GAME 159 – 9/25/2013 – in Colorado vs. the Rockies

RESULT – WIN 15-5

What a nice tribute and good-bye to Todd Helton last night by the Colorado Rockies.  After being honored before the game, which included getting a horse for a gift, Helton went 2 for 3 with a homer, double and 3 RBI to give the Rockies’ fans one last reminder how great he’s been for them for the last 17 years.  It was also nice to see after the game, Helton go around the stadium giving high-fives to the fans and all the Red Sox saying their goodbyes.  Helton was a class act and he’ll be missed.

The game was never really close.  Backed by a dominant offensive attack, the Sox rolled past the Rockies, 15-5, at Coors Field, splitting the series and taking the season series 3-1.

There were plenty of standout performers, but they were led by Will Middlebrooks, who belted 2 homers, including a grand slam, and had a career high 7 RBI.  It’s really nice to see Middlebrooks contributing like everyone thought he was going to do after his demotion to Triple-A.  I think that was a wake up call and he’s been great ever since he’s been called up and hopefully will keep contributing well into the playoffs.

One player who just keeps helping the Red Sox win is Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who went 4 for 5, scored 2 runs, drove in 3 and hit his 39^th double of the season.  The same can be said for Shane Victorino, who went 3 for 5, with 2 runs scored, 3 RBI and his 15^th homer of the season.

Jacoby Ellsbury returned from his injury and went 1 for 2 at the top of the order, scoring 2 runs and walking once.  He didn’t look like he was nursing his broken foot and if he’s healthy; the Red Sox will be in a really good position to do some damage in the playoffs.

David Ortiz went 1 for 3 with a run scored, 2 RBI and a walk.  The 2 RBI for Ortiz were numbers 99 and 100 on the season.  Daniel Nava went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.  Stephen Drew went 2 for 5 with a runs scored and Jake Peavy went 1 for 3 with a run scored.  Peavy became the first Red Sox pitcher to get a hit all season long.  It was a double that led to a 3-run rally.

The only Red Sox starter without a hit on the night was Dustin Pedroia, who went 0 for 5 but did score a run.

The offensive explosion was needed because Jake Peavy wasn’t all that sharp.  He went 6 innings but gave up 5 runs on 8 hits while walking 4 and striking out 5.  It was a so-so performance and he really had to grind it out to get the win.  He’ll need to be better in the playoffs but I’m going to say the last 2 pitching performances were hindered by the thin Denver air.

Junichi Tazawa worked around a hit in his 1/3 of an inning and Franklin Morales finished off the inning with a strike out and a pick-off.  Craig Breslow went a perfect inning and Ryan Dempster pitched the 9^th and worked around a hit to get the final outs of the game.

The Oakland Athletics loss, so the Red Sox extended their best record lead to 2 games with just 3 to play.  Home-field advantage is very important because the Red sox were just so good at home this year.  A win and a loss by the A’s this weekend and they can claim that title.

They’ll have an off day Thursday as they travel to Baltimore to finish off the season with a 3-game set.  The Orioles have been eliminated but you know Buck Showalter will have his team ready to play spoiler this weekend.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Will Middlebrooks.  Career night for Will last night as he smashed 2 homers and drove in 7.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Dustin Pedroia.  The only starter without a hit last night.  Dustin was 0 for 5.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Will Middlebrooks’ 3-run homer in the top of the 5^th to push the Sox out in front 10-4.

NEXT

Friday, September 27th, in Baltimore vs. the Orioles.

GAME 158 – 9/24/2013 – in Colorado vs. the Rockies

RESULT – LOSS 8-3

The Red Sox will not win 100 games, a feat they haven’t achieved since 1946.  Yesterday’s loss was their 63^rd of the season as the Rockies defeat the Sox 8-3 in the thin air of Coors Field.

But with only 4 games left, the quest for the best record in the American League remains.  The Oakland Athletics lost as well last night to the Angels so the Red Sox lead remains at 1 game.

John Lackey wasn’t sharp Tuesday night.  He went 6 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits while walking 1 and striking out 5.  The most alarming line of the night was the 3 homers he let up.  They were all solo homers and the Sox are in Colorado but it’s a little bit alarming to see 3 balls leave the yard off of Lackey this late in the season.  His command was definitely off as he left a lot of balls up in the zone and professional hitters, yes even the Rockies, are going to crush those pitches.

The bullpen was a bit shaky as well in the loss, Drake Britton faced only one batter in the 7^th and promptly gave up a double to him.  That run would come around to score so his line was ugly.  No innings, 1 hit and 1 run allowed.  Brandon Workman then came in and dumped gasoline on the fire going only 1/3 of an inning giving up 3 runs on 3 hits while walking 1.  Workman is trying to nail down a reliever role in the postseason but this outing isn’t going to do him any favors.

Franklin Morales went 2/3 of an inning giving up 0 runs on 0 hits while walking and striking out 1.  Rubby De La Rosa went the last inning giving up 1 hit and 1 walk but worked around it and didn’t give up any more runs.

Offensively, the Sox weren’t very good.  They scored 3 runs on 7 hits while leaving 6 men on base and going 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

Jarrod Saltalamaccia went 1 for 4 with a run scored, 2 RBI and his 14^th homer of the season.  Will Middlebrooks went 1 for 4 with a run scored and a double as Jackie Bradley Jr., Shane Victorino, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Quintin Berry all had singles that went for nothing in the contest.  Ortiz also walked once.

It was a pretty dismal night as the Sox could not get anything going against Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood.  They did get to the bullpen but by then it was too late.

While a 100-win season would have been a nice thing to have for the Red Sox, a World Series trophy would be better.  With 4 games left, they are in the driver’s seat and need to play a little better to seal up home field advantage.  With a little help, hopefully going into this weekend, they won’t have to worry.

They’ll be back at it again tonight for the end of the quick 2 game series against the Rockies, as the Red Sox will send Jake Peavy (11-5, 4.02) to the mound against the Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin (14-9, 3.21).  Chacin has been the Rockies best starter all year long.  It’s going to be a tough battle to take a split out there in Colorado but the Sox need to salvage one game before coming back East.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Salty went 1 for 4 with the only offense for the Red Sox on the night.  His 2-run homer was his 14^th of the season and he continues to have a fantastic year for the Sox.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Brandon Workman.  Workman, who’s trying to earn a postseason roster spot, looked horrible in the loss.  He went only 1/3 of an inning and gave up 3 hits, a walk and more importantly 3 runs.  He single handedly put the game out of reach for the Red Sox.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Michael Cuddyer’s 2 run single in the bottom of the 7^th that put the game out of reach at 8-1.

