Lester Tagged With First Ever Loss To O's In Comeback (68-84)

Lester was strong early on

This disappointing season has just kept on going, even though the Red Sox showed some promise as a spoiler a few days ago, they're back to losing three straight. This pitching matchup looked like a good one coming into the game with Jon Lester (9-12, 4.95) facing off against impressive O's rookie Miguel Gonzalez (6-4, 3.57). The strong pitching matchup played right into things for the first few innings. Neither team scored for a little while, until the Red Sox got a little rally in the third. It started off when Daniel Nava hit a liner down the first base line that probably would've gone for a triple if a fan had not interfered. Anyhow, he was standing on second when Pedro Ciriaco drove him with a double off the monster. However, the O's came right back-- putting two runners in scoring position with no outs in the fourth. Matt Wieters delivered for the Birds with a two-run single to make it 2-1.

However, he unraveled late

The strong pitching matchup continued for another inning, but the Red Sox got right back into the thick of things in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs in the inning and nobody on, the Red Sox got back to back singles for Pedro Ciriaco and Scott Podsednik to put runners at the corners. Dustin Pedroia was the man as usual here as he singled on a grounder past the third baseman to score Ciriaco and tie things up at 2-2. However, once again, the Orioles climbed back ahead as soon as the Red Sox scored. An Adam Jones walk with one out in the sixth set up an RBI double down the first baseline for Matt Wieters. Wieters got to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored on a liner up the middle for Mark Reynolds. Lester actually wound up going seven decent innings but wound up with his first ever loss to Baltimore, as he's now 14-1.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Jose Iglesias- 1-3

Dull Spots:
Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4
James Loney- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco did a typically good job on top of the lineup last night, batting 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI double-- he is now .297/2/19.

Red Sox Cut It Close, But Fall To Yankees (64-79)

Cook got off to a good start

Last night's game was another good one for the second matchup of this series, however, the Red Sox lost this close one. Both Aaron Cook and David Phelps got off to good starts, pitching scoreless baseball for three innings. However, in the fourth, the Yankees got going, starting on a homer to right-center for Curtis Granderson-- hi 36th of the season. Alex Rodriguez followed him up with a bloop single to center, and he would also score when Robinson Cano went the other way for his 30th home run, over the green monster to make it 3-0. The Red Sox weren't just going to let that sit, though, as Dustin Pedroia came into the bottom of the fourth with a one out double. Pedroia would score when James Loney hit a hard ground ball through the right side of the infield to cut it to 3-1 against the Yanks.

He faltered in the fourth though

It stayed right there at 3-1 for a couple more innings, but both teams were ready to contribute again in the seventh inning. The Yankees started their rally with a single for Derek Jeter. However, just as soon as it had started, their rally ended when Curtis Granderson nailed his 37th home run of the season to right-- making it 5-1. The Red Sox weren't going to sit with that either though, as they came into the seventh with a pair of one out doubles to put two in scoring position. They scored a run when Mauro Gomez grounded out to third and another when Mike Aviles doubled to left to cut it to a 5-3 deficit. Each team's bullpen held it like that up until the ninth with Rafael Soriano on the mound. Jarrod Saltalamacchia led things off by belting his 24th home run to right field to cut it to 5-4. However, that would be all they would get in a tough loss.

Bright Spots:
Chris Carpenter- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B
James Loney- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 3-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 1 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 3 K, 2 LOB
Scott Podsednik- 0-2, 1 K, 1 LOB
Jose Iglesias- 0-2, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Could Salty's slump have come to an end? He went 3-3 with a double, two runs scored, and a home run last night-- he is now .232/24/54.

Red Sox Play Spoiler, Walk Off Against Yanks (64-78)

Lester walked seven but wasn't bad

The Red Sox put together a rare good game against the Yankees last night, and in doing so, brought things to a tie at the top of the AL East. The Yankees got going pretty early in the first inning, starting off the game with a walk to Derek Jeter and a double by Nick Swisher. They would actually wind up loading the bases in the inning, but would only wind up getting one run on a groundout by Robinson Cano. It took the Red Sox a few innings to catch up, but in the bottom of the third they did just that. Pedro Ciriaco started things off with a leadoff double, and was promptly advanced to third on a groundout for Mike Aviles. Jacoby Ellsbury kept the rally going, singling up the middle to tie things at 1-1. Ellsbury made an essential steal then, taking his 13th bag of the year with a steal of second and would score on a single to right to give the Red Sox the lead.

