Red Sox Back To Winning Ways, Rally To Beat Rays (68-81)

Doubront had a rough third, but was
strong otherwise

 One one hand, it's good to see the Red Sox winning. On the other, though, it would've been nice to see them doing that while they still had a chance at the playoffs. Still, though, it's good to see them beating the team that did this to them last year in the Rays. The Rays got off to a strong start after not scoring for the first two innings. On three Felix Doubront walks, they loaded the bases with one out. They would score twice when Ben Zobrist lined a ball to center and another on a sacrifice fly for Evan Longoria, making it 3-0. The Red Sox battled back, though, starting in the next inning with a leadoff double by Cody Ross. Ross immediately came in to score on a single by James Loney to cut it to 3-1. It took the Red Sox an inning, but they came back to tie it-- putting runners on the corners with no outs. They scored once when Jacoby Ellsbury singled in Jose Iglesias, and one more on a sacrifice fly for Dustin Pedroia to tie things up.

Loney went 1-4 with a run and an RBI

The Red Sox kept rolling right along in the sixth inning, putting runners at first and second with two away. They broke the tie when Sean Rodriguez made an errant throw to first, allowing a run to score and make it 4-3. They even put together a two out rally in the seventh inning, managing to put runners at first and second with two gone. They advanced their lead when Jarrod Saltalamacchia's single drove in Cody Ross to push it to 5-3. However, the biggest blow of the night came off the bat of Ryan Lavarnway (.155 entering play). Lavarnway knocked a double to center to score two runs and make it 7-3. The Rays weren't done yet, though, as they loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. They scored twice on a Ben Zobrist single to make it 7-5, but other than that, the Red Sox coasted to the comeback win.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 5 K, W (11-9)
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB
Cody Ross- 2-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 2B
James Loney- 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Clayton Mortensen- 0.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 BB

Player of the Game:
Ryan Lavarnway- Lavarnway had the key hit with a two-run double, and also went 2-3 with a walk and a run scored-- he is now .170/2/9.

Doubront Deals But Sox Shut Out (64-80)

Last night's loss to the Yankees concluded a surprisingly un-painful series despite losing two of three. An unlikely matchup of Felix Doubront (10-8, 5.21) and Phil Hughes (15-11, 4.13) turned into a good one last night. The Yankees put together a few base hits through the first three innings, but the Red Sox were held both scoreless and hitless during that time frame. The first time that the Yankees really got a sustained rally going was in the fourth inning. Alex Rodriguez led things off with a single up the middle and shortly after stole second. As it turned out, that steal was unnecessary as Robinson Cano walked behind him. Russell Martin followed them up with another walk to load the bases with no outs. Andruw Jones lifted a liner to right which fell into the glove of Cody Ross who quickly threw home, but not quickly enough to beat A-Rod to prevent the first run of the game.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox got into the hit column and put runners at the corners fruitlessly. Both pitchers cruised along until the seventh, when Doubront ran into a bit more trouble. A walk and single were enough to knock Felix Doubront out of the game. Junichi Tazawa entered action and promptly allowed an RBI single to Derek Jeter, making it 2-0. That would wind up being all either team would score in a disappointing game.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 5 K, L (10-9)
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB

Dull Spots:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 3 K,1  LOB
Ivan DeJesus- 0-2, 2 K

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- The Red Sox benefited from a truly good start for the first time in a while last night as Doubront went 6.1 strong innings-- he is now 10-9, 5.11.

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.

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.

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.

Doubront Blows Early Lead As Sox Fall In Extras (53-54)

Doubront allowed a four run
fifth inning

Last night was a really depressing game as the Red Sox raced out to an early lead, only to be met by disappointment as the Twins came back to tie and eventually win the game. After scoreless first innings by both teams, a leadoff double by Justin Morneau got the Twins going in the second. He would score later on a soft single up the middle by Darin Mastroianni to give the Twins an early lead. However, the Red Sox caught right up in the bottom of the second on a two-out double by Carl Crawford. The rally would be complete when Crawford scored on a single by Kelly Shoppach to tie it at 1-1. That was it for that inning, but the third was when the Red Sox really did some damage against Twins starter Brian Duensing. They scored one run when they led off the third with three straight singles (Dustin Pedroia, Cody Ross, Adrian Gonzalez). The next two hitters got out, leaving men at first and second for Carl Crawford. On a 2-0 count, Crawford popped up a ball to first baseman Justin Morneau. However, Morneau overran it and dropped the routine popup. On the next pitch, Crawford hit a three-run homer to right.

