Jun 16, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jonny Gomes (5) at bat in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Red Sox 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

An exhausted Red Sox bullpen got just what they needed from Doubront in the second half of their double header against the Tampa Bay Rays. Doubront pitched eight stellar innings, posting a goose egg against Joe Maddon‘s crew while allowing just three hits, striking out six and issuing no walks. Boston’s offense, as well, would need just that kind of performance, after eking out just one run against Rays starter Jake Odorizzi.

Bailey’s latest face plant ruined Doubront’s outing when he gave up a solo jack to Kelly Johnson in the top of the ninth to allow the Rays to tie the game 1-1 and then walked Ben Zobrist. Had it not been for a brilliant diving stab by Jose Iglesias at third base off the bat of Evan Longoria to force Zobrist at second to end the inning, it could have been a lot worse. The damage was done. Boston would need to pull out the win in the bottom of the ninth or go to extra innings with a depleted bullpen. As The Cars sang years ago, “I guess you’re just what I needed.” Mr. Gomes, do your thing.

Jun 13, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront (22) throws in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Red Sox 5-4 in 13 innings. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

After a surging Daniel Nava walked to lead off the inning, Gomes took Ray reliever Joel Peralta deep into the Monster seats and the night. Gomes’ blast triggered a raucous celebration that capped a very long day of baseball. Boston won the first half of the double header 5-1 after suffering through a three hour rain delay. All in all, players got the park about 9 am this morning and will leave after 11 pm.

Great starting pitching performance by Doubront. Terrible blown save by Bailey. Clutch homer by Gomes to claw back the win and hand Bailey a most undeserving win.

With the two wins on Tuesday Boston pushed the Rays seven games off the pace while leading the Yankees by four and the Orioles by 2.5

Jun 10, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher David Ross (3) against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Anyone who follows sports knows that this is a problem, not only for the Red Sox but more importantly for David Ross and his long-term health. Once an athlete is concussed, it become ever more easy to suffer concussion. The symptoms manifest more easily and stay long with each blow.

Ask Justin Morneau who had to take naps before games for nearly two years while recovering from his concussion. Ask Jim Edmonds who couldn’t drive more than two hours for over two and half years after his concussion. This is serious stuff kids.

Catcher Ryan Lavarnway was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Ross’ place on the roster. It’s a seven DL sting but personally I’d keep him out of action for a couple of weeks so that he has more time to rest and undergo more evaluations.

Buchholz has been suffering from a neck strain since June 8, the last time he pitched vs the Angels, and it is still not known if it is in any way related to the AC joint problem he suffered shortly before making that start.

The Red Sox had been reluctant to place Buchholz on the DL because he’s been by far their best starter this season and were hoping to slot him back in after a short but extended rest.  They pushed his post June 8 start back several times.

May 17, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

But after his bullpen side session today, Juan Nieves and John Farrell apparently were not encouraged by what they saw so the move to DL him was made.

It’s the right thing to do.  Buchholz has been so valuable and consistent to the team’s fortunes this year that they need to do this to finally (we hope) get him healthy the rest of the year.

Because with Jon Lester struggling with his command, Buchholz is the clear number one starter now and if the Sox entertain any hope of winning the AL East, Buchholz must be healthy and the stopper.

Plus, Alfredo Aceves came through with yet another good spot start today so if he has to stick around a bit longer to fill in the Red Sox can live with the production he’s given them.  Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa are also options to spot start.

The silver lining in all of this is that the DL stint is back dated to June 9 so if Buchholz improves over the next few days he could theoretically start next Tuesday at Fenway vs Colorado.

But for now, there’s no reason to risk the long term health of an ace pitcher.  Will the Red Sox miss him in the rotation?  Of course.  But clearly, with a pitcher with Buchholz’ injury history this is the absolute right move for the team to make.  Unfortunately it didn’t happen sooner.

Jun 18, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox

Alfredo Aceves stepped into his favorite spot, a last minute and unpredictable start, and put down the Tampa Bay Rays in the first half of a day/night double header that nearly turned into a night/night double header.

While much of New England dodged the foul weather the storm huddled over the eastern part of Massachusetts and dumped, forcing a three hour rain delay in the fifth inning after the scheduled 1:05 start.

