Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Recap: Sox come from behind to take third game of series

(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

The Sox and Indians played through the rain and it ended in the Red Sox favor. The offense came up with 4 runs in the 8th, and Andrew  Bailey sealed it in the 9th for the 7-4 win.

Dustin Pedroia put the Sox up 5-4 in the 8th with a wall-ball double, which proved to be enough for the victory. The biggest offensive surprise came from the number 8 and 9 batters in the lineup, in Iglesias and Ciriaco. Each went 3-for-4, with Iglesias hitting a double, 2 singles and scoring 2 runs. Ciriaco also hit a double and 2 singles, and drove in a run. I'm sure the rest of the Ted's Army crew enjoyed that Iglesias performance. Especially Scott.

Another big positive from this one was the nifty stat of  five of the seven runs were scored with 2 outs. I like it...guys coming up in the clutch.

Lester had a pretty good 7-inning outing, but nothing great. Lester scattered 10 hits, and gave up 4 runs (all earned), but did strike out 8. Junichi Tazawa came in for a 1-2-3 8th, and was rewarded with his 4th victory of the season. Bailey came in for the ninth, and did what he had to do for his 6th save of the season.

The Sox will go for the series win tomorrow afternoon behind Felix Doubront.

Box Score

Your Morning Dump...Where Lackey had better luck in the rain this time

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The last time John Lackey was on the mound, rain forced him to leave way before he was ready.

He was rolling along, throwing six innings of one-hit ball against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field May 19 before downpours held the game up for nearly three hours.

The delay, obviously, put an end to his night, and when he took the mound at Fenway five days later it was practically déja vu.

Persistent showers pushed the first pitch of the Red Sox’ matchup with the Cleveland Indians back by 42 minutes.

When Lackey finally took the mound, the field was soaked.

Lackey picked up where he left off. He treated the Indians to a platter of fastballs, cutters, and curveballs over seven innings in the Sox’ 8-1 win, ringing up eight strikeouts for the third time this season.

Globe: Lackey looks solid in win

I was pleasantly surprised when watching Lackey pitch last night. I though he would struggle, and he did the complete opposite.

Does this mean I will not doubt Lackey again? Hell no! We need to see some consistency, John. If we can see a string of at least 3 strong starts, I'll be nicer.

The rest of the links:

Globe: Jose Iglesias and Jacoby Ellsbury stage seventh-inning production for Red Sox | John Lackey, Red Sox roll over Cleveland Indians | ESPN Boston: Lackey K's 8, lowers ERA to 2.72 | Carp snaps 0-for-21 slump with 3-run HR | Lackey puts Napoli, infield to good use | Herald: Ellsbury shows positive signs | Master-ful HR for Carp | Vintage John Lackey back | Notebook: Iglesias at hot corner | Breslow in middle | CSNNE: Lackey: I'm feeling pretty good | Lackey having fun, regaining stuff at same time

Recap: Lackey shines in Sox redemption win

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The weather sucked (42 min delay to start), but John Lackey certainly did not. Once again, John Lackey did the opposite as I expected and dazzled in a 8-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians. I know I wasn't the only one who thought Justin Masterson was going to shut the Sox down and make us say "Why can't we get guys like that?", but the Sox made him work hard through six innings. Masterson was tagged for 5 runs on 6 hits, one of those hits a Mike Carp, 3-run homer in the second inning.

John Lackey pretty much made me look like a fool with his stellar outing tonight. Lackey went 7 very strong innings, giving up only 1 un-earned run, and two hits, while striking out 8 Indians' batters. His ERA has dropped to a cool 2.72, which may be the lowest we have seen John's ERA after the first inning of his first start of the season. Lackey did walk 3 batters, which had no effect on the score. Uehara and Aceves did a fine job shutting down the Indians in the final 2 innings, helping Lackey to his 3 win of the season.

