Sox Pull Away Late, Beat Orioles (4/28/11)

The past few days the Boston Red Sox would keep games close with the Baltimore Orioles only for them to get the winning or insurance runs late, tonight it was the opposite. Jon Lester (3-1, 2.52 ERA) pitched an 8 inning gem where he held the O's to just 2 runs. Dustin Pedroia broke a 2-2 deadlock with an rbi single in the top of the seventh as Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in the next 3 runs to put the game out of reach. Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the Red Sox snapped their two game skid with a 6-2 victory over the O's at Camden Yards.

                                                   Liu Jian approves of the win

Brad Bergesen got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Sox wasted no time getting to him. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to center but Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging. Adrian Gonzalez doubled to the left field wall to score Ellsbury with the first run. Kevin Youkilis walked but David Ortiz banged into a double play with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                      Gonzalez puts Boston on top

The O's struck back in the bottom of the first against Lester as Brian Roberts walked to start. Nick Markakis singled to right and Roberts stole third before he scored on the Derrek Lee base hit into left to tie the game. Vladimir Guerrero struck out swinging and Adam Jones banged into a double play to end the inning but it was tied 1-1.

                                                          Lee ties up the game

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as JD Drew flied out to Jones on the first pitch. Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded out to short and Carl Crawford flied out to right to end the inning. Lester settled down in the bottom of the second as Matt Wieters took strike three to start. Mark Reynolds grounded out to short and Jake Fox grounded out to second to end the inning.

Boston took the lead in the top of the third although Marco Scutaro flied out to center to start. Ellsbury dumped a base hit to left and moved to second on the grounder to third by Pedroia. Gonzalez slashed a base hit to right to score Ellsbury to give Boston the lead back. Youkilis flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                    Ellsbury puts the Sox back on top

Lester cruised in the bottom of the third as Robert Andino grounded out to short to start. Roberts flied out to right and Markakis flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Ortiz flied out to left to start. Drew grounded out to short and Saltalamacchia took strike three to end the inning. Lester got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth although Lee watched strike three go by to begin. Guerrero grounded out to short but Jones and Wieters took back to back walks. Reynolds grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bergensen cruised in the top of the fifth as Crawford flied out to center to start. Scutaro also flied out to center and Ellsbury struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester dominated the bottom of the fifth as Fox flied out to center to start. Andino grounded out to third and Roberts flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the sixth as Pedroia beat out an infield single to the mound to start. Gonzalez doubled down the left field line but Youkilis and Ortiz both struck out swinging. Drew was intentionally walked to load the bases but Saltalamacchia flied out to center to end the inning. The O's tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as Markakis grounded out to second to start. Lee took strike three but Guerrero hit his 440th career home run to tie the game. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Guerrero hits number 440

Jim Johnson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Sox rallied. Crawford doubled to right but Scutaro botched the bunt and Carl stayed at second. Ellsbury moved Crawford to third with a grounder to second and Carl scored on the Pedroia roller that Reynolds couldn't come up with. Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                  Crawford scores the go-ahead run

Lester got the O's to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Wieters grounded out to second to start. Reynolds grounded back to Lester and Fox grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced it in the top of the eighth as Youkilis walked to chase Johnson. Mike Gonzalez came in to pitch to Ortiz and David singled to center. Mike Cameron pinch hit for Drew and walked to load the bases. Saltalamacchia slashed a base hit to center to score Youkilis and re-load the bases. Crawford struck out swinging and that was it for Gonzalez. Jason Berken got Scutaro to pop up to second but Ellsbury dropped a base hit to center to score Ortiz and Cameron to ice the game. Pedroia grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                    Sox ice the game

Lester returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth with Jed Lowrie taking over for Youk at third. Andino doubled past Crawford in right but Roberts grounded out to second. Markakis flied out to left and Lee grounded out to third to end the inning. Lester was amazing, tossing 8 innings of 2 run ball to keep the Sox in the game.

                                                            8 strong innings for Lester

Josh Rupe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Lowrie and Ortiz stroked back to back base hits to center but Cameron banged into a double play to end the inning. Jonathan Papelbon came on to close out the bottom of the ninth and Guerrero struck out swinging to start on a 96 mph fastball to begin. Jones flied out to left and Wieters grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.

