Red Sox Edge Phillies With The Help Of Four Bombs

Last night’s game was pretty much the opposite of the game the night before it. The Red Sox started off strong and the Phillies almost caught up, but couldn’t quite get there. In fact, this game started off just about as strong as you can, as Mike Aviles launched an inside fastball into the bleachers to start the game– his seventh of the year. The Red Sox just kept going in the third, as a leadoff single and double put the Red Sox in another very strong position to score. They would do so on a throwing error by Joe Blanton and an RBI double play for Jon Lester.

Jon Lester had made quick work of the Phillies in the first two innings– holding them hitless. However, the Phils would take a run in the third inning on an RBI double for Shane Victorino to cut the Red Sox’ lead to just 3-1. In the top of the fourth, the Red Sox would answer to that just about as well as they could as Will Middlebrooks drove a pitch over the wall in right-center and Jarrod Saltalamacchia did the same. Those back-to-back home runs, their fifth and sixth of the year, respectively, would give the Sox a commanding 5-1 lead.

It wouldn’t last long, however, as the Phillies scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double for Hector Luna and a two-run homer for Freddy Galvis. This would really mark Lester’s only problem point in the game, as aside from this inning he was pretty good. But that Phillies’ outburst would cut the Red Sox lead to a 5-4 mark. That 5-4 mark would quickly change though, as after a leadoff single for Dustin Pedroia— David Ortiz hit a ball just about as hard as you can to left-center to make it 7-4– his ninth homer of the year. Midway through that inning, Phillies’ starter Joe Blanton was removed from the game and that would end the Red Sox’ scoring as the Phillies’ bullpen did their job.

Lester would last six innings– he had allowed four runs (all earned), eight hits, and struck out three in his six innings of work. Vicente Padilla came in and worked a scoreless seventh before he and the Red Sox’ bullpen ran into some trouble in the eighth. The Phillies put runners at second and third  with two outs. One would score on an infield hit by Jimmy Rollins as it could have been much worse, they only cut the lead to 7-5. Alfredo Aceves worked a fairly clean ninth to pick up his ninth save of the year and the Sox would win 7-5.