Aside from the 3 RBI off the bat of Mike Carp by way of the long ball, the Sox got some run production from Pedroia and Ellsbury. Pedroia contributed with a pair of singles and 2 RBI, and Ellsbury with a single and 2 RBI. Everyone else in the starting lineup contributed at least one hit with the exception of Stephen Drew.

The Sox did a fantastic job redeeming themselves from last night's ass whoopin'. It is always nice to watch a convincing win, no matter what the weather is like.

Box Score

Sox make 6 roster moves; Victorino and Middlebrooks to the DL

The Providence Journal's Tim Britton best sums up the flurry of Red Sox roster moves.

Will Middlebrooks' back spasms last night are clearly a problem -- or perhaps this is a convenient way to get him a breath so he can work on a few things without being in games. The Victorino move is not surprising -- the guy last played on Monday.

The other moves are a little surprising. Jose Iglesias is one game into his 3B experiment, and now he's playing it in the big leagues (he's starting there tonight). And Alfredo Aceves is...well, I think we all know the story with Al. Somehow he's our best option, but given the beating the pitching staff has been taking, he'll be useful. One more pitcher means the bench is thinner, so look for more Mike Carp and Jonny Gomes over the next couple of weeks.

The full lineup for tonight, along with starter John Lackey:

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

Your Morning Dump...where Dempster is down in the dumps

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump

Ryan Dempster's struggles continued in a bad way last night against the Indians in Terr Francona's return to Fenway.

The strike-throwing, innings-eating Ryan Dempster that the Red Sox saw in the early stages of the season has been missing in action, and last night marked the bottom of the barrel to date for the 36-year-old right-hander.

Dempster was the first of many Red Sox pitchers to take their lumps last night in the near four-hour, 12-3 beatdown at the hands of the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park, allowing four runs on five hits with four walks in a season-low three innings of work.

There wasn’t a need to mince words for Dempster following the outing, as he bluntly said he needs to make better “quality pitches” several times to get major league hitters out. It’s just not happening right now.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Dempster said. “The last couple games I haven’t been throwing the ball the way that I throw it. I’ll get back to doing that.”

Herald: Struggles start to mount for Ryan Dempster

In his last three outings, Ryan Dempster has been horrendous:

12.2 IP, 20 H, 15 ER, 11 BB, 12 K, 10.66 ERA, 2.45 WHIP

The most most glaring stat out of that line is the 11 walks. Dempster is a guy known for being a consistent strike-thrower who isn't afraid to attack the zone. The 36-year-old had 52 walks in all of 2012 with the Cubs. This year, he has racked 29 walks; on pace to easily surpass last year.

Let's hope it's just a bad stretch from Dempster, but clearly something is off. With Dempster pushing 40 and some eager young arms down in the farm, don't be surprised to see a DL-stint. Oh, let's call it a "sore hammy"...yeah that's it...

On the bright side, there is some National League blood (Phillies) coming into Fenway for his next start on Tuesday. Maybe that will be a nice refresher for Dempster to face a familiar lineup.

Rest of the links:

Globe: Francona gets warm reception in return | Globe: Quantity of Ryan Dempster’s pitches outnumbers quality in 12-3 loss to Indians | Globe: Ross catches five innings for Portland | Herald: Will Middlebrooks set back | Herald: Terry Francona proud of Cleveland revival | Herald: Indians give Terry Francona a rout of Red Sox | ESPNBoston.com: Terry Francona where he belongs

Recap: Everything goes wrong in Francona's return to Fenway

The Sox got trounced against Cleveland, 12-3, in between rain drops at Fenway tonight. 

They failed in basically every possible way. The offense was non-existent. David Ortiz slugged a three-run homer to account for the runs. Daniel Nava reached base four times -- two walks, two hits -- and everyone else combined to reach just six times.

Meanwhile, Ryan Dempster pitched just three innings, walking four and giving up five hits that produced four runs. He threw just 85 pitches, but John Farrell was forced to go to the 'pen to try to stop the slide. Long man Clayton Mortensen couldn't do any better, surrendering five runs on three walks and five hits over two innings, meaning that Farrell still had to use regular relievers for four innings. Alex Wilson, Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa, and Andrew Miller all took the mound.

