Red Sox game eight: More offense

Over the last two games the Red Sox have scored 25 runs off the Tampa Bay Rays.  When Tampa came to Boston on Friday they were in first place in the AL East with a 4-2 record and now they share second place with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees (all with 4-4 records).  On April 15th, the standings are relatively meaningless but it’s good for the Red Sox to be knocking one of their division rivals down even if the Red Sox are still in last place.  If the Red Sox can win today, they will tie the Rays at 4-5. Last year on this date the Red Sox had a record of 2-10. Things are certainly looking up.

For the second time, Clay Buchholz looked shaky in the beginning innings, giving up four runs (as he did on Easter Sunday) in the first inning, but he straightened out and pitched well after that, giving up only one other run and pitching seven innings, striking out five on the day.  His keeping the team in the game paved the way for the offense to, once again, wreak havoc on the Rays’ bullpen (after they had tied it up against Rays starter, reigning AL Rookie of the Year, Jeremy Hellickson).  Every Sox player who got up to bat got on base (Darnell McDonald being the only one to not get a hit, he walked twice yesterday) and David Ortiz played like the 2004 Papi with his 4-5 day, which included a two-run home run; one of five Red Sox home runs yesterday (he joined Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Aviles and Cody Ross).

The only black mark on yesterday’s 13-5 win was finding out that Jacoby Ellsbury was put on the 15-day disabled list due to a subluxation (read: dislocation) of his right shoulder, which happened when he slid into second on Friday trying to break up a double play (he didn’t) and Rays shortstop Reid Brignac landed on him.  Ellsbury himself announced the subluxation via his Twitter account on Saturday which led to a flurry of retweets by the sports media folks on Twitter (and a lot of questions about whether players should share news about themselves online before the team gets to do it through reporters or press releases). The fans seemed to enjoy Jacoby being the one to break the news but no one is enjoying the fact the Red Sox are losing their starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter for at least six weeks.

Today at 1:35pm, lefty Felix Doubront takes the mound after an impressive start in Toronto last Monday.  Red Sox starters pitched deep in the first two games this series (Beckett went eight innings along with Buchholz’ seven) so Doubront has some wiggle room given the bullpen is rested.  He went five innings on Monday and only gave up two hits.  The Red Sox are hoping he builds off of that and leads them to their first sweep of the season.

 

(Originally published on Examiner.com)