Red Sox Fall Apart Late As Rays Avoid Sweep (68-82)

Matsuzaka only lasted three innings

This was a pretty miserable game for the Red Sox as it went from being a reasonably close game to a bloodbath almost instantly. The Red Sox got off to a good start, as Pedro Ciriaco singled and stole second to lead off the first. He would score on a bloop single to left for Jacoby Ellsbury. That would be it for them in the inning, though, and the Rays would come back in the second. The Rays loaded the bases on three straight singles to start the inning, and tied things up on a walk. Amazingly, they didn't score again the inning as Dice-K tightroped out of danger. The Red Sox would also get that run back in the third, as they led off the inning with a walk and a single. They'd score two on a Jacoby Ellsbury single and a Dustin Pedroia forceout to make it 3-1. However, a Ben Zobrist RBI single would cut into that and make it 3-2.

This was a frustrating game for the
Red Sox, illustrated by this pickoff

From that point on, it was all Rays. They got off to a screaming start in the fourth when Jeff Keppinger led things off with a home run. Matt Joyce followed him up with a single, and then another home run-- this time by Carlos Pena would make it 5-3. However, the real damage came in the sixth inning. The Rays started things off by putting two in scoring position with no outs due to some shoddy defense. Both runners scored when Desmond Jennings tripled into the gap in left-center to make it 7-3, but on an error in right field, Jennings scored as well to make it 8-3. The Rays kept going, loading the bases still with no outs. They'd score two more runs here on a sacrifice fly by Luke Scott and an RBI single by Jeff Keppinger. They proceeded to load the bases again and on two walks, scored two more runs to end the scoring in a seven run sixth, making it 12-3. They grabbed one more run on a Matt Joyce single in the ninth, but the damage was largely done.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4, 2 R
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-3, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
The Pitching- 8 IP, 15 H, 13 R, 10 BB, 5 K, L (68-82)
Cody Ross- 0-3, 2 K, 2 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-3, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jacoby Ellsbury- Going 3-3 with 2 RBIs on the day, Ellsbury was certainly not the reason the Sox were stymied by Chris Archer and the Rays-- he is now .280/4/26.

Red Sox Sweep Marlins Behind Middlebrooks (36-33)

Matsuzaka did not have a
particularly good start

The Red Sox won this game against all odds: the pitching matchup, the score in the eighth inning, etc.; but they did manage to pull off a key sweep of the Marlins. The Marlins started off fast when they put two runners in scoring position with two outs in the first. Greg Dobbs delivered with a two-run single on a liner into right. Later in the inning, Omar Infante drove in Dobbs with an RBI single of his own to put the Marlins up 3-0 early. The Red Sox put together their first rally of the night when Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia were each hit by a pitch to start the inning. Will Middlebrooks would deliver with an RBI single on a line drive into right to score Ross and cut the Marlins' lead to 3-1. Ryan Kalish grounded into a forceout to put runners at the corners with still only one out. A Mike Aviles sacrifice fly would score Saltalamacchia from third to come within a run of the tie. After putting runners at the corners with two outs, they reached the tie when Will Middlebrooks on a bloop single to right to make it 3-3.

Middlebrooks had a fantastic game

The tie would quickly be broken in the sixth, though, as Giancarlo Stanton hit a line drive that just barely got over the monster to make it 4-3 Marlins. After a two-out single by Greg Dobbs later in the inning, it was Infante again with a double to center to score Dobbs all the way from first and make it 5-3. The Red Sox would make a plea at tying the game in the eighth inning when Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the inning with a double off Marlins' reliver Edward Mujica. As it had been all game long, it would be Will Middlebrooks that had the decisive blow though. Middlebrooks would quickly deliver with a clutch game-tying home run on a high fly ball to dead center to make it 5-5. A Ryan Kalish single would become a triple as he went first to third on a ball in the infield. And it was a good thing that he did as Daniel Nava hit a weak line drive to center for an RBI single to make it 6-5. That would be the key hit as the Red Sox held on to win 6-5.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, W (2-0)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, SV (18)
Daniel Nava- 2-4, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-3, 2 R, 1 2B
Will Middlebrooks- 3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Ryan Kalish- 1-3, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Andrew Miller- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R
Dustin Pedroia- 0-5, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Will Middlebrooks- Middlebrooks powered the Red Sox to a win last night with a 3-4 night plus two RBI singles and a game-tying homer in the eighth; he is now .316/8/31 this season.

Lack Of Clutch Performance Leads To Sweep By Nats (29-31)

Other than a shaky seventh, Lester
was very good

When I predicted that the Nationals would sweep this series, I was dutifully hoping I was wrong-- however, I was dead on as the Red Sox dropped the series finale today to complete a three game sweep for Washington. The Nationals got going very early as Danny Espinosa doubled off the wall in center on the very first play of the game. He would come around to score on a groundout by Ryan Zimmerman. The Red Sox answered for that in the third inning when they put runners at the corners with one out. Dustin Pedroia nearly grounded into a double play, but he beat out the back end to tie the game at 1-1. The Sox kept rolling in the fourth, taking the lead when David Ortiz put a charge into a high fastball for a solo home run to right field.