                                                       Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jon Lester. He dominated the Orioles going 8 innings while allowing just 2 runs. He allowed 4 hits and 3 walks.

                                                   Lester The Hero

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Adrian Gonzalez was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Kevin Youkilis walked twice and scored a run in four plate appearances.

Jed Lowrie singled in his only plate appearance.

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mike Cameron walked and scored at the plate.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Marco Scutaro was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

JD Drew was 0 for 2 but walked.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Carl Crawford was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

At this point the Red Sox just need to survive the month and hope they can hit the gas in May. It was a good win but some of the holes on this team are glaring. Scutaro and Crawford are automatic outs right now and Saltalamacchia/Varitek isn't much better. The fact everyone from Ellsbury to Drew has been red hot helps but the bottom of the order is a mess right now. Lester pitched a great game and the starting pitching has been fine the last few weeks. If the Sox can get Scutaro and Crawford going, they'll be in good shape moving forward. Its about time the Sox got some hits with RISP and that's going to be a big key to the season if they can show life with men on base. As the month comes to a close, the fact the Sox was able to turn a 2-10 start to 11-13 after tonight is nothing short of miraculous. The New York Yankees will be looking over their shoulder at the Sox and the battle for AL East supremacy will begin soon. As for now, great win. The Sox now come home to face the Seattle Mariners to end the month. Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-2) looks to make it 3 great starts in a row against Jason Vargas of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold On, Beat Angels (4/22/11)

On a night where the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks to take a commanding 3-0 series lead over them in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Boston Red Sox outlasted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for their third straight win. Jon Lester (2-1, 2.59 ERA) tossed 6 shutout innings to take care of the pitching side. The offense was held in check for the most part but a key error by Peter Boujors ended up being the difference in the game. Matt Albers and Bobby Jenks almost coughed the lead up but Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door in the faces of the Angels. When the dust settled the Sox had beaten the Angels 4-3 at Angels Stadium.

                                                          Kevin Garnett approves of the win

Danny Haren got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury struck out swinging to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short and Adrian Gonzalez flied out to deep center. Lester came out firing in the bottom of the first as Peter Boujors struck out swinging to start. Howie Kendrick struck out swinging and Bobby Abreu took strike three to end the inning.

David Ortiz grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Jed Lowrie struck out swinging. JD Drew took strike three to end the inning. Torii Hunter took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Vernon Wells got a base hit to center. Wells took second on a wild pitch and Alberto Callaspo walked, but Mark Trumbo banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Carl Crawford grounded out to second to start. Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled to right then made a mad dash to third on a fly ball to right by Marco Scutaro, Ellsbury doubled into the right field corner to score Saltalamacchia and put the Sox in the driver's seat. Pedroia took strike three to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                     Saltalamacchia is safe at third

Erick Aybar grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Jeff Mathis grounded out to third. Bourjos doubled to right and promptly stole third. Kendrick walked and stole second but Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox took advantage of shoddy defense in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez flied out to center to start. Ortiz grounded out to first but Lowrie walked. Drew doubled to right and Crawford hit a routine fly ball to center...DROPPED BY BOUJORS! Both runners scored to increase the lead and Crawford stole second to boot. Saltalamacchia flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                  Big error by Boujors

Hunter beat out a little roller to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Wells flied out to right. Callaspo popped up to second and Trumbo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally as Scutaro and Ellsbury drew back to back walks to start the top of the fifth. Pedroia went down hacking and Gonzalez beat out a double play ball, but Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning. Aybar singled to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Mathis and Boujors both went down swinging. Kendrick grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth as Lowrie doubled over the head of Wells only to take third on an error when Wells bobbled the ball. Drew got a base hit up the middle to score Lowrie to increase the lead. Crawford took strike three, Saltalamacchia flied out to left and Scutaro also flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                        Lowrie scores a run

Lester returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth and got Abreu to fly out to left to begin. Hunter grounded out to second and Wells struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester was great, tossing 6 innings of shutout ball while allowing 4 hits and striking out 8 batters.

                                                            Lester goes six strong

Francisco Rodriguez cam ein for the top of the seventh and Ellsbury grounded out to short to start. Pedroia walked and took second on a passed ball but Gonzalez struck out swinging. Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Albers came in for the bottom of the seventh and Callapso grounded out to second to start. Trumbo grounded out to second but Aybar singled up the middle. Aybar stole second and Mathis hit a blooper to center. Ellsbury dove and missed the ball allowing Aybar to score to put the Angels on the board. Bourjos popped up to first to end the inning but it was 4-1 Sox.

