Red Sox boost morale with big win
Source: Agencies |
September 8, 2011, Thursday
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THE Boston Red Sox took out their recent frustrations on Toronto by bashing the Blue Jays 14-0 for a morale-boosting victory on Tuesday.
The Red Sox dominated at the plate and on the mound where pitcher Jon Lester helped halt their slide in the American League East and recover from an 11-inning 1-0 shutout loss to the Blue Jays the previous night.
"(This) was a night we needed," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We scored early and we kept at them. Lester threw a bunch of strikes. We spread it out."
Boston ace Josh Beckett had to exit Monday's loss with an ankle sprain that will force him to miss his next start, but Lester picked up the slack with an 11-strikeout performance in his seven innings of work.
The left-hander allowed just three hits and walked one batter to earn his 15th win of the season.
The Red Sox jumped on the Blue Jays (70-72) as they tallied at least two runs in each of the first five innings to punish the home team and make it an easy night for Lester.
"It definitely helps makes you feel more comfortable out there (when you have a lead)," Lester said. "The more runs we score, I wouldn't say the easier it is to pitch, but the pressure of having to make perfect pitches is off your shoulders."
Marco Scutaro recorded four hits and four RBIs while David Ortiz also added four of Boston's 20 hits.
AL batting leader Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs as Boston abused Toronto starter Luis Perez, who allowed eight runs in less than three innings.
The Red Sox (85-56), who had lost four of their previous five contests, maintained their pursuit of the division-leading New York Yankees while strengthening their hold on the AL wildcard berth.
In Washington, Stephen Strasburg showed flashes of brilliance on his long-awaited return to the Major Leagues on Tuesday, the exciting prospect tossing five scoreless innings in Washington's 3-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Appearing in his first MLB game since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery more than a year ago, the 23-year-old received a long standing ovation from Nationals fans prior to taking the mound and looked sharp from the outset. He allowed just two hits and struck out four batters before departing with a 3-0 lead after 56 pitches over five innings.
The Dodgers (69-72) rallied in the later innings against Washington's (65-75) bullpen but that hardly dampened the excitement revived by the sight of Strasburg on the mound.
"It felt like I wasn't away from the game for a year. I went out and didn't have butterflies or anything," Strasburg told reporters.
"I went out there and tried to do my job. I got some quick outs and kept the pitch count down. It felt a little different than the debut last year."
The top overall pick in the 2009 draft, Strasburg burst onto the scene as a hard-throwing rookie a year later when he struck out 14 batters on his Major League debut.
He instantly became a main attraction for a struggling Nationals franchise but his season ended on August 2010 when he was injured and subsequently underwent 'Tommy John' surgery.
He finished his curtailed campaign with a 5-3 record and 2.91 ERA in 12 starts.
The long road of recovery included rehabilitation pitching assignments in the minor leagues and culminated with his appearance on Tuesday.
Strasburg is scheduled to take the mound again on Sunday against Houston.
In Philadelphia, the Phillies extended their lead over Atlanta atop the National League East to 9-1/2 games by beating the Braves 6-3.
The Red Sox dominated at the plate and on the mound where pitcher Jon Lester helped halt their slide in the American League East and recover from an 11-inning 1-0 shutout loss to the Blue Jays the previous night.
"(This) was a night we needed," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We scored early and we kept at them. Lester threw a bunch of strikes. We spread it out."
Boston ace Josh Beckett had to exit Monday's loss with an ankle sprain that will force him to miss his next start, but Lester picked up the slack with an 11-strikeout performance in his seven innings of work.
The left-hander allowed just three hits and walked one batter to earn his 15th win of the season.
The Red Sox jumped on the Blue Jays (70-72) as they tallied at least two runs in each of the first five innings to punish the home team and make it an easy night for Lester.
"It definitely helps makes you feel more comfortable out there (when you have a lead)," Lester said. "The more runs we score, I wouldn't say the easier it is to pitch, but the pressure of having to make perfect pitches is off your shoulders."
Marco Scutaro recorded four hits and four RBIs while David Ortiz also added four of Boston's 20 hits.
AL batting leader Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs as Boston abused Toronto starter Luis Perez, who allowed eight runs in less than three innings.
The Red Sox (85-56), who had lost four of their previous five contests, maintained their pursuit of the division-leading New York Yankees while strengthening their hold on the AL wildcard berth.
In Washington, Stephen Strasburg showed flashes of brilliance on his long-awaited return to the Major Leagues on Tuesday, the exciting prospect tossing five scoreless innings in Washington's 3-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Appearing in his first MLB game since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery more than a year ago, the 23-year-old received a long standing ovation from Nationals fans prior to taking the mound and looked sharp from the outset. He allowed just two hits and struck out four batters before departing with a 3-0 lead after 56 pitches over five innings.
The Dodgers (69-72) rallied in the later innings against Washington's (65-75) bullpen but that hardly dampened the excitement revived by the sight of Strasburg on the mound.
"It felt like I wasn't away from the game for a year. I went out and didn't have butterflies or anything," Strasburg told reporters.
"I went out there and tried to do my job. I got some quick outs and kept the pitch count down. It felt a little different than the debut last year."
The top overall pick in the 2009 draft, Strasburg burst onto the scene as a hard-throwing rookie a year later when he struck out 14 batters on his Major League debut.
He instantly became a main attraction for a struggling Nationals franchise but his season ended on August 2010 when he was injured and subsequently underwent 'Tommy John' surgery.
He finished his curtailed campaign with a 5-3 record and 2.91 ERA in 12 starts.
The long road of recovery included rehabilitation pitching assignments in the minor leagues and culminated with his appearance on Tuesday.
Strasburg is scheduled to take the mound again on Sunday against Houston.
In Philadelphia, the Phillies extended their lead over Atlanta atop the National League East to 9-1/2 games by beating the Braves 6-3.
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