Ortiz went 3-4 and came just a
triple short of the cycle

That score held all the way until the seventh inning, when Jon Lester allowed the Nationals to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. A strikeout and a pop out put their scoring chances in jeopardy, but a clutch double by Danny Espinosa scored both to give them a 3-2 lead. The Red Sox put two runners in scoring position with just an out in the bottom of the seventh and tied it back up on an RBI groundout by Scott Podsednik. This put things at 3-3 for the Red Sox bullpen-- Scott Atchison threw a scoreless eighth, but Alfredo Aceves got into some trouble in the ninth. Bryce Harper walked with one out and came all the way around to score on a double to right by Roger Bernadina. The Red Sox couldn't come back and fell 4-3.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, L (0-4)
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 4 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 4 K, 2 LOB
Darnell McDonald- 0-2, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
David Ortiz- The offense wasn't great today, but it certainly wasn't Ortiz's fault as he came a triple short of the cycle in a 3-4 day-- he is now .308/14/38 this year.

Red Sox Unable To Sweep Jays In Finale (28-26)

Bard had a miserable outing

This was a very disappointing game as the Red Sox fell to the Blue Jays despite not allowing any runs after the second inning. As you may imagine based on that, the Blue Jays got off to a very fast start. Daniel Bard continued his control issues by walking Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar to start the game. He ran it to a full count on Jose Bautista and an eight pitch at bat before Bautista ran into a high fastball and crushed a no-doubter to left field to give the Blue Jays an early 3-0 lead. Bard would get out of the first with that score intact but not without a cost as he threw 28 pitches in the first inning. The second inning was just as bad as the first as Bard walked the first two batters in the inning, got outs on the next two, then hit a batter to load the bases with two outs. He walked Jose Bautista to bring a run in and then hit Edwin Encarnacion to bring a run in and make it 5-0. All of Red Sox Nation and Bobby Valentine saw Bard did not have his best stuff and Valentine pulled Bard after just 1.2 innings.

Shoppach had his third homer

Franklin Morales came in and had a fantastic outing by all perspectives. He really kept the Red Sox in the game and pitched until the sixth-- his final line was 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K as he lowered his ERA to 3.48 on the season. The Red Sox got on the board for the first and only time in the fifth inning when Kelly Shoppach drove a fastball to right-center for a solo home run to cut the Blue Jays' lead to 5-1. The Red Sox relief corps did their best to keep the Red Sox in the game, with Scott Atchison and Rich Hill working a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively. However, Blue Jays' rookie Drew Hutchison was just too good for Boston. He worked 7 strong innings, allowing a run on five innings and striking out five over that span. Hutchison is coming off a good start against the Orioles and is only 21 as the Jays' appear to have found something special in the righty. It was interesting to watch Hutchison but I obviously would have preferred a win.

Bright Spots:
Franklin Morales- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mike Aviles- 2-4
Kelly Shoppach- 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Daniel Bard- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 6 BB, 2 K, L (5-6)
David Ortiz- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3, 2 K
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Franklin Morales- Morales did a great job in relief, going above and beyond the call of duty by working 4.1 scoreless innings of relief-- he is now 0-1/3.48/17 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.

Lester Roughed Up In Series Opener (22-23)

Lester didn't pitch well

Just when things were looking good for the Red Sox-- they blew it again and fell below .500 once more. The Red Sox would start off the bottom of the first by putting runners at first and second with two outs. Kevin Youkilis delivered for them by scoring Mike Aviles with a line drive single into center field. There would be a scoreless second for each team before the Rays really made a mark in the third. They loaded the bases with two outs, on a single and two walks, and Matt Joyce came up. Joyce took a low pitch and just drove a high fly ball to dead right-center which just evaded Marlon Byrd and Scott Podsednik into the bullpen for a grand slam to give the Rays a 4-1 lead early on. They kept going in the fourth-- powered by a leadoff single for Drew Sutton (former Red Sox utility man). With one out and Sutton still on first, Elliot Johnson put a charge into a fastball and drove it over the deepest part of the monster for a two-run homer and a  6-1 lead. Immediately afterwards, Carlos Pena homered down the line and just out of Marlon Byrd's reach for a homer.

Aviles had a run and RBI

That would give the Rays a 7-1 lead after just four innings and things were looking demoralizing for the Red Sox. To start the fifth inning, Jon Lester was taken out of the game with a miserable 4 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 4 K line that would raise his ERA all the way to 4.72 on the season. However, the Red Sox would begin to eat away at the Rays' lead in the fifth when they put runners on first and second with two outs. Adrian Gonzalez hit a ball off the green monster in left to score a run and put runners at second and third with two outs. However, Gonzalez's double would be all the Red Sox got as they'd leave the inning still with a 7-2 deficit. In the bottom of the sixth, the Red Sox got off to an even better start by putting runners at first and second with no outs. Marlon Byrd kept it going by hitting a sharp line drive past the second baseman to make it 7-3. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly, while resulting in one run, would basically ruin the rally as the Red Sox lost 7-4.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Franklin Morales-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 1-4, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB
Marlon Byrd- 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Scott Podsednik- 1-3, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 4 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Marlon Byrd- This game was pretty miserable on every facet, but Byrd had a decent day-- going 1-3 with a walk and an RBI single, he is now .206/1/9 on the year.