Crawford hit his third home run

That 5-1 lead gave Felix Doubront a nice cushion to work with, and he did for a few innings. However, in the fifth, the Twins offense did their damage for the night-- loading the bases on two singles and a walk with one out. Doubront promptly walked a run in with Josh Willingham at the plate to cut it to 5-2. That was when Justin Morneau (who had a great game) popped a little bloop single into center field to score two runs and cut it to 5-4, still with only one out. Danny Valencia proceeded to line a ball into the right field corner which Cody Ross somehow caught-- the run scored on the play, but it could've been much worse and the Red Sox escaped the inning tied. It stayed tied for a while, until the tenth to be exact. That was when Darin Mastroianni led off the inning with a double. Two batters later, he would score when Jamey Carroll blooped a ball to center and that was that, the Twins won 6-5.

Bright Spots:
Craig Breslow- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 1 R
Cody Ross- 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Kelly Shoppach- 2-5, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4

Dull Spots:
Felix Doubront- 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Vicente Padilla- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 K
Will Middlebrooks- 0-5, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford came just a triple short of the cycle in a 3-5 ballgame, doubling, scoring twice, and hitting his third home run-- he is now .254/3/8 this season.

Ciriaco The Hero As Sox Return To .500 (51-51)

Doubront held the Yankees to a run

Both this game and this series were must-wins for the Red Sox-- and despite quite a bit of difficulty over the series, they won. With this series win over the Yankees, the Red Sox are back somewhat to respectability at .500. Plus, with Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.54 ERA) and Hiroki Kuroda (10-7, 3.34) going against each other, it didn't look quite so promising. Luckily, the Red Sox had the first blow after an Adrian Gonzalez single and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walk would put runners at first and second with two outs. The struggling Ryan Sweeney (1-16 since the All-Star Break) stepped up to the plate and drove a ball into the gap in left-center. It was going to score Gonzalez anyways, but Andruw Jones took a bad route in left field that allowed Saltalamacchia to score from first and give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Ciriaco had the go-ahead RBI single

It stayed at 2-0 for quite a while as Doubront and Kuroda each pitched well for some time. The Yankees finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Russell Martin led things off with an opposite field home run to right. Two batters later, Doubront was pulled with a line of 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K. The Yankees would strand two in that inning, but got right back to business in the eighth. After a two-out double by Andruw Jones, it was Martin again with a single up the middle to tie things up at 2-2. Neither team scored in the ninth, so it took them until the tenth to get going. A leadoff walk by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a single for Will Middlebrooks (after a questionable call on a hit by pitch which led to Bobby Valentine being ejected) led runners at the corners with an out. It was Pedro Ciriaco with the key hit-- a blooper to right-- to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K
Alfredo Aceves- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, W (2-6)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 2B
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB
Ryan Sweeney- 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco continues to rack up hits against the Yankees with a very clutch RBI single last night to give the Sox a late lead-- he is now .349/0/8 since being called up.

Red Sox Fall Sub-.500 In Rout To Rangers (48-49)

Doubront was pounded by Texas

Many Red Sox fans, myself included, were not looking forward to this series against the Rangers, and we were rewarded last night with a rough loss. In the second inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia pounced on Rangers starter Scott Feldman by knocking a home run to center field and giving the Red Sox an early lead. However, from that point on, it was all, and I mean all, Rangers. After a scoreless top of the third, the Rangers got things started by putting runners at first and second to lead off the third. Elvis Andrus put one on the ground for Dustin Pedroia, but a rare Pedroia error cost the Red Sox two runs as the Rangers took the lead at 2-1. The inning continued as Josh Hamilton drove a pitch down the third base line for an RBI double. The scoring ended on an RBI single by Michael Young, who concluded the scoring in a four run inning.