                                            "I don't got it...." - Ellsbury

Trevor Bell came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Lowrie grounded out to first to start. Drew walked and a wild pitch moved him to second, but Crawford could only advance JD to third on a grounder. Saltalamacchia was intentionally walked and Scutaro grounded into a force to end the inning. Bobby Jenks came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Kendrick doubled to center to start. Abreu knocked in Kendrick with a base hit to center but Hunter flied out to right. A wild pitch moved Abreu to second but Wells flied out to left. Jenks threw a pitch under the glove of Saltalamacchia and he had no idea where the ball was, scoring Abreu all the way from second. Callaspo walked and Reggie Willits pinch ran for him. Maicer Izturis pinch hit for Trumbo and grounded out to second to end the inning with the Angels down 4-3.

                                               "Thanks a lot, Salty" - Jenks

Bobby Wilson took over at first for the top of the ninth and Ellsbury took strike three to start. Pedroia flied out to center and Gonzalez popped up to short to end the inning, Jonathan Papelbon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Aybar flied out to center to start. Hank Conger pinch hit for Mathis and singled to center but Bourjos flied out to right. Papelbon blew away Kendrick to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 4-3.

                                                     Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jon Lester. He tossed 6 shutout innings to keep the Sox in the driver's seat all game.

                                                  Lester the Hero

The Good:

Jed Lowrie was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

JD Drew was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his 5th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4.

Matt Albers allowed a run in the seventh inning.

Bobby Jenks allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Carl Crawford was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Marco Scutaro was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was an ugly win but they all count. It doesn't matter if the Sox win decisively or takes advantage of a team throwing up on themselves, the final score is all that matters. The Sox offense was nothing special and needed a big error by Wells to score enough runs to win. The bullpen allowed 3 runs after Lester left and apart from him and Papelbon, nobody really looked good in this game. Still, to steal a road win like this is going to be huge come September if its a close playoff race. After the horrid start the Sox got off to, they essentially have to spend the rest of the month playing catch-up but at least they're on the right track. Winning three straight games is nothing to sneeze at, especially against a pitcher like Danny Haren and a team that's 2 years removed from being in the ALCS. The Sox look to make it four wins in a row tomorrow when they send Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-2, 6.43 ERA) takes on Ervin Santana of the Angels. The game begins at 9:05 Eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Sox Hold Off Late Rally to Defeat A's (4/20/11)

Last night Brett Anderson of the Oakland A's dominated the Boston Red Sox weak right handed hitting lineup. Gio Gonzalez....not so much. Kevin Youkilis, JD Drew and Jed Lowrie all hit home runs and the Sox pounded out 10 total hits as a team. Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.31 ERA) labored but allowed just a single run in 5 1/3 innings. Oakland shot themselves in the foot by leaving 15 men on base but still managed to rally in the later innings. Jonathan Papelbon wasn't as sharp as he usually was but he still nailed down the save to hold off the A's. The Sox won their first road game of the season 5-3 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                  Kayla Kleavage approves of the win

Gonzalez got the ball in the top of the first and JD Drew struck out looking on the outside corner to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right and Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Crisp hit a home run all the way to Osaka, Japan to give the A's the early lead. Daric Barton popped up to third in foul territory and David DeJesus grounded out to short but Hideki Matsui walked. Ryan Sweeney flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Crisp puts the A's on top

The Sox fought back in the top of the second as Kevin Youkilis dumped a base hit to right to start. DeJesus jumped into the right field wall to rob a hit from Jed Lowrie but Marco Scutaro singled to right. Carl Crawford dropped a base hit to center to score Youkilis to tie the game. Crawford was thrown out at second on the strike em out, throw em out double play by Jason Varitek to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    Tie game

Mark Ellis led off the bottom of the second by slapping a single to center but Landon Powell struck out swinging. Kevin Kouzmanoff lined a base hit to right but Cliff Pennington beat out a double play ball. Crisp lined out to right to end the inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury took strike three to begin the top of the third and Drew watched strike three go by as well. Pedroia drew a walk but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Barton lined out to left to begin the bottom of the third and DeJesus popped up to second. Matsui struck out swinging to end the inning.

Youkilis led off the top of the fourth inning with his third home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. Lowrie got a base hit to left and Pennington looked to have robbed Scutaro of a hit but Ellis dropped the throw at second. Crawford beat out a double play ball but Varitek grounded into one to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                          Youkilis hits one out

Sweeney grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the fourth but Ellis doubled down the third base line. Powell flied out to center and Kouzmanoff flied out to right to end the inning.

Gonzalez cruised in the top of the fifth as Ellsbury was rung up for strike three to start. Drew flied out to deep left and Pedroia whiffed to end the inning. The A's threatened in the bottom of the fifth although Pennington grounded out to second to start. Crisp hit one up the elevator shaft but Barton walked. DeJesus hit a seeing eye single into left but Matsui flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Gonzalez led off with a bloop single to left. Youkilis struck out swinging but Lowrie hit his third home run of the season over the left field wall into the rain to increase the lead. Scutaro hit a seeing eye single up the middle but Crawford flied out to center. Varitek popped up to left to end the inning but the Sox led 4-1.

                                                          Lowrie's raindance home run

Buchholz fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Sweeney doubled to the left field wall to start. Ryan moved to third on the grounder by Ellis and Powell walked. Conor Jackson pinch hit for Kouzmanoff and walked to load the bases. Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough but Buchholz was NOT happy being taken out of the game. He screamed, shouted and kicked dirt as he made his exit. He did leave with a lead after giving up just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings. Daniel Bard came in and blew away Pennington before getting Crisp to pop up to short to end the inning.

                                                     "Damn it all to hell!" - Buchholz

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh with Andy LaRoche at third and Jerry Blevins now on the mound. Ellsbury took strike three but Drew mauled his first home run of the year to increase the lead. Pedroia singled to left but Gonzalez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                   Drew with his first of the year

Bard came back for the bottom of the seventh and Barton popped up to second to start. DeJesus flied out to left but Matsui blooped a base hit to center. Sweeney grounded out to first to end the inning.

David Purcey came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Youkilis lined out to short to start. Lowrie flied out to right in foul territory and Scutaro flied out to right to end the inning. Bobby Jenks came in for the bottom of the eighth and Ellis struck out swinging to start. Powell walked, LaRoche singled past Scutaro and Pennington ate up Marco for an infield single to load the bases. Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young came out to tell Jenks that The Apartment won Best Picture in 1960 and Jenks was so bored he allowed a single to Crisp that scored Powell. Jenks managed to strike out Barton swinging but Francona wanted Jonathan Papelbon for the four out save. Papelbon blew away DeJesus to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                         Crisp does it again

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Crawford struck out swinging to start. Jason Varitek also went down hacking and Ellsbury popped up to short to end the inning. The A's rallied in the bottom of the ninth as Matsui began with a base hit to center. Sweeney popped up to short but Ellis was plunked. Powell singled to center to score Matsui and put the tying run on. Kurt Suzuki pinch ran for Powell with Josh Willingham pinch hitting for LaRoche. Willingham popped up to Gonzalez 10 feet in front of home plate and Pennington popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had survived 5-3.

                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jed Lowrie. He was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run, giving the Sox a big lead.

                                                      Lowrie the Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Marco Scutaro was 2 for 4.

Clay Buchholz got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 4 walks.

Daniel Bard tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Bobby Jenks allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Carl Crawford was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Jonathan Papelbon got the save but allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Its nice to see the Sox back on the winning track and getting the West Coast games out of the way early is never a bad thing. Buchholz didn't look that great but timely hitting and timely pitching got him the win. The resurgence of Jed Lowrie is pretty fun to watch as he was the last guy anybody expected to contribute to the season. If he keeps hitting like this somebody may get traded because it was supposed to be Ortiz, Youkilis, Gonzalez, Pedroia and Scutaro on the infield going into the season. Still, to have Lowrie as a possible sixth man type of utility player gives the Sox a superior bench compared to most of the league. Hell former all-star Jason Varitek is the backup catcher. The bullpen was a bit of an issue with Jenks and Papelbon giving up runs but Bard looked pretty shop. In essence the Sox have two closers in Jenks and Papelbon yet the future could be Bard. The offense didn't look that great but they got some timely long balls and rbi at bats. A win is a win and they all count, no matter how ugly or pretty it looks. Tomorrow night the Sox head to Anaheim to play the....ready for it.....Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Josh Beckett (2-1) looks to make it 3 wins in a row for him when he takes on Tyler Chatwood of the Angels. The game begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.