In the first inning Dustin Pedroia plated his 40th RBI of the season when the weather still looked beautiful with a long fly ball to center field to score Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Rays bounced back with one of their own in the top of the second when back-to-back walks issued by Aceves to Evan Longoria and James Loney set the stage for trouble. After getting highly touted rookie, Will Myers, to fly out in his first Major League plate appearance, Luke Scott doubled to score Longoria. Even thought Aceves walked his third batter of the inning, Jose Molina, he got Yunel Escobar to ground out into a double play to end the inning. That was the only run the Rays would muster.

It was an all Boston David Ortiz show thereafter.

Ortiz stung a single up the middle in the third inning to score Ellsbury and Shane Victorino to become Boston’s first player to drive in 50 RBIs on the season. Ellsbury and Victorino were numbers 50 and 51.

In the fifth Papi was at it again, rapping another single to score Victorino to make it 4-1 Boston. That was when the heavens opened up and I’m sure Pedey retired to the clubhouse to play some serious cribbage.

When play finally resumed, Victorino hit a right field corner triple to score Ellsbury in front of a close to empty ballpark to knock in the final run of the game.

Boston’s bullpen foursome of Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller, Koji Uehara and Craig Breslow (1 inning each) shut out the Rays the rest of the way and the Sox left the field shortly after 7 pm to clean up and get ready for the next game at 8:05 this evening.

The win kept Boston 2.5 games ahead of the Orioles who had been beaten on Monday night by the Tigers and a simply too good Max Scherzer, who notched his 10th win against 0 losses for the season.

Jun 11, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) hands the ball over to manager John Farrell (53) as he is taken out of the game during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Something is just not right with Jon Lester. This is extra panic-inducing for fans given Buchholz‘s possible up-coming DL visit.  Perhaps Lester’s current struggles just look worse because we’ve seen him do so well. Are we expecting too much of him? Could it be that he’s really a number three starter who is just misunderstood?

That’s hard to believe. He’s only 29 years old. He made the All Star team in 2010 and 2011. He had two shut outs in 2008, most in the AL. In 2008 and 2009 he had the third most strike outs in the league. His 19 wins in 2008 were second most in the AL. All these stats reinforce our feeling that Lester is a great pitcher, that he’s the guy you can count on for a good performance.

So, what’s going on? His ERA for June is a jaw-dropping 8.62. He hasn’t earned a win since May 15 (though the validity of the win-loss stat is debatable). Is is the time of year? Last July he didn’t get a single win and had an ERA of 9.36.

We can start the debate about whether the Sox should keep him around next season or not, but that doesn’t help us now. With only a 1.5 game lead over Baltimore and the Yanks a mere 3 games back, the Sox are clinging onto a slim lead. We need the old Lester back and we need him back now. Will a visit to the DL be helpful? Maybe skipping a start to give him a break? I’m no sports psychologist, but perhaps Lester should sit down with one.

Wherever you are, Jon Lester, know that we’re pulling for you. (At least those of us fans who haven’t started the “Let Lester Walk” campaign.)

Jun 11, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) spits water in the dugout after he was taken out during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In the third inning Adam Jones doubled to score Nick Markakis and Chris Davis hit his 23rd homer of the year, a two-run job, to put the Birds up 3-0.

In the fifth inning, Manny Machado singled to score Markakis and advanced to third on an error by Lester Sox first baseman Mike Carp.

The Birds moved their record to 6-2 against the AL East leading Sox

Os starter Miguel Gonzalez hog tied Boston’s offense . Through the sixth inning the Old Towne Team had just two hits, singles by Jacoby Ellsbury, and got only one runner to third base. And speaking of the sixth inning, here’s the way the day went for Boston.

Ellsbury singled and Jose Iglesias reached on a error by Orioles third baseman Machado. It could have turned into a big inning but Os left fielder Steve Pearce snagged a Daniel Nava deep fly ball to left center to squelch a Sox rally. David Ortiz hit a hit a grounder to Chris Davis, which he scooped, to end the inning.

