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DUSTIN PEDROIA |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The Red Sox blast out
20 hits
against the Rockies
June 25, 2013 ...
Boston combined for a season-high 20 hits tonight, including 12 in the first three innings, en route to an 11-4 victory over the Rockies. None of the hits were home runs, but it didn't seem to matter as the Sox, who lead the Major Leagues in runs scored, got to Colorado starter Juan
Nicasio early and often. He was forced out of the game after just 2 1/3 innings as he gave up seven runs (six earned) and 12 hits.
Six Red Sox reached based at least three times Tuesday, their most in a nine-inning game since Sept. 19, 2011. One of the six was the newly minted everyday third baseman Jose Iglesias, who knocked three hits in five at bats and scored two runs. Just hours
earlier, the Red Sox made the decision to send Will Middlebrooks down to Triple-A Pawtucket, giving Iglesias the chance to start on a daily basis for the first time in his Major League career.
Iglesias was part of a Red Sox attack that scored and had at least three hits in each of the first four innings. Iglesias has reached base safely in 27 consecutive games, the longest streak for a Red Sox rookie since Trot Nixon had 27 straight in 1999. Iglesias is
hitting .434 and has 12 extra-base hits in 34 games.
They were not retired in order until the sixth. Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and also converted a pair of impressive defensive plays, adding on to what is already an impressive Gold Glove resume this season. Two other Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury
and Daniel Nava, had three-hit nights and every batter in Boston's starting lineup had at least one.
All of it was in support of Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster, who went for his sixth quality start in a row and pitched six innings of two-run baseball. He surrendered a towering home run to Wilin Rosario in the second that flew well over the Green Monster,
but, as has been customary with Dempster this season, it was only a solo shot. Of the 17 long balls Dempster has given up this season, 15 have come with no one on base. For a change, Dempster enjoyed the comfort of run support. Before Tuesday, the Red
Sox had scored three runs or fewer in 11 of the 15 games Dempster had started this season. The effort earned him his fifth win of the season and lowered his ERA to 4.15.
The Red Sox wasted no time getting started offensively. Pedroia singled in Ellsbury, who led off with a double, in the first. Back-to-back walks to David Ortiz and Mike Napoli loaded the bases and a flare off the bat of Nava scored another run. Nicasio
retired the first two batters in the second, but then gave up five straight hits, including three consecutive doubles from Shane Victorino, Pedroia and Ortiz, as the Sox added three more runs to their lead in the second. Stephen Drew appeared to hit a home
run in the sixth. The ball hit the top of the wall just to the right of the Green Monster before coming back into play, but after a lengthy review process, it was ruled a triple. On a different night, the sequence might have been more controversial, but on
the very next at-bat, Iglesias doubled him in. It was that kind of night for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox had a scare in the seventh inning when Victorino lost his footing on the warning track chasing a fly ball and crashed into the wall. His head struck a bolt and he came away a bit shaken up.
The Red Sox moved backup catcher David Ross to the 60-day disabled list, acknowledging that he faces a lengthy recovery from two concussions. Ross suffered the two concussions in a span of 33 days when foul balls struck the front of his mask. He was on the
disabled list from May 12-24 and returned there on June 18 after being injured during a game against Baltimore. It is a significant loss for the Red Sox. When general manager Ben Cherington set about rebuilding the roster last fall, Ross was the first free
agent he contacted. Ryan Lavarnway is backing up Saltalamacchia in the absence of Ross.
Lefthander Franklin Morales was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left pectoral muscle, an injury similar to the one he had in early April. Righthander Pedro Beato was recalled from Triple A Pawtucket. But his stay could be brief.
Righthander Clayton Mortensen is eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday and the Red Sox intend to activate him. Brandon Snyder, who was called up to replace Will Middlebrooks on the roster, is the new emergency catcher. He was drafted as a catcher
and caught 79 games in the minors.
NESN analyst Jerry Remy, out since May 28 because of illness, returned to the booth. |
