RED SOX BATS WOKE UP IN TIME FOR SUNDAY NIGHT WIN, WILL THEY BE AWAKE IN TIME FOR TODAY'S GAME?

It took some last inning heroics and some untimely miscues by the usually steady Orioles to get the Red Sox within 1 game of .500.  In less than an hour we will be able to see if the quick turnaround will help or hinder the bats of the Red Sox.

Jake Peavy did not have his "A game" last night as he spotted the Orioles a 3-0 lead before the Red Sox swung a bat.  After putting up goose eggs for the next 3 innings, the Orioles tried to put the game out of reach by putting additional runners over home plate in both the fifth and sixth innings. 

Regardless of how well Peavy had pitched in the first five innings, he would not have been in position to get the W.  Once again the Red Sox bats would be quiet early on and they would not push any runners past home until the bottom of the sixth when Jonny Gomes hit a 3 run homerun.  With as well as Peavy had pitched in his first 3 starts without getting a decision, it was only right that the bats would wake up and save him from a loss on a night where he was off. 

While the Red Sox bats did have an impact on the outcome of the game, they  were given a few extra at bats in the 7th due to some miscues by Baltimore.  And for the first time this season, a questionable interpretation of a rule benefited Boston.  Trust me, I'm not going to complain.  After tying it up in the 7th on runs by Brock Holt (RBI Ortiz) and Grady Sizemore, the Red Sox held off on scoring again until the 9th for the walkoff win. 

Dustin Pedroia (2/5) looked like he was going to end the game with one swing of the bat, but after a review it was determined that the ball stayed in play and would be officially ruled a ground-rule double on fan interference.  After getting to 3rd on a Brian Matusz wild pitch, Pedroia would wait for his scoring chance as Ortiz was walked and Napoli was hit by a pitch to load them up.  Mike Carp would then get the call to come in an pinch hit for Gomes.  Although he wouldn't get credited with an RBI, Carp did what was needed by making contact with the ball and giving Pedroia the opportunity to come home.    

This morning's game has the usual 11:05 Marathon Monday start time.  Clay Buchholoz will be matched up against Wei-Yin Chen.  Buchholz hasn't had a great start to this season, but did look pretty good in his last start against the White Sox where he went 6 innings giving up 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs.  Chen is also coming off a great start where he went 6 1/3 innings giving up 5 hits, 2 walks and 1 earned run.  This will be Chen's second time facing the Red Sox this season.  The Red Sox handed him a loss and touched him up for 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings.  Although they would win the game, they only scored 4 runs on Chen with those 12 hits.  That my friends is hard to do. 

In the past Napoli (3/10 2 HR), Nava (5/8, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Pedroia (11/19) have hit Chen well.  Nelson Cruz (4/10, 1 HR), Chris Davis (2HR) and J.J. Hardy (2 HR) have all hit Buchholz well.  

Red Sox Lineup

1. Brock Holt 3B
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. David Ortiz DH
4. Mike Napoli 1B
5. Jonny Gomes LF
6. Xander Bogaerts SS
7. Daniel Nava RF
8. David Ross C
9. Jackie Bradley Jr. CF

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