Lester was lifted after the sixth and was replaced by Pedro Beato, who Boston acquired from the New York Mets in 2012. The Mets traded Beato to the Sox as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Kelly Shoppach to the Mets. Beato did his job, retiring the side in the sixth.

Jun 10, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks (16) hits a RBI single during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Sox finally got to Gonzalez in the seventh when Will Middlebrooks cracked a three-run homer with Shane Victorino and Jarrod Saltalamacchia aboard. Red Sox injury woes also continued in the seventh inning when Mike Carp was removed after pulling up lame at third base. With Mike Napoli in Boston trying to figure out what is making him light headed and nauseous, there is a serious gap at first base heading into next weeks series against the Rays (double header on Tuesday) and Tigers.

The Orioles broke back in the bottom of the frame against Junichi Tazawa when Markakis doubled – his third hit of the game (four overall) – and moved to third on Machado’s sac bunt. With one out and the infield drawn in, J.J. Hardy poked a single past Stephen Drew to score Markakis to put the Os up 6-3.

Jones hit a ground rule double that actually worked in Boston’s favor since Hardy had to be held at third. Tazawa was lifted for Andrew Miller, who was able to strike out Davis and Wieters to contain the damage.

Orioles relievers Brian Matusz, Tommy Hunter and Jim Johnson stoned the Sox in the eighth and ninth to nail down the win. The game and series underscored some trends that are becoming painfully obvious. First, Boston’s pitching is in trouble. With Clay Buchholz likely heading to the DL and Lester looking ever more shaky, Farrell is about the enter that dark managerial testing period of that turns hair gray. Second, Boston’s injuries and illness are hobbling the club with the Orioles now nipping at their heels and crucial series against the Rays and Tigers on the horizon.

Jun 9, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Alexi Casilla (12) runs back to first base after he singled during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Baltimore Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

I’d reported that Andrew Bailey once again got himself into a jam in the ninth inning by giving up a two-run homer to Matt Wieter’s to allow the Orioles to pull to within one run of Boston. While factually correct, I missed the most important and dramatic part of the ninth inning that actually allowed Boston to win the game.

Following Wieter’s homer, J.J. Hardy singled with one out to put the game tying run on first base. Orioles manager Buck Showalter made the right move by substituting the speedy Alexi Casilla for Hardy. Baltimore’s next hitter, Ryan Flaherty, flew out to right fielder Shane Victorino and Casilla was doubled off first rounding the bag and turning for third on the Flaherty out thinking that there were two outs.

Oops. Game over. Sox win. Egg on face. Must face media. Pain, pain, pain.

Jun 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Buchholz’ neck strain and earlier AC joint inflammation simply won’t go away and it looks like a trip to the DL and some rehabbing might be required to get Boston’s pitcher with one of the best records in baseball straight.

Buchholz starts have pushed back from Friday, to Sunday to Tuesday and now that milestone appears to be in jeopardy. In particular, Buchholz has been battling an issue with his trapezius muscle on his throwing side.

“Clay threw today (Saturday) and feels a little bit better than he did yesterday,” Boston manager John Farrell told MLB.com’s Jeff Seidel, “but not to the point where he’s going to throw a bullpen [session] tomorrow. We do have the benefit of the off-day [Monday] where we can keep guys on turn with Felix [Doubront] going on Tuesday, [Ryan] Dempster on Wednesday and stay on turn from there. Right now, we haven’t announced the other starter for Tuesday.”

Buchholz indicated after throwing that it’s only about the trapezius muscle and not the AC joint problem he previously had which started the downward spiral.

Tuesday’s up in the air posture could open the door for another Alfredo Aceves spot start.

The Red Sox have just that on the left side of their infield, both at the major and minor league level. Will Middlebrooks, Jose Iglesias, and Stephen Drew have combined to be a fairly productive group thus far into the season, with all three showing the potential for continued and future success. In the minors, shortstop/third baseman Xander Bogaerts is one of the premier offensive prospects in the game and Devin Marrero, also a shortstop, was the Sox’s first round selection in last year’s draft. However, there is a name that is only now being mentioned with the previous class of minor league infielders due to his surprising performance this season. And his name is Garin Cecchini.