NEXT

Wednesday, September 25th, in Colorado vs. the Rockies.

GAME 157 – 9/22/2013 – at Home vs. the Toronto Blue Jays

RESULT – WIN 5-2

The Red Sox will most likely need only 4 starting pitchers in the playoffs, and they probably know who those 4 pitchers are.  With that being said, Felix Doubront is most likely on the outside looking in and this was likely his last start of 2013.  The good news, it was a really good one.

Doubront kept the Blue Jays off-balance as he went 7 innings and allowed only 2 runs on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2.  The Sox cruised to a 5-2 win in their final regular-season game at Fenway Park this season.

The 25-year old lefty worked his 5^th start of the season in which he went at least 7 innings.  He only did it twice in 2012 and seems to be getting better each season.  He’ll be in the bullpen next week and his postseason roster spots still remains uncertain but I would say they keep him in case they need someone for long relief.  He’s been pretty reliable all season long and I can’t see him not making the playoff roster.

A lot of people forget that this is only Doubront’s 2^nd full season in the Majors.  He dropped his ERA this year from 4.36 to 4.08 and cut his home runs allowed almost in half.  He allowed 24 homers in 161 innings last year, but just 13 in 161 this year.  I see him in the starting rotation again next year, but you never know.  His value is definitely high right now and the Sox have somewhat of a stockpile in starting rotation arms.  Perhaps we see him traded during the offseason?

Franklin Morales pitched around some trouble in the only inning he pitched as he didn’t let up a run but allowed 2 hits while walking 1 and striking out 1.  Koji Uehara pitched a perfect 9^th inning for his 21^st save of the year.  He struck out 1 and has a 1.12 ERA this season.

The Sox had 5 runs on 6 hits and were 2 for 4 with runners in scoring position.  They only left 1 man on base but didn’t exactly have a ton of opportunities.

David Ortiz went 2 for 4 with a run scored, an RBI and his 29^th homer of the season.  He also had his 27^th double of the season in the win.  Jackie Bradley Jr. went 1 for 3 with a run scored, 3 RBI and his 3^rd homer of the season.  Bradley Jr. is 5 for 10 with a double and a homer in his last 3 games filling in for the injured Ellsbury.  Ellsbury could return as early as Wednesday but Bradley seems to be filling in nicely.

Ryan Lavarnway went 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI.  Stephen Drew went 1 for 2 with a run scored and a walk.  Daniel Nava also went 1 for 3 with a run scored.

The biggest take-away offensively for the Sox was that 4 of their 5 runs came with 2 outs.  That’s big going forward.  Nothing like scoring runs with 2-outs.

At 95-62, the Sox have the best record in the American League, and they are up 2 on the A’s in the win column for the best record.  They finished with a 53-28 record at home, so I feel it’s very important to have home-field advantage going forward.

The Sox will have an off-day before traveling to Colorado for 2, then Baltimore for 3 to end the season.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jackie Bradley Jr.  He’s been great filling in for Ellsbury and supplied the big hit on Sunday afternoon.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Shane Victorino.  Victorino was bad at the dish on Sunday going 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Jackie Bradley’s big 3 run homer in the bottom of the 2^nd with 2 outs.  It gave the Sox a 4-1 lead and really set the tone for the rest of the game.

NEXT

Tuesday, September 24th, in Colorado vs. the Rockies.

GAME 156 – 9/21/2013 – at Home vs. the Toronto Blue Jays

RESULT – LOSS 4-2

Clay Buchholz took another step in toward full recovery on Saturday night as he pitched 106 pitches in his return from a bursa sac injury that kept him out 3 months.  Though the Red Sox dropped a 4-2 decision to the Jays Saturday afternoon, Buchholz’s progress trumped the outcome.

In his 3^rd start since his return, Buchholz went 6 strong innings, giving up 3 runs (only 2 were earned) on 6 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2.  Even though he gave up 3 runs, he pitched better than that.  Through the first 3 innings, Buchholz was brilliant and was perfect and he looked like he turned the clock back to his brilliant April.  Then some defensive miscues and spotty command cost him a few runs in the 4^th.

While the Red Sox have been impressed with Buchholz’s power and pitch sharpness, his command has been spotty and continues to be a work in progress.  John Farrell says he hopes that Buchholz can work that out in his next start in Baltimore.

In 17 innings since his return from the DL, Clay has allowed just 11 hits while striking out 11, walking 7 and posting a 1.06 ERA.

Drake Britton and Ryan Dempster both pitched scoreless innings out of the pen.  Britton allowed 1 hit and struck out a batter while Dempster walked a batter, let up a hit and struck out 1 as well.  Matt Thornton went 2/3 of an inning giving up 1 run on 1 hit while walking 2.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I have absolutely no faith in Thornton and I hope he is left off of the playoff roster.  Rubby De La Rosa got the final out for the Sox.

On the offensive side, the Red Sox had a thin lineup going and they couldn’t get much going against crafty veteran lefty Mark Buehrle who has done very well against them this year.  He has a 3.31 ERA in 5 starts against them this season.

They could muster only 2 runs on 5 hits on the night.  They were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left 4 men on base.  Stephen Drew, who was batting leadoff, went 2 for 4 with a run scored.  Shane Victorino went 1 for 2 and was hit by a pitch for the 18^th time this season.  Jonny Gomes went 1 for 4 with an RBI and David Ross went 1 for 3 with an RBI.  For the first time in a long time, the Red Sox didn’t walk at all in the ball game.  Amazing, for a team this patient.

Maybe it was the hangover from their first AL East crown since 2007 but there is still home field advantage at stake.  They own a 1 and ½ game lead over the Oakland Athletics and need to play better baseball going forward.

They’ll be back at it again on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match as the Sox send Felix Doubront to the mound to face R.A. Dickey.  Let’s hope they can get yet another series win.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Stephen Drew.  Drew, batting leadoff, had 2 hits and a run scored in the dismal offense that was displayed Saturday evening.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Will Middlebrooks.  He went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts on the night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

In the bottom of the 6^th, the Red Sox had a really good chance at getting back into the game.  With only 1 out and a run already in, Daniel Nava came to the plate with runners on 1^st and 3^rd.  A single would pull them within 1.  Nava grounded into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.

