Here is tonight's lineup vs. the Indians:

Ellsbury CF
Nava RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Saltalamacchia C
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Carp LF

Dempster SP

Game time is at 7:10pm EST.

P.S. Welcome Back Tito!

The Red Sox had dropped the first two games of the series with the White Sox and with Clay Buchholz on the mound, they needed him to bring the team to a win before they headed back home.  Clay didn't have his best stuff all night long, but even so he was able to limit any damage and have his team in line for a win.  Clay was helped through his outing by Salty throwing out not one, but two runners trying to steal second.  

The bats gave Buchholz a lead before he even took the mound.  With two runners on, Papi hit a blooping single to score both Gomes and Pedey.  Red Sox 2-0.  The Red Sox were looking for more, but Santiago got out of the inning without any more damage.  Buchholz didn't look great when he took the mound and he had a habit of almost always letting the leadoff batter on base, but he also tended to not let them score.  Buch allowed a run to score in the 3rd when he gave up an RBI groundout to Rios.  Red Sox 2-1.  The Red Sox bats weren't able to pad Clay's lead while he was on the mound, but that was enough for him.  Buch pitched 7 strong innings and his line for the night was 113 pitches, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB and 4 Ks.   It wasn't his best outing, but it sure was good enough.

The Red Sox bats got back to work in the 8th.  Santiago was making a spot start for Sale who was out with injury and he was only on 3 days rest, however the bats wouldn't be able to do much damage until he was out of the game.  Santiago did exactly what the White Sox needed him to.  In the 8th, the Red Sox had the bases loaded and only one out.  Middlebrooks hit a sac fly and then Napoli scored on a passed ball to have the Red Sox leading 4-1.  Uehara pitched his usual 1-2-3 8th inning and then went in for one of his usual epic high five sessions in the dugout.  In the 9th the Red Sox added on when Nava hit a 2 run RBI single.  Red Sox 6-1.  Andrew Bailey made his first appearance since coming off the DL and while it wasn't a save situation, it was nice to see him get some work.  Bailey didn't have a clean inning as he gave up a HR to Paul Konerko, but that would be all the damage.  

Sox win 6-2 and head home to face their old friend Terry Francona.  

Red Sox 6  White Sox 2  BOXSCORE

WP: Buchholz (7-0)  LP:  Santiago (1-3) 

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the White Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Saltalamacchia C

Buchholz SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST. 

The White Sox and Red Sox were facing off again and the Red Sox really needed a good performance from Felix Doubront.  Doubront pitched well, but the other side just pitched better.  White Sox's Quintana took a no hitter into the 7th inning and the Sox bats weren't able to give Doubront any run support. 

Felix was putting up zeroes right along with Quintana until he hit the 5th inning.  Doubront gave up a single to Viciedo and then a HR to Keppinger.  The Red Sox were down 0-2, however it was a huge step forward for Doubront.  He was using all of his pitches and getting through the innings with efficiency.  He looked like that guy who earned his spot in the starting rotation last year.  The Red Sox bats had opportunities to get those runs back for Doubront, but tonight just wasn't their night.  

Quintana lost his no bid effort in the 7th when Big Papi hit a broken bat single.  Quintana then gave up two more singles to have the bases loaded and no outs.  It looked like the perfect opportunity for the Red Sox, but Quintana would leave the game and Crain would come into the game and get two strikeouts to end the inning.  Doubront was done after 6 inning and only 85 pitches.  

Alex Wilson came on and pitched a scoreless 7th and then the Sox actually cracked the scoreboard in the top of the 8th.  Pedey got an RBI when he reached via error and Salty scored.  Red Sox 1-2.  Papi was at the plate with runners at the corners and one out.  Papi did the one thing that we didn't want and ground into a double play to end the inning.  Unfortunately, the White Sox would get that single run right back in the bottom of the 8th.  Wilson gave up a single and then an RBI double to Rios to have the White Sox leading 3-1.  Andrew Miller came out and got the final out of the inning as it started to rain hard.  White Sox closer Addison Reed pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning in the pouring rain and that would be it for the Red Sox.

The water unfortunately was very very clean.  