May 2, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; A bat and a baseball and a batting glove on the turf field during batting practice before the Toronto Blue Jays game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Cecchini, a fourth round pick by the Sox in 2010, has exploded as an elite prospect this year with his production at High-A Salem. Hitting .354/.469/.552, Cecchini has shot up prospect rankings including a 23rd place spot (ESPN Insider required) among noted scout Keith Law’s top 25 prospect list.  Additionally, with the reputation of being a solid defender at the hot corner, it is unlikely that Cecchini will have to move off of the position. Therefore, Cecchini’s name only further adds to the foreseeable logjam of third basemen for the Sox.

Clearly, Cecchini’s emergence has made future projections of the Red Sox infield into a giant mess. With basically five guys (Drew should be gone by this time) fighting for two spots, pressure is sure to mount on each player for playing time. With that said, I’ve always been a believer that pressure brings out the best in players and hopefully, things will work themselves out over time. Perhaps even, one of these players could be the major piece in a pivotal deadline deal, securing both a present upgrade and alleviation from a future headache. But for now, appreciate the problem that the Red Sox are currently saddled with. It’s a luxury most teams don’t have.

Jun 15, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher John Lackey (41) throws in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Manny Machado, this year’s edition of the human doubles machine, spanked another one off Sox starter John Lackey in the first to score Nate McLouth and Adam Jones singled to bring home Machado. Here we go again, right? Not quite.

Lackey settled down after giving up the two runs in the first and Mike Carp continued to be one of Boston’s most pleasant surprises, giving Lackey a lift with a two-run homer off Orioles’ starter Freddy Garcia in the fourth. Stephen Drew doubled with Gomes aboard to plate another Boston run in the fourth.

The fifth and sixth innings proved just how curious a game baseball is. After a single by Taylor Teagarden the unthinkable happened. Dustin Pedroia made his first error of the year and it wasn’t a cheap one. Mclouth hit a perfect double play ball to Pedroia who simply came up too quick, allowing the ball to go straight through the wickets. Teagarden took third on the miscue and the Orioles were in business with men on first and third with nobody out. Then major momentum breaks happeend

Jarrod Saltalamacchia fired a perfect strike to gun down McLouth who was attempting to steal second. Pedey took the strike and made a great tag to get the out. Curiously, Teagarden didn’t move from third base. Machado hit a hard bounder back to the mound, Lackey looked back Teagarden and got the second out. Nick Markakis flew out to Jonny Gomes in left field to end what could have been a big inning.

In the fifth and sixth Boston played both small and large ball. In the fifth Jacoby Ellsbury singled, stole second, moved to third on a perfectly placed Shane Victorino sac bunt and scored on a Pedroia groud out; classic NL ball in the heart of the AL East. In the sixth Gomes cranked a solo shot to straight away center field . Garcia’s pitch was only 81 mph so it was all Gomes muscling the ball out of the yard. Garcia headed for the showers down 5-2. Lackey had survived and the Sox offense had thrived. What a difference a day makes.

Lackey cruised through the seventh inning before giving way to Koji Uehara with a three run lead. Uehara shut down the Os in the eighth but Andrew Bailey once again couldn’t barley hold the lead. In the ninth Bailey gave up a single to Jones  and a two-runer homer to Matt Wieters. To quote Keyshawn Johnson, “Come on man!” Bailey eventually nailed it down but having a three run cushion with three outs to go and giving up two continues to frustrate and concern the Nation.

Saturday night’s victory ended Boston’s five-game losing streak in Baltimore. Tomorrow, Jon Lester (6-3, 4.12 ERA) faces Miguel Gonzalez (4-2, 3.71 ERA).

Jun 14, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster (46) throws in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

No. “Earned” is not the right word. It would be more correct to say “due to the quirky nature of baseball, a perfectly good performance from this pitcher did not result in a win due to a lack of offense” but that might be a bit too wordy for some box scores.

Dempster allowed only five hits over 7.2 innings. He gave up five walks and had four strike outs. He is now 4-7 with 4.21 ERA. He gave our exhausted bullpen a much-needed rest. This performance could easily have lead to a win if the offense had managed to get some runs.

