Will the thrill: Middlebrooks keys Sox win

Will Middlebrooks tied the game with a long homer to the bleachers in center and drove in four runs as the Red Sox completed the three-game sweep of the Marlins with a 6-5 win Thursday night at a steamy Fenway Park. The Red Sox won their fifth straight and matched their high-water mark of three games over .500 at 36-33. 

Making his third start back off the disabled list, Daisuke Matsuzaka was very shaky in the first frame, giving up three hits and three runs while allowing three stolen bases and needing 33 pitches to get through the inning. 

But beginning with the final out of the first, he retired 14 straight batters while the Red Sox chipped away at Miami's lead. The Red Sox got two runs back in the fourth when they took advantage of Carlos Zambrano's complete lack of control. The Marlins righty drilled Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to open the inning. Middlebrooks then singled home Ross. Mike Aviles followed one out later with a sacrifice fly that scored Saltalamacchia. 

Zambrano flirted with trouble all night. The Red Sox had a golden opportunity in the first when they loaded the bases with one out. But Ross swung at the first pitch and popped out to first and Saltalamacchia struck out to end the rally. 

Middlebrooks came through again in the fifth with another RBI single to tie the game. With four RBIs, Middlebrooks now has 31 in his first 38 big league games, the most by any Red Sox player since Walt Dropo had 34 in 38 games in 1949-50.

But the tie didn't last long as Giancarlo Stanton drilled a hanging slider from Matsuzaka to put the Marlins up, 4-3. The Marlins would add another in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. 

The Red Sox got a rally started in the eighth when Saltalamacchia belted a double to left-center to open the inning. Middlebrooks then crushed a fastball from Edward Mujica several rows deep into the center-field bleachers for the tie game. Ryan Kalish followed with a single to keep the rally going. Kalish went from first to third on a ground out by Aviles before Daniel Nava drove him home with a broken-bat single to center. 

Alfredo Aceves came on to pitch a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances. 

For more, visit the Red Sox team page at weei.com/redsox and the Full Count blog.