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ALLEN WEBSTER |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The Red Sox bats get Allen Webster
his first win in 18 hit attack
July 4, 2013 ...
When the Red Sox combined for 18 hits as part of an 8-2 victory to sweep the visiting San Diego Padres at Fenway Park, it was another example of the Red Sox's offense, which has scored more runs than any team in baseball. Every Red Sox starter had at
least one hit in the game and all but one (Brandon Synder) had at least two as Padres starter Eric Stults was forced to exit the game with just one out in the fifth inning having accumulated 91 pitches and given up four runs.
Mike Napoli leads the American League in pitches seen per plate appearance with 4.50. Daniel Nava and Dustin Pedroia are also in the top 20 and no team in the Major Leagues has seen more pitches this season than Boston. When pitchers face the Red
Sox's lineup, they know they're in for a battle.
The scrappy offense helped rookie starter Allen Webster earn his first Major League win in five starts this season. The right-hander worked through some occasional control issues to throw six innings of two-run ball. Webster entered the contest with a 9.50 ERA and
left with a 7.88 mark. In total, he lasted six innings and gave up two runs. The Padres threatened multiple times, including a bases loaded no-out situation in the third, but Webster routinely was able to work out of trouble. Webster has been
inconsistent since being called up to replace the injured ace Clay Buchholz, but tonight was a sign of improvement. Combined with the starts of John Lackey and Jon Lester in the first two games of the series in which they gave up two runs over 15 innings,
Webster's outing gave the starters 1.71 ERA for the three-game set.
Though many Red Sox hitters had a big day, Jacoby Ellsbury's was probably the biggest. He clubbed his second home run of the year and his first since April 7 (314 at-bats) in the eighth and had three hits on the afternoon. Ellsbury extended his hit streak to
14 games when he led off the first with a single. Shane Victorino doubled to move Ellsbury to third and Dustin Pedroia knocked a two-run double to give Boston an early 2-0 lead.
Brandon Snyder continued his hot streak in the second inning when he belted a 1-2 curveball into Boston's bullpen in right field for a solo home run. The third baseman has six RBIs in the five games he's played since being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket.
One day after being named the AL Rookie of the Month for June, Jose Iglesias looped 1-2 fastball from Stults down the right-field line in the fourth. Iglesias scampered to third on the play as Napoli and Lavarnway, who both singled earlier in the inning, scored.
But Angel Hernandez ruled it a ground-rule double, sending Iglesias back to second base and taking a run off the board.
The Sox's bullpen held the Padres scoreless in relief of Webster, including an encouraging outing from the struggling Andrew Bailey. The former closer struck out two batters in a perfect inning of work. |
