Red Sox southpaw Jon Lester pitched 5.2 shutout innings this evening, but his bullpen allowed two runs in the seventh inning and another in the eighth as the visiting Baltimore Orioles tied the game, thereby leaving the lefty with only a no-decision to show for his efforts.
But the Sox scored in the bottom of the frame courtesy of a bases-loaded walk to Adrian Beltre, and they went on to win the ballgame, 4-3, in front of 37,367 fans at Fenway Park.
David Ortiz, hitting just .146 entering the game, was back in the lineup tonight against Orioles right-hander Jeremy Guthrie. After a couple of days off, manager Terry Francona put him back in the lineup to face a pitcher against whom he had a .304 lifetime batting average, with two home runs and seven RBI in 23 at-bats.
Ortiz obliged his skipper with his first homer of the year in his first at-bat of the game—an opposite-field shot into the Green Monster seats in the second inning.
After the game, catcher Victor Martinez said Ortiz is inching closer to being his old self: “You can tell he’s getting a lot better. You can see it in his (batting practice).”
The Sox doubled the lead in the third inning (a J D Drew sac fly) and then added another run in the fifth on a pair of singles and a double play grounder (by Josh Reddick).
Meanwhile, Lester tip-toed through his six-inning outing. The Orioles put runners in scoring position in four of his six innings, and he twice escaped bases-loaded threats without being scored on. He exited the game with the ballclub leading 3-0.
The O’s finally dented home plate in the seventh inning off fireballer Daniel Bard, as CF Adam Jones blasted a two-run homer over the Green Monster to pull them within a run.
They added their third run in the eighth inning. Matt Wieters started the inning with a double off LHP Hideki Okajima. Pinch-runner Julio Lugo took third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on pinch-hitter Luke Scott’s grounder off Manny Delcarmen.
Red Sox 3, Orioles 3.
The Sox got that run back off relievers Matt Albers and Will Ohman and fill-in closer Jim Johnson in the bottom of the inning. Albers surrendered a base hit to J D Drew. Ohman issued two walks, including an intentional walk to Martinez. Johnson then walked Beltre to force home the game-winning run.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his fourth save of the season.
It was the club’s third win in the last four games following a five-game losing streak. 2B Dustin Pedroia said: “We’re winning ugly, but (at least) we’re finding ways to win.”
Delcarmen (1-1) got the win despite allowing Okajima’s baserunner to score in the eighth.
Francona said Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to throw a four-inning simulated game in Toronto on Monday. He will start in Baltimore next weekend.
The Red Sox bullpen had gone 19.2 scoreless innings before Jones’ homer off Bard.
The Red Sox are 20-2 against Baltimore since Sept. 1, 2008.
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