Beckett, Sox Down Jays (4/16/11)

For years Josh Beckett (2-1, 1.80 ERA) has been the stopper for the Boston Red Sox and today that's exactly what he was. Beckett was his old self against the Toronto Blue Jays, firing 7 innings of 1 run ball to give his team a chance to win. Jed Lowrie supplied a 2 run home run, Kevin Youlilis and Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run apiece and the Sox bullpen was lights out. Daniel Bard and Jon Papelbon stepped in to nail down the game and the Sox had broken their losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Jays at Fenway Park.

                                                                   Lioness Aska approves of the win

Beckett got the ball in the top of the first and Yunel Escobar led off by grounding out to third to start. Adrian Gonzalez made a nice stab to rob Corey Patterson of a hit and Jose Bautista flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Jays starter Jo-Jo Reyes to begin the bottom of the first as Jed Lowrie beat out an infield single to short to start. Dustin Pedroia walked and Adrian Gonzalez dropped a base hit to right to score Lowrie with the first run. Kevin Youkilis doubled into the right field corner to score Gonzalez and David Ortiz walked to load the bases with nobody out. The rally ended as Mike Cameron stook strike three, Jason Varitek went down hacking and Darnell McDonald grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Gonzalez drives in the first run

The Jays struck back in the top of the second although Adam Lind froze for strike three to start. Aaron Hill doubled off the Monster and scored on the Travis Snider base hit. Snider swiped second but Jayson Nix took strike three. Snider swiped third but Jose Molina took a curveball for strike three to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

                                                           Hill scores a run

The Sox scored again in the top of the third as Jacoby Ellsbury walked to start. Lowrie then launched his first home run of the season into the Monster Seats to increase the lead. Pedroia grounded out to third but Gonzalez walked. Youkilis popped up to first in foul territory but Gonzalez moved to second on a wild pitch. Ortiz took strike three to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 4-1.

                                                    Lowrie hits one out

Beckett cruised in the top of the third as John McDonald took strike three to start. Esocbar grounded out to second and Gonzalez made a great diving stab to rob Patterson of a hit to end the inning. Cameron singled up the middle but Varitek banged into a double play to kill a potential bottom third rally. McDonald blooped a broken bat single to right and Ellsbury was plunked, but Lowrie flied out to right to end the inning.

Beckett got Bautista to ground back to him to start the top of the fourth. Lind hit one off of Beckett over to Pedroia who threw Adam out by a foot. Hill walked and stole second but Snider grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedroia grounded a base hit into right to start the bottom of the fourth and Gonzalez walked to chase Reyes. Former Sox pitching coach and current Blue Jays manager John Farrell replaced him with Carlos Villanueva. Youkilis banged into double play but Ortiz walked to put runners at the corners. Cameron struck out swinging to end the inning.

Beckett kept up the pace in the top of the fifth as Nix struck out swinging to start. Molina singled off the left field scoreboard but broke up a double play ball hit by McDonald. Escobar grounded out to second to end the inning. Varitek led off the bottom of the fifth with a fly out to right and McDonald popped up to second. Ellsbury walked and stole second but Lowrie flied out to left to end the inning.

Beckett blew away Patterson to start the top of the sixth and Bautista popped up to second. Lind walked but Hill was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Pedroia began the bottom of the sixth by flying out to right. Gonzalez also flied out to right and Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning.

Beckett came back for one more inning in the top of the seventh and Snider took strike three to start. Nix went down hacking and Molina lined out to first to end the inning. That was it for Beckett who was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball. He gave up just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out nine.

                                                    Beckett was great

Octavio Dotel came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Ortiz walked to start. Cameron dumped a base hit to left and Varitek moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. JD Drew pinch hit for McDonald but only popped up to third. Luis Perez came in to pitch to Ellsbury and got him to ground out to third to end the inning.