Red Sox Mash Masterson, Wheeler In Rout (15-19)

Daniel Bard earned his
third win of the year

The Red Sox were looking for the series win over Cleveland when they took the field at 1:35 today, and they performed accordingly. After a scoreless top of the first-- the Sox got to work in the bottom half with a two out rally. After Ryan Sweeney and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to lead off the inning, a David Ortiz walk and Adrian Gonzalez double put them in good position to score. They would do so when Will Middlebrooks lined a ball into left to score a run. Another run would come home when Daniel Nava drove a double off the green monster to score a run and push it to 2-0. The Sox would take two more in the inning when Jarrod Saltalamacchia lined a ball into right field with the bases loaded to give the Sox a 4-0 lead in just the first inning. After another scoreless inning-- Daniel Bard got into a little jam in the third when he loaded the bases on two walks and a hit. He would walk Asdrubal Cabrera on four pitches to bring one run home before Travis Hafner grounded into an inning ending double play, and from that point on it was all Red Sox.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia had
five RBIs today

The Sox quickly answered for the Indians' run when Will Middlebrooks knocked a laser over the green monster. After a couple more scoreless innings, the Sox scored again in the sixth when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a line drive just out of left fielder Johnny Damon's reach to make it 6-1. The sixth would also be Daniel Bard's last inning-- he finished at 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K. Rich Hill worked a perfect seventh before the Sox really got off in the bottom half. Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a double but was home  on a David Ortiz single before you could say "meaningless run!" Another run would come home on a wild pitch to make it 8-1 and put runners at the corners for Daniel Nava. Nava made good of the opportunity by driving them both in with a double deep off the monster to give the Sox a 10-1 lead. Jarrod Saltalamacchia came up after a Cody Ross groundout and promptly drove a homer to almost dead center to give the Sox a 12-1 lead. Those would be the last runs of a Mother's Day rout for the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Daniel Bard- 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K, W (3-4)
Rich Hill- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Atchison- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B
Will Middlebrooks- 2-3, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Daniel Nava- 2-2, 3 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 3-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Dull Spots:
Cody Ross- 0-3, 1 K, 3 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Salty had a fantastic game today, going 3-5 with a two-run homer to go with  two-run and one-run singles to help the Sox-- he is now .250/5/15.

Red Sox Fall To Tribe In Series Opener (12-19)

Beckett only lasted 2.1 innings 

I really don't know how to right the Red Sox' ship right now-- they were 11-11 before losing eight of their next nine. As has become typical, the Sox were working from behind as they allowed a pair of runners in scoring position with one out in the second. Casey Kotchman knocked a sacrifice fly before Jack Hannahan hit one a bit harder which went into the seats to make it 3-0 Indians. Adrian Gonzalez doubled to lead off the third, but the next two batters got out and the Sox were held to an RBI single for Mike Aviles. Things got rough in the third for the Indians as Jason Kipnis led off with a homer. A single and a walk, then a pair of RBI doubles for Shin-Soo Choo and Michael Brantley netted the Indians a 7-1 lead.

He was not good to say the least

As you may imagine, Josh Beckett was quickly pulled after this-- leaving the game with a line of 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K. The Sox began to chip away at the lead a bit by putting a pair of runners on base with two outs. Daniel Nava proceeded to line a ball into the gap, which would result in an RBI double to give the Indians a 7-2 lead. In the seventh inning, Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a homer to right-center off reliever Tony Sipp-- Pedroia's fifth of the year. A multitude of relievers pitched for the Sox after Beckett's downfall, but it was Alfredo Aceves who allowed the last run of the game. This made it 8-3 on a sacrifice fly for Carlos Santana but by then it didn't even matter.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Rich Hill- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Atchison- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K
Franklin Morales- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Dustin Pedroia- 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-5, 2 R, 2B
Daniel Nava- 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB

Dull Spots:
Josh Beckett- 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB

Player of the Game:
Daniel Nava- In his first game since September 2010, Nava had a solid game-- going 1-2 with an RBI double and a pair of walks.

Orioles Cook Up A Rout Over Sox (11-15)

Aaron Cook made his Red
Sox debut today

A day game after a thirteen inning night game is always a difficult task, and the Red Sox showed that today. Aaron Cook was making his Red Sox debut and, the O's first got started off Cook when Chris Davis came in on a passed ball in the second. Davis's cleats spiked Cook on his slide and Cook was never the same for the rest of the game. The Orioles put runners on first and second with one out in the third and flew from there. Nick Markakis singled on a slow liner up the middle before Adam Jones crushed a two-run homer on a hanging curveball over the monster to make it 4-0. They proceeded to put another runner in scoring position on a Matt Wieters double and a Chris Davis single. Wilson Betemit singled into right to bring in Wieters and move Davis up to second. At this point, the Red Sox realized things were not going well for Cook and pulled him from the game after going 2.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB-- entering Clayton Mortensen into the ballgame. 