Ellsbury had a walk-off single

It took the Yankees until the sixth, but Jon Lester's walks finally caught up to him (he walked seven total). A Curtis Granderson walk, Andruw Jones single, and Jayson Nix bunt put two in scoring position with one out. Almost immediately, the Yankees both tied things and nabbed the lead in one feld swoop as Derek Jeter popped one just out of Ryan Kalish's reach in right field. It popped over the short fence along the right field foul line for a ground-rule double to score two runs and make it 3-2. However, the Red Sox got one of those runs right back in the bottom of the sixth when Dustin Pedroia homered on a line drive into the first row of the monster seats. From that point on, there was a slew of relievers and unfulfilled rallies until the bottom of the ninth. Pedro Ciriaco and Mike Aviles had back-to-back one out singles off Yankees reliever David Robertson. However, things got really bad for New York when Jacoby Ellsbury singled hard to right, just scoring Ciriaco in time for a walk-off single.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, W (1-0)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 4-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Scott Podsednik- 0-3, 2 LOB
James Loney- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4, 3 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jacoby Ellsbury- Happy birthday to Jacoby Ellsbury, as on his birthday, he went 4-5 with 2 RBIs including the walk-off single-- he is now .268/3/20.

Too Little, Too Late For Sox In Tight Loss (63-76)

Doubront was rocked last night

This game looked like just another blowout initially, but the Red Sox came back to make it even more of a disappointment for the Sox. The Blue Jays got going early when Brett Lawrie doubled to lead off the game. After getting to third on a ground out, he scored on a sac fly for Edwin Encarnacion. After a scoreless second, they got another run in the third on a homer for Encarnacion-- the 38th big fly of his great season. The Jays just kept rolling right along in the fourth inning, starting with a two out walk to Kelly Johnson. They got two runs when rookie Moises Sierra nailed a long ball over the green monster to make it 4-0. The fifth started off the same way as Colby Rasmus tripled to start things. Clayton Mortensen entered the game, but couldn't stop the Jays from scoring on  Yunel Escobar single to make it 5-0.

Pedroia had a home run and 2 RBIs

That was when things sort of began to turn for the Red Sox, as two one out singles netted them runners at the corners. They scored a run when Dustin Pedroia grounded into a force out, but ultimately squandered a rally. The Red Sox kept going in the seventh and a Pedro Ciriaco walk plus a steal of second, would set up an RBI single for Mauro Gomez to make it 5-2. The Red Sox started off the eighth with a shot to left for Dustin Pedroia-- his 13th home run of the year to cut it to 5-3. However, the Jays would get those runs back in the top of the ninth after a leadoff walk to Moises Sierra. Sierra would score when Colby Rasmus homered to make it 7-3. The Red Sox got a couple of those runs back in the bottom of the ninth on a two run homer for Mauro Gomez to cut it to 7-5, but it wasn't enough.

Bright Spots:
Clayton Mortensen- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K
Chris Carpenter- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Rich Hill- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Daniel Bard- 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Scott Podsednik- 2-5
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Mauro Gomez- 2-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI



Dull Spots:
Felix Doubront- 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K, L (10-8)

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 2 K, 3 LOB

James Loney- 0-4, 2 LOB

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Mauro Gomez- After coming in to pinch hit, Gomez led the show in going 2-2 with a two run homer and RBI single-- he is now .302/2/11.

Ross, Lavarnway Homer As Sox Break Skid (63-74)

Bailey nailed down his second nave

Finally that miserable losing streak is over as the Red Sox finally edged the Mariners to end a seven game losing skid. Jon Lester (8-11, 5.01) got off to a bit of a rocky start, allowing Dustin Ackley to single to start the ballgame. Ackley stole second and advanced to third on a ground ball to put him there at third with two outs. Jesus Montero came up and drove him in with an RBI single to right to put the Mariners on the board 1-0. Lester held the Mariners scoreless in the second inning but ran into a bunch of trouble when he opened up the third. Franklin Gutierrez came up and crushed a home run over the head of Jacoby Ellsbury to dead center field. He was followed up immediately by Kyle Seager who knocked a no doubter to right field to give the Mariners a 3-0 lead on Seager's 16th homer.

Ross had a three-run homer

Jon Lester settled down from that point and tossed scoreless baseball for his next three innings of work. He would manage to get the win as well, as the Red Sox put together a little rally of their own in the top of the sixth. Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury each singled to right field to put runners at first and second to start off the inning. That was when Cody Ross came up and drove a ball to deep left field, well out of the ballpark to bring in all three runs possible and tie the game up at 3-3. The next two batters got out to leave Ryan Lavarnway (who entered the game batting .174) to fend for himself with two outs. He did just that as he drove one off the scoreboard in the left field on a big home run to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. The bullpen came together for a win and Andrew Bailey pitched a good ninth to pick up his second save.

