Sox an 8-5 lead. The previous inning had been Clay Buchholz' last and he left the game with a line of 7 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K, settling down nicely to earn his first win of the season. Franklin Morales held the Rays scoreless in the eighth before the Red Sox went nuts in the bottom half. The Red Sox very quickly loaded the bases to lead off the inning-- however, a 4-2-3 double play for Adrian Gonzalez would wipe that out and put two in scoring position with two outs. Kevin Youkilis walked to load the bases back up and David Ortiz doubled past a diving Elliot Johnson in left field to drive in three runs and take an 11-5 lead. Cody Ross then put away the game for good by crushing a homer over the monster to give the Sox a 13-5 lead and a win.

Bright Spots:
Franklin Morales- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Mike Aviles- 3-5, 2 R, 1 HR
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR
Kevin Youkilis- 1-3, 3 R, 2 BB
David Ortiz- 4-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B
Cody Ross- 2-5, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody

Player of the Game:
David Ortiz- Ortiz had a ridiculously good game today, leading the Sox to victory by going 4-5 with a game-tying two-run homer as well as a three-run double in the eighth.