He was not sharp though

Mortensen didn't open up too well, allowing a three-run homer to Mark Reynolds-- a no-doubt shot well over the green monster. Mortensen stayed in, however, and was quite good in his role with 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K-- as he has started off the season very well with a 1.42 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 6.1 innings so far. The Sox opened up the seventh by putting Adrian Gonzalez at first base with two outs before Ryan Sweeney knocked him in with a double high off the Green Monster to make it 8-1. Cody Ross proceeded to drive Sweeney in with a little bloop single into right field to make it 8-2. Scott Atchison had come in to pitch the top of the seventh, and he stayed in for the rest of the ballgame. He pitched well with 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K as he continued a strong season-- he currently stands at 1-0/1.50/14 in 18 innings this year. Just one tough inning led the Sox to dropping an 8-2 loss in Aaron Cook's debut.

Bright Spots:

Clayton Mortensen- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K

Scott Atchison- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 2B

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B

Ryan Sweeney- 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:

Aaron Cook- 2.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Nick Punto- 0-4, 2 K

Mike Aviles- 0-4, 6 LOB

Marlon Byrd- 0-3, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:

Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez played an excellent game for the Red Sox, with a 3-4 day-- including a double and scoring a run. 

Red Sox Fall Sub-.500 in Loss To A's (11-12)

Doubront stuggled last night

Just after a slugfest to the A's the previous game, this game was a little more pitching-heavy, as the Sox struggled to put enough runs on the board. With Jemile Weeks on second base and two outs in the first, Yoenis Cespedes grounded a ball up the middle to drive in the speedy Weeks and give the A's a 1-0 advantage. Doubront settled down for the next two innings before encountering a bit more trouble in the fourth. Doubront allowed a single to Kurt Suzuki and walked Kila Ka'aihue with one out, and a strikeout to Anthony Recker appeared to make the A's scoring chances unlikely. However, light hitting shortstop Cliff Pennington doubled directly into the left-center gap, scoring a run to give the A's a 2-0 lead and two in scoring position. Jemile Weeks proceeded to ground one up the middle, scoring both runs and advancing to second base on the throw. He stole third and later in the at bat, reached home on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.

He only lasted four innings

The Red Sox started off their half of the fourth by manufacturing a run. Dustin Pedroia led off with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball, then came home on a pair of ground balls to second base-- getting the Sox on the board with a 5-1 deficit.  When the fifth inning began, Scott Atchison came in to relieve Doubront-- who had allowed five runs in four innings, losing his first start of the year. Atchison pitched fairly well with a line of 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K before being relieved by Rich Hill. Hill pitched exceedingly well with 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K in a really strong outing for the lefty. He would be relieved by Matt Albers, who was also quite good with 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K-- as the bullpen pitched well enough to win, but to no avail. However, the Sox did put up a fight in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out. Mike Aviles singled up the middle to score two and make things interesting with the score at 5-3. However, Lars Anderson struck out and Dustin Pedroia grounded out and 5-3 would be the final score.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K
Rich Hill- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K
Matt Albers- 1.1, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Cody Ross- 3-4, 1 R, 2 2B
Nick Punto- 0-1, 3 BB

Dull Spots:
Felix Doubront- 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Ryan Sweeney- 0-2, 2 LOB
Lars Anderson- 0-2, 2 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Rich Hill- Ladies and gentlemen, Rich Hill is back as the lefty did what he's capable of last night with three strikeouts and just 1.2 innings.

Red Sox Record Commanding Win Over Twins (6-10)

Beckett settled down
after a rough first inning

The Red Sox were in need of a win in the series opener against the Twins, and they just beat one out at 6-5. However, this game wasn't so close as the Sox just flat out crushed the Twins. Much like they did the night before, the Sox got going fast-- scoring a run after a leadoff double by Mike Aviles and RBI single by Ryan Sweeney up the middle. With runners at the corners, David Ortiz dropped a line drive into left to make it 2-0 before a Cody Ross RBI groundout concluded the first inning runs. However, the Twins worked Beckett in the first inning as well. He threw 37 pitches in the inning, loading the bases and walking a run in to make it 3-1. However, Beckett would settle down for the next few innings. Meanwhile, David Ortiz went yard with a bomb to right field to make it 5-1 Red Sox. In the fourth inning, Mike Aviles also would go yard-- him with a shot to left (just staying fair)-- and an RBI single by Ryan Sweeney later would push it to a brutal 7-1 Red Sox lead in just the fourth inning-- a commanding lead against any team.

Mike Aviles had a four
hit game

The Red Sox' scoring just did not stop though, as a trifecta of RBI doubles (Aviles, Pedroia, Gonzalez) would net the Sox three more runs and give them a 10-1 lead in the fifth inning. The Twins also scored in that inning as Josh Willingham drove in Jamey Carroll with an RBI double. Both the Red Sox and Twins went down 1-2-3 in the sixth inning, and that inning concluded Josh Beckett's night. Beckett had settled down after a rough first inning and pitched 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K in a solid outing. The Red Sox pushed another run across the plate in the eighth inning on an RBI groundout for Darnell McDonald which would make it a dominating 11-2 lead. Scott Atchison had thrown a perfect seventh inning, and he would do so again in the eighth. He concluded his night with a very good appearance at 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K as Atchison has been one of Bobby Valentine's most trusted relievers with a 1.54 ERA this year. Matt Albers allowed a hit in a scoreless ninth to close out the game with a dominating 11-2 final score.

