Four Real? Red Sox vs Rangers 6-4-12

Game 59: Red Sox put a Texas sized hurt on the Rangers

Just an amazing offensive performance from Boston today, as the Red Sox put up Texas sized numbers to crush the best pitching staff in baseball. Boston scored in almost every inning, and put up season highs in hits and runs. Here are the four at bats that changed the game:

1) Early and Often. In the bottom of the first inning, Boston knocked on the door quickly to rattle rookie Justin Grimm. A Daniel Nava walk and Mike Carp single put two men on for cleanup hitter David Ortiz. On a 3-1 count, Ortiz takes a changeup and goes with it, taking the ball to left field to score Nava and put the Red Sox on the board. They would score again on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia ground out to go up 2-0.

2) Rated Rookies Bottom of the second inning, and Jose Iglesias continues to impress with a double to the right center field gap. In his second stint with the team, Jackie Bradley aims to please by hitting a change up over the right field bullpen for his first homerun of his career. It wasn't just the rookies who impressed that inning, as Ortiz tripled and Stephen Drew hit a double to give the Sox six total hits and six runs in the inning to give the Sox an 8-0 lead early. Rookie pitcher Justin Grimm is chased after only 1.2 innings and the Red Sox have given rookie pitchers a 12.93 ERA this season.

3) Power Hour. Bottom of the fourth inning, and Joseph Ortiz is pitching for Texas. Stephen Drew, who has already hit a double earlier in the game, hits an 0-2 pitch over the right center field wall to give the Sox a bigger lead. 10-2 Red Sox. Drew ends up with four hits to lead all Sox hitters on the night.

4) Everyone's a pitcher. Bottom of the eighth inning, and when one team has a large lead, strange things can happen. Texas outfielder and former Red Sox prospect David Murphy toes the rubber to pitch against the Red Sox. Hilarity ensues. Nava leads off with a double to left, but Murphy "settles down" and then strikes out Mike Carp on a high 75 mile an hour fastball. Carp is not happy with the result as Murphy hides his smile behind his glove. As Carp walks away, he barks at the umpire. Watch the replay to enjoy Clay Buchholz's reaction as he watches his teammate ejected for LOOKING at strike three. Yes, the game was over innings ago, but can you believe that the only inning the Red Sox didn't score in was the one pitched by Murphy? Wow.

It was a game you had to see to believe, and it left the Red Sox feeling confident in their abilities. Boston crushed 13 extra base hits, which is the most for the club since 1990. Remember that last time Boston played Texas, they were swept in early May back in Texas. It must be good to get a game one win. Tomorrow, Boston throws John Lackey and his 2.96 ERA versus Alexi Ogando and his 3.08 ERA. Should be a good pitching matchup.
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