Papelbon, Hamels Shut Down Sox In Series Opener (18-21)

Bard settled down after a
rough first inning

Even though the Red Sox lost the series opener tonight, they played a good game and it was fun to watch. The Phillies got off to a very fast start, loading the bases on three walks with one out-- Bard showed some serious control issues again. Carlos Ruiz took a first pitch slider to right-center for a single that would score two runs and give the Phillies an early lead. A sacrifice fly for Ty Wigginton and an RBI double for John Mayberry Jr. would hand the Phillies a 4-0 lead after just one inning. The Red Sox slowly began to eat away at this lead-- starting in the third inning when Mike Aviles put a charge into a fastball down the middle and drove a home run down the third base line to cut it to 4-1. The Red Sox got into another position to score by putting runners at the corners with one out in the fourth-- a Cody Ross double and Will Middlebrooks single got them there. Daniel Nava hit a lazy fly ball into center field and right to Shane Victorino, but there was no play and a run scored to further cut the lead. But just when Daniel Bard had appeared to settle down, he got into some more issues.

Mike Aviles had a homer
and a double

With one out in the fifth, Hunter Pence absolutely crushed a ball into left field to give the Phillies a 5-2 lead on Pence's tenth homer of the year. The Red Sox quickly answered in the sixth, though, when Cody Ross crushed a homer around the pole in left field to cut it to a 5-3 Phillies lead. After the top of the sixth, Daniel Bard would be pulled from the game with a line of 5 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 3 K-- as Bard did not have his best stuff tonight. Matt Albers came into the game, and neither team scored for a couple innings with the score still at 5-3 heading into the eighth. With one out in the inning, Adrian Gonzalez took a low curve and pulled it into the seats to cut it to a 5-4 game with his third home run this season. The Phillies answered that run in the bottom of the inning when Freddy Galvis went yard off of Franklin Morales to make it 6-4. Jonathan Papelbon worked a scoreless ninth against his former team and the Phillies would take the opener 6-4.


Bright Spots:
Matt Albers- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Daniel Bard- 5 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 3 K, L (3-5)
Franklin Morales- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 K
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 1 K, 2 LOB
Nick Punto- 0-2, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Cody Ross just continued his tear tonight by going 2-3 with a double, two runs scored, and a home run to make him .271/8/28 this year.