Sunday Red Sox Delight – 4/29

Alfredo Aceves #91 of the Boston Red Sox and Jarrod Saltalamacchia #39 celebrate their victory against the Chicago White Sox on April 28, 2012 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois.

When the Boston Red Sox started this seven game road trip, their record sat at 4-10 and things were looking bleak. Not a lot was going well.

But things are different just seven days later.

After Jon Lester and the bullpen outdueled Jake Peavy last night, the Red Sox have won six straight games and now find themselves at .500 a lot earlier than some of the pundits said they would.

Peavy did shut down the white hot Red Sox offense last night though. They had been scoring runs like they were on sale at your local grocery store. But against Peavy they managed just four hits. Two of the hits turned out to be the difference in the game.

Ryan Sweeney blooped in a double to start off the 4th inning and after a Dustin Pedroia lineout, an Adrian Gonzalez single brought in Sweeney in what turned out to be the only run of the game. Sweeney also happened to be the only runner that the Red Sox got into scoring position against Peavy.

Lester did find himself in trouble in the 1st inning after he walked Adam Dunn and a Paul Konerko double. He got out of the jam when Alex Rios flew out. After that, Lester cruised right along, putting in his best outing of the season. The only other trouble he got in came in his last inning of work but he worked out of that as well.

From there, the bullpen did its job.

Franklin Morales got two of the three batters out he faced and after Vicente Padilla walked Konerko, he got Rios to ground out. Alfredo Aceves, who’s had a bit of a flair for the dramatic when he pitches, left out the drama and retired the White Sox in order to pick up his fifth save of the season.

The Red Sox are playing really good baseball right now, hopefully that continues this afternoon before they head home.

Click on the read more button below to see today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you’re on the home page.

Josh Beckett (L), Gavin Floyd (R)

After picking up their sixth straight win last night, the Boston Red Sox will go for a sweep of the road trip and the four-game series with the Chicago White Sox this afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the White Sox television market, you can catch the game on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Josh Beckett looks to pitch the Red Sox to the sweep of the series and road trip in his fifth start of 2012. In his previous four starts, Beckett is 2-2 with a 4.56 ERA. He did not face the White Sox in 2011. He last faced the White Sox in September 2010 when he took the loss after allowing four runs in six innings of work. Beckett has made eight career starts against the South Siders and is 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA. Six of those starts have come at U.S. Cellular Field where he is 3-2 with a 4.08 ERA.

Gavin Floyd looks to end the losing streak for the White Sox in his fifth start of 2012. In his previous four starts, Floyd is 1-3 with a 3.60 ERA. He faced the Red Sox twice in 2011 going 2-0 with a 3.29 ERA. In eight career appearances (seven starts) against the visiting nine, Floyd is 6-0 with a 3.47 ERA.

Here are today’s lineups:

10-10		10-11
1. Mike Aviles	SS	1. Alejandro De Aza	CF
2. Ryan Sweeney	RF	2. Brent Lillibridge	3B
3. Dustin Pedroia	2B	3. Alex Rios	RF
4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	4. Adam Dunn	1B
5. David Ortiz	DH	5. A.J. Pierzynski	C
6. Cody Ross	LF	6. Alexei Ramirez	SS
7. Nick Punto	LF	7. Kosuke Fukudome	LF
8. Marlon Byrd	CF	8. Dayan Viciedo	DH
9. Kelly Shoppach	C	9. Eduardo Escobar	2B
Josh Beckett	SP	Gavin Floyd	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

Boston Red Sox vs Chicago White Sox batter/pitcher matchups

Note: Paul Konerko was scratched from the White Sox lineup with a stiff neck and replaced by Fukudome in the lineup. Kevin Youkilis was scratched from the Red Sox lineup with lower back tightness and replaced by Punto.

REFRESH OR CHECK BACK OFTEN AS MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAMETIME IF/WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND WILL BE BOLDED

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Lester helps Red Sox keep up the beat [Boston Globe]

Everything is cool in Matsuzaka’s second rehab start [Boston Globe]

Byrd is happy with new landing spot [Boston Globe]

Pen’s new script has a happy ending [Boston Globe]

Red Sox reach .500 behind Jon Lester’s gem [Boston Herald]

All is not lost [Boston Herald]

Sox ‘pen makes it right [Boston Herald]

Decision looming on Cook [Boston Herald]

Starting to make sense [Boston Herald]

Valentine: Shoppach, Beckett clicking [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]