Bright Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, SV (2)
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
James Loney- 2-4, 1 2B
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Jose Iglesias- 1-3, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Ross was only 1-4 in last night's game but he absolutely had the biggest hit of the night with a three run homer-- he is now .274/20/74.

Red Sox Drop Seventh Straight As Pedroia Hits 1000th (62-74)

Could this be Valentine's last series?

The good news in today's game: Dustin Pedroia got the 1000th hit of his very successful career. The bad news was the same as it's been the past seven games-- the Red Sox fell without giving too much of a fight. The Red Sox scored first when they put together a two out rally in the first inning. A two out double for Dustin Pedroia set up a run when Cody Ross took an outside pitch to right field for a soft line drive single to make it 1-0. Things looked good for the next few innings, but it all took a turn for the worse in the fourth inning. The Mariners started off by putting two runners on base on a single and hit by pitch. They scored a pair of runs when John Jaso and Justin Smoak hit consecutive singles through the right side to make it 2-1. They got one more run on a fly out to center for Eric Thames. Jacoby Ellsbury's throw home got away from Ryan Lavarnway and the run scored. The next run scored on another miscue, this time by Jose Iglesias.

From that point on, neither team scored and the Red Sox just slowly died. Clay Buchholz pitched pretty well after then and exited the game after seven innings-- leaving with a line of 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He would eventually lose the game and slip to 11-5 with a 4.47 ERA this season. In relief, Rich Hill and Chris Carpenter combined for a scoreless eighth and that was it as the Sox didn't even put up a fight.

Bright Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Cody Ros- 1-4, 1 RBI
Ryan Kalish- 2-4

Dull Spots:
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 3 K, 1 LOB
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4
Mauro Gomez- 0-3, 2 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-3
Jose Iglesias- 0-2, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia continues to be a lone bright spot in the Red Sox' lineup as he went 2-3 with a walk and a run today-- he is now .290/12/55.

A's Get The Better Of Sox Again As Skid Continues (62-73)

The 2012 baseball season is becoming miserable as the Red Sox lost again today to extend their skid to six games. This was a rough game for the Red Sox pretty much from the start as the game began with a tough pitching matchup-- Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-3, 5.10) and Brett Anderson (2-0, 0.64). The A's started off the bottom of the first on a walk by Coco Crisp. Crisp scored almost immediately when Seth Smith drove a high home run to center field to make it 2-0 early. It took them only one inning to get another run when Stephen Drew crushed a hanging sinker to left-center to make it 3-0. They just kept on rolling in the third as well, putting runners at the corners with one out. They'd score a run on a sacrifice fly for Josh Reddick. Later in the inning, they'd score again when Stephen Drew knocked a line drive single to left to make it 5-0.

Ross had an RBI single

The A's just kept pounding Matsuzaka in the fourth, loading the bases with one out. They scored one run when Yoenis Cespedes grounded out to second base to make it 6-0. It took the Red Sox until the sixth, but they eventually got their first run of the game--loading the bases with one out. Cody Ross singled to left, scoring one run before Scott Podsednik was nailed at the plate, making it 6-1. It stayed there for a while, but the Red Sox picked up another run in the ninth after a leadoff double for Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia would eventually score on a sacrifice fly for Mauro Gomez to make it 6-2. However, it wasn't nearly enough to dig into a huge A's lead.



Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Junichi Tazawa- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 4 K, L (1-4)
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4, 2 K
Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 K
James Loney- 0-3, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia acted as the catalyst today, going 3-4 with a double and scoring a run in a bad game-- he is now .288/12/55

Stewart Roughed Up In Red Sox Debut As Angels Rout (62-69)

Stewart made his Red Sox debut

The Red Sox just can't seem to beat the Angels as they are now 0-5 including last night's game and are 0-2 in extra inning games! This game started off predictably as the Angels really got to Zach Stewart in the first inning. Mike Trout led off the game with a single and then almost immediately scored on an RBI double by Torii Hunter. Albert Pujols drove Hunter in with an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-0 after the first two batters. The Angels would tack on two more runs in the inning when Kendrys Morales came up and crushed a hanging curveball to right for a long home run to make it 4-0. Stewart got the next three hitters, but the damage was done as we entered the second inning. After putting runners on second and third with no outs, Scott Podsednik got one run back on a sacrifice fly.

