John Lackey is about the last guy I'll ever praise on the Red Sox but last night, I'll give him credit for once: he gave up four runs in the first three innings and looked destined to get shelled but he recovered and was able to go eight innings as Boston beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-4 at Fenway Park.
It was the 12th win in the last 13 games for the Red Sox, who are the undisputed best team in the American League at this moment.
Lackey (5-5) gave up four earned runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Jonathan Papelbon began serving the first of his two-game (it was reduced by a game) suspension so Boston's (42-27) bullpen was notably shorthanded.
The Brewers (39-32) were put behind the eight ball early as starter Shaun Marcum left after throwing 44 pitches in an eventful first inning. He hurt his left hip but it also has to be noted that Boston was very familiar with him from his days with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Casey McGehee gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the top of the first.
Jacoby Ellsbury answered with a leadoff homer (his eighth homer of the season, one shy of his career-high). David Ortiz (3 hits) tied it with an RBI double that scored Adrian Gonzalez. Carl Crawford beat out an infield single in the first but he left with a strained hamstring, let's hope he's not out for too long.
Kevin Youkilis had a two-run single in the second off Brewers reliever Marco Estrada. Youk left in the fifth due to illness, poor guy must have eaten some bad Mexican or something pregame.
Milwaukee tied it in the third on an RBI single by Prince Fielder (2 hits) and a run scored even though McGehee grounded into a double play.
Adrian Gonzalez (3 hits, 3 runs) put the Red Sox ahead for good with a solo homer, his 15th of the season, in the fifth.
Jason Varitek had an RBI double and Dustin Pedroia added an RBI single in the sixth. A run scored on Darnell McDonald's ground out in the seventh and J.D. Drew made it 10-4 with a two-run single later in the frame.
The Red Sox rightly moved their game today from the afternoon to tonight to accommodate the Bruins parade. Jon Lester faces Randy Wolf.
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