Saltalamacchia homered, #19

But the Rangers weren't even nearly done, despite Felix Doubront settling down for the next few innings. The Rangers finally got back to business in the sixth inning, after a leadoff walk by Nelson Cruz. Cruz would score when Mike Napoli absolutely hammered a ball to left to make things 6-1. Doubront was taken out of the game here with a 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 6 K line, but Franklin Morales didn't fare much better, allowing a double to the first man he faced. That man, Brandon Snyder, would score when Craig Gentry knocked an RBI single to make it 7-1. The train of scoring continued when Ian Kinsler knocked in Gentry with an RBI single of his own. The final run of the inning would come on a Josh Hamilton sacrifice fly. Morales would shut down the Rangers in the seventh, and the Red Sox and Rangers didn't score again as the Rangers took this one 9-1.

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Felix Doubront- 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 6 K, L (10-5)
Franklin Morales- 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 K
Carl Crawford- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 4 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Salty's homer was the only bright spot in this game, and he actually put together a pretty good game, going 2-4 with a homer and double-- he is now .233/19/45 this year.

Ross, Gonzalez Back Doubront's Fine Start (47-45)

Doubront earned his 10th win
of the season

Once in a while, it's fun to just watch the Red Sox beat down on another team, and we got just that last night. As they have in every other game this series, the White Sox actually scored first. Back-to-back leadoff singles by Alejandro De Aza plus a double play ball put a runner on third with two outs for Paul Konerko. Konerko went the other way with an outside pitch and dropped a single in front of right fielder Cody Ross. However, also like every other game in this series, the Red Sox matched the White Sox in the first inning. A leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury put a man on second with two outs for Adrian Gonzalez-- who delivered with a liner to right to score Ellsbury easily and tie the game at 1-1. However, the real damage started in the third, when the Red Sox led off the inning with singles by Ellsbury and Carl Crawford-- putting runners at the corners and no outs. Cody Ross, batting #3, came up and wrapped it around the Fisk Pole for a moonshot three-run homer to make it 4-1.

Ross had a monster game with two
three-run homers

However, the Red Sox weren't nearly done and by the fourth inning had another chance of scoring. Pedro Ciriaco and Jacoby Ellsbury reached on singles and stood at first and second with two outs for Cody Ross again. Ross did pretty much exactly what he had done in his last at bat-- homering onto Lansdowne Street in left-center for another three-run homer to make it 7-1. The Red Sox weren't even done in that inning though, as Adrian Gonzalez put one of his own in the monster seats to give the Red Sox a commanding 8-1 lead in just the fourth inning. They had a bit left though, as a hit by pitch and a Cody Ross double put two in scoring position to lead off the sixth. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with a line drive to right-center to score both with a two-run single that would make it 10-1. The Red Sox held them to that and won by that score.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K, W (10-4)
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-4, 3 R, 1 2B
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R
Cody Ross- 3-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Ross really lit up the Red Sox offense last night, with two home runs, a double, and six RBI's to add to his great .269/15/47 season.

Triple Weekly News

So it's come to this, the annual Triple Weekly News from when I return from camp-- often deciding the winner of the Yearly Awards. Well, in my absence, the Red Sox didn't do so well-- going 7-10 over the three week period. The Player of the Week may have just wrapped up his Yearly Award for good as David Ortiz won and has now won eight-- compared to three for Mike Aviles. Over the last ten games, Ortiz batted .375/2/4 and is now .315/23/58 this season. An equally deserving Pitcher of the Year goes to Felix Doubront-- who had a good two starts over this time period, going 1-0/3.37/10 in his 10.2 innings of work. Doubront continued his good year and is now 9-4/4.41/97 this season, which is somehow the Red Sox' best pitcher. I cannot decide on the Performance of Game of the Week since I didn't watch them, so I'll skip those-- I apologize. In the upcoming week, the Red Sox will welcome Kevin Youkilis back to Fenway Park in a three game series with Chicago and play a four game set with Toronto at home.

