Sox Roll Through California

Well, they roll through California teams, anyway. A couple days ago, they finished off a sweep of the San Diego Padres at Fenway, just rolling through the Padres. Since my last post, they were bolstered in the second game of the Padres series by a pinch-hit walk-off home run by Jonny Gomes. Even though Gomes does not have great stats, I don't think he needs great stats, considering how well he's been doing in clutch situations this year. Then Allen Webster finally had a decent outing, giving up just two runs in six innings and earning the first win of his major-league career, in an 8-2 romp. I just love how the Sox bats can carry pitchers so well, especially struggling pitchers like Webster; I think the Red Sox run support helps give pitchers a much-needed morale boost and helps the Sox win more games.

Last night, Felix Doubront pitched for the Red Sox against the struggling LA Angels. Despite a lineup loaded with stars like Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols, the Angels have a record below .500. The Sox struck first off LA starter C.J. Wilson, as Jarrod Saltalamacchia lined a two-run single to give the Sox an early lead. Unfortunately, Doubront gave it back in the third and fourth innings, but managed to hold the Angels at two runs, so the score remained tied. Then in the seventh inning, Josh Hamilton, the former superstar, dropped an easy fly ball and allowed Shane Victorino to score, putting the Sox ahead 3-2, a lead they would never relinquish. Indeed, the lead expanded, as David Ortiz launched a two-run blast and Mike Napoli clouted a solo homer to give the Sox a 6-2 lead. I was very impressed-- again!-- with the Red Sox's performance, as they have been hitting well in the clutch and taking advantage of opposing miscues. Furthermore, their starting pitching has been excellent, and so they have been able to perform at a very high level and stay in first in the competitive AL East. One final note: Koji Uehara, who has stepped into Boston's closing role, currently owns a 1.95 ERA for the BoSox.

Lackey Carries Sox

John Lackey and the Red Sox faced the San Diego Padres last night at Fenway Park. Through the first three innings, both pitchers were dueling, giving up no runs. However, the Red Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth, as recent call-up Brandon Snyder smashed a three-run double. The Sox struck again in the seventh inning when Jose Iglesias lined a single up the middle for an RBI base hit. Meanwhile, John Lackey was pitching brilliantly, shutting out the Padres through his first six innings of work. He withstood a home run from Jesus Guzman to complete eight strong innings, in which he gave up just six hits and a single run. I was ecstatic about this start, as he has been very strong this season, with an ERA well under 3 after this excellent win. Koji Uehara came on in the ninth inning and threw a perfect inning, striking out two and earning his fifth save of the season. I am very glad that Lackey and Uehara combined so effectively, as it meant the rest of the bullpen had a day of rest; also, Uehara has been pitching effectively as a closer, and I hope he can keep it up.

In other baseball news, Homer Bailey threw a no-hitter, the second of his career and the first of 2013. The no-no came against the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants, and Bailey has now thrown the last two no-hitters in the major leagues.

Sox Walk Off on Error

My last post may have jinxed the Red Sox's success, as the day I wrote that post, the Sox saw their winning streak snapped due to Jose Bautista's two-run homer off Junichi Tazawa; the homer gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 4-2 lead that they would eventually stretch to 6-2 and hold ont for the win. However, yesterday the Sox were determined to come back from this loss.

With Ryan Dempster pitching against Mark Buehrle, the Sox struck first, driving in three runs in the third thanks to doubles from Ryan Lavarnway and Brandon Snyder. Dempster gave two back in the fourth, but the Sox had a secure 4-2 lead once Dempster left in the sixth. Unfortunately, Craig Breslow gave up a run later in the sixth, but the Sox still led the Jays comfortably. Fast-forward to the ninth inning, where Jose Reyes lofted a fly ball down the right-field line. Racing for the line, Shane Victorino ran at full speed towards the ball before entering an excellent slide and barely making the grab. This amazing catch was further amplified when the next batter, Jose Bautista, smashed a home run, tying the game. If Victorino hadn't made the catch, the Sox would've been down a run, so it's awesome that Victorino made that play. Then, in the bottom of the inning, with two men on and one out, Victorino grounded a routine ball to first, but Josh Thole couldn't field it, allowing a run to score for Boston, giving the Sox the win. I was pretty excited when the Sox won; even though it wasn't a pretty win, they still came away with it, so I was happy. Hopefully the Sox can keep up their positive energy and continue to perform well as they carry on through the season.

Incidentally, this is how I deal with sloppy wins like this. I think of how badly the Sox played, then stop thinking about that. Instead, I think that at the end of the season, every win shows up exactly the same in the standings: W. By the end of each season, it does not matter how you win your games, as long as you win them.