I don’t know about you, but the win-loss stat for pitchers is totally useless. To give an accurate portrait of the hurler it must be accompanied by ERA. Look at John Lackey: he’s 3-5 with 3.14 ERA. He has a “losing” win-loss record which could lead you to believe he’s the same terrible Lackey from two years ago. But his ERA is much better which gives a glimmer of hope. To my mind, ERA and Quality Starts reveal a more accurate picture of the pitcher.

Tonight Lackey goes against Freddy Garcia who is 3-3 and has a 4.47 ERA. He has a better win-loss record than Lackey but a higher ERA. So, who’s the better pitcher? Who will get the win? For all we know the Sox will hit 15 HRs while Lackey gives up 12 runs and earn a win. Or Garcia might give up only one run and get a loss when Ortiz hits a 2-run jack. In the end, isn’t this why we watch the game?

Jun 13, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli (12) doubles in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

After getting yanked in the third inning of Thursday’s game with lightheadedness and nausea, Mike Napoli remained out of the lineup in Boston’s second straight loss to the Orioles at Camden Yard on Friday. Apparently the virus has been ripping through the clubhouse over the past two weeks but hit Napoli especially hard.

After getting battered earlier this week during a 14-inning slugfest that left both the Sox and Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpens empty and shallow starting pitching performances, Boston made another move today to shore up the reserves.

Feb 17, 2013; Fort Myers FL, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Rubby De La Rosa (62) poses during photo day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Rubby De La Rosa got the call up from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Alex Wilson‘s spot. Wilson was sent back down to Pawtucket. Boston secured the services of De La Rosa as part of the blockbuster payroll dump on the Dodgers last summer. De La Rosa makes more sense at this point for the Sox since he can go multiple innings. With the starting pitching coming up short – with the exception of Ryan Dempster‘s 8 inning performance Friday night in Baltimore – De La Rosa may become especially valuable in getting Boston through a rough patch.

“[He] can give us multiple innings in the event that something unforeseen happens early in the game,” Farrell told MLB.com’s Jeff Seidel before Friday’s game. “He’s stretched out to 75, 80 [pitches]. He was the most fresh one on the roster that we could go and tap into to add to a bullpen that obviously has been taxed of late.”

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May 15, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Pedro Ciriaco (23) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Since then Ciriaco’s shortcomings have been exposed – lack of plate discipline and inconsistency in the field. I have to admit, he had me fooled. I was advocating hard to hand Ciriaco the starting shortstop position on Opening Day when Stephen Drew went down in late spring, citing Jose Iglesias‘ light hitting. I continue to wipe the Iggy egg off my face as Iglesias just keeps on murdering the ball (.449/.494/.577/1.o71) this season while Ciriaco’s star has decidedly fallen (.216/.293/.353/.646 and an .854 fielding percentage). With Drew’s signing and the ascendence of Iglesias, Ciriaco became expendable.

Ciriaco will provide value to the Padres. In his four years in the majors his slashline is a very respectable .287/.315/.398/.713 hitter. Although he can play third base, shortstop and second base Ciriaco also played all three outfield positions and first base during his time with Boston.

Jun 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli (12), catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (39) and teammates high five after they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Sox and Orioles will open up a four-game set with Boston 3.0 games up on the second place Yankees, and 3.5 games up on the O’s. Though the Sox are 6-12 against their AL East foe since the start of 2012, Baltimore may be picking a bad time to face the Sox.  The Red Sox are rolling and haven’t lost a series since May 20-22 when they lost two of three to the White Sox. The Sox seem to be clicking on both sides of the ball, while the pitching staff is doing an admirable job keeping Boston in games; the offense is making their lives easier by continually putting runs on the board.

The Orioles start this series on the right foot, having taking two out of three from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. However, it hasn’t all be smooth sailing for Buck Showalter’s club, as the pitching has often let the bats down. The Orioles staff ranks second to last in the Majors with a 4.55 ERA. On the other side of the coin though, the lineup has performed admirably, thanks in large part to guys like Adam Jones and Chris Davis.  Baltimore’s offense is third in OPS and leads the league in homeruns with 88.