Daniel Bard came in for the top of the eighth inning and McDonald singled in the hole at short to start. McDonald was thrown out by a mile trying to steal and Patterson grounded out to first to end the inning. Lowrie beat out an infield single to short to start the bottom of the eighth but was erased on the strike em out, throw em out double play on Pedroia. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jonathan Papelbon came in to close out the top of the ninth and Cameron leaped up against the scoreboard to rob Bautista of a hit to begin. Lind struck out swinging on a splitter but Hill hit one off the glove of Youkilis to extend the inning. Hill took second and third on defensive indifference but Snider popped up to a sliding Cameron to end the game. The Sox finally won a game with a 4-1 victory over Toronto.

                                                               Papelbon nails down the win

Hero of the Night is Josh Beckett. He was outstanding by tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9 batters.

                                                    Beckett Hero

The Good:

Jed Lowrie was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

David Ortiz walked 3 times in four plate appearances.

Mike Cameron was 2 for 4.

Darnell McDonald was 1 for 3.

Jacoby Ellsbury walked twice, was hit with a pitch, stole a base and scored a run.

Daniel Bard tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

JD Drew was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

On the same night that the Boston Bruins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series, the Sox at least gave Boston sports fans something to cheer for. They finally won a game and this may well be the start back to respectability. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are too good not to turn it around and Beckett seems to have it figured out. Beckett was great against the New York Yankees and he was great again today against the Jays. I've been saying the past two weeks that there's too much talent on the team to play this badly and at some point things will turn around. The offense was held to just 4 runs but Beckett came through with a good game. Bard and Papelbon locked it down and the Sox are going to need those two if they want to shorten games moving forward. At some point the offense will come but the Sox are going to need Dice K and John Lackey to step up at some point....or find someone that will. The Sox look to take Game 3 of this series tomorrow afternoon when Jon Lester (0-1) looks to get in the win column against Jesse Litsch of the Jays. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Beckett Outstanding as Sox take 2 of 3 from Yankees (4/10/11)

Good news Boston Red Sox fans. Josh Beckett is back....for one night anyway. The former ace looked like his former self as he mesmerized the New York Yankees for 8 outstanding innings. Beckett allowed just 2 hits and a walk in 8 innings, striking out 10 batters. The Red Sox bats only scored a single run off CC Sabathia but tagged Joba Chamberlain and Freddy Garcia for 3 big insurance runs. Mike Cameron drove in the run off Sabathia and Marco Scutaro got the big 2 run double off Chamberlain. The Sox ended up taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees with a 4-0 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                   Happy fans

Beckett got the ball in the top of the first inning and froze Brett Gardner for strike three to start. Derek Jeter grounded out to short and Mark Teixeira also took strike three to end the inning. Sabathia took the mound in the bottom of the first and Carl Crawford grounded out to short to start. Dustin Pedroia continued his hot streak with a base hit to center but Adrian Gonzalez flied out to center. Kevin Youkilis also lined a base hit to center but David Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning.

Beckett cruised in the top of the second inning as Robinson Cano flied out to right to start. Curtis Granderson grounded out to first and Nick Swisher went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox woes with RISP continued in the bottom of the second although Cameron led off with a pop up to first. JD Drew singled to right but Jason Varitek lined out to center. Marco Scutaro walked but Crawford flied out to center to end the inning. That's four men left on in just two innings.

Beckett was unfazed in the top of the third as Jorge Posada went down hacking to start. Eric Chavez singled to center and Russell Martin was plunked, but Gardner banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox finally broke through in the bottom of the third as Pedroia singled to center to start. Gonzalez singled to right and Youkilis walked to load the bases with nobody out. Then Ortiz not only banged into a double play, but Pedroia stayed at third for some inane reason. Yankee fans laughed at the Red Sox but those laughs turned to groans when Cameron came through with an infield hit to third to score Pedroia. Drew stuck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox led 1-0.

                                                   Cameron drives in a run

The Yankees tried to rally in the top of the fourth although Jeter struck out swinging to start. Teixeira walked and Cano singled to right. Yankee fans patted themselves on the back knowing a rally was coming but the rally ended as Beckett blew away Granderson and got Swisher grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Varitek grounded out to short to start. Scutaro walked but Crawford flied out to center and Pedroia grounded into a force to end the inning.

Beckett was unhittable in the top of the fifth as Posada watched strike three go by to start. Chavez grounded out to second and Martin grounded out to short to end the inning. Sabathia matched Beckett in the bottom of the fifth although Gonzalez was plunked to start. Youkilis took strike three but Ortiz singled to right. Cameron flied out to right and Drew took strike three to end the inning. That's 7 left on base in 5 innings, ugh.

