Tue, 06/18/2013 - 11:19pm — Anonymous
Joe & Dave talked to the Sox outfielder, who pounded the ball out of the park to win the second game of the doubleheader against the Rays.

[0:00:08] ... -- been. Five minutes maybe turn it completely around them with a clutch hit. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- That but they're not let you know ready to jump on the ...
[0:00:55] ... good you know I mean you know little bit of rain that green monster sometimes plays games but. Yeah -- -- not how far it's how many you know and over. Well we know that you ...
[0:01:34] ... and you're rounding the bases. It's a game winning home run its Fenway Park you're sweeping the double header and all your teammates -- just appalled when you don't play. And it's special moment you know ...





Tue, 06/18/2013 - 11:16pm — Anonymous
Joe & Dave talked to the Sox outfielder, who pounded the ball out of the park to win the second game of the doubleheader against the Rays.

[0:00:08] ... -- been. Five minutes maybe turn it completely around them -- a clutch hit. Yeah I mean you know really start Cedeno now -- again on. -- but they're not let you know ready to jump ...
[0:00:55] ... good you know I mean you know little bit of rain that green monster sometimes plays games but. Yeah you know it's not how far -- how many you know win over. Well we know that ...
[0:01:34] ... and you're rounding the bases. It's a game winning home run it's Fenway Park you're sweeping -- doubleheader and all your teammates -- just appalled when you don't play. And it's special moment you know I ...





Tue, 06/18/2013 - 10:39pm — Alex Speier

The Red Sox continue to show a flair for the dramatic, as the team claimed its sixth walkoff victory of the young season when Jonny Gomes launched a two-run homer down the left-field line and over the Green Monster for a 3-1 victory over the Rays. With Gomes’ blast, the Sox swept a doubleheader from the Rays, shaking off a ninth-inning blown save by Andrew Bailey — who vultured a victory (3-0) — to rally back immediately.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 10:38pm — Anonymous
Felix Doubront logged eight shutout innings against the Rays on Tuesday. (AP)

Felix Doubront logged eight shutout innings against the Rays on Tuesday. (AP)

The Red Sox continue to show evidence of a flair for the dramatic, as the team claimed its sixth walkoff victory of the young season when Jonny Gomes launched a two-run homer down the left field line and over the Green Monster for a 3-1 victory over the Rays. With Gomes’ blast, the Sox swept a doubleheader from the Rays, shaking off a ninth-inning blown save by Andrew Bailey — who vultured a victory (3-0) — to rally back immediately.

WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR THE RED SOX

– Gomes launched the third walk-off homer of his career, jumping on a 1-0 fastball and launching it. He’s now driven in runs in 15 of his last 23 games with a plate appearance.

– For the first time in his professional career at any level, Felix Doubront worked more than seven innings, firing eight shutout innings in an outing that was nothing short of dominant and startling.

Doubront — who had required 104 pitches for five innings of work against the Rays a month ago — needed just 93 pitches to sail through the longest outing of his career. He gave up just three hits — all singles — and retired the last 17 batters he faced. For just the third time in his big league career — and the first time in an outing of more than six innings — Doubront did not walk a batter. Doubront had the most efficient outing of his career. He averaged fewer than 12 pitches per inning, and did not throw more than 13 pitches in an inning all night.

On a night when he had virtually no margin for error, Doubront needed none. The outing represented the punctuation mark on what has been an excellent stretch, as Doubront has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last seven starts, with a 2.81 ERA in that time. Indeed, the only question in the wake of his excellent work was why manager John Farrell elected to lift the left-hander after the eighth inning.

– Daniel Nava crushed a home run into the Red Sox bullpen in the second inning, giving the Red Sox a one-run lead. It was the 10th home run of the season for Nava, who continues to make a strong case for a spot on the All-Star team. It continues to be the best power-hitting season of Nava’s career, especially from the left side of the plate. Nava has eight home runs on the season as a lefty, and was slugging .491 from that side before Tuesday. He later led off the ninth by working a walk off of Joel Peralta, scoring in front of Gomes’ walkoff.

– Jose Iglesias reached first on yet another infield single in the game, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. With Tuesday night’s base knock, 13 of Iglesias’s 40 hits this season have been infield hits. Without the infield hits included, Iglesias is batting .297 on the season.

– It was a marathon performance for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who caught all 18 innings of the doubleheader Tuesday. He became the first Red Sox catcher to start both games in a doubleheader since John Marzano in 1992. While he struggled in the batter’s box (0-for-6 on the day), he did a good job calling the games for the Red Sox pitching staff, which only allowed one run and nine hits throughout the doubleheader.

– David Ortiz had another strong game at the plate, recording two hits to give him four through the doubleheader. Ortiz’s average, which had fallen below .300 for the first time this season before Tuesday, is now back up to .309.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE RED SOX

– For the third time in four outings, Andrew Bailey gave up a homer. Bailey gave up a solo homer to the first batter he faced, Kelly Johnson, giving him three blown saves in 11 opportunities this year. He’s given up five runs in his last four games. With two outs (and Evan Longoria on deck), Bailey also issued a four-pitch walk to Ben Zobrist, giving the closer 10 free passes in 22 1/3 innings this year, a 4.0 walks per nine rate.

– For just the third time in 21 games, Jacoby Ellsbury failed to reach base, going 0-for-4.

