Sox Roll, Shut Out D-Backs 4-0
Felix Doubront has continued to pitch well for the Red Sox as the season has progressed. Sure, he lost his last two in a row but that was going head-to-head against a smokin’ hot David Price both times. Today that same Felix Doubront showed up again but this time so did Boston’s bats and the results were much different.
Jul 24, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront (22) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Doubront went 7 complete innings, giving up just 5 hits and no runs while striking out 5 and walking none. The Red Sox chipped in with nine hits and four runs to top the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second day in a row and all was right in Red Sox Nation at the end of a sparkling afternoon at Fenway Park.
Doubront has been more valuable to the Red Sox this year than his stats show (8-5, 3.65 ERA) . He ha been an innings eater (124 innings pitched), third only on the staff to Jon Lester (143.1) and Ryan Dempster (127). Today’s game was another validation of his maturation. He is starting to go deeper in games and has become more consistent with his control.
Through four innings, the Red Sox were shut down by Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy. They not only didn’t get a run but couldn’t manage to get a hit either. In the fifth inning that all changed.
Stephen Drew and Brock Holt hit bck-to-back singles in the fifth to break McCarthy’s dominance. After Jacoby Ellsbury sac flied to center field to score Drew, Shane Victorino singled and Dustin Pedroia doubled down the left field line after an incredible, gutsy, never-give-in at bat to put the Sox up 2-0.
Boston tacked on two more runs in the sixth with more back-to-back singles by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and the suddenly resurgent Drew. Holt’s sac bunt to move Salty to third and Drew to second positioned Boston for more runs. Two more singles bunched up by Ellsbury and Victorino plated the only additional runs that the Red Sox would need.
The win allowed Boston to take the series against Arizona and stay one game ahead of Tampa Bay who beat the Tigers 4-3 Sunday.
Boston opens a three game set in Houston against the Astros on Monday (John Lackey, 7-8, 4.23 vs. Brett Oberholtzer (1-0, 3.77 ERA).