Rainy Day In All Respects For Red Sox (38-35)

Doubront wasn't at his best

This was a disappointing game for the Red Sox as they came back from an early deficit only to be thwarted again. After a leadoff single to start to game, a Colby Rasmus home run to right (just eclipsing the wall) gave the Jays an early 2-0 lead. After Jose Bautista reached base on an error later in the inning, he was driven in on a double high off the monster by Edwin Encarnacion to make it 3-0. Doubront finally got the first out of the inning after that but Yunel Escobar still had a single to keep the rally going. Rajai Davis grounded into a potential double play, but with his speed beat it out and Encarnacion scored from third to make it 4-0. The Red Sox almost immediately mounted a comeback effort in the bottom of the first though, as Dustin Pedroia tripled to right with one out. David Ortiz absolutely got ahold of one after that and crushed one to right-center for a two-run homer to make it 4-2.

The game was delayed during the
seventh inning

Ben Francisco of the Jays doubled to lead off the second inning, however, and moved up to third on a single by Brett Lawrie. Colby Rasmus singled up to middle to make it 5-2 as Doubront definitely was not working. However, the Red Sox offense continually tried to bail him out as they put runners at the corners with two outs in the third. It quickly became a bad day for Blue Jays' second baseman Kelly Johnson. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit what appeared to be a routine ground ball to Johnson, but he bobbled it and it allowed a run to score. On the very next play, Adrian Gonzalez hit a hard ground ball to the right of Johnson and it deflected off his glove to allow another run in and make it 5-4. The Sox finally fully came back in the fifth as after a leadoff double by Cody Ross, Ryan Kalish drove him in with a single up the middle. However, two run homers for the Jays-- J.P. Arencibia in the sixth and Jose Bautista in the seventh made it 9-5. The Red Sox scored again in the eighth on a homer by Ortiz but it wasn't enough as they fell 9-6.

Bright Spots:
Clayton Mortensen- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 2 R, 1 3B
David Ortiz- 2-3, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 RBI
Ryan Kalish- 2-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, L (8-4)
Matt Albers- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB
Daniel Nava- 0-5, 2 K, 1 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB
Nick Punto- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
David Ortiz- Ortiz continued his fantastic season by going 2-3 with two home runs, three RBIs, and three runs scored to became a remarkable .304/20/52.

Red Sox Vault Into Fourth After Rout Of Marlins (35-33)

Doubront didn't have his best
stuff but he got the win

Last night was a good one as they absolutely pounded the Marlins and as a result of that, moved out of last place. After two singles to lead off the game, the Marlins actually scored first on a double play ball hit by Giancarlo Stanton. With runners at the corners and one out in the second, they pushed home another run on a groundout by Gaby Sanchez-- those would be their only bright spots in this game though. After a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the second, Mike Aviles really made the rally pay off with a three-run homer over the monster in left-center. The Red Sox got a few more runs in the third after loading the bases with one out for Cody Ross. Ross would clear the bases with a double to left that took a huge bounce away from Marlins' left fielder Logan Morrison to give the Red Sox a 6-2 lead. The Marlins would cut the lead a little when Logan Morrison redeemed himself with a leadoff homer off the Pesky Pole and again on an RBI single by Gaby Sanchez but it was still 6-4 Red Sox.

Mike Aviles and Jarrod
Saltalamacchia each homered

And it was about to become much more than that as they Red Sox put runners at the corners with one out. Ryan Kalish scored one with an infield single but David Ortiz had the big blow as he crushed a high home run to deep right to make it 11-4. Two batters later, Jarrod Saltalamacchia delivered with a blast of his own as he homered to dead center to make it 12-4. The Red Sox got right back to business in the fifth as they loaded the bases on two walks and a single for David Ortiz. The damage would not be quite as great this time as the only run of the inning came on a wild pitch by Marlins' reliever Chris Hatcher. In the seventh, the Marlins had a little bright spot as John Buck hit a no-doubt shot to left field, staying just fair to make it 13-5. However, the Red Sox made up for the Buck home run with a two-out walk and then a two-out homer for Will Mddlebrooks to left field to make it 15-5. That would be the final score as the Red Sox absolutely pounded the Marlins and are now out of last and only six games out of first!

