Sox pull off shutout

After seven and a half scoreless innings, Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove an RBI double off the Monster to give the Red Sox a 1-0 win in the eighth inning. Jonathan Papelbon got his eighth save and Daniel Bard nailed down his first win. Clay Buchholz threw seven innings while giving up just 4 hits and no runs, and Detroit starter Phil Coke matched the inning total but gave up just 3 hits. I think the Red Sox are doing very well, and I hope they can keep up this pace, They are absolutely tearing up their opponents, and their pitching has been doing much better and getting better overnight. Salty has been going on a tear, and now the Sox have just one hitter under .200: Mike Cameron, who failed to get a hit last night. The Sox got just 4 hits, but they were enough for Buchholz and the bullpen. I think it is excellent that the Sox are getting these clutch hits. I mean, in two games they have a walk-off double and a double in the eighth. I hope they can keep up this marvelous pace again tonight, when the teams' respective aces face each other: Justin Verlander for the Tigers, 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and a no-hitter,  and Josh Beckett for the Sox, 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA. I think Beckett can outpitch Verlander, as long as the Sox give him some run support.

Trivia
Adrian Gonzalez went 0-3 and grounded into 2 double plays last night, but he is still batting .320 and tied for the league lead in RBI.