Red Sox 1  White Sox 3  BOXSCORE

WP: Quintana (3-1)  LP:  Doubront (3-2)  SV: Reed (16)

If (Farrell) called me right now, I'd say, 'Hell, yeah, I'd play him. Take him. He's ready,' but the arm and all that stuff needs to be taken care of right now. That's the tease. You want to pop him out of here and bring him up there, but what do you do if after five days his arm is sore?

-Gary DiSarcina on bringing up Jackie Bradley Jr. 

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the White Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Saltalamacchia C

Doubront SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST. 

Jon Lester has been spectacular this season, however last night would just not be his night.  Lester was sporting his biggest ERA against the White Sox and last night would not help that statistic any.  The Sox bats rallied late, but came up short and lost their first game in the last 6 days.  

Lester just didn't have it last night.  Lester gave up 3 runs in the 1st when he gave up a single, a walk and then a HR to Adam Dunn.  Red 0-3.  Lester gave up 2 more runs in the 2nd inning when he gave up back to back RBI doubles to De Aza and Ramirez.  Red 0-5.  In the 3rd the Red Sox got 2 runs back when Salty smacked a 2 run HR.  Red 2-5.  Lester would give up his 6th and final run in the 5th inning when he gave up an RBI single to Viciedo.  Red 2-6.  The kicker for all of these runs Lester gave up last night is that each and every one of them was with two outs.  

Lester pitched 6 innings and then gave the ball to the bullpen.  Morty pitched the 7th and Breslow pitched the 8th.  The bullpen continued to be consistent and would give up no more runs.  The Sox grabbed two more runs in the 7th when Papi and Napoli both walked and then Middlebrooks brought them home with an RBI double.  Red 4-6.  In the 9th, Middlebrooks almost tied up the game with a ball that was about 3 feet short of being a homerun.  

The Sox won 5 straight, but they wouldn't push it to 6.  Let's get back after a new win streak tomorrow.  

Red Sox 4  White Sox 6  BOXSCORE

WP: Axelrod (2-3)  LP:  Lester (6-1)

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the White Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Victorino RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava LF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Saltalamacchia C

Lester SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST. 

John Lackey took the mound and had one of his best outings in a Sox uniform.  Unfortunately it would be cut short due to a rain delay, but he'd still pitch long and well enough to get himself and the team a nice win.  

Lackey pitched 4 perfect innings before giving up his first hit.  At that point, the offense had already given Lackey a 3-0 lead.  Middlebrooks hit a solo HR in the 2nd inning, Pedey reached on what should have been a DP ball and a run scored in the 3rd and then Napoli hit an RBI single in the 5th.  Lackey gave up a leadoff double as his first hit to Plouffe in the 5th inning.  Lackey got a ground ball that should have been an inning ending double play, but Ciriaco air mailed the throw to 1st base and actually hit Parmalee with the ball.  Plouffe scored on the play, but the run was unearned for Lackey.  Sox 3-1.  Lackey kept rolling right up until the 7th inning when the earth opened up and it began pouring.  

The tarp was called and we were in a rain delay.  The delay is one of the longest that I can ever remember.  The delay lasted exactly 3 hours and then the tarp was off and we were playing baseball again.  There were only a couple hundred fans who waited out the delay, so it was a strange sight at Target Field.  Andrew Miller took the mound in the 7th and had himself a nice 1-2-3 inning.  In the 8th, Koji Uehara took the mound and almost gave us all a heart attack.  Uehara gave up a double, a walk and a single to have the bases loaded.  With 2 outs, Joe Mauer came to the plate and we were all collectively holding out breath.  Uehara ended up getting Mauer to strikeout and got out of the inning.  Phew.  In the top of the 9th, Pedey gave the team some breathing room when he hit a 2 run HR that bounced off Willingham's glove and hopped out of the park.  Sox 5-1.  Tazawa came in for the 9th and gave up two singles before getting the next 3 batters in order.  

The Sox swept the Twins and as of right now are only a half game back from the Yankees who are leading the AL East.  

Red Sox 5  Twins 1  BOXSCORE

WP: Lackey (2-4)  LP:  Hernandez (2-1)

Victorino CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Saltalamacchia C
Ciriaco SS

Lackey SP