Four Real? Red Sox vs Jays 6-27-13

                Pete Lepak
           RedSoxLife.com Staff Writer
Game 82: Sox explode in 2rd, hold on to win 7-4
Boston, Ma- The weather was not delightful, but it held off long enough for Boston to score seven runs in the second inning and chase starter Chieng-Ming Wang before the third inning, the 8th time the Red Sox have done that to a starter this year. Jon Lester pitched very well until the eighth inning, where he left with two men on with an apparent hip injury while slipping on the wet mound. Overall, it was a great to see Boston quiet the streaking Jays and show them for at least one game who is king of the AL East. Here are the four at bats that changed the game:

1) 7th heaven! Bottom of the second inning, and Boston again has got something going early in the game. David Ortiz and Mike Carp both earn full count walks before Daniel Nava takes a 1-2 pitch off the Green Monster to score a run, then Jarrod Saltalamacchia hits the cover off the ball with a single up the middle to plate another run. The biggest play of the inning comes when Stephen Drew crushes a ball to deep right field, and Jose Bautista takes off to catch up to it. It appears he loses it in the dark sky, because he over runs the ball and misplays it, leading to a double and an RBI for Drew. The misplay seemed to take the wind out of the sails of an already sinking ship in Wang, who then gives up two more singles to Jose Iglesias and Jacoby Ellsbury and a bomb by Dustin Pedroia. All in all, the Sox score 7 times, send 11 men to the plate and bring Toronto to their bullpen before the third inning. Click here to see video of inning two.

2) Relief help. You've got to hand it to reliever Juan Perez, who came in for Toronto in the fourth inning. He retired all 9 Red Sox he faced, throwing 25 of 33 pitches for strikes. His magic kept the game "close" for Toronto while they tried to climb back. 7-2 Sox by the seventh inning.

3) Trouble at the Friendly Confines. Jon Lester is under 100 pitches by the 7th inning, so of course Manager John Farrell lets him start the eighth. It ended up being the worst decision of the night, as Lester gives up two singles in a row to Rajai Davis and Maicer Izturis then leaves on a 3-0 count to Emilio Bonafacio when he slips on ball three. Toronto would end up scoring two runs in the eighth, but with two men on in a 7-4 game, Edwin Encarnacion crushes a ball to deep left field. Daniel Nava runs back, leaps and makes the catch, saving the game from what would have been only a one run lead for the Sox. 7-4 Boston.

4) Cool Hand Koji. Koji Uehara is the man. Let's face it. He enters the ninth and gets the Blue Jays 1-2-3 with two strike outs to win the game. His second save in two straight nights show that Uehara is a dirtdog.

Later today, Boston faces Toronto in game 2 of 4, when Josh Johnson faces Boston's Allen Webster at 7:10pm.
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