Coming into last night’s game, Josh Beckett was getting 3.73 runs of support per game from the Boston Red Sox offense. Before he even stepped on the mound in an eventual 13-2 win over the Texas Rangers, Beckett had already gotten four runs from the offense.
It made you wonder, did the offense forget he was was pitching? Or did he have some “words of encouragement” for the boys to get him some run support?
Whatever the case may be, it was nice to see Beckett get some support and do what he does best. Now hopefully the offense can do the same thing on Friday night to get Tim Wakefield his 200th win finally.
On Tuesday night, Jacoby Ellsbury returned the lineup and the offense exploded. Last night, David Ortiz returned to the lineup and well took the first pitch he saw and lined it for a single. The much maligned Carl Crawford was the hero though for the Red Sox offense last night. Well I should say one of many heroes but he was the main catalyst.
Crawsome finished the night 2-for-3 with 5 RBIs. His two hits were a 2-run double and 2-run homer. His other RBI came on a sacrifice fly in the 5th.
For the second straight night, the every member of the starting nine had at least one hit. Ellsbury led the way with three hits including a two-run homer in the 6th inning. Adrian Gonzalez had two hits and RBIs, including his third home run in two days, and Dustin Pedroia added two hits and two RBIs to the cause as well.
Big Papi finished the night with two hits and Darnell McDonald added two hits as well.
One thing of note is that Ryan Lavarnway made his catching debut in the 8th inning last night. It was thought that he might not see anything behind the plate but obviously with such a big lead, it was a perfect time to get a little experience under his belt.
Obviously besides the win, the best part of the night is the fact that the win got the Red Sox back on top in the AL East. Thanks to former Red Sox OF Coco Crisp, the Oakland A’s beat the New York Yankees last night 6-3 in 10 innings. So be sure to buy Coco a beer if you see him out in Boston over the weekend since the A’s are coming to town.
We’ll be back later today with the lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and more for this evening’s game. But for now enjoy the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.
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Sox cruise again [Boston Globe]
Ellsbury right back on track [Boston Globe]
A real diamond sparkler [Boston Globe]
Doubleheader in forecast? [Boston Globe]
David Ortiz, Red Sox cruise again [Boston Herald]
Homers go a long way for Red Sox [Boston Herald]
Batting crown battle: Adrian Gonzalez vs. Michael Young go down to wire [Boston Herald]
John Henry downplays talk of Theo Epstein joining the Cubs [Boston Herald]
Mo Vaughn holds bond with Jimmy Fund [Boston Herald]
Sox bash Rangers again, 13-2 [CSN New England]
Red Sox mull schedule change in wake of hurricane [CSN New England]
Notes: Ortiz returns, make immediate impact [CSN New England]
1-2-3 Inning: Alfredo Aceves [CSN New England]
Rapid reaction: Red Sox 13, Rangers 2 [ESPN Boston]
Video: State of the Nation with Gordon Edes [ESPN Boston]
Finally some run support for Beckett [ESPN Boston]
Closing Time: Red Sox lineup rampages over Rangers [Full Count]
Josh Beckett did again, this time despite a wind storm and line-drive at his head [Full Count]
Down time cannot keep Jacoby Ellsbury down [Full Count]
Video: Josh Beckett Can’t Choose Red Sox MVP, Glad He Doesn’t Have a Vote [NESN.com]
Carl Crawford Explodes for Five RBIs, Showing Signs of Long-Awaited Hot Streak [NESN.com]
They’re right back in swing of things [Providence Journal]
Boston’s bullpen is back in the groove [Providence Journal]
Weiland ready for strong finish in his best season yet [Providence Journal]
Red Sox Journal: Miller feeling much more confident [Providence Journal]
A reminder regarding the importance of Carl Crawford [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]
C.J. Wilson Could Prove to Be More Daunting Postseason Foe for Red Sox Than Justin Verlander [Tom Caron – NESN.com]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Dallas Morning News, ESPN Dallas and Ft. Worth Star Telegram websites.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