Blog Author: 
Kevin Dillon
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 9:05pm — Anonymous
David Ortiz notches one his two run-scoring singles Saturday. (AP)

David Ortiz notches one his two run-scoring singles on Tuesday. (AP)

David Ortiz was supposed to be on his last leg. An Achilles injury that limited him to only 90 games in 2012 and related issues with his heels that kept him under wraps for most of spring training were supposed to be the telltale signs that the power-hitting DH was nearing the end of his major league career.

However, it is games like Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays that serve as a reminder as to why the Red Sox signed him to a two-year, $26 million contract in November. Ortiz was perfect with runners on base in the game, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs on two singles. He drove in the game-winning runs in the third before adding an insurance tally in the fifth.

The two-run single found a hole in the middle of the Rays defensive shift, which was designed to face a pull hitter like Ortiz.

“Ortiz’s big two-run single kind of works against their shift a little bit, finds a way to get the two-run RBI,” noted Sox manager John Farrell.

Dating to his return from the disabled list on April 20, Ortiz has been among the best in the league this season at driving in runs, driving in 52 runs during that span. The only player ahead of him over the stretch is Miguel Cabrera, who is batting a ridiculous .362/.462/.688 with 53 RBIs since then.

Part of the reason Ortiz’s RBI totals are so high is because he thrives at the plate with runners on base. With the bases empty, Ortiz is batting .289/.347/.589. But with a man on, those numbers jump up to .308/.409/.607. With runners in scoring position, his stats improve even more to .333/.423/.667 on the year.

Tuesday’s performance puts him in elite company with runners in scoring position, as he is now tied for second in the majors with Allen Craig with 24 hits in that situation. He is also second in the league in RBIs in those situations, behind Cabrera once again.

Ortiz is no longer batting over .400 like he was through the first 15 games of the season, but he remains a productive with whom opposing staffs must reckon. The left-handed batter has five home runs and 17 RBIs in his last 15 games, while slugging .607 during that span, and is continuing to live up to his end $26 million contract.

Blog Author: 
Kevin Dillon
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 8:35pm — Alex Speier

The Red Sox placed right-hander Clay Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 9) due to what the team described as a neck strain, while also placing catcher David Ross on the 7-day disabled list for the recurrence of his concussion-like symptoms. In their places, the team called up catcher Ryan Lavarnway (in place of Buchholz) from Pawtucket and right-hander Alex Wilson (in Ross’ spot.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 8:25pm — Anonymous

The Red Sox placed right-hander Clay Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 9) due to what the team described as a neck strain, while also placing catcher David Ross on the 7-day disabled list for the recurrence of his concussion-like symptoms. In their places, the team called up catcher Ryan Lavarnway (in place of Buchholz) from Pawtucket and right-hander Alex Wilson (in Ross’ spot.

According to a team source, there has not yet been a decision about whether — with Buchholz sidelined — Allen Webster or Rubby De La Rosa will be called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to start this weekend. Still, barring another player getting placed on the DL, it would have to be Webster who starts, given that De La Rosa needs to remain in the minors for at least 10 days after being optioned (unless he is returned to the big leagues in place of a player who goes on the DL).

Buchholz threw a bullpen session off a mound prior to the night game of Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader, his first bullpen session since he suffered what was described as a sore trapezius muscle in his June 8 start. It was after that throwing session that news of his placement on the DL was announced.

More to come…

Blog Author: 
Alex Speier
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 8:12pm — Alex Speier

After a nearly three-hour rain delay interrupted Game 1 of the day-night double header, the Sox give the ball to Felix Doubront (4-3, 4.91) for Game 2 to try and sweep the day. Doubront has pitched well of late and has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his last six starts.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 8:08pm — Anonymous

After a nearly three-hour rain delay interrupted Game 1 of the day-night double header, the Sox give the ball to Felix Doubront (4-3, 4.91) for Game 2 to try and sweep the day. Doubront has pitched well of late and has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his last six starts.

Felix Doubront (AP)

Felix Doubront (AP)

Jose Iglesias  gets the start at third base, as Will Middlebrooks takes the night-cap off. Daniel Nava moves over to first base, while Jonny Gomes will man left field. Interestingly, both Mike Carp and David Ross are sitting in the night game — with Gomes in left and Jarrod Saltalamacchia catching the second half of the double-header after being behind the plate for the first. 

The Rays will turn to Jake Odorizzi (0-0, 8.03) who has struggled thus far in the 2013 season. He has yet to pitch past the fifth inning in any of his three starts and has surrendered 11 earned runs over 12 1/3 innings pitched. Odorizzi has not faced any members of the Red Sox starting nine so far in his career.

Here is the Sox’ lineup for game two:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Shane Victorino RF

Dustin Pedroia 2B

David Ortiz DH

Daniel Nava 1B

Jonny Gomes LF

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C

Stephen Drew SS

Jose Iglesias 3B

Felix Doubront P

Blog Author: 
Griffin Tewksbury
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 7:17pm — Alex Speier

David Ortiz and the Red Sox beat the storm and the Rays.

The Sox’ designated hitter continued his ridiculous run production pace by driving in three runs prior to the onset of a deluge that led to a 2-hour, 59-minute rain delay. His offense allowed the hosts to take the first game of the teams’ day-night doubleheader.