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ALFREDO ACEVES |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Alfredo Aceves powers the
Sox past the Rays, 2-1
June 12, 2013 ...
Recalled from Pawtucket specifically for this one start against the Rays, Alfredo Aceves fired six strong innings to lead the Red Sox to a 2-1 victory in the rubber match of a three-game series. Aceves allowed four hits and a run, walking four and striking out three. The right-hander
threw just 84 pitches, 50 for strikes.
With each start like this, Aceves makes his drastic inconsistency from earlier this season and much of last year a more distant memory. The Aceves who has pitched the last two times for Boston looks a lot like the guy who was a highly-dependable swingman in
2011.
All Aceves needed was a little offense, and his team gave it to him in the third, when Daniel Nava clocked a two-run homer to right. Nava's heroics used to be a surprise. Now, they are just expected to the point where he's even making himself an All-Star
Game candidate. Nava isn't on the ballot, so voting for him would require writing his name in. When the ballots were prepared before the season, the Red Sox submitted Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonny Gomes, and Shane Victorino as their candidates. After getting
ahead 3-0, Nava ended up working a 10-pitch at-bat against Chris Archer before launching a slider into the seats in right.
Aceves seemed primed to make that slight 2-0 lead stand up. He cruised through the Rays' lineup early. Evan Longoria finally got to the right-hander in the sixth when he smacked a solo shot to center to make it a one-run game.
Once again, the bullpen came up big for the Red Sox in a tight game. Junichi Tazawa was dominant in the seventh, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Lefty Craig Breslow worked around a hit and recorded two outs -- both of them strikeouts.
Then it was Koji Uehara time. The excitable righty struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth and seemed even more fired up than usual when he roared through the dugout with high fives for everyone. In the ninth, Andrew Bailey came on to redeem
himself after a blown save from two nights earlier.
Shortstop Stephen Drew made an instinctively sublime play on the low line drive, letting it hop into his glove and starting the double play from his knees. Meanwhile, the Red Sox own an American League-best 41-26 record. The Sox are 7-2 against the
Rays this season.
Most of the Red Sox have stopped shaving and beards are sprouting across the clubhouse. It's such a trend that even the usually well-groomed Jacoby Ellsbury is wearing a week's worth of scruff. It started in spring training when Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes grew
beards. David Ross joined in, as did Dustin Pedroia. Now all four are looking like Civil War generals. All nine players in the batting order against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday had some sort of beard. Only six of the 25 players on the active roster
can be classified as clean shaven. The holdouts for now, include Jon Lester and John Lackey.
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