The injuries continue to pile up at an alarming rate for the Red Sox but at least tonight, they got two unexpected contributions from Franklin Morales and Ryan Kalish that allowed them to beat the Cubs 7-4 at Wrigley Field.
With the win, Boston (33-33, 19-14 away) took the rubber game of the interleague series in Chicago (22-44, 14-19 home) and were able to return home back at .500 again with a day off on Monday.
Morales hadn't started in three years but that didn't stop him from pitching great all things considered. In only five innings, he struck out nine while allowing two earned runs on four hits with no walks. He did more than enough to earn another start next week against Atlanta.
Kalish hadn't played for the Red Sox since 2010 when he suffered a shoulder injury. He returned as Ryan Sweeney went on the DL this morning with inflammation in his broken toe. Kalish played center field and he came through with an RBI single in the seventh which put Boston up 4-3. He also scored the run that made it 6-3 later in the frame.
Befitting a contest that featured two last-place teams in their respective divisions, it was sloppy with both making two errors which was the result of generous scoring-Boston should have been charged with three. The Red Sox had four more hits than the Cubs (12-8) and their bullpen was better.
Paul Maholm was decent for Chicago. In six innings, he allowed three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
Surely because it wasn't a save situation, Boston's closer Alfredo Aceves had to make it difficult when he appeared to start the ninth up 7-3. He allowed three straight singles by the Cubs before David DeJesus had a long sacrifice fly to center. Aceves settled down to strike out Reed Johnson and force Darwin Barney to pop up for the final out.
Boston gave Morales some early breathing room in the first as Dustin Pedroia (2 hits) drove in Scott Podsednik with an RBI double. David Ortiz (2 runs, walk) followed with an RBI single that scored Pedroia.
The one untouchable player on the Cubs-Starlin Castro-hit like a guy that deserves that type of unwavering respect. He was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run shy of a cycle. He tied it with an RBI triple in the first and RBI double in the third.
Ortiz put Boston back on top with a solo homer (his 16th of the season) to center in the fourth inning which made it 3-2.
Chicago scored a run in the sixth on a botched fielder's choice from Matt Albers (2-0) to Mike Aviles at second base.
After Kalish's single, Will Middlebrooks pinch hit (can't believe he sat again!) and drove in Jarrod Saltalamacchia with a sacrifice fly. Kalish came home on Daniel Nava's suicide squeeze. Salty tacked on the last Boston run with a fielder's choice in the eighth.
The Red Sox relief before Aceves was excellent. Andrew Miller got the first two outs in the seventh before Mark Melancon shut the door. Scott Atchison had a 1-2-3 eighth on eight pitches.
Boston finished 4-2 in their last two intereleague series on the road. They are 6-6 overall (how fitting) during interleague this season with two series remaining at Fenway Park. The Miami Marlins (33-33, 4th in AL East) come for three games starting on Tuesday and then the Atlanta Braves will be here this weekend for the last three interleague games of 2012. The Toronto Blue Jays close out the nine-game homestand with three games of their own next week. The Red Sox won't have to leave Boston until June 27.
The Red Sox won two of three in Miami last week (June 11-13) and it will be like the Twilight Zone as two of the exact same pitching matchups occur once again: Clay Buchholz (7-2) faces Mark Buehrle (5-7) on Tuesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Felix Doubront (7-3) opposes Ricky Nolasco (6-5) on Wednesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) then Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2) closes it out against Carlos Zambrano (4-5) on Thursday night (7:10 p.m., NESN). Boston won Buchholz and Doubront's starts against Miami the first time around so they'll hope for that same success in the second meeting.
Scott Podsednik left in the fifth inning tonight with a groin injury. If it's serious, the Red Sox have Cody Ross about to return (possibly on Tuesday) anyway.
The weirdest thing is that Boston is 19-14 on the road this season and 14-19 at Fenway. It's time for them to start winning at home and taking advantage of what should be comfortable surroundings.
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