The Indians' box score looks like something out of a video game. It's actually amazing they only scored 12 runs -- they reached base 24 times. Four players had multiple hits. Carlos Santana walked four times. It was ugly.

Oh, and Will Middlebrooks left in the 5th with back spasms. We couldn't even get through the game without an injury.

Back to Dempster. After a strong start he's gone cold, this being his third loss in four starts. He hasn't allowed fewer than two runs since May 2 in Toronto, and at the time Toronto was playing like a Babe Ruth team. What's going on? An injury he's hiding? Just a bad stretch of games? Or, what we don't want to think about, was his hot start merely a good stretch that can't be sustained?

All this is to say Terry Francona is going to smile wide tonight.

Box score

How we see it goin' down: Indians - Red Sox series

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

Your Morning Dump...where Ortiz's heel looked A-OK when stealing third.

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

At age 37, in his 17th major league season, David Ortiz accomplished a career first last night: He stole third base.

“You saw that (expletive)?” Ortiz joked.

It happened in the first inning. Ortiz already had given the Red Sox a 2-0 lead with a one-out single against White Sox starter Hector Santiago, and Mike Napoli drew a walk to bring up Daniel Nava. From the dugout, the Red Sox sent a sign for Ortiz to take off for third.

“I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ ” said Ortiz, who had stolen only two bases since 2007, when he notched a career-high three steals. “Momentum in the game, it happens, and I don’t have a zero in that category anymore.”

Ortiz was stranded at third after Nava and Will Middlebrooks struck out. But the fact that the Red Sox had the confidence to turn him loose suggests that Ortiz’ balky heels, which kept him on the disabled list for the season’s first two weeks, are feeling better.

“I’ve been running well lately. I’ve been feeling better,” Ortiz said. “If I feel well I’m going to run. I mean not steal bases, but try to take advantage of whatever’s happening, whenever a guy hits the ball or whatever.” 

Herald: Ortiz runs wild

So I guess Ortiz is fully healed from that heel injury eh? This was definitely one of those "no, no, no, no, YES!" moments. We were shocked, Ortiz was shocked, and the White Sox were shocked as Tyler Flowers didn't even attempt a throw. If Ortiz didn't make that slide, everyone would've lost their mind that Ortiz stole a base standing. 

Farrell's explanation of it post-game was funny as well: "We felt like it was an opportunity to move up. I don't know if we'll make a habit of it." Yes. Please don't. I don't know if I can handle watching Ortiz steal any more bases without thinking of him blowing his knee. 

At least Ortiz can now say he has stolen third base at least once.Maybe this time he doesn't have to deal with Dan Shaughnessy accusing him of using steroids since 37 year old players don't steal bases like that. 

 

Rest of the Links: Globe: Buchholz improves to 7-0 | Buchholz in tune again | Strange to see Francona in visitor's dugout | Buchholz, Farrell on win | Herald: Buchholz on rocking | Francona focuses on positives | Ellsbury shrugs it off | CSNNE: Ending on a high note | Francona: Sox fans are special | Bailey happy to be back, looking forward | Buchholz setting the tone for Sox pitchers | Iglesias excited about position changes | WEEI:  Buchholz dominates, Sox salvage Chicago series | Ellsbury will be in leadoff spot for now

Buchholz Shines, Sox finish Chicago series on high note

Clay Buchholz and Hector Santiago faced off in the Chicago series finale. Interestingly enough,  White Sox ace Chris Sale was the original starter, but was scratched last night.

The Red Sox offense got going early in this one, as David Ortiz knocked in Dustin Pedroia and Jonny Gomes (hitting out of the 2nd spot) on a single to left.

On another bright note, Jacoby Ellsbury had his first two-hit game since May 4th. He's also reached base in five of his last eight appearances; definetly a giant step in the right direction.