After a leadoff double in the second, the Angels got that run back when Torii Hunter singled to center and made it 5-1. The Angels kept right on rolling after a leadoff double in the third. The next two batters got out, but back-to-back doubles for Alberto Callaspo and Erick Aybar made it 7-1. That was when Chris Iannetta knocked on out of the park on a liner to left-center. That third would be Stewart's last inning as he was taken out with a line of 3 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 2 K. After a rare scoreless inning, the Red Sox started off the fifth right-- putting runners at the corners with one out. Jacoby Ellsbury stole second and Iannetta made an errant throw, causing Scott Podsednik to score from third. Ellsbury scored next as Dustin Pedroia singled him in to make it 9-3. The Angels got a run back in the fifth but the damage was done.

Bright Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Mauro Gomez- 3-4, 1 R
Scott Podsednik- 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Zach Stewart- 3 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 2 K, L (1-3)
Jose Iglesias- 0-4, 2 K, 6 LOB

Player of the Game:
Mauro Gomez- Gomez's 3-4 night really showed that the youngster may be ready to fully take over the first base job-- he is now .327/1/6.

Red Sox Edge Royals Behind Ciriaco, Ross (61-67)

Doubront had a bad inning

This was a great game in so far as the Red Sox won, it was some good baseball, and there were a few strong individual performances-- all great in the position the Red Sox are in right now. The Red Sox took off to a 1-0 lead in the first, scoring when Cody Ross drove in Pedro Ciriaco with a single. They scored again in the second inning when Mike Aviles hit a high fly ball off the monster, scoring Mauro Gomez all the way from first to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. Felix Doubront held the Royals in check for the next few innings, but they finally got to him in a big fourth inning. With two outs and two strikes, the Royals put together a sustained rally--starting with singles by Eric Hosmer and Johnny Giavotella. They scored one run when Tony Abreu hit a soft liner to left for an RBI single and they scored three more when Lorenzo Cain drilled one into the monster seats in left to make it 4-2.

Loney made his Red Sox debut

However, the Red Sox came back in the fifth-- starting with a one out solo home run for Pedro Ciriaco. After that, the Red Sox managed to put runners at the corners for James Loney. In his second at bat with the Red Sox, Loney took a first pitch fastball up the middle for an RBI single to make it 4-4. After putting runners at first and second with no outs, the Red Sox finally scored on a two out RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury. They did some more damage in the seventh as they loaded the bases with two outs. Scott Podsednik hit a seemingly inning ending ground ball but in a Buckner-esque play, the ball rolled right through Alcides Escobar's legs for a run. They scored another on an infield single by Pedro Ciriaco. The Royals scrambled for two runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single (Tony Abreu again!). However, the Red Sox got one back on a homer for Dustin Pedroia to make it 8-6 and won.

Bright Spots:
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (1)
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
James Loney- 1-5, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco did a fantastic job leading off, going 3-5 while scoring two runs, driving in two more, and knocking a home run-- he is now .360/2/16.

Red Sox Swept After High Scoring Heartbreaker (59-66)

Morales lasted all of 2.2 innings

Last night was an incredibly disappointing game as the Red Sox blew a huge lead to fall to the Angels in extra innings. After a double by Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox scored on a first inning RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez. They put together a huge inning in the second-- starting with a leadoff double by Mauro Gomez. Gomez scored on a single by Scott Podsednik, who would score later on an RBI single to center by Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury and Ciriaco (who also singled) would both score when Dustin Pedroia got ahold of one and sent it to left for a three-run homer to make it 6-0 in the second. However, it didn't take long at all for the Angels to complete disintegrate that lead-- as they scored eight times in the third inning on RBI singles for Howie Kendrick, Chris Iannetta, Mike Trout, and Torii Hunter, RBI walks by Kendrys Morales and Vernon Wells, and reaching on an error by Erick Aybar. When the dust settled on the third, it was 8-6 Angels.

Pedroia drove in five runs

However, the Red Sox fought back-- starting in the eighth when Cody Ross drove in Dustin Pedroia, who had reached on a single. The Red Sox would come back all the way to tie it up again in the sixth on a long home run to left for Mike Aviles. They went on to put Pedro Ciriaco at second base, who scored and gave the Red Sox the lead when Jacoby Ellsbury drove him in with a double. However, the Angels went on to put runners at first and second with two outs for Mike Trout. Trout singled to drive in a run and tie the game at 9-9 in the seventh inning. The Red Sox went on to put together a two out rally in the eighth-- singling four consecutive times (Podsednik, Ciriaco, Ellsbury, and Pedroia) and scoring twice. However, the Angels came right back to take the lead on a Vernon Wells long-ball and two RBI singles by Mike Trout and Torii Hunter. The Red Sox would tie it in the bottom of the ninth on a home run by Cody Ross to send it to extra innings at 12-12. A Kendrys Morales home run and a Vernon Wells RBI double gave the Angels two more runs to send them to a 14-13 win as a Dustin Pedroia RBI wasn't enough.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Mark Melancon- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Vicente Padilla- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 4-6, 4 R, 1 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 4-6, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Franklin Morales- 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Clayton Mortensen- 0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB
Andrew Bailey- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia had a fantastic game, going 4-6 with 3 runs scored, 5 driven in, a double, and a home run-- he is now .281/11/52.