NEXT

Sunday, September 22nd, at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.

GAME 155 – 9/20/2013 – at Home vs. the Toronto Blue Jays

RESULT – WIN 6-3

They covered everything in plastic tarps.  Corks were popped; crushed beer cans littered the clubhouse rug.  The Boston Red Sox had won the American League East.

In a storybook season, the Red Sox reached their first destination with a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.  Next up is home field advantage, then ultimately World Series Champions.

Jon Lester looked great yet again and has continued to rebound his season with his 13th start of at least 7 innings while allowing 2 or fewer runs.  Lester went 7 strong innings, giving up only 1 run on 5 hits while walking only 2 and striking out 8.  The only thing that went wrong was that Lester’s pitch count was extremely high at 123 pitches and he really wanted to go back out in the 8^th.  Its better that he didn’t, need to rest that arm for the playoffs Jon.

In the top of the 4^th, Jon received some help from Will Middlebrooks to escape a jam that could have given the Jays a huge advantage.  With bases loaded and no outs, the Sox brought the infield in against Anthony Gose.  Gose then hit a sharp ground ball to 3^rd where Middlebrooks fielded the ball, stepped on 3^rd then threw to Salty who applied the tag for the 5-2-5-2 double play.  Lester then struck out J.P. Arencibia to end the threat.

Junichi Tazawa pitched 1/3 of an inning and looked absolutely terrible.  He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits, including a homer.  He was rightfully pulled for Koji Uehara who got the 5 out save.  He let up 2 hits but also struck out 2 for his 20^th save of the season.

The offense was pretty good in the win as they banged out 6 runs on 12 hits.  They were 5 for 13 with runners in scoring position but did leave 8 men on base.  Dustin Pedroia went 3 for 5 with a run scored, an RBI and his 42^nd double of the year.  He’s been very good out of the lead-off spot in Jacoby Ellsbury’s absence.  Daniel Nava went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored from the 2 hole.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2 for 4 and Jackie Bradley Jr. went 2 for 4 with a run scored.  Bradley has been hitting the ball lately and that will definitely be a bonus if Ellsbury can not return this season.

David Ortiz went 1 for 2 with a run scored, an RBI and 2 walks.  Mike Carp went 1 for 3 with 3 RBI and a walk and Will Middlebrooks went 1 for 4 with a run scored and his 3^rd stolen base of the season.  Stephen Drew walked once on the night and Mike Napoli walked twice.

The offense was ultra-patient as always and knocked the pitcher out of the game before the 5^th inning for the 39^th time this season, tied for the most in the Majors.  With the AL East crown, the Sox became the second American League team since 1994 to win a division after being in the cellar the previous year.

There will be more baseball to be played.  In fact, the Sox have a full week left on the schedule to fine tune their pitching and work on hitting with runners in scoring position.  They’ll be back at it again on Saturday with Clay Buchholz taking the hill for the Sox.  He’ll be opposed by veteran lefty Mark Buehrle.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jon Lester.  Lester was brilliant again as he went 7 strong innings striking out 8.  It was yet another quality start and his turnaround from his mid-season troubles has been just what the Sox needed to get where they’ve gotten.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Junichi Tazawa.  Tazawa was brutal in the 8^th and makes you question giving him the baseball in high pressure situations.  Give me Morales or Breslow any time over him.

PLAY OF THE GAME

The double-play turned in by Middlebrooks in the top of the 4^th that I described above.  It really swung momentum the other way.

NEXT

Saturday, September 21st, at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.

GAME 154 – 9/19/2013 – at Home vs. the Baltimore Orioles

RESULT – WIN 3-1

I was surprised to see John Lackey come out of the dugout at the start of the 9^th inning.  Not because his pitch count was high but because John Farrell usually goes to Koji in those situations.  The crowd kicked it up a notch when he stepped out though, and were ridiculously loud those final 3 outs.

This was perhaps Lackey’s finest moment in a Red Sox uniform.  The Red Sox clinched their first postseason berth since 2009 and their 21^st overall appearance in the postseason with a 3-1 victory over the Orioles.

Though the Sox have their eyes on the bigger prize, the AL East crown and the best record in the league, it was still significant to punch a ticket to October.  The Rays ended up losing to the Rangers so the magic number is down to just 1 game.  With any luck, the Sox could clinch tonight with a win or Ray’s loss.

John Lackey was simply brilliant.  He had a no-hitter going for 6 and 1/3 innings but Adam Jones broke it up with a homer over the Green Monster.  It was really his only mistake of the the night.  His final line was a complete game, 1 run on 2 hits, just 2 walks while striking out 8.  He needed only 113 pitches to get through the entire game.  It was his best outing as a Red Sox and his first complete game since 2009.

With his performance, the Red Sox avoided being swept at Fenway Park.  They haven’t been swept at Fenway at all this year and have only one more series.  The Sox elected not to celebrate last night, instead waiting to clinch the AL East.  I like that idea.  That’s the main goal.  Win the division then ultimately win the World Series.

Good thing Lackey was brilliant because the Sox didn’t have much offense.  They mustered only 3 runs on 7 hits while leaving 6 men on base and going 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Stephen Drew had the big bat going 2 for 3 with a run, 2 RBI, his 7^th triple of the year and his 13^th homer.  Dustin Pedroia went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Jackie Bradley Jr. went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a double.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 1 for 4 with a run scored and a double.

David Ortiz walked once as did Daniel Nava.  That was it for offense in this tightly contested matchup.

The Toronto Blue Jays will come into Fenway Park for the final home series of the season tonight.  Jon Lester (14-8, 3.75) will take the hill for the Red Sox and he’ll be opposed by Esmil Rogers (5-7, 4.47).  Lester has been fantastic in his last 8 starts not allowing more than 3 earned runs and going at least 6 innings.  In his last outing against the Jays he went 6 and 1/3 innings and gave up just 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3 and walking 2.  Rogers has been pretty good as of late, shining in his last 3 starts as he’s allowed only 3 earned runs.  In his last start against the Sox, he went 6 innings giving up 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 6 and walking 1.