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Scott Atchison- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Mike Aviles- 4-5, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Ryan Sweeney- 2-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 1-6, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 2-4
Marlon Byrd- 2-5, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Mike Aviles- Aviles had an excellent game by going 4-5 with both a home run and a pair of doubles, recording three runs scored and two RBIs.

Rangers Fire On All Cylinders In Rout Of Red Sox (4-7)

Lester was shellacked

Perhaps the most ironic and strange part of this rout was that the Red Sox actually took the lead. After Mike Aviles' leadoff single in the first inning, Dustin Pedroia slammed a homer over the monster and that was pretty much it for the Red Sox' glory in this game. After a one-out double by Nelson Cruz in the second inning, Mike Napoli quickly tied the game by crushing a homer to left. They'd score two more in the inning with a bases loaded single for Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton's short fly ball to left which Cody Ross botched and allowed a run to score and make it 4-2 Rangers. The Rangers continued to make productive outs and manufacture runs in the third inning with an RBI groundout, sacrifice fly, and an RBI single by Josh Hamilton to make it 7-2. Before that third inning was even through, the Rangers had gotten to Jon Lester enough to convince Bobby Valentine to take him out after a miserable day. Scott Atchison was actually fairly impressive, with two shutout innings before Michael Young got to him for a homer. His final line was a fairly impressive 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer

One might actually believe that the Red Sox pitching was settling down and this game might not be so bad. Matt Albers threw a scoreless seventh inning to keep the score at 8-2 and not an excessive rout. However, that was before Mark Melancon came into the game. The Rangers put two on base to begin the inning, and they were quickly taken off the basepaths when Josh Hamilton went yard and Adrian Beltre accompanied him to make it a 12-2 ballgame. Nelson Cruz would hit a two-run shot and the Rangers would score a pair more in the inning to make it 16-2. Adrian Gonzalez hit his second home run of the season on a shot to right in the bottom half but the Rangers would more than make that up in the ninth when they scored two off Vicente Padilla. This was not a good game.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 2 RBIs, 1 HR
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 HR
Ryan Sweeney- 3-4, 2 2B

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Mark Melancon- 0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 BB
Justin Thomas- 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 K
Kevin Youkilis- 0-4, 4 K, 2 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Scott Atchison- Atchison did a great job of holding this game together and giving some of us hope by allowing just a run in four strong innings of relief.

Late Rally Leads Sox To First Win (1-3)

Felix Doubront impressed
in his first start

When I went to bed last night, things looked bleak for the Red Sox. However, in my absence they put together one heck of a night, rallying late against the Blue Jays' strong bullpen. One thing I did see was Felix Doubront's outing last night, and I was impressed. His pitch count was a bit high (101 pitches in five innings) but otherwise he showed poise and his good stuff. Other than a pair of runs in the third on a bad call at the plate and an RBI single for Edwin Encarnacion, the Blue Jays were held pretty quiet by Doubront-- he allowed just those two runs while striking out six in five innings. The Red Sox finally got on the board in the sixth inning when Dustin Pedroia knocked a homer to left field off Henderson Alvarez-- who pitched very well (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K). For two innings, the Sox were shut out by Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero (one inning each). However, they finally got going in the ninth inning.

Pedroia acted as the catalyst

Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a double and after a passed ball got him to third base, he was driven in on a deep sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez which tied the game at two. After a strikeout by Kevin Youkilis, the Sox put a couple more runners on base through walks to both David Ortiz and Cody Ross. Ryan Sweeney further endeared himself to Red Sox fans by, once again, coming through with a ground ball through the right field of the infield which barely scored Darnell McDonald (pinch running for Ortiz) to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. They would make it 4-2 when a passed ball allowed Cody Ross to score. All the while, Scott Atchison had pitched very well in relief of Doubront-- he allowed just a hit in three shutout innings of relief. And finally, the bullpen did not blow this lead as Alfredo Aceves shut the door with a good outing as the closer-- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Scott Atchison- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR
David Ortiz- 2-3, 1 BB
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Ryan Sweeney- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4
Kevin Youkilis- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- He homered in the sixth inning which played a huge part in simply keeping the Red Sox in the game, and he also acted as the catalyst with the leadoff double in the ninth.

Red Sox Decline Options For Wheeler and Atchison

Well, I figure I don't need a topic sentence for this post, as you probably got the gist of it from the title. However, two Red Sox relievers may not be coming back for 2012. The Red Sox declined Dan Wheeler's $3 million options and Scott Atchison's option for league minimum. I would say there is about a 50/50 chance that the Sox keep Wheeler, but they probably won't bring back Atchison. Wheeler had a decent year in 2011, but he did not live up to expectations, going 2-2/4.38/39. Scott Atchison bounced between Boston and Pawtucket for pretty much the whole year, but while he was in Boston, he was pretty effective, going 1-0/3.26/17. I would not mind seeing either of these guys back in the bullpen, especially Wheeler, as he's proven to be more consistent over the years. I don't see them bringing back Atchison for any less than his option so he's probably gone; however, if they could get Wheeler at around $2 million- I'd consider it a good move.