Buchholz' Meltdown Leads To Third Straight Loss (59-65)

Buchholz allowed seven runs

Every once in a while, even your ace is allowed a rough start and Clay Buchholz certainly had one last night. Buchholz and Jered Weaver both held the opposition scoreless for the first two innings but the Angels got going in the third inning. This all started when Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar each singled to put runners at first and third. The consecutive hits continued as Chris Iannetta drove in a run and moved Aybar to third with a soft single to right field. The next play was sort of a win-win for both sides as Mike Trout grounded into a double play, but allowed a run to score and make it 2-0 in the process. The fourth also started off well for the Angels as Albert Pujols started things off with a leadoff double. They scored one when Mark Trumbo singled up the middle, but he was caught stealing later. They scored their next run after a two-out double by Howie Kendrick and RBI single by Maicer Izturis to make it 4-0.

Lavarnway had an RBI double

However, the Red Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth-- starting with a two out single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He scored when Ryan Lavarnway doubled off the wall in left-center to get the Red Sox on the board. Lavarnway scored on a double off the monster by Mike Aviles that looked like a home run off the bat, but would cut it to a 4-2 deficit. However, the Angels just kept rolling right along in the sixth inning-- starting with a one out solo home run over the deep part of the monster by Howie Kendrick. After that, Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar put together back-to-back singles again. The Angels would actually load the bases on a single by Mike Trout before a two-run single by Torii Hunter really put the Red Sox away at 7-2. The Red Sox scored once more on an RBI double by Cody Ross, but a disappointing night regardless.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 3-5, 1 SB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 2 SB
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 5.1 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K, L (11-4)
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Scott Podsednik- Podsednik did a great job as a leadoff man and catalyst in a losing effort, going 3-5 with 3 singles and a steal-- he is now .370/1/8.

Weekly News

This was a tough week for the Red Sox as they dropped a pair of series: one to the Orioles and one to their hated rivals, the Yankees. However, one bright spot was the work of Dustin Pedroia-- who batted .269/1/4 to boost his season up to .280/10/47 so far as he won his second Player of the Week. For the fourth time this year, the Pitcher of the Week is Jon Lester-- who looked the part of the ace he was supposed to be in allowing just a run over seven innings in New York yesterday. That strong outing improved him to 7-10, 5.03 so far in 2012. The Red Sox didn't have a huge week offensively so Monday's performance by Dustin Pedroia probably goes down as the Performance of the Week. In that game, he went 2-4-- reaching base three times on a walk, double, and single in a losing effort. Finally, the Game of the Week was yesterday's 4-1 affair over the Yankees as the Red Sox coasted to a relatively easy win in the Bronx. In the upcoming week, the Red Sox will take an off day tomorrow before welcoming the Angels and Royals to town for three each.

Yankees Blast Five Home Runs In Close Win (58-62)

Morales was roughed up

It's basically to the point in the season where it's just fun to watch baseball and we're trying to soak up as much as possible before the offseason-- thus, tonight's loss wasn't too disappointing. The Yankees jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first when Nick Swisher ran into one, driving it to deep left to make it 1-0. The Yanks went to the long ball twice in the next inning, scoring twice on back-to-back home runs to right field by Curtis Granderson and Russell Martin to make it 3-0. The Red Sox came roaring back in the third inning though, started on a leadoff single for Mike Aviles. Aviles reached third (and Scott Podsednik reached first) on a botched double play ball. Pedro Ciriaco proceeded to beat out the back end of a double play ball for an RBI forceout to make it 3-1. Jacoby Ellsbury's walk would eventually put two men on base and two outs for Dustin Pedroia. That was when Pedroia lifted one to left, driving it well out of the park for a three-run homer to make it 4-3.