Let’s go Sox, clinch the AL East tonight and get those beards wet.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

John Lackey.  Lackey has been great all year but hasn’t gotten any run support.  He wouldn’t need a lot last night as the goes the complete game and gives up just 1 run on 2 hits.  He was brilliant, the best I’ve seen him in 3 years.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Mike Napoli.  Napoli’s been hot all September but last night he went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

PLAY OF THE GAME

The last out of the game, Lackey got Adam Jones, who homered earlier in the game, to fly out to right to end the night and clinch a postseason berth for the Red Sox.

NEXT

Friday, September 20^th, at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.

GAME 153 – 9/18/2013 – at Home vs. the Baltimore Orioles

RESULT – LOSS 5-3 (12 innings)

For the 2^nd straight night, the Red Sox just couldn’t get that big hit when they needed it.  They dropped their 2^nd in a row to the O’s in 12 innings by the score of 5-3.

It stinks because the Indians lost, which meant the Sox would have clinched a postseason birth with a win but a win or another Indians loss will do the trick.  The magic number to clinch the AL East is still at 3 as the Rays won.  The earliest they can clinch that is now Friday if everything were to go well.

Jake Peavy turned in a solid start as he went 7 strong innings giving up just 3 runs on 6 hits while walking only 1 and striking out 8.  He has changed his arm angle back to the lower slot he was using during his Padre days when he won his Cy Young Award for the last 2 games and he has to be pumped with the positive results.  The 8 strikeouts were great and the only 1 walk was a lot better than his last time out when he walked 5.

Craig Breslow worked 2/3 of an inning giving up just 1 hit and Junichi Tazawa was brilliant in his 1 and 1/3 innings giving up nothing and striking out 1 of the 4 batters he faced.  Koji Uehara went 1 inning getting all 3 batters he faced as well, striking out 1.  Franklin Morales went 2 innings and ended up giving up the winning runs as he let up 2 runs on 3 his while walking 1.  Morales’ first inning went great but he just couldn’t get it done in his 2^nd inning of relief as Chris Davis touched him up for a 2-run single to give the O’s the lead and the win.

The story of the game was missed opportunities for the offense.  They were just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 9 men on base.  Unfortunately it seemed like they were hitting balls right at people last night as they grounded into 4 double plays.  You won’t win many games ending innings hitting into double plays.

Overall, the Sox had 3 runs on 15 hits.  If you get 15 hits in a ball game, you should be able to win the game but leaving that many people on base will get you nowhere.

Shane Victorino went 3 for 5 with a run scored and Will Middlebrooks went 3 for 4 with a walk.  David Ortiz went 2 for 6 with 2 RBI and his 28^th homer of the season and Mike Napoli went 1 for 5 with an RBI and his 23^rd homer of the season.  Both homers were absolute bombs.

Dustin Pedroia went 2 for 6 and hit his 40^th double of the season while Gomes, Carp, Drew and Saltalamacchia each added a hit in the loss.

It was a disappointing night at Fenway but as I stated earlier they did get 1 game closer to the playoffs as the Indians dropped their ball game.  Let’s hope tonight they can clinch a postseason birth and inch a little closer to the AL East crown.

The Sox will send John Lackey (9-12, 3.56) to the mound against Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.70).  Lackey hasn’t been himself in his last 2 outings as he’s given up 11 runs in just 12 innings.  He did get a win in one of those games but he needs to have a better showing tonight.  Tillman has been the O’s best pitcher this season and has been consistent all year long.  He took a loss in his last outing against the Blue Jays but did go 8 strong innings.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

David Ortiz.  Ortiz had 2 hits and 2 RBI in the loss Wednesday night.  One of his hits was his 28^th homer of the season.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Daniel Nava.  Nava’s not usually in the LVP section of the blog but his 0 for 4 performances with 2 strikeouts wasn’t a good showing last night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Chris Davis’ 2-run single in the top of the 12^th with 2 outs to give the O’s the game.

NEXT

Thursday, September 19^th, at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

GAME 152 – 9/17/2013 – at Home vs. the Baltimore Orioles

RESULT – LOSS 3-2

Well, it was bound to happen, and if it was going to happen, mine as well be now instead of the playoffs.  Koji Uehara, who’s been perfect for weeks now, finally had an off-night as the Orioles beat him 3-2 at Fenway Park.

When Uehara entered in the top of the ninth, the game was tied at 2.  He had retired 37 straight batters dating all the way back to August 17^th and hadn’t allowed a run even further back, since June 30^th.

The streak ended when Danny Valencia led off the inning with a triple that just ticked off the glove of center-fielder Shane Victorino.  Matt Wieters then followed with a sacrifice fly to right and the Orioles had the lead.

After the game, Shane Victorino expressed frustration as he thought he could have caught the ball. “Every ball is catchable,” Victorino said.  “You know what I mean?  That’s how I look at it.  It eats at me that I came that close and I didn’t catch it.  That makes me more upset.  I got that far and I don’t catch it.  That’s the part that eats at me.  Every ball that’s hit, I look at it as I should catch it.”

The Sox mounted a little comeback in the bottom of the ninth but ultimately fell short.  Saltalamacchia singled with one out but Jim Johnson got Drew to ground-out weakly and struck out Bogaerts to end the game.

The Sox just didn’t hit on Tuesday night.  They had only 3 hits on the entire night and were 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position.  They left 7 men on base and just couldn’t do anything against O’s relievers and starter Scott Feldman.

Dustin Pedroia went 1 for 4 with an RBI and his 9^th homer of the year.  Mike Carp went 1 for 4 with a double and Jarrod Saltalamacchia had the only other hit.  Mike Napoli walked twice as did Stephen Drew.  Xander Bogaerts had a sacrifice fly and a walk in the loss.

Ryan Dempster put in a solid effort as he went 6 strong innings giving up just 2 runs on 3 hits.  He struck out 5 while walking 4 and that is a bit concerning.  His 100 pitches in just 6 innings is nothing new and my bet is that he’s the one that heads to the bullpen when the playoffs come around.  He has experience in the bullpen and he’s been the least productive, next to Felix Doubront, as of late.  Nothing against Dempster though as he’s been pretty consistent all year long.

Brandon Workman worked around 2 hits in his one inning of work and struck out 1.  Craig Breslow pitched brilliantly in his 1 inning of work allowing no runs or hits.  Then Uehara went the last inning giving up that 1 hit and 1 run.  He did strike out a batter.  His ERA ballooned up to 1.18.

