(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
The Red Sox and Orioles combined for 27 runs and 33 hits, and the Sox came out on top 18-9. It didn't start off pretty for the Sox, but they ended up hitting everything off of all 8 Orioles pitchers in this game.
The most exciting offensive play came off the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury in the 7th, when he hit an inside the park home run to lead off the inning. Jacoby hit a shot that hit off the edge of the bullpen in the triangle and it rolled towards the Green Monster for a while. Ellsbury crossed home plate standing for his first career inside the park home run. Later in that inning, Conor Jackson hit his first home run as a Red Sox, a GRAND SLAM! Not a bad way to show off your first home run on your new team.
After John Lackey gave up 3 runs in the first, this looked like the same old story and an entire game of playing catch-up. Jed Lowrie set everyone straight by hitting a 3-run homer in the first over the monster and the Sox scored a total of 4 runs in that inning and never looked back. The Sox knocked O's starter, Brian Matusz, out after 1.2 innings. Boston tagged him for 6 hits and 6 runs over that short period of time, dropping his record to 1-8 this season.
Ellsbury, Scutaro, Gonzalez, and Pedroia all had three hits tonight. Pedey, Lowrie, and Jackson each drove in 4 runs tonight. Varitek was the only starter without a hit and it was a tough night as he went 0-for-4 with a walk and 4 strikeouts. You'll have to take a look at the box score to see how nuts the numbers are.
As usual, John Lackey sucked, as he ended up with the big ND. Lackey went 4.1 innings, giving up 11 hits, 8 runs (all earned), 2 walks, and struck out 3. Lackey was letting the Orioles back in this game, but the bullpen came to the rescue, as did the offense. Atchison came in for 1 1/3 of relief and was credited with his first win of the season (1-0).
We are right back where we started in the wild card and we can only hope for more of this offense in the very near future.
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