This Is What We, In America, Call A 'Bad Game' (88-69)

Yesterday, the Red Sox played a terrible game, losing miserably to the Yankees and losing ground in the wild card chase. It started in the 2nd for the Yankees when they loaded the bases with 1 out. Jesus Montero hit a soft drive to left that would score one. Two more would score when Russell Martin hit a long line drive into left to score two more and make it 3-0. Then Derek Jeter came up and crushed a homer to right center to cap a 6-run 2nd inning and make the score 6-0. In the 3rd, a 2-run double by Jesus Montero would make it 8-0, as you can tell, a very lovely game for the Red Sox. In the 6th, Jesus Montero homered to left to make it an even more reciprocal score of 9-0. An RBI double by Carl Crawford in the 7th would dramatically close the gap in the game at 9-1.
      Jon Lester was really bad, simply put, allowing 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings to raise his ERA from 3.15 to 3.49. Scott Atchison was great, allowing no runs in 2 1/3 innings. Junichi Tazawa was ok, allowing a run in 1 2/3 innings. Trever Miller pitched a scoreless 1/3 of an inning, and Michael Bowden was lights out for an inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had a decent game, going 2-4. Carl Crawford went 1-4 with an RBI. Dustin Pedroia went 2-4. Conor Jackson was 1-2 with a run scored off of the bench, replacing Josh Reddick. There will be a double-header today, and pitching in the day game will be Tim Wakefield (7-7/5.08/89) going up against A.J. Burnett (10-11/5.28/167).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief
Michael Bowden- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4
Carl Crawford- 1-4 with an RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4
Conor Jackson- 1-2 with a run scored off the bench

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings, a great start by any measure
David Ortiz- 0-4 with 5 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

Well, we only lead the wild card by 1.5 games and it is only the Rays' ineptitude keeping us there.

Orioles Rally Off Papelbon To Beat Sox Late (88-67)

Last night was a tough game, as the Sox surrendered a late lead and lost to the Orioles. After a ground-rule double by Dustin Pedroia in the 1st, Adrian Gonzalez hit a double high off the monster to make it 1-0. In the 3rd, the Orioles tied the game as Robert Andino scored on a double by Nick Markakis. Then, Vladimir Guerrero came and hit a hard line drive to Josh Reddick, and he dropped the ball to score a run and keep the inning alive. Later in the inning, Mark Reynolds singled to left to make it 4-1 Orioles. After a leadoff double in the 3rd by Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez homered over the green monster to make it 4-3. In the 4th, the Red Sox tied the game as Marco Scutaro came home on a single by MIke Aviles. Then, later in the inning, the Orioles nearly turned a double play to get them out of the inning, but Mark Reynolds dropped the ball and a run scored to make it 5-4 Red Sox. It stayed that way until the 8th, when Robert Andino lifted a double to right-center to make it 7-5, and the Sox couldn't come back.

      Erik Bedard was not good, but for some of it, it was Josh Reddick's fault, he went 2 2/3 innings, and allowed 4 runs, 1 earned. Scott Atchison relieved him with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Then, Matt Albers threw a scoreless inning. However, it was the steady relievers who blew the lead as Jonathan Papelbon allowed the 3-run double with 2 inherited runners from Bard. Felix Doubront and Junichi Tazawa each threw 2/3 scoreless innings. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-5 and scoring 2 runs. Adrian Gonzalez (left) had a great game, going 3-5 with 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer, as he came just a triple shy of the cycle, and is now .340/27/116. Mike Aviles had a good game, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI. Tonight, the Sox will go for a series tie as Josh Beckett (13-5/2.50/162) will go against Tommy Hunter (4-4/4.81/39).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 2 1/3 shutout innings
Matt Albers- 1 shutout inning
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5 with 2 runs scored
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with a 2-run homer and 3 RBIs
MIke Aviles- 2-3 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:
Erik Bedard- 4 runs in 2 2/3 innings
Daniel Bard/Jonathan Papelbon- 3 runs in the 8th
David Ortiz- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB
Josh Reddick- 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and 2 LOB

This was not a bad game, except for Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard.

Red Sox Make Hats Out Of Orioles (88-66)

