I Still Hate John Lackey But I Can Admit That The Man Is Pitching Well

Lackey and Stephen Drew are the only two guys currently on the Red Sox that I refuse to cheer for with Jonny Gomes just missing out on the list. Granted, I can appreciate when any of them do something positive to help the team and right now, Lackey (5-5) might be Boston's best starting pitcher. Haha seriously. This afternoon was probably his best outing in a Red Sox (47-33 ovearll, 25-15 home) uniform, which isn't saying much, as Boston beat Colorado (39-40 overall, 16-23 away) 5-3 during interleague play at Fenway Park.

Against the highest scoring team in the National League, Lackey went seven innings and allowed two earned runs on eight hits with a career-high 12 strikeouts and no walks. Staked to a 5-1 lead, Junichi Tazawa gave up a solo homer to Michael Cuddyer in the eighth but Koji Uehara was able to get a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts for his second save (first as the closer).

There was plenty to like in Boston's mini two-game sweep of Colorado. For one thing, their offense had double digit hits (10). Wilin Rosario (double) gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in their first at bats but the Red Sox scored three in the first then added two in the third which turned out to be enough.

Shane Victorino (3 for 4 with double, 2 runs) had an RBI single that scored Jacoby Ellsbury (double), David Ortiz (2 walks, run) notched an RBI double and Daniel Nava made it 3-1 with an RBI single.

Mike Napoli had an RBI single in the third and Nava drove in the last run with a sacrifice fly. Cuddyer extended his hit streak to 23 games with a solo homer off Lackey in the sixth.

Fresh off an 11-game win streak that put them back over .500 and vaulted them into the AL East race, the Blue Jays (39-38, 5th in AL East) visit Fenway for four games this weekend beginning tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) with Jon Lester (7-4) facing ex-Yankee Chien-Ming Wang (1-0). Felix Doubront (4-3) takes on Josh Johnson (1-2) on Friday (7:10, NESN). Rookie Allen Webster (0-2) gets his fourth MLB start against Esmil Rogers (3-3) on Saturday afternoon (4:05, NESN). Canadian Ryan Dempster (5-8) closes it out on Sunday afternoon (1:35, NESN) versus Mark Buehrle (4-5). Boston is 5-4 against Toronto so far this season.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Clobber Rockies With Season-High 20 Hits In A Convincing 11-4 Win At Fenway

As far as most people were concerned, the Red Sox' 2013 regular season unofficially started tonight as the Bruins lost Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final last night thus ending their excellent campaign. Boston (46-33 overall, 24-15 home) acquitted themselves quite nicely in its first game under the true spotlight as they rolled 11-4 over Colorado (39-39 overall, 16-22 away) during interleague play at Fenway Park.

To start a nine games in 10 days homestand, the Red Sox had a season-high 20 hits while Ryan Dempster (5-8) turned in a quality start: six innings, two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The immortal Juan Nicasio (4-4) gave the Rockies no shot as he was roughed up for seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits in 2.1 IP.

Everyone in Boston's lineup had at least one hit, led by Jacoby Ellsbury (3 runs, double, walk), Dustin Pedroia (4 RBIs, two runs, double, stolen base), Daniel Nava (RBI) and Jose Iglesias (2 runs, double) who all had three hits. Shane Victorino was 2 for 5 with a double, run, RBI and stolen base, Mike Napoli was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and a walk and Stephen Drew was 2 for 5 with a triple (that should have been a homer) and a run.

By the time the third inning was over, the Red Sox were comfortably ahead 7-1. Pedroia and Nava had RBI singles in the first before Wilin Rosario (3 for 4) had a solo homer off Dempster in the second. Pedroia and David Ortiz added RBI doubles in the second for a 4-1 Boston lead. Napoli had an RBI single later in the frame followed by RBI singles by Victorino and Pedroia in the third.

Nick Arenado's (3 for 4 with double) RBI single in the fourth cut it to 7-2 but Iglesias answered with an RBI double. Colorado pretended to make it a tad interesting in the seventh with a run coming in on Victorino's error and Carlos Gonzalez's RBI single but the Red Sox tacked on three additional runs in the seventh and eighth. Pedroia drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, Napoli hit an RBI single and a run scored on Victorino's ground out.

Colorado's Michael Cuddyer was 2 for 5 with a run which was more than enough to keep his MLB-best 22-game hitting streak alive and well. The Rockies' first visit to Fenway since the 2007 World Series is a short one since the series finale is tomorrow afternoon (4:05, NESN) with John Lackey (4-5) taking on Roy Oswalt (0-1) who makes his second start for Colorado.

UPDATE 6/26: Beato was sent back to Pawtucket with reliever Clayton Mortensen reinstated from the DL.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

The Sox are not very good, I've already accepted it

I was all set to watch the Red Sox-Twins series finale yesterday, some day baseball on a Thursday afternoon but it quickly lost my attention as Minnesota shelled Tim Wakefield and won 8-0 to take the opening series at Target Field.

The Twins (7-3) pounded out 15 hits while Boston (4-5) managed six hits and committed three errors. It was not pretty unless you're a fan of Francisco Liriano (1-0).

A former phenom, Liriano missed the 2007 season after Tommy John surgery and in the last two seasons he hasn't been able to find his rookie form. Still, he's only 26 so you can't count him out just yet.

The Red Sox did their best to make him feel good about himself, he went seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits, two walks and eight strikeouts.

Justin Morneau and Nick Punto led Minnesota's legit offense with three hits, Michael Cuddyer had two hits and three RBIs (including a two-run homer) and Denard Span kept getting on base with two hits, two RBIs and run.

Dustin Pedroia was the only guy to show up for Boston's anemic offense, he had half their hits (three).

It doesn't figure to get any easier for the Sox as they come home to the rain and cold temperatures and they have four games against the Tampa Bay Rays starting tonight at frigid Fenway.