Bad Fielding Costs Sox Series Win (12-18)

Lester suffered from some tough luck

The Sox are just in a ridiculously bad stretch right now and I don't even know what to think-- maybe they are the worst team in the AL East? With two outs in the first, they allowed the Royals to walk and single to put two runners on base. Then, Marlon Byrd overran a ball and it tipped off his glove on a catchable ball which made it 1-0 Royals. Later in the inning, the Sox gave another pair of runs away when a fly ball popped out of Cody Ross' glove and hit the wall, scoring two runs and making it 3-0-- a completely unearned lead for Jon Lester. However, the tide appeared to be turning when the Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the third.

Gonzalez had the big hit

As it turned out, they did answer as Adrian Gonzalez knocked a line drive right into the right-center gap. It was a ball that should have easily scored two runs, but Dustin Pedroia is a hero and he came all the way around from first to score. Mind you, Jeff Franceour has a really good arm so this is a pretty big deal, as Pedroia tied the game at 3-3 in the third inning. Things appeared to be turning again, however, as Irving Falu hit a leadoff double in the fourth, then he was bunted over to third with only one out for Alcides Escobar. hit a line drive on a ball into right-center which turned out to be a double that would give the Royals a 4-3 lead. After the fifth inning, Jon Lester was taken out of the ballgame after a disappointing game. His final line was 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K in a game that, because of the first, actually lowered his ERA to 4.29-- but still resulted in a loss. Clayton Mortensen came into the game and tossed three scoreless (he's been impressive) to end the game with the score of 4-3.

Bright Spots:
Clayton Mortensen- 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI

Dull Spots:
David Ortiz- 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- He kept the Sox in the game with a timely three-run double in the third, recording his 17th, 18th, and 19th RBIs of the young season.