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DAVID ORTIZ, DANIEL NAVA, MIKE NAPOLI |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The Sox inch closer to
the A.L. top seed
September 27, 2013 ...
In leading Boston to a 12-3 victory over the Orioles, Clay Buchholz wasn't as dominant as he's been on many other occasions this season. But the key to this one was building his endurance back up before the postseason. For the first time since coming off the disabled list,
Buchholz pitched seven innings. And the 113 pitches represented his highest total since May 22.
It was the 97th win for the Red Sox, their most in a season since 2004. And it had October implications. The Red Sox are now assured of opening the American League Division Series at home on Oct. 4. Either one Red Sox win or Oakland loss during this
final weekend of the regular season will give the Red Sox home-field advantage throughout October.
Coming off a 15-run outburst last Wednesday in Colorado, the day off did nothing to slow down the Boston bats. Ortiz's three-run homer to left put the game out of reach in the eighth. For Big Papi, it marked the seventh 30-30 season of his career, and first
since 2010. The only other player in Red Sox history to have seven 30-30 seasons? Ted Williams.
Dustin Pedroia and Jonny Gomes both had three-hit nights. Ortiz, Daniel Nava, and Stephen Drew each had a pair of hits. The Red Sox came out blazing against O's starter Scott Feldman. Pedroia and Ortiz belted one-out singles in the first and Mike Napoli, fresh after a four-game break, smashed an RBI double to
right-center. Nava followed with a three-run homer. Drew's RBI triple gave Buchholz a 5-0 lead before he even threw a pitch. There was more where that came from in the third. Nava and Gomes started the rally with one-out singles. Then,
Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit one to deep right that was originally ruled a three-run homer. However, after reviewing it on replay, the umpires correctly saw that the ball landed on top of
the wall, but below the short railing that separates the stands. It was instead an RBI ground-rule double. That gave Saltalamacchia 40 doubles, the most in a season by a Red Sox player whose primary position is catcher. Drew followed with a two-run
single and Buchholz had an 8-0 cushion. Gomes came through with a solo shot in the ninth for Boston's final run.
The Sox have what Farrell called "a punch list" of relievers to get work over the final three games. Craig Breslow and Koji Uehara each pitched an inning on Friday. In his second game back after missing 16 games with a fractured bone in his right foot,
Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 4 and played seven innings in center field. He twice lined out. Ellsbury is 1 for 6 with a walk since his return. The Sox are 17-7 in September, their most wins in the month since 2005. Stephen Drew had his eighth
triple, tied for the third in the AL. |
