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JACKIE BRADLEY JR |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Home runs help Doubront
get a win for the Sox
September 22, 2013 ...
Felix Doubront kept the Blue Jays off-balance as he worked seven innings and allowed two runs on four hits as the Red Sox cruised to a 5-2 win in their final regular-season game at Fenway Park this season. The 25-year-old worked his fifth start of the season in which he lasted at least seven
innings. He did it just twice in 2012.
And while Doubront will retreat to the bullpen next weekend for the team's final two games and his status on the postseason roster remains uncertain, the Red Sox at least know they have a reliable starting pitcher waiting on call. In his second full season
in the Majors, Doubront's ERA dropped from 4.86 to 4.08. And he cut his home run total almost in half. After allowing 24 homers in 161 innings last year, he has allowed just 13 in 161 innings this year.
Doubront ran into trouble just once on Sunday, when he allowed a one-out walk followed by back-to-back hits to drive in a run in the second inning. He was spotted a 4-1 lead in the second inning, when Daniel Nava, Stephen Drew and Ryan Lavarnway smacked a few singles and
Jackie Bradley Jr. launched a hanging knuckleball from R.A. Dickey into the right-field bleachers for a three-run homer. Bradley is 5-for-10 with a double and a homer in his last three
games playing for the injured Jacoby Ellsbury. David Ortiz
was 2-for-4 with his 29th homer of the season.
At 95-62, Boston has the best record in the American League, and they are two up on the A's in the win column for home-field advantage in the postseason after Oakland beat the Twins on Sunday. The Red Sox finished with a 53-28 record at home. If the Sox and
A's should finish tied, the first tiebreaker, head-to-head competition, is moot as the Sox and A's finished 3-3 in the regular season. The second tiebreaker is the highest winning percentage in intradivision play. Again it is very close. The Sox were 43-30
(.589) after Sunday's win while the A's are 41-29 (.586).
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ROOKIE DRESS UP DAY |
Jacoby Ellsbury has continued baseball activities this weekend. He was on the field playing catch with bullpen catcher Brian Abraham before the game.
Rookies took part in the annual dress-up day. They donned red Scottish kilts and hats. After putting on the outfits -- the players were bare-chested, and when Steven Wright put on a white undershirt he was ordered to take it off -- the rookies joined
veterans on the field for the "Picnic in the Park" event. There was a bagpiper on hand to complete the theme. |
