The Red Sox haven’t been able to get to .500 this season since after the first game of the season and they had another chance last night against the Reds. The Sox had Jake Peavy on the mound verses Mike Leake of the Reds. The Sox went back and forth with the Reds and then finally took the lead late in the game and never looked back. It’s nice to finally be back at .500 and now the Sox look to stay above and beyond.
Peavy didn’t get the win last night, but he did exactly what the Sox needed from him. Peavy pitched well and made few mistakes. The game was scoreless until the 3rd inning when Peavy made one of his mistakes. Peavy gave up a 2 run homerun to Schumaker. This was Schumaker’s first homerun of the season. Sox 0-2. The game stayed right there for a long time until the Sox bats were able to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th inning. Ortiz hit an RBI single and then Napoli hit an RBI double. Sox 2-2. The game did not stay tied for long though as the Reds took the lead again in the top of the 7th. Peavy got himself into trouble by loading the bases without recording an out.
Farrell came out to get Peavy and Capuano was in the game hoping to limit the damage. Capuano got Barnadina to groundout, but a run still scored on the play. Capuano did his job and Badenhop was in to get the final two outs. With only one out and a runner at 3rd base the Reds looked primed for more runs, however Badenhop got a forceout at home and then a groundout to end the inning. Sox 2-3. Craig Breslow took the mound and pitched a scoreless 8th inning before the Sox bats got going again in the bottom of the inning. AJ Pierzynski was able to tie the game with an RBI ground rule double to score Napoli. Sox 3-3. Middlebrooks came to the plate with the bases loaded and got the lead with an RBI single to score Jonny Gomes. Sox 4-3. That would be enough for the Sox as Koji Uehara came to the mound for the 9th. Koji looked like his normal, dominant self and struck out the side to end the game and give the Sox the win.
Red Sox 4 Reds 3 BOXSCORE
WP: Breslow (2-0) LP: Hoover (1-4) SV: Uehara (8)
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