When you give up 6 runs as a starter, you're just hoping to get out of there with a no decision.
How about a win?
That's what John Lackey received after allowing 2 home runs, a 4-run 2nd inning, and a 2-run 5th, all thanks to a patient Red Sox offense which walked its way to 7 runs.
All of those runs came in the first 3 innings. In the first Marco Scutaro walked, Dustin Pedroia doubled, and Martinez knocked them both in with a groundball single under Aaron Hill's glove. Then, in the 2nd, things got weird as Brandon Morrow completely lost control. Throwing only 32 of 67 pitches for strikes, Morrow walked 4 of the first 5 batters he faced, loading the bases and scoring a run before Victor Martinez grounded into what would have been an inning-ending double play had Aaron Hill not thrown the ball up and over Lyle Overbay's head into the Red Sox dugout. 2 more runs would score on the error, and then a fourth would come in on a David Ortiz line drive single.
The Sox added a 7th thanks to Jonathan Van Every and Dustin Pedroia, which would be just barely enough to hold on for the win as Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon combined for three scoreless innings to close out the game.
Game Notes:
- Alex Gonzalez had what appeared to be a home run, but was ruled a double off the ridge of the wall and upheld after replay. Both runners ended up scoring that inning anyways on John Buck's ground-rule double, so in the end it's only stats that change.
- Jonathan Papelbon continues to work in his splitter to great effect.
- 6 strikeouts tie a season high for John Lackey. The last game went noticeably better for him, however.
- J.D. Drew was a late scratch due to vertigo. Jonathan Van Every took over in right, and made a great catch on a wind-blown ball, falling into the stands as he did so.