Red Sox Rock Tigers To Open Series (24-24)

Felix Doubront pitched a
great win and won his fifth

It just keeps happening like this: the Red Sox reach .500, lose the next  game, then reach .500 again and it happened again today as the Red Sox became 24-24 on the year. Things started off fast for the Red Sox-- as they got a two out rally going in the first inning. Adrian Gonzalez singled into right with two outs before David Ortiz drove him in with a double down the third base line to make it 1-0. The Tigers would tie it up in the second, however, when Delmon Young put a charge into an off speed pitch and sent it over the monster. The Red Sox would answer in a big way in the bottom half, taking advantage of a blown call. With two outs and two strikes in the inning, Mike Aviles tipped a ball into catcher Gerald Laird's mitt-- strike three-- but the first base umpire ruled it had hit the ground and Aviles' at bat continued. Aviles delivered with a single up the middle to score Ryan Sweeney. Aviles would score on a double to the center field wall by Daniel Nava before Nava would come in on an infield single by Dustin Pedroia to make it 4-1.

Mike Aviles went 2-4 with a run
and two RBIs today

The Red Sox tacked on another run in the third inning when Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered to left to put them up by four. The Tigers would answer for that run with a home run of their own in the fifth-- when Gerald Laird hit a ball on a line that just traveled over the monster to make it 5-2. However, the Red Sox struck right back by putting runners at the corners to start the sixth on singles by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Sweeney. Will Middlbrooks hit a grounder to third base and beat out the infield hit to score Sweeney and make things 6-2-- also chasing starter Doug Fister from the game. Luis Marte entered and got the retired six straight Red Sox batters before running into trouble in the eighth. With Ryan Sweeney on second base and two outs, Mike Aviles lifted a breaking ball to deep left-center to score the run and make it 7-2. Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but the Red Sox would win by a score of 7-4.


Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, W (5-2)
Scott Atchison- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Ryan Sweeney- 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B
Will Middlebrooks- 1-3, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 K
Kevin Youkilis- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- He was backed by some solid run support, and Doubront pitched a great game to earn the win and become 5-2/3.86/59 on the year.