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Sox Beat Orioles To Slice Into Rays Lead, 7-4
By Administrator | September 2, 2008
The Red Sox had the American League’s second-best record in August (18-9) but fell further behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay, which went 21-7 over the last thirty-one days… and so begins September. The Sox cut a half-game out of the Rays advantage tonight (now five games) and increased its lead in the wild card race (now three games) with a hard-fought 7-4 win over the Orioles at Fenway Park.
Paul Byrd made his fourth start for the Red Sox since being acquired from the Cleveland Indians on August 12th. After losing his first start with the Red Sox, he has now won his last three consecutive starts. Tonight, he threw seven innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, including three solo home runs, and one walk. While he has allowed four runs in three of his four Sox outings, he is now 7-1, 2.93 since the All-Star break — he has pitched 55 1/3 innings, allowing 18 earned runs on 53 hits and just 12 walks.
Javier Lopez and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Dustin Pedroia once again led the Boston offensive attack with a pair of hits and two rbi. Jason Varitek and Jeff Bailey hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning, and Jed Lowrie added a pair of rbi with an rbi-double and a bases-loaded walk.
Pedroia, who hit .374 in August, started September in the same way he finished August (he finished the month going 9-for-12)… he scored 33 runs in the month, the most for any Red Sox player since Dom DiMaggio and Billy Goodwin scored 35 runs in August, 1950.
Adam Jones hit a solo home run in the first inning to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. The Red Sox back-to-back home runs in the second inning put the Sox ahead, but Juan Castro tied the game with a solo home run of his own in the third inning.
The game remained tied until the top of the sixth inning Castro singles, advanced to second on a sac bunt, and scored on Nick Markakis’ rbi-single. Byrd escaped further damage when, with the bases loaded, he retired Luke Scott on a fly out to right field.
The Red Sox took a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the inning. Jason Bay and Lowrie hit back-to-back doubles with one out to tie the game at three runs apiece… after ‘Tek grounded out, Bailey walked and Coco Crisp singled home the lead run. Jacoby Ellsbury then reached on an infield single to load the bases. Pedroia then delivered the biggest hit of the game — a two-run single into right field to extend the lead.
Kevin Millar hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 6-4, but the Red Sox got that run back in the eighth inning when Lowrie drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk.
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Pedroia’s sixth-inning single was his 184th hit — a record for Red Sox second baseman.
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On the illness / injury front, Kevin Youkilis was back in the lineup after missing two games with flu-like symptoms… 3B Mike Lowell took grounders and BP before the game and is close to returning, possibly this weekend… RF JD Drew was expected to hit in an indoor batting cage.
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Varitek’s tied Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk for a club record with his 157th as a catcher.
Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |