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Daniel Nava- 4-5, 2 R
Ryan Kalish- 2-5, 2 R, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 1-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B
Will Middlebrooks- 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Mike Aviles- Aviles had a heck of a game, leading the Red Sox' offense by going 3-5 with a three-run homer and scoring twice to become .268/9/40.

Red Sox Win Series Behind Doubront, Six Run Eighth (31-32)

Doubront held a no-hitter
into the sixth

This was a series (and game) that the Red Sox really needed to win-- as the Blue Jays had lost earlier in the day, and if the Red Sox won, they would tie them for fourth. It was fairly low scoring to start off the game and neither team scored through the first couple of innings. Mike Aviles would lead off the third in a good way, though, singling to center and advancing to second when center fielder Justin Ruggiano bobbled to ball. The Red Sox would manufacture a run as Felix Doubront bunted him to third and Scott Podsednik drove him in with a groundout to second base. Another run came in the fourth when David Ortiz went to the opposite field for a solo home run-- his 15th of the year. The Red Sox didn't score again until the sixth-- and the words "no hitter" were being mentioned as Felix Doubront still hadn't allowed a hit. The Red Sox would pile up a few insurance runs anyway as Scott Podsednik singled and got to second on a single by Dustin Pedroia. Adrian Gonzalez singled through the hole into right and David Ortiz knocked a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

Ortiz had his 15th home run
and had 3 RBIs

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth-- boom! Jose Reyes ended Doubront's no hitter in a big way, crushing a home run to left to cut it to 4-1. The Marlins kept it going in the seventh, leading things off with a single and a double to put two in scoring position and no outs. After an Omar Infante pop up, Justin Ruggiano grounded to Mike Aviles. Hanley Ramirez easily scored from third but Giancarlo Stanton got greedy and was out trying for third base. Still, with only a 4-2 lead, the Red Sox needed some insurance, and in the eighth-- they got just that. Nick Punto doubled and Scott Podsednik singled to lead off the inning and put runners at the corners. Three consecutive singles by Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and David Ortiz made it 7-2. Will Middlebrooks was hit to load the bases-- and Jarrod Saltalamacchia knocked a sacrifice fly to make it 8-2. A Nick Punto single later in the inning would score two more and make it 10-2. The Red Sox bullpen held that lead (thankfully) and the Red Sox would win the game and series.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K, W (7-3)
Matt Albers- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Scott Podsednik- 2-5, 2 R, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 2 R, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
David Ortiz- 2-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R
Nick Punto- 2-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- Even when this game was close, Doubront kept the Sox in it-- holding a no-hitter until the sixth inning and going seven strong-- he is now 7-3/4.17/81.

Red Sox Roughed Up By Nats In Series Opener (29-29)

Doubront had his first bad start
in a while

It appears that the Red Sox may be going in a downward spiral again as they've lost four or their last five and that continued last night. They got off to a decent start after the Red Sox put two men on base with two outs in the second inning. Both of those runners would come in when Mike Aviles hit a high fly ball that banged off the monster in center field to make it 2-0 Red Sox. Things would take a dramatic turn for the worse very quickly, however, as the Nationals put two runners in scoring position with one out in the top of the third. One would score when Ryan Zimmerman took one right back up the middle for a single to cut the Red Sox' lead to 2-1. Zimmerman and Michael Morse, who walked in the next at bat, both scored when Ian Desmond took a ball to the gap in right-center to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. The Nationals kept going in the fourth after a leadoff double by Tyler Moore. Moore would score on a double by Danny Espinosa and Espinosa would score on a two-run homer by phenom Bryce Harper to make it 6-2.

Punto walked and scored
in the ninth

That score held for a while, but a leadoff single in the sixth by Tyler Moore put the Nationals in business. The next two hitters got out but Bryce Harper singled him in after Moore stole second base, putting the Nationals up to a commanding lead of 7-2. The Red Sox would cut the lead by a little bit in the eighth inning when Adrian Gonzalez crushed a ball in the air to deep center. As the ball fell into the stands for a solo home run, it became the 200th home run of Gonzalez's career, yet only the fifth of the season for the first baseman. The Red Sox got another small rally going in the ninth after Nick Punto walked with one out. Daniel Nava drove him in with a double to deep center to bring Punto all the way around from first base to cut it to a three-run lead for the Nationals. However, Tyler Clippard came in to pitch and got Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez to fly out harmlessly to end the game with a score of 7-4. 