Beckett cruised in the top of the sixth as Pedroia snuffed out a Gardner bunt attempt to start. Jeter grounded out to second and Teixeira struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth although Varitek watched strike three go by to start. Scutaro singled to right but was erased on the Crawford force. Pedroia hit a roller up the middle for a hit and Gonzalez walked to load the bases. That was it for Sabathia as Yankees manager Joe Girardi went with Joba Chamberlain to pitch to Youkilis. Youk grounded out to third to end the inning. That's TEN men left on base through six.

Its a good thing Beckett was dominant in the top of the seventh as Cano popped up to short to start. Granderson struck out swinging and Swisher grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox finally tagged Chamberlain in the bottom of the seventh as Ortiz walked to start. Cameron whiffed but Drew walked and Varitek singled to center to load the bases. Yankee fans laughed as they KNEW Chamberlain would get the big double play....but instead Scutaro doubled to the Monster to score Ortiz and Drew to ice the game. Boone Logan was brought in and Crawford grounded out to second. In an unthinkable move a week ago, Pedroia was intentionally walked to reload the bases to bring up Gonzalez. Gonzalez popped up to left to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-0.

                                                                 Scutaro gets it done

Beckett returned for one final inning in the top of the eighth inning and Posada struck out swinging to start. Chavez grounded out to second and Martin lined out to right to end the inning. Beckett allowed just 2 hits and a walk while striking out ten guys in 8 innings.

                                                      Beckett toys with the Yankees

The Sox added a run for good measure in the bottom of the eighth against Freddy Garcia. Youkilis walked and Ortiz broke out of his tiff with an rbi double to center to wrap up the scoring. Jacoby Ellsbury pinch ran for Ortiz and advanced to third on the sacrifice bunt by Cameron. Drew popped up to first and Varitek went down hacking but the Sox led 4-0.

                                                    Ortiz doubles in a run

Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon came in to close out the top of the ninth and Gardner took strike three to start. Jeter grounded out to second and Teixeira took strike three to end the game. The Yankees were held to 3 base runners and the Sox shut them out 4-0.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is Josh Beckett. He tossed 8 innings of shutout ball allowing only 2 hits and a walk while striking out 10 to earn the win.

                                                       Hero Beckett

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a hit by pitch.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Marco Scutaro was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 rbis.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Carl Crawford was 0 for 5.

The Ugly:

Mike Cameron was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in the first run.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Jacoby Ellsbury pinch ran for Ortiz in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed to do some damage against the Yankees in this series and they did it. A sweep would have been perfect but taking 2 of 3 to climb out of the hole was good enough. The Sox offense wasn't much tonight but Beckett was outstanding. That's the Beckett from 07-09 that they need if they have any hope of contending this season. The offense will come around as the weather heats up but getting pitching like that from their starters is the key to the season. It was good to see the role players such as Cameron and Scutaro drive in the big runs when the others were getting on base all game. Once again, don't worry about the offense, it'll come. Beating the Yankees was just the first step but now they have to climb back to .500 next. The Sox now welcome the Tampa Bay Rays for a three game set. Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1) goes for the Sox against Jeremy Hellickson of the Rays. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Sweep Sox in a Stunning Display of Power (4/3/11)

So much for the revamped Boston Red Sox offense. On a day where the Texas Rangers once again hit four home runs, the Sox were held to just 5 hits and one measly run by Matt Harrison and the Rangers bullpen. Clay Buchholz (0-1, 5.68 ERA) held the Rangers to just 5 hits in 6 1/3 innings but four of them were home runs. The Sox as a whole had only had 5 hits as the Texas Rangers outslugged and outpitched the Sox in a shocking 3 game sweep. The Rangers knocked off the Sox 5-1 at Arlington Park.

                                                         "This year sucks!"

Harrison got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury to grounded out to second to start. Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez both struck out swinging to end the inning. Ian Kinsler led the bottom of the first off with a walk but was erased on the Michael Young double play. Josh Hamilton took strike three to end the inning.