The Red Sox did reduce their magic number for clinching the AL East even thought they lost to just 3 games as the Rays lost to the Rangers.  Boston can clinch a playoff berth with a win Wednesday night and a loss by the Indians.  The earliest they can clinch the AL East is Thursday.  I fully expect them to clinch the AL East this weekend.

They’ll be back at it tonight as the Sox will send Jake Peavy (11-5, 4.03) to the mound against O’s starter Wei-Yin Chen (7-7, 3.99).  Chen has given the Sox fits in starts against them and hopefully the Sox can figure him out tonight.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Dustin Pedroia.  On a night where there was practically no offense, Pedroia led off the game with a homer, his 9^th of the season.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

David Ortiz.  Big Papi went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts on the night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Danny Valencia’s triple to lead off the top of the 9^th inning snapping Koji Uehara’s streak of retired batters at 37 and set in motion the loss.

NEXT

Wednesday, September 18^th, at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

GAME 151 – 9/15/2013 – at Home vs. the New York Yankees

RESULT – WIN 9-2

The Red Sox are simply playing lights-out baseball right now.  They finished off a sweep of the Yankees Sunday night with a convincing 9-2 victory in the final matchup of the season between the two long standing rivals.

Mariano Rivera, the closer of the New York Yankees, in his final year of his illustrious career was honored on the field before the game.  A very class act by the Red Sox and unfortunately the crowd didn’t get to see Mo at all this series.  I was really hoping Girardi would put him in but with the game nowhere close, I see why he didn’t.

Clay Buchholz was good enough in his 2^nd start since coming off the DL.  He didn’t have his best stuff and struggled most of the night but improved to 11-0 on the year with a simply ridiculous 1.51 ERA.  It’s the first time a Red Sox pitcher has started the season 11-0 since Roger Clemens back in 1986.

Buchholz went 6 innings giving up 1 run (unearned) on just 2 hits.  He struck out 3 while walking 4.  He seemed to get into a lot of deep counts and lost a couple 3-2 battles.  He seemed upset with himself on 3 of the 4 walks as you could tell he wanted to make a better pitch.  Luckily the offense was out in full force and the bullpen is just nasty right now behind him.

Matt Thornton was first out and went 1 inning giving up 2 hits while striking out 1.  Craig Breslow pitched a brilliant 8^th inning striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced.  Allen Webster pitched the last inning and allowed 1 run on 1 hit while walking 1.  Webster didn’t do himself any favors as he hasn’t pitched well in the majors this year.

The Sox were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position; which is great but they still left 8 men on base.  They had 4 2-out RBI with Mike Napoli and Dustin Pedroia each driving in 2 with 2 otus.

Daniel Nava had the hot bat going 4 for 5 with a run scored, an RBI and 2 doubles.  Mike Napoli went 1 for 3 with his 22^nd homer of the year.  He drove in 2 and now has 89 RBI on the year; he also walked once.  Dustin Pedroia went 1 for 3 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and 2 walks out of the leadoff spot.  Xander Bogaerts went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, a walk, his 2^nd double of the year and hi 1^st career stolen base.

Salty went 1 for 4 with a run scored and another stolen base; his 3^rd of the year.  Jackie Bradley Jr. went 0 for 3 but scored a run as he was hit by a pitch.  David Ortiz went 2 for 4 with a run scored, 2 RBI and a walk.

The win gave the Sox a 13-6 series advantage against the Yanks this year.  Mike Napoli certainly was the Yankee killer this year, batting .375 against them with 7 homers and 20 RBI.

With only 11 games remaining on the season, the Sox lead the AL East by 9 and ½ games.  Their magic number is at 4 and they own the best record in the majors at 92-59.  They are 17-4 since August 24^th.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Daniel Nava.  The unsung hero of the Red Sox this year improved his average to .306 while collecting 4 hit, 2 of them doubles and driving in a run, his 63^rd of the year.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Stephen Drew.  Drew went 0 for 4 on the night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Mike Napoli’s 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1^st that put the Sox up 3-1.  They would continue the scoring for the rest of the night.

NEXT

Tuesday, September 17^th, at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

GAME 150 – 9/14/2013 – at Home vs. the New York Yankees

RESULT – WIN 5-1

Can we officially say Jon Lester is back in top form again?  In Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Yanks, he was aggressive and almost flawless as he improved to 14-8 and lowered his ERA to 3.75.

Jon Lester went 8 strong innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits.  He struck out 5 and walked 2.  The credit for his turnaround seems to be the fact that he’s attacking hitters more aggressively now.  He’s not nibbling and trying to get corners.  It shows because he has only allowed 5 total runs in 23 innings in his last 3 starts.  With Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy and John Lackey all performing well, a rejuvenated Jon Lester makes this pitching staff downright scary.

The only time a runner made it past 2^nd base all night was on a ball that Curtis Granderson hit that to center that turned around Shane Victorino.  Granderson would score on a groundout but that would be the only time a runner would see third or home plate.  Simply outstanding job by Lester Saturday.

Franklin Morales pitched the final frame of the game and got out the 3 hitters he faced pretty easily.

Offensively the Sox had 5 runs on 9 hits.  They were better with runners in scoring position with a 4 for 14 showing.  Unfortunately they did leave 8 men on base but the way Lester was pitching; they only needed a couple runs on the day.

Mike Napoli went 2 for 2 with 2 runs and 2 walks.  Jonny Gomes went 2 for 2 with an RBI, a double and 2 walks.  Shane Victorino added 2 his of his own while driving in a run and stealing his 21^st base of the year.  David Ortiz went 1 for 4 with a run scored, an RBI and his 36^th double of the season.  Dustin Pedroia went 1 for 5 with a run scored and David Ross went 1 for 3 with a run scored and a walk.

Daniel Ross went 0 for 2 but drove in a run and Will Middlebrooks went 0 for 4 with an RBI.  Bogaerts walked once in the win.

The Sox will go for the sweep of their rivals Sunday night with Clay Buchholz taking the hill against Nova.  Their magic number is down to just 5 and if the Sox can pull off the sweep, they can really hamper New York’s postseason plans.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jon Lester.  Lester was dominant and is heating up just at the right time of year.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Will Middlebrooks.  Will did drive in a run but took another 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts.  He’s not hitting right now and may be due for some bench time to clear his head.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Jonny Gomes’ single in the bottom of the 3^rd that drove in the Sox’s 3^rd run of the game.