Pedroia had a three-run homer

It took them until the fifth, but the Yankees eventually answered for that as Derek Jeter lined a home run around the foul pole in left field to tie the game. One inning later, the Yankees knocked Franklin Morales out of the game after putting runners at the corners with one out. Clayton Mortensen came in and struck out Russell Martin, but then allowed the go ahead run on a soft single to right for Jayson Nix to make it 5-4. The Yankees added onto that lead in the seventh inning when Nick Swisher blasted his second home run of the game to right-center, making it 6-4. The Yankees were able to hold that lead and one of the strongest bullpens in baseball easily shut down the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Franklin Morales- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K, L (3-4)
Clayton Mortensen- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 2 K
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 2 K
Scott Podsednik- 0-3, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Despite only going 1-4, Pedroia's hit was a big one as he blasted a three-run homer to left field and is now .281/10/47 this season.

Buchholz Keeps Sox From Being Swept By O's (58-61)

Buchholz was great

Just a year ago, it would seem pathetic to be happy about just barely avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Orioles. However, with the Red Sox in fourth place and below .500 and the Orioles leading in the Wild Card race, it now seems good. The Orioles started out very fast after the Red Sox went down scoreless in the first, starting things off with back to back singles. They would advance to second and third on a groundout and both runners would score when Adam Jones doubled down the first base line. It didn't take the Red Sox long to answer, as they put runners at the corners with two outs in the top of the second. A pitch after working Chris Tillman to 50 pitches in the first two innings, Scott Podsednik drove a single up the middle to make it 2-1. However, the Orioles got that run right back in the bottom of the second on a homer to center by Mark Reynolds.

He threw eight strong innings

  It took them until the fifth, but the Red Sox finally came roaring back-- putting two runners in scoring position with one out. One run would score when Chris Tillman threw a wild pitch that allowed Carl Crawford to score from third. Dustin Pedroia would score when Adrian Gonzalez lifted a fly ball that wound up as a sacrifice fly to center field to tie things up at 3-3.They kept on rolling in the sixth inning, putting runners at the corners with two outs. Dustin Pedroia hit a slow roller on the ground to third base. It was about to be a groundout, but it kicked off the heel of third baseman Manny Machado's glove for an infield single. That scored one run, and two more scored in the inning on RBI singles by Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross to make it 6-3. It stayed at 6-3 for quite a while and the Red Sox eventually won by that score.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 8 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (11-3)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K, SV (24)
Carl Crawford- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Cody Ross- 3-5, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Despite a shaky start, Buchholz really settled down and turned in eight good innings-- he is now 11-3, 4.19 this year.

Beckett Unravels As Orioles Take Opener (57-60)

Beckett allowed 6 runs in 5.1 innings

If the Red Sox have any plans of even coming close to contending this year, this was a series that they probably had to sweep. Well, that plan's over as the Red Sox fell in a blowout in Baltimore tonight. After a couple of scoreless innings to start the game, the Orioles finally got on the board in the bottom of the third. On the first pitch of the inning, light-hitting Omar Quintanilla jacked one onto Eutaw Street in right field to make it 1-0. The Red Sox would answer in the top of the fourth, though, starting on a leadoff double by Cody Ross. Two batters later, Ross would score on a single up the middle by Carl Crawford. It stayed tied for a bit, but the Orioles took another lead in the fifth inning when Mark Reynolds went the other way to right field for a solo home run to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. However, things got very ugly in the sixth inning.

Pedroia went 2-4 with a triple

A single and a walk would put runners at first and second with one out in the inning. That was when things imploded for the Red Sox as Matt Wieters hit a high bouncer over the pitcher's mound for an infield single to score a runner and make it 3-1. Chris Davis followed him up with a hard single up the middle to make it 4-1 and keep runners at first and second, still with one out, for Mark Reynolds. At this point, Josh Beckett was taken out of the game with a line that still resembled respectability. However, a couple of batters later and his final line on the night looked like 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Those additional two runs added onto Beckett's total came when Mark Reynolds hit his second homer of the game-- a shot to deep left to make it 7-1. The Red Sox were never able to approach a comeback and lost by that score.

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 3B
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Carl Crawford- 2-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Josh Beckett- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, L (5-10)
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 3 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- On a different night, Pedroia could've been a major catalyst as he reached base three times, including a double and triple-- he is now .280/9/43.

Red Sox Coast To Rout Over Indians (57-59)

Lester struck out 12 in 6 innings

While it's nice to see your team win close games like walk-offs, every once in a while, it's awfully fun to watch them just beat up on a team and that's what we got today. They started off hot, scoring on an RBI double by Dustin Pedroia in the first. Then again in the first as Adrian Gonzalez blasted a two-run homer to make it 3-0. The Indians got their first and only run of the game in the first on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Santana. With two men on base and two outs in the second, the Red Sox kept going as they scored twice on a double by Carl Crawford to make it 5-1. Indians starter Corey Kluber (0-0, 6.10) settled down briefly in the third before going back to doing damage in the fourth as he allowed the Red Sox to put a man on second with one out. Kelly Shoppach delivered with an RBI single to make it 6-1 and knock Kluber out after just four innings.

