The Mets did not look much better than the first game of the interleague series with the Red Sox.  Despite the warm reception for Pedro, he just didn't have his stuff today, going only three innings.  Beckett in contrast had a very good game despite giving up two more home runs.  Luckily they were nobody on base for those home runs and they accounted for the only scoring for the Mets.  Beckett got his tenth win on the season, tying him with Kenny Rogers for wins in the AL. 

 

Speaking of home runs, Gonzalez hit a home run for the second game in a row.   For a guy hitting at the bottom of the line up, it is huge and shows you just how loose and hot the Sox are right now.  Of course, the Mets are not the Blue Jays. 

Jon Lester got his third win.  The Red Sox continue to dominate the NL East teams.  Good win. 

He didn't hit a walk off home run, but he did knock in the go ahead run in the 12th.  He only got one hit for the game, but what a hit.

Wakefiled pitched a solid game only to have Seanez fall to put the breaks on the bases loaded situation he inherited from Wakefield.  Papelbon blew the save by giving up a game tying run in the 9th. 

It was a weird series with the Phillies, but one that is good to be on the winning side of. 

I was trying to watch the Argentina - Mexico World Cup game while listening to the Red Sox game.  I did manage to hear Papelbon work his way out of a jam at the top of the ninth and to hear Papi's home run fly out of the park.  Good win, good game.  Too bad Schilling didn't get a decision. 

This was a very good outing for Beckett.  He did succumb to his current weakness - the long ball - giving up a 2 run homer in the seventh.  The Red Sox continued to be hot against NL pitching, putting up 10 runs, with Manny slamming 2 home runs. 

I actually got to listen to most of the game.

Lester was very good, striking out 10 and not really having to struggle through innings except the third where the Nationals scored their only run off of him.  The bullpen was not as good, with Seanez and Tavarez continuing to struggle.  Delcarmen pitched one scoreless inning, which was bright spot for the bullpen. 

Of course, Ortiz did the damage needed with a 2 out bases loaded grand slam in the second.   The bottom of the order, especially Gonzalez has helped the team keep rallies going.  He hit a single that lead to the bases loaded situation that Ortiz smacked out of the park.

A win.

A win. 

Going into the top of the 8th, the Braves thought they might be able to win one.  They had just climbed into a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 7th on Francoeur's 3 run homer.   This off of Seanez (and not on a bad pitch), the third Red Sox reliever of the inning. 

 

Then the Atlanta bullpen fell apart.  With 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, the Red Sox scored 6 runs, including a 2 run homer by Youklis.  Crisp and Lowell got key hits to keep the rally alive.  All of the scoring in the bottom of the 8th came after Ortiz and Manny both struck out. 

 

Timlin made the bottom of the 8th interesting by surrendering 2 runs on 4 hits.  He definitely didn't look sharp.  Francon brought Papelbon on to close out the 8th. 

 

Trot Nixon and Coco Crisp combined to push one more run across the plate in the 9th.  Papelbon finished out the 9th, giving up a hit before getting the final out on a fly ball.

 

Weird, wild game, but good one to win. This puts the Sox up one game over the Yankees and on the way home to face the Nationals tomorrow. 

Given the US-Italy World Cup game, I didn't catch any of this game.  Good to see Beckett have a solid outing.  Youklis hit another home run, which just exemplifies the kind of year he is having - walks, home runs, lead off man, great fielding - whatever the team needs. 

Lester looked solid in his second start, while Varitek provided a two out double to score three runs that the Red Sox needed to win.  Papelbon got his 21st save after Seanez and Timlin provided 2 scoreless innings of relief.

A loss.

A loss. 

Texas avenged themselves of the late inning heroics by putting the smack down on the Red Sox in the second half of the double-header. 

It was the kind of finish I had been looking to for to say that this team can pull a win out of the fire - the Red Sox win with a little magic.  I think that a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs qualifies.  Definitely not a pretty win.

Beckett struggled again.  June being the antithesis of May for Beckett.  Beginning to worry a bit about him, but not sure you can complain with a 7-3 record, but he is ERA is 5.26.  Wakefield has a better ERA but a worse record. 

 

Jon Lester made a solid Major League debut going 4+ innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits.  He did threw 102 pitches though.  Tavarez and Foulke both surrendered 2 runs in the innings they pitched.  Foulke surrendered 2 runs in the top of the 9th. 

 

The game was kind of out of sorts from my listening experience, perhaps due to the rain delay.  Every time the Red Sox got the game tied up, the pitching would go south and the Rangers would have success at the plate and on the base paths. 

In a rainy night in Fenway Park, Papelbon blew his first save in the Eighth.  He gave an RBI single with 2 runners put on base by Hansen.  The hitters picked it up for Papelbon, as Lowell's sacrifice fly scored Manny from third to plate the go ahead in the bottom of the Eighth.  Papelbon closed out the 9th to get the win.

The game was set up by a good performance from Wakefield, going 7 solid innings. 

Trot Nixon had an awesome night at the plate, going 4 for 4 with a 3 run homer in the bottom of the first. 

Schilling gave up 3 solo home runs, but piched 8 strong innings before giving away to Papelbon in the 9th. 

Varitek had a refreshingly good night at the plate going 3 for 5 with a 3 run homer in the 7th to blow the game open for the Red Sox.  Manny continued his tear at the plate, going 2-3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored. 

Youklis got hit again, this time on the elbow.  Snow came on for him in relief. 

A very interesting game for the Red Sox, which highlighted one of the weaknesses of the team at the moment - middle relief.  There was also some tough luck in a good game that just didn't go the Red Sox way. 

 

On a night when Pauley, a recent call up from double-A looked better than most of the starting rotation by only giving up 2 runs in 6 and 2/3rds innings, the young kid didn't get much run support.  He did blow an easy infield hit that could have been the final out of the bottom of the 7th, but given that he still only gave up 2 runs and that Seanez and his inability to get his slider in for a strike was the real reason that the second run came in to score only makes this worse.  Seanez did get A-Rod to strike out to end the inning, but only after the damage was done.  As up and down as Foulke has looked, he would have been a better choice for relief. 

 

As for the hitters, Ortiz did the only damage of the night, with a solo shot.  Manny, who had been caught out for trying to take second a weak single to center, almost tied it in the eighth with a shot that Cabrera stopped from a being a game tying run.  I guess Pena is being missed more than we thought.   

 

Given the shape of the Yankees at the moment, the Red Sox should be winning these games with some of the Yankee offense missing.  Season series now tilts in favor of the Yankees, 5-4.