NEXT

Sunday, September 15^th, at home against the New York Yankees.

GAME 149 – 9/13/2013 – at Home vs. the New York Yankees

RESULT – WIN 8-4

The Red Sox are simply on fire right now.  Every time they need a big hit, it seems to come, no matter who is at the dish.

In Friday night’s 8-4 win over their archrivals, the big hit came from Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Salty crushed a grand slam over the Boston bullpen with one out in the bottom of the 7^th that broke the back of the Yankees and eventually gave them the 8-4 win.

The game was tied at that point and Fenway was rocking after Salty’s blast.  It was deafening to hear even on TV.  The win lowered Boston’s magic number to clinch the AL East to 7 and it was their 90^th win of the season, tops in the majors.

The Sox banged out 8 runs on 11 hits but were again terrible with runners in scoring position going 3 for 14 with 8 men left on base.  This is an area that has been a concern for most of the year and somehow they are still winning games.

Salty went 2 for 3 on the night with his 36^th double, 13^th homer, 4 RBI (59 on the year) and he also walked once.  David Ortiz went 2 for 3 with 2 runs, 2 doubles (35 on the year) and a walk.  Dustin Pedroia went 2 for 5 with a run out of the leadoff spot and Stephen Drew went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and 2 doubles (27 on the year for him).

Shane Victorino chipped in with a hit and Mike Carp drove in a run on the night.  Jonny Gomes went 0 for 1 but walked once.  Daniel Nava stayed hot, going 2 for 4 with a run and RBI, his 61^st RBI of the season.

John Lackey was alright in the win and I feel that John Farrell actually pulled him too early.  In the 7^th, the Sox were clinging to a 4-2 lead and Lackey gave up back-to-back singles to Brendan Ryan and Chris Stewart with one out.  Farrell lifted Lackey who was only at 82 pitches.

Craig Breslow would come on and strike out Granderson but he then walked A-Rod and then proceeded to give up a game-tying double to Robinson Cano.

With only 82 pitches, I think Lackey deserved a chance to get Granderson and A-Rod.  Lackey’s final line was 6 and 1/3 innings, 4 runs on 7 hits with 3 strikeouts.  He didn’t walk any and I feel had a lot still left in the tank.  Farrell knows his staff better and maybe Granderson owns Lackey.  I didn’t see their head-to-head stats.

Brandon Workman took the win after pitching an inning and a third of scoreless ball.  Junichi Tazawa went 1 inning with no runs and Koji Uehara slammed the door closed in the top of the 9^th with a 1-2-3 inning.

They’ll go at it again this afternoon as the Sox send Jon Lester to the hill to face C.C. Sabathia.  It should be a good one as Lester has been hot as of late and Sabathia just hasn’t been right this year.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Salty is on fire right now.  His grand slam in the 7^th broke the game wide open.  He also added his 36^th double of the season and is having one of his most productive seasons of his career.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Will Middlebrooks.  Will went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and seems to be in the midst of a mini-slump.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Salty’s grand salami in the 7^th.

NEXT

Saturday, September 14^th, at home against the New York Yankees.

GAME 148 – 9/12/2013 – in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays

RESULT – LOSS 4-3

With the Sox down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth and runners on 1^st and 2^nd after a single by Drew and walk by Carp, Will Middlebrooks stepped to the plate for a chance to tie up the game.  If you remember, back on May 16^th, Middlebrooks was up in the same situation against the Rays and Fernando Rodney and delivered a bases-clearing double to give the Sox one of their signature comeback wins on the season.

This time, Middlebrooks hit an absolute missile to third base but this line drive was snagged by Evan Longoria and the Rays escaped the sweep by the score of 4-3 in Tampa Bay.

The Red Sox ended their road trip 5-2 against 2 very good teams in the Yankees and Rays and remain in a great position to win the AL East as they hold a 8 ½ game lead with only 14 games left.

Offensively, the Sox left a lot of runs out on the base paths as they were just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and they stranded 7 men.  Stephen Drew went 2 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and his 25^th double of the season.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 1 for 3 with an RBI, walk and his 12^th homer of the season; he also stole his 2^nd base of the year as well.  David Ortiz added his 27^th homer of the year and also walked in the game.

Dustin Pedroia and Daniel Nava had the other 2 hits but the Sox only mustered 6 total hits in the game.  Xander Bogaerts had a tough game at the dish going 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.  Johnny Gomes and Mike Napoli both went 0 for 4 and also had 2 strikeouts.  Mike Carp had a walk in his pitch hit opportunity.  They weren’t going to let him win the game 2 nights in a row.

Jake Peavy wasn’t sharp for the Sox.  He went 6 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4 and walking 5.  His command was off and it made him throw a lot of pitches, 104 in 6 innings.  Peavy doesn’t usually walk that many so hopefully he’ll get that issue under control before his next start.  Credit the Rays for being patient and working Peavy deep into counts.

Drake Britton pitched 1 and 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.  Rubby De La Rosa took the loss as he gave up the winning run on 2 hits in just 1/3 of an inning.  He missed badly to Evan Longoria who hit a ground-rule double and would come around to score the winning run on a Wil Myers base-hit.  Matt Thornton got the last out of the game.

It wasn’t a sharp game offensively or pitching wise but the Sox head home with a great lead in the AL East and an opportunity to face the New York Yankees this weekend and set them back in the Wild Card.

The Sox will send John Lackey to the hill Friday night against the Yanks best starter Hiroki Kuroda.  It will be a good match-up to start the series and I personally can’t wait.  It’s nice to have both teams actually playing for something in September.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Salty went 1 for 3 with his 12^th homer of the season.  He scored 2 runs and even stole a base Thursday night.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Xander Bogaerts.  Bogaerts went 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and looked overmatched at the dish on Thursday night.  He’s young and still learning so he’s due for some of these games sometimes.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Wil Myers RBI double in the bottom of the 8^th to put the Rays up 4-3.

NEXT

Friday, September 13^th, at home against the New York Yankees.

GAME 147 – 9/11/2013 – in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays

RESULT – WIN 7-3 (10 innings)

I wonder just how productive Mike Carp would be if he had more playing time.  You never know exactly when you may see Carp, but when he does play, be it for a spot start or a late inning pinch-hitting appearance, he usually delivers.

John Farrell sent Mike Carp up with the bases loaded in the top of the 10^th on Wednesday night at Tropicana against the Rays and Carp rewarded him with a game-breaking grand slam to upend the Rays 7-3.  It was the first pitch Carp saw and his 2^nd career grand salami.

It was the first pinch-hit grand slam for the Red Sox since Kevin Millar did it back on June 7, 2003 in Milwaukee.  Carp’s was the first pinch-hit, extra-inning grand slam in team history.

The offense before that left a lot of opportunities on the field.  They were 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 6 men on base.  Dustin Pedroia, filling in for Jacoby Ellsbury at the top of the lineup, went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a walk.  Daniel Nava went 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Shane Victorino, Stephen Drew and Jackie Bradley Jr. all had a hit in the win.  Mike Napoli remained red hot going 1 for 3 with a run scored, 2 RBI, 2 walks and his 36^th double of the year.

Ryan Dempster pitched so-so as he had way too many pitches, 106, for his 5 innings of work.  The problem Wednesday night was walks as he walked 5.  He struck out 7 and gave up 1 run on 4 hits.  Like I said, he didn’t look bad, in fact, he came up with some big punch-outs when he needed them, and the problem was the walks.  You can’t give good hitting team free base-runners.  Luckily the 5 walks came against the weak hitting Rays lineup.

Franklin Morales looked fantastic in his 1 inning of work, getting all 3 batters he faced.  Brandon Workman struggled in his 2 innings of work giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and coughing up the 2-run lead.  He did strike out 4 and only walk 1 but the homer he gave up in the bottom of the 8^th to tie the game could have easily been a back breaker.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless inning in the 9^th, striking out 2 which extended his score-less innings streak to 34 batters.  He earned the win; his 4^th of the season and his 34 straight batters retired is now the longest in team history.  He passed Ellis Kinder, who retired 32 straight in 1952.

Junichi Tazawa pitched around a walk in the 10^th while striking out 1 to close out the game.  Again, a little shaky for Tazawa but he rebounded to get the final outs of the game.

With 15 games left in the season, the Sox are now 89-58 and own the best record in baseball.  They extended their lead in the AL East to 9 and ½ games and their magic number to clinch is down to just 8 games.

They’ll go for the sweep tonight as they send Jake Peavy (11-5, 4.01) to the mound against the Rays Jeremy Hellickson (11-8, 5.04).  Peavy has been all he’s been advertised since he’s come over and let’s hope he can pitch well tonight to send the Rays in a downward spiral.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Mike Carp.  Carp’s 9^th homer of the year was a big one.  A pinch-hit grand salami to give the Sox the win in extras.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Will Middlebrooks.  Will went 0 for 5 and left 5 men on base himself.  He looked lost up there on Wednesday night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Carp’s 10^th inning pinch-hit grand slam.

NEXT

Thursday, September 12th, in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays.

GAME 146 – 9/10/2013 – in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays

RESULT – WIN 2-0

Usually when a pitcher comes off the DL, I fully expect him to struggle through his first couple of outings.  When a pitcher is coming off the DL after not pitching for 3 months, I expect him to really struggle in his first couple of starts.  But somehow, Clay Buchholz did the opposite.

In an impressive return to action, the fragile right-hander tossed five shutout innings, giving the Sox a 2-0 victory over the Rays on Tuesday night.

Buchholz allowed just 3 hits and a walk while striking out 6 as he outdueled the Rays ace pitcher.  Since he’s been out for so long, Buchholz was removed from the game after only 74 pitches.  The Sox have to be cautious with him right now and build up his arm strength for the playoffs.

Clay improved to 10-0 on the year and lowered his ERA to 1.61.  He gave the Red Sox fans a sense of excitement yesterday because he can be a real cog in the engine down the stretch run and into October.

Craig Breslow worked 2 scoreless frames in relief of Buchholz.  He walked 2 but worked around both free passes.  He’s been Boston’s most under-rated reliever as he lowered his ERA to 2.01.  Junichi Tazawa came on in the 8^th and after getting the first 2 batters out, including a strikeout, he gave up a double to Yunel Escobar.  John Farrell wasting no time, brought in his super closer Koji Uehara for the 4 out save.

Koji did not disappoint as he retired all 4 batters he faced, striking out 2 of them.  It was his 19^th save of the year and he’s just been dominant as of late.  It was the 4^th time he notched a 4-out save and he has retired 31 straight batters.  He lowered is ERA to a ridiculous 1.10 on the year.  Of the 13 pitches Uehara threw, 12 of them were strikes.  He’s just in a crazy zone right now.

Offensively, there was nothing to write home about as David Price kept the Boston bats in check for most of the night.  The Sox only got 4 men into scoring position and were 1 for 4 in those opportunities.  They only left 3 men on base because Price simply wasn’t letting people on base.

The only scoring in the entire game came in the top of the 5^th, when Mike Napoli led off the inning with a double, his 35^th of the year.  Jonny Gomes then singled up the middle to plate Napoli and advanced to 2^nd on Desmond Jennings bad throw to the plate.  Daniel Nava moved Gomes to 3^rd on a great sacrifice bunt and Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in Nava with a deep fly to center field.  Middlebrooks would end the inning with a strikeout but the damage was done, the Sox had a 2-0 advantage and would cruise the rest of the way to the victory.

Napoli also added a walk and was 1 for 3 with a run on the night.  Gomes was 1 for 4 with a run and an RBI.  Dustin Pedroia had a hit and stole his 17^th base of the year.  Daniel Nava had the only other hit on the night.  That was it on the night as Price fanned 9 and was fantastic except for that 1 inning.

The win increased Boston’s lead in the AL East to 8 and ½ games and the magic number for the Sox to clinch is now down to 10.  The Sox are 13-3 since August 24^th and have seemed to actually got hot in September instead of their recent couple of years where they’ve been absolutely terrible.