Bright Spots:

Scott Atchison- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R

Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R

Daniel Nava- 2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:

Felix Doubront- 4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 6 K, L (6-3)

Matt Albers- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 K

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4, 3 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:

Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez had a good offensive game, going 2-5 with a double and his 200th career home run to make him .275/5/32 this year. 

Red Sox Officially Out Of Last After Win Over Jays (28-25)

Doubront earned his sixth
win of the year

After long last and many tribulations, the Red Sox have finally moved into sole possession of fourth place and are out of last-- also, just 2.5 games out of first. After 1-2-3 innings for both sides in the first, the Red Sox got going in the second inning. They put runners at first and third with two outs, and that's when the two out rallies began to emerge. Will Middlebrooks hit a ball off the wall in right field, but only made it to first for a single-- still, he drove a run in to make it 1-0. Nick Punto then doubled into the corner in right field to score another run and put two in scoring position with two outs. Daniel Nava appeared to have ended the inning when he lined a ball to center fielder Colby Rasmus. However, it appeared the ball was knuckling as Rasmus dropped the ball, allowing two runs to score and make it 4-0. The Blue Jays slowly began to eat away at the Red Sox lead-- starting with a one-out homer to right for Jeff Mathis in the third. However, the Red Sox would render it meaningless-- answering when Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in a run on a double play to make it 5-1.

The whole team was happy about
getting out of last place

The Blue Jays then started a two out rally of their own in the bottom of the fifth-- putting two on base with two outs. They'd score on a bloop single by Kelly Johnson but that was it in the inning. Jose Bautista and the Blue Jays would cut it to a two-run lead when Bautista drove a home run to center to make it 5-3. Felix Doubront held the Blue Jays to three runs and was eventually was taken out in the seventh with a 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K line. It stayed with the score of 5-3 until the eighth, when the Red Sox loaded the bases with just one out. Ryan Sweeney would sort of deliver on a slow groundout to the first baseman. The Red Sox scored on the play but did not score again in the inning. The Blue Jays scored one in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Brett Lawrie. The Red Sox came through again in the ninth when Nick Punto, of all people, crushed a ball into the second deck to make it 7-4. Alfredo Aceves had a shutdown and the Red Sox had won to move out of last.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W (6-2)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (14)
Daniel Nava- 1-3, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB
Ryan Sweeney- 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
Nick Punto- 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Mike Aviles- 0-5, 2 K, 4 LOB
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Nick Punto- Oddly enough, it was Punto who played the biggest part in the win today-- coming just a triple short of the cycle with a monster home run-- he is still a miserable .175/1/5 this year.

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.

Doubront Good, Matusz Better In Loss (21-22)

Doubront pitched really
well last night

Just one game after the Red Sox reached .500 and tied the Yankees for fourth, all was erased as the Red Sox dropped a tough one. After a scoreless first for both teams, the Orioles got going a bit in the second when Wilson Betemit walked to start off the inning. There was a force out afterwards, but two runs would still score when Steve Tolleson took an inside fastball to left-center for his first home run of the season to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the second. Neither team would score in the third, but the Red Sox answered the Orioles blast a bit in the fourth inning when Kevin Youkilis-- in his first game off the DL-- shot a home run to center field to cut it to a 2-1 Orioles' lead. There would be no baserunners for either team through the fifth and sixth as Brian Matusz and Felix Doubront each really settled into grooves last night. The Red Sox were able to knock Brian Matusz out of the game one batter into the seventh inning-- as he left the game with a 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K-- he would lower his ERA from 5.36 to 4.86 in the win.