Kevin Youkilis led off the second by taking strike three but David Ortiz followed with a single into the shift. Jed Lowrie flied out to right but Carl Crawford singled to keft. With 2 men on, Saltalamacchia's slump continued by striking out looking to end the inning. The Rangers struck first in the bottom of the second as Adrian Beltre grounded out to short to start. Nelson Cruz flied out to right but old friend David Murphy hit a home run all the way to Lagos, Nigeria to give the Rangers the lead. Mike Napoli flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were already behind 1-0.

                                                         Murphy gives Texas the lead

Darnell McDonald led off the third by striking out swinging then Ellsbury grounded back to the mound. Pedroia managed a single in the hole at short but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rangers struck again in the bottom of the third although Mitch Moreland lined out to right to start. Andres Blanco struck out swinging but Kinsler hit his third home run in his third straight game to increase the lead. Young grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 2-0.

                                                           Kinsler with another home run

It didn't get any better in the top of the fourth inning for the Sox. Youkilis flied out to center, Ortiz grounded out to third and Lowrie popped up to right in foul territory to end the inning. Buchholz rebounded in the bottom of the fourth by first striking out Hamilton swinging to start. Beltre and Cruz both flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox woes continued in the top of the fifth as Crawford struck out looking to start. Saltalamacchia reached first on an error by Harrison only for McDonald to hit into a double play to end the inning. The Rangers tagged Buchholz again in the bottom of the fifth although Murphy grounded out to second to start. Napoli hit yet another home run for the Rangers to give the Rangers a commanding lead. Moreland grounded out to first and Blanco grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 3-0 Rangers.

                                                       Napoli hits a home run

The Sox went quietly in the top of the sixth as Ellsbury grounded out to second to start. Pedroia grounded out to to third and Gonzalez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Kinsler led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk but eagle eye'd Buchholz picked him off. Young singled but was erased on the Hamilton double play to end the inning.

The Sox offense woke up briefly in the top of the seventh. Youkilis led off with a walk and Ortiz singled him to second. Lowrie grounded into a force that erased Ortiz but put Youk at third. Crawford got his first rbi when he singled home Youk to cut the deficit. Saltalamacchia flied out to right but Darnell McDonald worked a walk to load the bases. With a chance to tie the game or more......Ellsbury struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                                Youk scores the only run

It was the Sox last gasp as it turned out, the Rangers capitalized on their dodged bullet by firing away at the Sox in the bottom of the seventh. Beltre led off by popping up to short but Cruz joined Kinsler as he homered for the third straight day to finish off Buchholz. He went 6 1/3 and allowed 4 solo shots as the portly Dennys Reyes took over. Murphy singled to right but was picked off by an alert Reyes. Napoli singled in the hole at short but Moreland struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 4-1.

                                                       Not good enough, Buchholz

Old friend Darren Oliver came in for the top of the eighth and Pedroia flied out to left to start. Gonzalez grounded out to third and Youkilis struck out looking to end the inning. Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and was promptly pounded. Blanco doubled, Kinsler was hit and Young doubled Blanco home. Papelbon intentionally walked Hamilton to load the bases and everyone in Boston facepalmed. Fortunately the Papelbon of old showed up as he struck out Beltre, Cruz and Murphy all swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-1.

                                                              Rangers score another run

Nefali Feliz came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Ortiz and Lowrie flied out to center and Crawford grounded out to first to end the game. The Rangers had swept the Sox out of Texas with a 5-1 win.

                                                                Rangers win

Jackass of the Night is Jacoby Ellsbury. He was 0 for 4 including a bases loaded, rally killing strikeout.

                                                 Jacoby Jackass swings and misses

The Good:

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

Carl Crawford was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Dennys Reyes got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

The Bad:

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 4.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Clay Buchholz took the loss by allowing 4 solo home runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Not the way the Red Sox wanted to start their season after the disappointing end to 2010. Yes the Texas Rangers are the real deal but this was total domination by the Rangers. It wasn't just winning, the Rangers swept the Sox 3 straight with 11 home runs and lights out starting pitching (in the last 2 games anyway). Ian Kinsler would set the Major League record for home runs if he played Boston every day. Buchholz didn't even pitch that bad overall but he couldn't escape the longball. The offense wasn't completely useless but once Ellsbury struck out, it was all downhill from there. There's plenty of time to turn the ship around but getting swept on opening weekend leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the fans. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Tuesday night in Cleveland. Josh Beckett makes his season debut against Josh Tomlin of the Indians at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.