For the second straight day, they lit up the Tampa Bay Rays and a quality starting pitcher. Boston (3-5) hit five homers in a 13-5 laugher over Tampa Bay (4-4).
David Price was no match on Opening Day and this afternoon, reigning AL rookie of the year Jeremy Hellickson (5 innings, 5 earned runs, 7 hits, 3 walks, 1 strikeout, 3 home runs allowed) was similarly knocked around by the suddenly explosive Red Sox offense. Boston put up double-digit runs for the second game in a row.
The Red Sox cranked out 15 hits with 13 RBIs and six walks. David Ortiz led the attack, going 4 for 5 with 5 RBIs and two runs. New leadoff hitter Mike Aviles was 3 for 5 with two runs, Cody Ross had four RBIs, Kevin Youkilis scored three runs and Dustin Pedroia had two hits and two runs.
If Carmine the computer could get a boner, you know he would have had a huge one today as the Red Sox saw a staggering 174 pitches (vs. 129 for the Rays). Every starter but Darnell McDonald had hits but even D-Mac had two walks.
Clay Buchholz (1-0) was very shaky to start as he spotted four runs to the Rays in the first but he settled down from there and lasted seven full innings. It helped that the Red Sox outscored Tampa Bay 13-1 after the first. Buchholz allowed five earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Ugly numbers for sure but the fact that he was able to hold on and give Boston innings is the more important point.
After scoring 12 runs yesterday on mostly small ball, Boston looked like the familiar team that usually crushes the ball at home. They had 10 extra base hits (to six hits total for Tampa Bay) and before today, they had only hit two home runs.
Carlos Pena put Tampa up 1-0 in the first with an RBI double and noted redneck asshole Luke Scott made some more fans by hitting a three-run homer (1st of the season) later in the frame.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1st of the season) woke up Boston's bats with a two-run blast to straightaway center in the second. Scott's RBI double in the third made it 5-2 Rays but that would be it.
Pedroia (2nd of the season) hit a solo shot in the third, Ortiz (1st of the season) tied it with a two-run homer in the fifth then Aviles put Boston ahead for good with his first of the season, a solo home run in the seventh. Ross added a two-run double in the seventh before Ortiz cleared the bases with a three-run double in the eighth and Ross hit a two-run homer (his first of the season) later in the eighth.
Two young lefties face each other tomorrow afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) as Felix Doubront opposes Tampa Bay's Matt Moore. Something tells me the Rays are due to breakout at some point, especially since they are 1-4 in their last five games.
UPDATE 4/15: After an appearance as a defensive replacement in the ninth yesterday, Lin was sent back to Pawtucket. Reliever Michael Bowden was designated for assignment while outfielders Nate Spears and Jason Repko were called up from the PawSox.
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