No Gonzo, No Problem: Red Sox Back Solid Wakefield, Take Rubber Game, 6-4

Having won Tuesday night's game against the Blue Jays, the Red Sox were looking to win their second consecutive series after sweeping the Astros over the weekend.  Entering the night, the Red Sox were going to have to face Toronto ace Ricky Romero without Adrian Gonzalez, who took the night off.  

Even without the newly named All-Star in the lineup, the offense fared just fine, compiling nine hits and six runs off Romero in an eventual 6-4 win over the Jays.  Romero, who came into the game with one of the best ERA's in the American League, only lasted 4.1 innings and fell victim to the longball.

To begin Romero's night, Jacoby Ellsbury properly greeted him by taking a 1-0 fastball into the right field bleachers for a solo home run, putting the Red Sox on the board.  Romero was again touched up by Kevin Youkilis in the second inning, when he drilled a line drive over the Monster for a solo home run.

Romero settled down in the third inning, but ran into major trouble in the fourth.  After getting the first two men out, Romero allowed a two-out double to J.D. Drew.  With a man in scoring position, Darnell McDonald strode to the plate.  Usually when you hear those words, you mutter "oh boy, here we go again" or "oh look it's Darnell McStrikeout".  This time however, McDonald didn't strike out, didn't ground out, didn't fly out, he didn't get out period.  

Darnell McDonald, ladies and gentleman, brought J.D. Drew home on an RBI single to left field to bring home a run.  That'll raise the ole' batting average a little (.136).  The Red Sox kept the rally going when Yamaico Navarro brought both McDonald and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (who reached base on a single) home for two more runs.  Boston finally capped off their effort when Jacoby Ellsbury smacked an RBI double to bring in Navarro from second.  

The six runs were enough to back a pretty solid start from starter Tim Wakefield.  Wake ran into the only trouble he'd see in the early going.  In the first inning, Wakefield fell behind Jose Bautista in the count and Bautista struck a knuckleball for an early RBI single that scored Yunel Escobar, putting the Jays on top 1-0 early.  Wake then ran into more trouble in the third when he allowed two runs off a Bautista sac-fly and an Adam Lind RBI single.  

Other than that, a very solid start from Tim Wakefield this evening.  He was able to pitch seven innings while only giving up the three earned runs on nine hits and striking out seven Blue Jays.  With the victory Wednesday night, Wakefield only needs two more wins to reach 200 career wins.

Toronto managed to scratch across one more run in the ninth off of Jonathan Papelbon (a Yunel Escobar RBI single), but they didn't do anything else after Wake's departure.  Red Sox take this game, 6-4, claiming the series victory.  They welcome the Orioles to town tomorrow night for a four game series at Fenway Park.  It'll be Andrew Miller going up against Jake Arrieta of Baltimore, first pitch 7:10 p.m.