Crawford went 3-4 with 3 RBIs

Kluber was lucky he got out of things before they got really ugly in the fifth inning, starting with the Red Sox putting two men on and no outs. RBI singles by Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored those two runners and made it 8-1. Danny Valencia picked up his first RBI with the Red Sox next on a sacrifice fly. After him, Kelly Shoppach struck out to jeopardize the Red Sox chances by leaving two men on with two outs. Luckily, they delivered as Jacoby Ellsbury delivered a two-run double. He was followed by an RBI double for Carl Crawford and, two batters later, a two-run double by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 14-1. Lester continued to coast for a couple more innings after that, leaving with a line of 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K and picking up the win. The Red Sox easily held the Indians and won 14-1.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K, W (6-10)
Clayton Mortensen- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Carl Crawford- 3-4, 2 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 3-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 SB
Kelly Shoppach- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford really pulled off a well rounded game here, going 3-4 with 3 doubles, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBIs-- he is now .280/3/16.

Buchholz Plays Role Of Stopper, Tossing Complete Game Over Tribe (56-58)

Buchholz threw his 2nd complete
game

Last night was a great game for the Red Sox as they broke out of a three game losing skid with a good, solid win over the Indians. They had a favorable matchup coming in, with Clay Buchholz (9-3, 4.48) up against Chris Seddon (0-0, 7.71) and they executed according to it. Like they did in the previous game, the Indians jumped out to a lead on a first inning home run. This time they waited a batter, though, as #2 hitter Asdrubal Cabrera went deep to center field to give the Indians an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. However, Clay Buchholz settled down and didn't even allow another baserunner for the next few innings. Thus, it was still 1-0 when the Red Sox came up in the top of the fourth. It was an inconspicuous rally starter when Mike Aviles walked with one out, but when Seddon threw away a pickoff throw, allowing Aviles to get to third, it became huge. Dustin Pedroia delivered with an RBI single past the shortstop to knot the game up at 1-1.

Ross hit his 18th home run

At that point, Cabrera led off the inning with a double to the warning track in right. However, as it turned out-- Cabrera's two hits would be the only two allowed in the game by Buchholz and Cabrera didn't come around to score. Scoring is just what the Red Sox did in the top of the sixth inning. They had a man on first and two outs for Cody Ross and Ross did what he does best-- hitting long home runs as he tanked one to center to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead. However, the Red Sox defense almost immediately put that in jeopardy as a horrible defensive play allowed Jason Donald to go from a groundout to a triple. He scored on an Ezequiel Carrera sacrifice fly but that would be all as the Red Sox won 3-2.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 9 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K, W (10-3)
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3
Scott Podsednik- 1-3

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 1 LOB
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 4 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-3, 2 LOB
Kelly Shoppach- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- A complete game is a rare sight for the Red Sox, but they got one last night as Clay Buchholz hurled a two-hitter and is now 10-3, 4.24 this season.

Doubront Allows Big Fifth Again In Loss (55-58)

Doubront only went 4.1 innings

This was another rough game for the Red Sox as their losing streak extends to three against a team just coming off an eleven game losing skid. However, that team, the Cleveland Indians, got off to a scorching start as leadoff hitter Jason Donald homered on Felix Doubront's third pitch to make it 1-0. Doubront settled down and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched very well for the next few innings, but the Red Sox got going in the fourth. Dustin Pedroia singled to lead off the inning for Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez turned on an inside fastball to drive it well over the wall in right for a two-run homer to make it 2-1. The Red Sox kept going in the fourth as a leadoff single for Jacoby Ellsbury turned to a leadoff double as he stole second. Two batters later, he would score as Dustin Pedroia singled up the middle to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.

Gonzalez hit his 12th homer

However, the Indians answered in a big way in the bottom of the fifth. After Casey Kotchman grounded out to start the inning, Doubront was seemingly not able to get another one-- allowing a single and a walk to the next two hitters. One would score when Asdrubal Cabrera worked a great at bat before driving a line drive past Will Middlebrooks at third and down the third base line for an RBI double. Doubront pitched around Shin-Soo Choo (rightly) to load the bases and set up the double play. It almost worked out as planned as Carlos Santana hit a hard ground ball to the right of the shortstop. It was too far to the right, though, and it got into the outfield for an RBI single to tie it up at 3-3. Doubront was taken out of the game here and Andrew Miller came in only to allow a sacrifice fly and give the Indians a 4-3 lead. It stayed that way for a few innings, but in the eighth the Indians loaded the bases with one out. Jason Donald drove in a run as he reached on a fielder's choice to make it 5-3. The Indians held the lead and the Red Sox were done.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4, 1 BB, 1 R, 3 SB
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4

Dull Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB
Carl Crawford- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez's two-run home run in the fourth inning was one of few bright spots in a bitter night for the Red Sox-- he is now .310/12/74.