In the top of the 1st, the Orioles took an early lead as, with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, Nick Markakis singled through the right side. The next batter, Vladimir Guerrero lined a ball to right field that would be caught for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Chris Davis singled to right field to score a run to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox had runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to make it 3-1. After a double by David Ortiz, Jed Lowrie ground out a long at-bat, eventually crushing a ball to dead left for a three-run homer to make it 4-3 Red Sox! In the 2nd the Red Sox had runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out and Marco Scutaro had a great hit for a double down the 3rd base line to make it 5-3. Then, in the same inning, Dustin Pedroia knocked a liner through the right side to score another run. However, the Orioles loaded the bases in the 3rd, and they scored two on a bloop single to right by Nolan Reimold to make it 6-5. In the 3rd, the Sox scored one as Chris Davis could not pick J.J. Hardy's throw to first, and the Sox scored. Later in the inning, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a high fly ball to left which dropped at the wall and allowed another un to score and make it 8-5. The next batter, Marco Scutaro, singled up the middle and Ellsbury scored to make it 9-5. After a single by Adrian Gonzalez, the runs kept coming as Dustin Pedroia lined a ball to right-center to score another run.  Then, the next batter David Ortiz bounced a ball to second and beat it out, so another run scored and made it 11-5. With 2 outs in the 4th, Matt Angle scored on a triple into the corner by Nick Markakis to make it 11-6. A sacrifice fly by Nolan Reimold cut the lead to 11-7, and the next batter Ryan Adams singled up the middle to make it 11-8. In the 6th, the Orioles scored again, as Nick Markakis scored on a double by Vladimir Guerrero to make it 11-9. Our big inning started in the 7th, when Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with an inside-the-park home run into the triangle. Three straight singles by Marco Scutaro, Adrian Gonzalez, and Dustin Pedroia would make it 13-9. After the Red Sox walked the bases loaded, Jed Lowrie singled into right field to make it 14-9. Then Conor Jackson came up to the plate, and promptly lined a ball into the monster seats to make it 18-9.

       To put it simply, John Lackey was awful but lucky. He allowed 8 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings, but he didn't lose. He was relieved with a scoreless 1 1/3 innings by Scott Atchison, then 2/3 of one-run ball by Franklin Morales. Matt Albers threw a scoreless 2/3 and Michael Bowden threw 2 scoreless innings. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a great game, going 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including the inside-the-park home run as he is now .319/28/98. Marco Scutaro had an equally good game, going 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .298/6/51. Adrian Gonzalez helped the batting average, going 3-3 and scoring a run. Dustin Pedroia had an awesome game, going 3-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs, as he is now .300/20/88. David Ortiz had a great game as well, going 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Jed Lowrie went 2-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBI, including a very important 3-run homer, as he is now .254/5/35. Conor Jackson only went 1-4, but that one hit was pretty big as the grand slam now makes him .245/5/43 on the season, and .143/1/5 with the Red Sox. Even Darnell McDonald had a good day, going 2-5 and scoring a run. Tonight, Erik Bedard (5-9/3.50/119) will face his former team, and specifically, Rick VandenHurk (0-0/6.00/3).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Michael Bowden- 2 scoreless innings
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including an inside-the-parker
Marco Scutaro- 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-3 and scored a run
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs
David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBI, including a 3-run homer
Conor Jackson- 1-4 with a grand slam
Darnell McDonald- 2-5 with a run scored

Dull Spots:
John Lackey- 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings
Jason Varitek- 0-4 with 4 strikeouts

This was an awesome game offensively, but John Lackey....

The Rays Are Really Beginning To Scare Me (86-63)

Last night was a bad game, as the Sox fell to the Rays in a game that was just not fun at all. With runners at 1st and 2nd in the 3rd inning for the Rays, B.J. Upton hit a soft ground ball to shortstop. The only problem was that he broke his bat, and part of it flew and almost hit Marco Scutaro so he dodged the bat... and the ball... and a run came in to score. The next batter, Evan Longoria, would lock up the game right there by hitting a 3-run homer to right-center to make it 4-0. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Sox loaded the bases with 1 out, and Adrian Gonzalez grounded to first base to score a run and make it 4-1. Two batters after Johnny Damon was hit by a pitch in the 6th inning, Casey Kotchman belted a 2-run homer to right center to make it 6-1. Then in the next inning, B.J. Upton knocked a 2-run shot over the green monster to make it 8-1. Later in the inning, after a walk and a single, Casey Kotchman drove another run in with a single. With runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs (Jose Iglesias had his first major league hit!), Darnell McDonald drove in a run to make it 9-2.
        Kyle Weiland was very good for the first two innings, but then he totally lost it and was only able to go 3 innings, allowing 4 runs. Then came a pair of good innings by Trever Miller and Scott Atchison. However, then Franklin Morales allowed 2 runs in an inning and Matt Albers allowed 3 in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Miller relieved them with 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Michael Bowden threw a scoreless inning. David Ortiz was more or less our only offensive bright spot, as he went 2-2 before he was taken out to give him a break. Marco Scutaro was also decent, going 2-3. Tonight, the Sox will look to maybe.... beat the Rays? With Josh Beckett (12-5/2.49/155) going against James Shields (15-10/2.70/210).

Bright Spots:
Trever Miller- a scoreless inning, getting the Sox out of a jam
Scott Atchison- a scoreless inning
Andrew Miller- 1 2/3 scoreless inning
Michael Bowden- a scoreless inning
David Ortiz- 2-2
Marco Scutaro- 2-3

Dull Spots:
Kyle Weiland- 4 runs in 3 innings
Franklin Morales- 2 runs in an inning
Matt Albers- 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4 with a strikeout and 3 LOB
Dustin Pedroia- 0-3 with a strikeout and an LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 5 LOB

Not a good game, and I'm beginning to panic.