But it appears that Davis is cooling off, and without his potent bat consistently anchoring the lineup, the Orioles don’t look like they will be able to hack in the AL East.

 Game One. Felix Doubront vs. Kevin Gausman (Thursday 7:05pm EDT)

June 1, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront (22) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox will send Felix Doubront to the hill in their first game at Camden Yards this season. The Sox will be hoping that Doubront can turn in his fifth straight quality start against a potent Orioles lineup. Though he hasn’t faced the Orioles yet this year, Doubront will be looking to improve upon his 0-2 record in three starts against the club last season. He hasn’t pitched poorly against the O’s though, a in his three starts he also recored a 2.70 ERA, striking out 30 Orioles and allowing only 6 runs in 20 innings pitched.

The Orioles meanwhile will send rookie Kevin Gausman to the bump to face the Sox. Gausman is still hunting for his first win in the Majors through four starts. Gausman brings with him an 8.84 ERA. While the righty sailed through the minors, he has gotten shelled in the Majors and hopefully the Red Sox will figure him out and keep that trend alive.

Game Two. Ryan Dempster vs. Chris Tillman(Friday7:05pm EDT)

June 9, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster (46) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Dempster comes into this game looking for his third straight win in the month of June. He boasts a 4.15 ERA so far in the month of June. Look for Dempster to continue to build off the success he has had against the Orioles in the past. Through 18.1 innings pitched Dempster owns a 1-0 record and a 1.47 ERA.

Chris Tillman looks to continue building on the success he has had this year, coming into the game with a 6-2 record. Tillman also has had success against the Sox in the past owning a 2.97 ERA and striking out 22 in 30.1 innings pitched against Boston.

Game Three. TBD vs. Freddy Garcia (Saturday 4:05pm EDT)

Game Four. TBD vs. Miguel Gonzalez (Sunday 1:35pm EDT)

March 24, 2013; Clearwater, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (72) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The 20-year-old has hit .311/.407/.502 with six home runs, six triples and twelve doubles in 56 games in AA Portland this season. In parts of two seasons at AA he has hit .315/.392/.531 over the course of 350+ plate appearances, all while being the youngest player in the league. Bogaerts will carry that moniker with him to the International League, and will also be the second youngest in all of AAA.

The Aruba native’s promotion comes on the heels of Jose Iglesias’ seemingly permanent recall to the Majors, which left an opening at AAA. But that is not to say Bogaerts is undeserving of the honor. Bogaerts is the first Eastern League player at or under 20 to hit at least .300/.400/.500 in 14 years, when in 1999, Nick Johnson hit .345/.525/.548 as a 20-year-old. Bogaerts has also walked 35 times in 259 plate appearances this year, compared to his one walk in 92 trips to the plate for Portland last season.

With the aggressive promotion to AAA, it may take Bogaerts some time to adjust to some of the best pitching he has ever faced. But now that he is only one stop away from Boston, it is possible that if he responds well to the change, we could see him as early as September when rosters expand. A good showing in AAA could also position Bogaerts to win a roster spot right out of the gate next year, when Stephen Drew leaves town.

Jun 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Alfredo Aceves (91) in the dugout before he pitches the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Although his statistics don’t reflect it yet, Aceves’s 2013 is starting to look a bit more like his 2011 season than his 2012, where he struggled mightily and posted a 5.36 ERA. Aceves’ ERA sits at an unimpressive 5.58 through his 8 appearances and 5 starts with the Red Sox. However, if one removes a terrible start against Oakland where he went only 3.1 innings and allowed 7 earned runs, Aceves’ stats are looking quite a bit better. Aside from that start, he has a 3.95 ERA and 19:15 K:BB ratio in 27.1 innings pitched.

While those statistics are from from great, they are very valuable to receive from somebody who has spent much of the season shuttling between Pawtucket and Boston. When one is forced to call up a spot starter, one never really knows what they’ll get. However, Aceves has been solid in four of his five starts to begin the season.

He will likely be back in the majors to pitch on Tuesday, when the Red Sox play a double-header against the same Rays that he dominated last night– allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 4 walks in 6 innings. The Rays as a whole have struggled against Aceves, as Aceves has held them to a .168 average in his time with the Red Sox. Aceves will be the likely candidate for the 26-man expanded roster on Tuesday, and if he can pitch like this, that’s extremely valuable.