Red Sox Come All The Way Back Only To Fall To Rangers (55-57)

Beckett was rocked by the Rangers

This game was a disappointing game for the Red Sox as it started out bad, then they came back only to fall in the end. Things started off rough as the Rangers led off the game by putting runners at the corners. Both runners scored when Josh Hamilton tripled on a high fly ball that rattled around in the triangle in center field. Hamilton scored on an Adrian Beltre sacrifice fly to give the Rangers an early 3-0 cushion. However, the Red Sox came storming back in the bottom of the first-- starting with just a man on first and two outs. That man, Dustin Pedroia, scored on a double by Adrian Gonzalez-- who would score on a single by Cody Ross to cut it to 3-2 in just the first inning. After a scoreless second inning, the Red Sox tied the game up in the third on a solo shot to left for Cody Ross. It took them until the fifth, but the Rangers got some homers of their own-- a solo shot to center for Mitch Moreland and a two-run shot to right to make it 6-3.

Middlebrooks hit his 15th
home run

However, the Red Sox came right back in the bottom of the fifth-- starting on a leadoff triple by Carl Crawford. Crawford scored on a double by Adrian Gonzalez, who eventually scored on a passed ball to cut it to 6-5. That was when things got rough for the Red Sox-- starting on a leadoff single in the sixth. That would be followed up by a two-run homer for Geovany Soto, crushed to left to make it 8-5. The Rangers tacked on another run in the seventh when Nelson Cruz went deep over the monster. However, that seventh was when things turned for the Red Sox-- starting with a leadoff single for Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia scored on a double by Adrian Gonzalez, who was followed with a walk to put men at first and second. Will Middlebrooks came up and promptly tied the game with a three-run homer to make it 9-9. Unfortunately, the Rangers got the go-ahead run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Beltre and won 10-9. 

Bright Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 2 R

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 3 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI

Cody Ross- 3-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Will Middlebrooks- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 RBI

Dull Spots:

Josh Beckett- 5 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:

Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez was a doubles machine today, hitting three doubles to go with three runs and three RBIs-- he is now .310/11/72. 

Red Sox Pound Darvish, Rangers To Return To .500 (55-55)

Cook made a bid to stay in
the rotation

This series did not look promising for the Red Sox, but they still managed to pull of a big win in the first game against rookie phenom Yu Darvish. The Rangers actually scored first in this game, beginning on Nelson Cruz's leadoff double in the second inning. They quickly grabbed the first run as David Murphy singled to center. In the third inning, however, the Red Sox matched and raised the Rangers rally-- beginning with a leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury scored when Carl Crawford doubled down the first base line to put himself at second, still with no outs. There would be one out by the time Crawford came in, but he did as Adrian Gonzalez doubled on just about the same hit Crawford had. The Red Sox just kept rolling in the fourth inning, putting runners at first and second with one out. One would score when Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to left, also putting runners at second and third. Both Ellsbury and Mike Aviles (who was on third) would score on a sacrifice fly for Carl Crawford and a Dustin Pedroia double, respectively, to make it 5-1.

Pedroia had 3 doubles 

There was no more scoring for the Red Sox until a Dustin Pedroia leadoff double got things started in the seventh. Adrian Gonzalez drove Pedroia in with an RBI single but that was all they got in the inning, pushing it to 6-1. However, it was in the eighth that the Red Sox did some real damage off the Rangers' bullpen corps. With a man on first and one out, Carl Crawford doubled off the green monster in left-center to score Ellsbury from first base and make it 7-1. They kept going in the inning, though, as Dustin Pedroia walked to put runners at first and second with one out. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with a single to right to score Crawford and move Dustin Pedroia to third to put runners at the corners. One more scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly for Cody Ross to make it 9-1. The Rangers got a run on an Adrian Beltre home run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Red Sox won.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K, W (3-5)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-5, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 3-5, 1 R, 3 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 RBI
Ryan Kalish- 1-3, 1 R, 1 SB
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford did it all last night, going 2-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three runs batted in-- he is now .292/3/13.