Ross Drives In Four As Sox Edge Rays (18-20)

Doubront threw the 7th straight
 quality start for the Red Sox

It's very very comfortable to have a one or two run lead against the Rays, who always seem to have a knack to beat the Sox, but the Red Sox edged a close game last night. The Red Sox got going strong off of Matt Moore, loading the bases on two singles and a hit by pitch with just an out. Will Middlebrooks struck out looking on an outside fastball to put the Red Sox' scoring chances in jeopardy. However, Cody Ross came through by working an excellent at bat-- walking despite starting with an 0-2 count-- to push in the Sox' first run. The second run would come leading off the second inning when Marlon Byrd put a charge into a 3-2 fastball and hit his first Red Sox home run into left center field. Matt Moore appeared to have settled down after that, though, retiring five of the next six hitters before Cody Ross came to the plate. Ross belted a low change into dead center field for his seventh homer of the year, giving the Sox a 3-0 lead. However, the Rays would answer with a little rally in the bottom of the third.

Cody Ross had a homer
and four RBIs last night

With two outs and nobody on, B.J. Upton swung at the first pitch and popped it up to Adrian Gonzalez at first. A weird call took place though, as apparently Kelly Shoppach's glove interfered with Upton's swing, and they awarded Upton first base. The Rays made a rally out of this, eventually culminated in a Jeff Keppinger single to score Upton and make it 3-1. The Rays took another in the fourth when rookie Rich Thompson singled up the middle to drive in a run. The Rays would load the bases in the inning but the Sox would escape on a Luke Scott lineout. The next few innings were scoreless, and Felix Doubront was eventually pulled with a line of 5.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 7 K. The Red Sox were in scoring position again in the eighth when they put two runners in scoring position with two outs. Cody Ross came up and drove them both in on a soft single up the middle to make it 5-2. The Rays scored in the eighth, but the Red Sox would edge this game out by a score of 5-3.


Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 1 R
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Cody Ross- 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 RBI
Marlon Byrd- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-3, 1 K, 2 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 2 K, 5 LOB
Daniel Nava- 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 3 LOB
Kelly Shoppach- 0-3, 2 K

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Ross came up with all the big hits (and walks) last night, driving in four runs, and the Red Sox would not have won without him-- he is now .262/7/27 this season.