Porcello shuts down the Red Sox
Aug 1, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Rick Porcello (48) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Rick Porcello had yet another efficient outing on Saturday, this time at the expense of the Boston Red Sox. Porcello scattered six hits and allowed just a single run over eight innings as the Detroit Tigers beat the Red Sox by a score of 6-1.
Porcello is now tied with Mark Buehrle for the most wins in the American League, as he has earned a win in seven of his eight starts. He only struck out four batters, but it was more than enough.
John Lackey only managed 5.1 innings while giving up nine hits and six runs, with five of those runs earned. He gave up a home run to Miguel Cabrera in the third, as Cabrera continues his hot streak after a very slow first month to the season. Cabrera is now hitting .350 with five of his seven home runs coming in May.
Edward Mujica finished the sixth inning for Lackey, and had a rare perfect outing lowering his season ERA to 7.71. Chris Capuano proved again to be a valuable versatile arm in the bullpen for the Red Sox. He has now appeared in 19 games this season, and went more than one inning in eight of those outings. His ERA is now just 2.01 thanks to allowing just five earned runs all season, all coming during a four game stretch where he allowed a run in three of the four outings. Other than that, he has gotten through unscathed, whether it be for two innings or just a single batter.
The two bright spots at the plate for the Red Sox were Mike Napoli and Xander Bogaerts. Napoli came through with three hits in his four trips to the plate, all singles, but was left on each time he got on base. The only player to put up an extra-base hit for the Red Sox was Bogaerts, as his fifth inning solo home run made him the youngest Red Sox player to homer at Fenway Park since Jim Rice in 1974.
The Red Sox now have a three game losing streak and are two games under .500 and one place out of the cellar of the division. They will look to end the losing streak tonight on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball as Anibal Sanchez takes to the hill for the Tigers for the first time since April 26th against Jake Peavy.