Youkilis hit a home run 

To begin the seventh inning, Doubront would be out of the game-- he left with a 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K line. Franklin Morales entered the game and got into a little jam in the seventh inning. Morales allowed a single to Chris Davis and a walk to Steve Tolleson before making Xavier Avery fly out. He would be taken out of the game after that, and Matt Albers would enter the game. Albers was great in getting out of that jam, striking out Robert Andino and J.J. Hardy to end the Orioles' threat. Despite Matt Albers' seventh inning heroics, he would be stung in the eighth inning when Wilson Betemit crushed an inside fastball for a two-run home run to deep right field over the mini-monster in Camden Yards. This would essentially end the Red Sox' hopes as they grounded out twice and flew out once in the ninth for an easy, 1-2-3, save for Orioles' closer Jim Johnson. The Red Sox will go for the series win at 12:35 today, and go for .500 once again!

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K, L (4-2)
Kevin Youkilis- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4
David Ortiz- 0-4, 2 K
Will Middlebrooks- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB
Marlon Byrd- 0-2, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- Doubront pitched very well last night, allowing just two runs over six innings and shutting the O's out completely after the second, he is now 4-2/3.96/53 on the year.

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.

Weekly News

The Red Sox didn't start this week as I'm sure they would have liked to, going 1-3 in the first four, but a three game winning streak and all is forgotten in a 4-3 week. For the first time of the season, Dustin Pedroia (right) is Player of the Week after going .393/2/9 this week-- he is now .319/5/18 as he is having a phenomenal season as usual. The Pitcher of the Week for his second time of the year is Felix Doubront-- who went 2-0/3.65/7 in 14.1 innings this week. Doubront pitched well (especially last night) and is now an impressive 3-1/4.46/37 on the season. The Performance of the Week goes to Will Middlebrooks, who played a great game on Monday in Kansas City. Middlebrooks went 3-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs in that game as the rookie is really impressing. The Game of the Week goes to last night as the Sox played a really clean, good game (it doesn't hurt that I was at Fenway!) in all facets and beat the Indians 4-1. In the upcoming week, the Sox will challenge their three-game win streak against the Mariners for two. After that, they will play two in Tampa Bay and three in Philadelphia to wrap up their week.

Red Sox Roll Over Indians Behind Doubront (14-19)

Doubront pitched very
well last night

Well, I feel great because I was actually at Fenway Park last night, and I experience a good, clean win for the Sox. After a couple of scoreless innings for both sides to start the game, Mike Aviles singled to lead off the third on a blooper into center. Two batters later, and on a 2-1 count, Aviles took off for second base. In this situation, the hit-and-run worked to perfection as Dustin Pedroia doubled high off the monster in left-center and Aviles just beat the throw to home; he wouldn't have scored without the hit-and-run. However, he would've scored on the next play anyway as David Ortiz crushed a high line drive into deep left-center and just out of the reach of center fielder Michael Brantley. Pedroia scored on the play to give the Sox a 2-0 lead after three innings of baseball. The Red Sox got right back at it in the fourth, though, as a Daniel Nava single and Jarrod Saltalamacchia ground-rule double put two runners in scoring position with one out. Mike Aviles delivered with a line drive to Shelley Duncan in left, Nava barely scored on the play-- just sliding under catcher Lou Marson's glove.

Pedroia had a key RBI double

Felix Doubront continued to put up zeros on the board-- but he had thrown about 80 pitches entering the sixth inning, which would be his last. Lou Marson doubled into short right, past a diving Ryan Sweeney, to start things off in the sixth. However, Doubront minimized the damage about as much as he could-- allowing the run on an infield hit to Jason Kipnis on some miscommunication in the Red Sox infield. Felix Doubront would be taken out after that inning with a fantastic final line of 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K, he would later earn his third win of the year and is now 3-1/4.46/37. In the bottom of the sixth, with two outs and two strikes, Cody Ross did some damage by hitting an absolute moonshot over the AAA-insurance sign on the monster. With a 4-1 lead, the Sox entered three different relievers (Andrew Miller, Vicente Padilla, and Alfredo Aceves) into the ballgame for the seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively. None of them allowed a hit and Aceves picked up his seventh save of the season.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (7)
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-3, 1 R
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Felix Doubront- Doubront pitched an excellent ballgame last night, picking up his third win of the year, going six innings and allowing just a run.