Swamigp’s Weblog

Kevin Youkilis had three hits, two doubles and a homer, and drove in 4 runs to help Boston complete the sweep of the Tampa Rays, 7-3. Jon Lester (2-2) had another high pitch count, 109 pitches, but threw six solid innings for the win. The offense once again came alive for the Red Sox, as they were benefited from yet another great start by their pitching staff. After pounding out 12 runs on 15 hits in the previous game, the Sox bats were at it again, tagging Scott Kazmir for 4 runs and six hits in his season debut.

Jacoby Ellsbury, as he has all year, started the rally in the first inning with a lead-off single. Dustin Pedroia followed with a walk, and stole second base as part of a double steal, sending Ellsbury to third (Ellsbury added another in the game for 11 on the year). With no one out and runners on second and third, Kevin Youkilis drove in Ellsbury with a sacrifice fly to take the early 1-0 lead. Kazmir would hold the fort from there, escaping more damage by retiring the next two batters.

Despite a high pitch total early for Lester he continued to get outs, pitching five scoreless innings before allowing a solo homer by Carlos Pena in the sixth. Two batters reached in each of Kazmir’s four innings of work for the Red Sox offense, as they finally took advantage of his struggles in the 3rd. Pedroia started the inning with a single, followed by a double by Youkilis. Pedroia scored from third on a wild pitch by Kazmir, and Manny Ramirez hit a rbi double to increase the Sox lead to 3-0.

The Rays offense put a scare into the Red Sox when Lester left the game after the sixth. Reliever Manny Delcarmen continued his struggles this season by allowing an rbi triple to Akinori Iwamura, cutting Boston’s lead to 4-2. Hideki Okajima took over for Delcarmen an allowed an rbi single to the next hitter, Carl Crawford, dwindling the lead to one. After Okajima struck out the next two batters, the Sox offense went back to work with a lead-off solo homer by Youkilis in the 7th. Okajima and closer Jonathan Papelbon combined to pitch a scoreless 8th, before Youkilis went at it again, this time delivering a two-out, two-run rbi double for the final margin. Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 9th save of the year.