Ross Powers Sox To Series Win Over Braves (38-34)

Cook made a spot start and did a
decent job

The Red Sox had a shot of bad news before today's game as Clay Buchholz was scratched from his scheduled start and added to the DL with intestinal bleeding. This meant Aaron Cook would start today's game, but Cook managed a decent start to lead the Sox out of last. Neither team scored for a while, but the Red Sox finally got a rally going in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back leadoff walks by Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks. Cody Ross came up and promptly crushed a pitch over the green monster for a three run homer to make it 3-0. Adrian Gonzalez came up next and delivered by going back-to-back with Ross and hitting a home run over the monster of his own. However, the Braves mounted a rally just as quickly as the Red Sox with back-to-back singles leading off the inning. Eric Hinske knocked a ball off the wall in center and it bounced around to result in a two-run triple. Hinske was almost picked off on the next play as Aaron Cook fielded a comebacker, but a bad throw allowed Hinske to score and make it 4-3.

Ross had two home runs and
five RBIs

Somehow the Red Sox escaped the inning only allowing three runs and got right back to business in the fifth. Kelly Shoppach led off the inning with a weak ground ball to the shortstop. Luckily, Andrelton Simmons made a rookie mistake by making a horrible throw to allow Shoppach to advance to second with no outs. Shoppach got to third on a bloop single by Daniel Nava and scored on a Will Middlebrooks sac fly to make it 5-3. The Red Sox were not done though, as Cody Ross came up and for the second time in two innings homered over the monster to give the Red Sox a 7-3 lead. Jason Heyward's opposite field home run in the sixth cut it to 7-4 but that would be the last Braves' bright spot of the game. Daniel Nava drove in Shoppach with an RBI double to left-center  in the sixth and a Kevin Youkilis RBI triple in the eighth made it 9-4. With that triple, Youkilis may have ended his Red Sox' career in style as trade rumors are buzzing. Anyhow, that and many other hits led the Red Sox to a 9-4 win and moved out of last.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Daniel Nava- 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 2-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Ross powered the Red Sox to a win with two homers and five RBIs in a 2-4 game as his return has certainly aided the Sox-- he is now .277/11/37 this season.