They’ll go at it again tonight at the Trop with Ryan Dempster (8-9, 4.79) taking the hill against Alex Cobb (8-3, 2.99).  Dempster has been good in his last 2 starts since the “rest” he took after he was suspended for 5 games.  Cobb was roughed up a bit in his last start but had 4 great starts before that after his stint on the DL after he was drilled by a line drive to the head.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Clay Buchholz.  After not pitching for 3 months, I didn’t expect a 5-inning shut out with 6 strikeouts in his first start.  The most impressive inning to me was the bottom of the fifth when he retired the side in order after the Sox gave him the lead.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Stephen Drew.  Drew went 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts in the win and looked overmatched against David Price.  Price will do that to you.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Salty’s 8 pitch at bat in the top of the 5^th that resulted in a sacrifice fly and the Sox 2^nd run of the game.  He really showed poise in that at-bat and got the Sox an extra insurance run that they ultimately wouldn’t need.

NEXT

Wednesday, September 11th, in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays.

GAME 145 – 9/8/2013 – in New York vs. the Yankees

RESULT – LOSS 4-3

The Red Sox came oh-so close to their 1^st sweep at Yankee Stadium in 74 years but the Yanks were able to rebound and squeak out a win 4-3 in the Bronx.

I thought the Sox would do it again but they came up just a little short.  The Yankees went to Mariano Rivera for a 2-inning save and things went smoothly in the 8^th as he retired the side with no runs.  Will Middelbrooks tied it up in the ninth however with an opposite field homer.  When the game is close, you can’t count them out.  They show that continually.  Rivera would get out of the inning and the Yanks would bail him out in the bottom half of the inning.

Ichiro Suzuki started the rally with a one-out single to center against Brandon Workman.  He then stole second and moved to third on a Vernon Wells flyout.  With Alfonso Soriano up at the plate, Workman sailed a wild pitch up and over the glove of Saltalamacchia.  The ball went all the way to the backstop and kicked off in a way that Suzuki could waltz home.  It’s a tough way to lose a ballgame.

Jon Lester took the hill for the Red Sox and pitched pretty well.  He went 8 innings giving up 3 runs on 10 hits while walking 1 and striking out 6.  He gave up a lot of hits but was able to get out of a lot of jams.  The Sox offense which has been great as of late was calmed down by Kuroda and Lester had to deal with only 3 runs of support.  He took the no-decision but pitched well enough for a win.

The offense was finally held in check for the 1^st time in 4 games.  They were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 8 men on base.  There were opportunities but they couldn’t capitalize.

Jonny Gomes went 2 for 5 and David Ortiz went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 doubles.  Mike Carp went 2 for 4 with an RBI and his 16^th double of the year.  Will Middlebrooks continues his surge and went 2 for 3 with a run, a walk, an RBI and his 15^th homer of the year.  Jackie Bradley Jr. added a walk and a hit in the losing effort.

They’ll get an off day before they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Rays in a huge series.  The Sox can put themselves in the driver’s seat with a series win.  Clay Buchholz will make his first start since June on Tuesday.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Will Middlebrooks.  Middlebrooks continues his comeback season as he goes 2 for 3 with another homer.  It’s great to see Will finally doing what we thought he’d be doing all year long.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

Stephen Drew.  Drew went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts in the loss.

PLAY OF THE GAME

The wild pitch in the 9^th to lose the game.

NEXT

Tuesday, September 10th, in Tampa Bay vs. the Rays.

GAME 144 – 9/7/2013 – in New York vs. the Yankees

RESULT – WIN 13-9

The Red Sox bats were needed on Saturday afternoon as an early start as good enough to fend off the late surge put on by the Yankees.  The Sox held on for a 13-9 victory in the Bronx, giving them the series win and putting themselves in a position for a sweep of their hated rivals.

John Lackey finally got some run support.  It’s a good thing too, because Lackey wasn’t all that impressive on Saturday.  He gave up a season high 7 runs in just 5 and 2/3 innings.  It was his shortest outing since June 10^th.  His final line was hideous, 5 and 2/3 innings, 7 runs on 8 hits, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts.  He wasn’t sharp and it showed.  He fell behind a lot of hitters and the Yanks made very good contact against his fastball.  Lackey’s been pretty resilient this year and if I were a betting man, I’d say he comes out on his next start and has a great game.

Matt Thornton came in again and stunk up the place.  He pitched 1/3 of an inning and gave up 2 hits before getting an out.  I have zero confidence in Thornton right now.  Drake Britton came on for 1 and 1/3 innings and didn’t look great either.  He let up 2 runs on 2 hits with a walk.  Junichi Tazawa finally had a good outing as he went 1 inning giving up no runs or hits.  He did walk a batter though.  Craig Breslow went the last 2/3 of an inning and retired both batters he faced.

The offense is rolling right now.  They’ve scored 54 runs in the last 4 games and have homered 17 times.  It’s the most runs they’ve scored in a 4-game span since 1950 (they scored 65 in 4 games) and the most homers they’ve hit since 2003.

Jonny Gomes went 3 for 4 with 2 runs, 4 RBI, a HBP and his 12^th homer of the year.  Mike Napoli stayed red hot, going 2 for 5 with 2 runs, 3 RBI and 2 homers.  Xander Bogaerts went 2 for 4 with 2 runs, 3 RBI and his first homer of his career.  It was an absolute bomb that landed in the left-center stands over the visiting bullpen.

Every Red Sox starter had a hit.  Shane Victorino went 1 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI.  He was also hit by a pitch again, the 16^th time this season.  Dustin Pedroia went 1 for 4; David Ortiz was 1 for 4 with an RBI.  Will Middlebrooks went 2 for 4 with a run and a walk.  Jackie Bradley Jr. went 1 for 4 with 2 runs and a walk and Ryan Lavarnway went 1 for 5 with a run and a walk.

The offense was firing on all cylinders.  They were 5 for 10 with runners in scoring position and only left 4 men on base.  They keep hitting like this, they’ll be a force come playoff time.

They’ll go for the sweep today with a day game as Jon Lester will take the hill vs. Kuroda.  Kuroda has been their best starter this year but has been roughed up in his last 3 starts.

SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP

Jonny Gomes.  Gomes went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI and his 12^th homer of the year.  His value this year has been very influential.  Not just with his play on the field but his prescience in the clubhouse as well.

ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP

John Lackey.  He got the win and some run support finally but he looked like garbage last night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Mike Napoli’s solo homer in the top of the 9^th.  After the Yankees cut the lead to 3, it was nice of Mike to add some insurance late.

NEXT

Sunday, September 8th, in New York vs. the Yankees.