Buchholz finished the night with seven innings allowing five hits, one earned run, and three walks on 113 pitches. He also struck out four in his effort. Clearly, Buchholz is furthering solidifying his status as an viable ace as the season progresses. On top of that, it was huge that Buchholz could extend through seven innings in order to get to Uehara and then Bailey. Nice rest for the bullpen.

Side note: what's the deal with NESN's childish questions for each athlete? What's you're favorite color? What's your favorite movie? What's your dream job? I could care less that Mike Napoli's favorite food is friggen falafel or something stupid like that. Holy hell NESN, enough with the fluff.

Back to the game...In the eighth inning, the Sox chipped away to load the bases for Will Middlebrooks. Although he didn't go yard, he displayed his famed opposite field power for an easy sac-fly to provide a crucial insurance run, making it 3-1. A wild pitch by Nate Jones to Stephen Drew resulted in a 4-1 cushion for the Sox.

Uehara was perfect in the eighth, high-fives all around. Bailey was due for a save, but the Sox extended their lead to 6-1. Either way, this was his first appearance since coming off the DL and was decent. He gave up a solo shot to Paul Konerko to make it 6-2. Good thing for those late insurance runs.

Tomorrow, Terry Francona to Boston when the Indians come to town. Ryan Dempster takes the mound for the Sox, while Zach McAllister counters for the Cleveland.

Boxscore

Your Morning Dump...Where Doubront is making progress

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

If Felix Doubront ever figures out how to pitch to his potential on a consistent basis, he just might turn into a pretty good major leaguer.

As last night made clear, even though he threw well, he’s not there yet.

And the Red Sox are not ready to take off his training wheels.

[...]

The story in the quick hook on Doubront is as much about trust as it is circumstance. With Doubront, they are interlinked. Sure, he could have stayed in and maybe pitched a lights-out seventh. We’ll never know, neither will he.

Better that he never find out. Better to have his lasting memory be the overall start, which was a good one. He seems to understand that.

“(Pitching coach) Juan (Nieves) came to talk to me, said they want to build the trust, the confidence back,” said Doubront. “The next one’s going to be better, I’m going to throw more.”

Doubront did not give up his runs until the fifth, when Jeff Keppinger hit a two-run shot over the left field wall. Doubront did not think there was anything to be ashamed of with the home run.

“I didn’t make a mistake. I threw a good pitch, a good hitter, he put a good swing on it, hit it out of the ballpark, but I felt good throwing that pitch,” he said.

[...]

“Yeah, you know, working every day, I’m seeing the result now,” he said. “I think everything is going in the right direction right now, just looking forward to my next outing.”

Herald: Felix Doubront is stepping up -- slowly

For a majority of his start, Felix Doubront looked great. It looked as if something clicked and we were seeing a very confident, dominant Felix Doubront.

Then, we saw a homer that was all Chicago needed to hand Doubront a loss, which will always spoil a good outing. I like what I saw in the outing last night. A lot of ground ball outs with only a pair of walks issued.

Felix can build off of an outing like that, which can prove to be the turning point where he starts to figure things out and transitions into a true major league starter.

Too bad the Sox couldn't come up with a few more runs because we would be feeling a bit better about Doubront's outing.

The rest of the links:

Globe: Red Sox hold out Victorino because of hamstring | Red Sox waste Doubront's sold start in 3-1 loss | ESPN Boston: Iglesias makes first start at 3B for PawSox | Rapid Recation: White Sox 3, Red Sox 1 | WEEI: Jacoby Ellsbury on leading off: 'You see what happens when I get going' | Herald: Red Sox bats stay dormant | Tough-luck loss for Felix Doubront, Red Sox | Notebook: John Farrell drops a hint on Jacoby Ellsbury | CSNNE: Doubront encouraged despite Red Sox loss | Red Sox can't make most of chances vs. White Sox | Red Sox offense struggles in 3-1 loss to White Sox