Wednesday, May 29, 2013

GAME 50 – 5/25/2013 – at Home vs. Cleveland Indians


RESULT – WIN 7-4

The Red Sox were able to get another come from behind victory on Saturday.  It looked bleak when the go ahead run for the Indians crossed the plate in the top of the 7th when Jon Lester uncorked a breaking ball in the dirt that got away.  Mike Aviles scored from 3rd base and it looked like the Red Sox again would let one get away from them.

Then the bottom of the order bailed them out.  Pedro Ciraco got it started with a one-out double and after an Ellsbury strikeout, Mike Carp and Dustin Pedroia both doubled to put the Sox up 5-4.  But the Sox weren’t done there.  After intentional walking David Ortiz, Mike Napoli followed with another walk, this time it wasn’t planned.  Then Daniel Nava came up and hit a pop-up that somehow fell in for a single scoring Pedroia and Ortiz to give the Sox the 7-4 lead they would hold for their 30th win of the young season.

It was another great come from behind victory with the bottom of the order actually chipping in for a chance.  Pedro Ciriaco went 3 for 4 with a run scored and another driven in out of the 9th spot.  Jose Iglesias went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored out of the 8th spot.  It was a welcome surprise for a bottom of the order that hasn’t produced at all in the last 3 weeks.

Dustin Pedroia finished 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 1 RBI.  He now has 14 doubles on the year and is hitting .337.  He doesn’t have the home-run power this year (2 so far) but he is playing like an MVP again and had some great at-bats in the late innings seeing lots of pitches and staying alive in bad counts.

The Sox walked 8 times on the night as Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz and Daniel Nava both had 2 a piece.  Nava also drove in 2 with and scored once as well.  Mike Carp hit a bit pitch-hit RBI double and has become a huge clutch player for the team.

Jon Lester had an ok game.  He has shaky and let up a lot of hits (10 in total) but was able to get out of some jams and grit through 7 innings.  His final line was 7 innings, 10 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.  After a frustrating 2-run 3rd inning, Jon settled down and retired 10 of the next 12 batters he faced, 4 came via the strikeout.  Last year that bad 3rd inning would have done him in but his progression this year shows that he can bear down and get outs when he needs to.

The Red Sox will go for the series win today trying to win 3 of 4 from a hot Indians team.  After being pummeled on Thursday night, the last 2 games have been a welcome sight to these fans eyes.  Felix Doubront who’s been inconsistent as of late will take the hill for the Red Sox and he’ll be opposed by Corey Kluber who has been the same for the Indians.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP
Pedro Ciriaco.  Pedro has been struggling as of late so it was nice to see him come out and go 3 for 4, drive in a run and score a couple as well.  He had a great break-out year last year and the Sox were hoping he’d become their full time utility fielder but he hasn’t hit all that well this year.  Yesterday he broke out and the Sox needed it in a big way.

 

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

David Ross.  Ross went 0-5 with 5 strikeouts.  I don’t think I’ve seen a hitter do as poorly as Ross did yesterday.  He was overmatched in every single one of his at bats and maybe he’s not quite over that concussion yet or the week and a half he were out messed up his timing.

 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Bottom of the 8th, Dustin Pedroia’s one-run, 2-out double to put the Red Sox up 5-4.  Pedroia was down 0-2 in the count but drove a hanging slider off the Green Monster for the game-winning run.

 

NEXT

Today, Sunday 5/26 vs. the Indians.

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