Red Sox Battle Back From Early Deficit, Beat A's (31-26)

Last night, the Red Sox rallied from behind to beat the A's 8-6 in a hard-fought match that I really enjoyed watching. The A's got off to quite a start, after putting runners at first and third with one out. Josh Willingham singled to left field, scoring David DeJesus and making it 1-0 A's. After another single, Daric Barton singled to right field, making it 2-0. A 2-run single by Mark Ellis capped a 4-run 1st inning, making it 4-0. After a single in the 1st, Jacoby Ellsbury used his speed to get to third with just one out. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with an RBI groundout to Mark Ellis, cutting it to 4-1. After a Kevin Youkilis double, David Ortiz knocked a single just over the shortstop's head for a single, making it 4-2. After Mike Cameron came in on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury, the Sox had cut it to 4-3. In the 3rd, after a Kevin Youkilis walk, David Ortiz hit a high ball off the monster that got away from Josh Willingham, allowing Youkilis to score and tie the game. Jed Lowrie then drove in Ortiz on a single to give the Sox a 5-4 lead. In the 4th, with runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out, Coco Crisp grounded out to Adrian Gonzalez, scoring Kevin Kouzmanoff, to tie the game. In the 5th, Daric Barton gave the A's a 6-5 lead, scoring Josh Willingham with a grounder through the right side. In the 7th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with 2 outs, to prepare for a broken bat, bloop single up the middle by Carl Crawford, scoring 2 and making it 7-6. In the 8th, a Jarrod Saltalamacchia home run pushed it to 8-6.

Clay Buchholz (top right) was not sharp whatsoever, allowing 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 2/3 innings, he earned a no-decision and made himself 4-3/3.82/49. The bullpen was great however, as neither Scott Atchison, Tommy Hottovy, Bobby Jenks, Daniel Bard, or Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run. Adrian Gonzalez had a good game, going 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI, he is now .335/10/47, as he has been great this year. Kevin Youkilis went 2-3 with 3 runs scored. David Ortiz went 2-3 with a run scored and 2 RBIs, as he is now .319/13/30. Carl Crawford (top left) only went 1-4 but he had a huge clutch single, as he is now .233/4/23. Jarrod Saltalamacchia as well, only went 1-4 but with a home run, as he is now .220/5/18. Today will be a marquee matchup, as Josh Beckett (4-2/1.80/63) and Trevor Cahill (6-3/2.31/58) will go head to head.

Bright Spots:

Scott Atchison- a scoreless inning

Bobby Jenks- the win in a scoreless inning

Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning

Jonathan Papelbon- the save in a scoreless inning

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with a run and an RBI

Kevin Youkilis- 2-3 with 3 runs scored

David Ortiz- 2-3 with a run and 2 RBIs

Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with an RBI

Carl Crawford- 1-4 with a huge 2-run single

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:

Clay Buchholz- 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 2/3 innings

Dustin Pedroia- 0-5

This was a good game, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to watch it.

Red Sox Show Cubs Why They Left For 93 Years (24-20)

Last night, the Red Sox crushed the Cubs in their first trip back to Fenway since the 1918 World Series. The Red Sox took an early lead in the 1st inning, when Koyie Hill made an error trying to catch Jacoby Ellsbury stealing third, and letting him score. It became 2-0 when Dustin Pedroia scored on an Adrian Gonzalez single. An RBI double by Aramis Ramirez and an RBI groundout by Carlos Pena tied the game. A Kevin Youkilis sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Jed Lowrie gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead. In the 4th, a 2-run single by Adrian Gonzalez and a 2-run homer by Kevin Youkilis made it 8-2. An Alfonso Soriano RBI single and a Reed Johnson 2-run double cut it to 8-5 in the 5th. A Jarrod Saltalamacchia home run and Jacoby Ellsbury scoring on a double play made it 10-5 Red Sox. In the 8th, 2-run singles by Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, along with an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez made it 15-5.

Jon Lester was actually not particularly sharp, allowing 5 runs in 6 innings, but his offense backed him up. He earned the win, and is now 6-1/3.68/63 on the season. Scott Atchison relieved him with 3 innings of perfect relief, no runners even got on base. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 3-6 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, he is now .297/4/21. Dustin Pedroia had a good day as well, going 3-4 with 2 runs scored. Adrian Gonzalez was 4-6 with a run and 4 RBIs, as he is now .326/9/41. Kevin Youkilis also had a great day, going 3-5 with a 3 RBIs and a home run, as he is now .271/8/30 this year. David Ortiz went 2-5 and scored 2 runs. Carl Crawford went 1-5 with a 2-run single, as he is now .212/1/13. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-3 with 3 runs scored, and a home run, as he is now .236/2/11. Tonight, Alfredo Aceves (1-0/2.60/9) will go up against Carlos Zambrano (4-2/4.89/39) as the Sox look for for an 8-game win streak.

Bright Spots:

Scott Atchison- 3 innings of scoreless relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI

Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 2 runs

Adrian Gonzalez- 4-6 with a run and 4 RBIs

Kevin Youkilis- 3-5 with 3 RBIs and a home run

David Ortiz- 2-5 with 2 runs scored

Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with an RBI

Carl Crawford- 1-5 with a 2-run single

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-3 with 3 runs scored and a home run

Dull Spots:

None!

The Red Sox had a great night last night from all aspects of the game, and it is now a 7-game win streak.