LACKEY GOES EIGHT STRONG TO PICK UP HIS FOURTH WIN OF THE SEASON

Last week John Lackey pitched probably the best game a Red Sox pitcher has pitched so far this season.  You might not recall it because the big news that night was Michael Pineda and his not so subtle pine tar.  Well, tonight he did it again.

While it might not have been as impressive as last week's 11 strikeout performance, giving up 2 earned runs over the course of 8 innings is nothing to be taken lightly.  Like last week, Lackey was on the mound throwing strikes.  He finished the game with 5 strikeouts, 6 hits and 1 walk.  He set the tone early by striking out leadoff man Ben Zobrist on 4 pitches in the first.  Zobrist would also end the game by way of the "K" when Koji Uehara sat him down on 3 consecutive pitches to get a 3 pitch save.     

Although they have done so many times this season, the Red Sox bats did not spoil their starting pitcher's performance by going silent.  The biggest bat of the evening was the one which started on the disabled list.  Shane Victorino is hitting the ball much better with the big boys than he was down on the farm.  Today he went a perfect 4 for 4 with one double and 2 RBIs. 

Jackie Bradley Jr. was also hot with his bat tonight.  Jackie went 2 for 4 and drove in 2 runs while scoring one of his own.  Both of Bradley's hits were doubles which brings his total to 8 in 78.  AJ Pierzynski also had a 2 hit night to go along with 1 run and 1 RBI.

With the win, the Red Sox move to one game under .500 (13-14).  The Red Sox patience at the plate and ability to foul off pitches helped run up Erik Bedard's pitch count and send him to the showers after 5 innings of 1 run ball.  Hopefully, tonight's hitting was indicative of what is to come for the rest of the series.  

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