With Clay Buchholz battling nagging injuries, Jon Lester turning in duds in two of his last three starts and Felix Doubront, John Lackey and Ryan Dempster consistently up and down the starting rotation was urgently in need of a lift.

Jun 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Alfredo Aceves (91) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Alfredo Aceves gave it to them tonight in the final game of the series at Tampa Bay as he worked six strong innings to lead the Sox over the Rays 2-1 for yet another series win.

Aceves was recalled from Pawtucket to make the spot start in place of Franklin Morales, who had to pitch the final two innings of Monday’s 14-inning marathon and was unavailable for this game.

Aceves was wildly effective in the first three innings as he walked four, but allowed no runs.  The Rays threatened in the third inning by putting the first two on but Aceves was able to wiggle out of it by striking out Kelly Johnson looking and inducing Evan Longoria to hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

Daniel Nava put the Sox up 2-0 with a laser shot two-run home run to right in the top of the third off Rays rookie starter Chris Archer, the latest in a long line of quality, young Rays arms.  The homer came after a workman-like 10-pitch at-bat for Nava, who continues to make his case for a spot on the All-Star team.

Nava had a chance to blow the game open in the fourth as he came to bat with the bases loaded and Archer over 90 pitches.  But this time Archer struck him out to end the inning and keep things at 2-0.

Jun 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Daniel Nava (29) hits a 2-run home run during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Longoria homered to center to cut the lead to 2-1.  After finishing the inning Aceves called it a night as John Farrell went to his bullpen.

Aceves turned in a solid performance working six innings and allowing just the one run on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts.  He gave the Sox a chance to win and in a spot start scenario that is all you can ask for.

The Sox offense struggled all night as they just could not get any timely hits to provide some insurance but the bullpen once again held the fort.

Craig Breslow worked a clean seventh and got the first two in the eighth before allowing a double to Johnson.  Koji Uehara then came on and got the biggest out of the game as he fanned the dangerous Longoria to end the inning.

Andrew Bailey entered in the ninth for the save and promptly gave up a first pitch, lead off single to James Loney.  Sam Fuld pinch ran and stole second after two were out but Bailey came through with the strikeout of Jose Lobaton to end it.

The Sox took two of three in the series and now move on to Baltimore for a four game weekend series with the Orioles.  Game one tomorrow night features Doubront for Boston and rookie prospect Kevin Gausman for the Orioles.

June 2, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches against the New York Yankees during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

As reported by the Globe’s Julian Benbow, the neck stiffness wasn’t initially believed to be related to the irritation Buchholz experienced in his AC joint that forced him to miss a start at the end of May. Buchholz, however, said Saturday the pain was indeed close to the trapezius muscle that trainers had been working on.

Buchholz is very likely to miss his next scheduled start against the Orioles on Sunday. Manager John Farrell will make that announcement on Thursday. Buchholz is 9-0 with a big league-best 1.71 ERA.

‘‘He threw the ball OK, but he still felt a little stiffness,’’ Farrell said. ‘‘But improved over the last time he had a ball in his hand. So, we’ve got to factor in what takes place today and tomorrow. The fact that he’s still feeling some stiffness, we’ve got to factor that in.’’

Jun 11, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) reacts after giving up a run in during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Lester hasn’t won a game since May 15. He has lost two games, has suffered through two no decisions since then and Tuesday was likely on the precipice of this third loss. His mechanics are back in the tank and with it, so appears, is his head.

Since going 6-0 through mid-May, which in actuality was a bit of a hype since Lester was on the ropes a few times during those wins and was the beneficiary of some potent offense, the wheels have started to come off Lester’s wagon. John Farrell, who was pleased with Lester’s dedication to work quicker in spring training, must be steaming watching him once again SLOW down and revert to his 2012 form.

He doesn’t appear to be injured. He’s just once again mechanically balled up and as history tells us Lester’s tailspins can be deep and persistent.

So just what is happening with Jon Lester? I can’t put my finger on it. Help a brother out! Vote below or add your own comment.