Four Real? Four at Bats that Changed the Game: Power Sox best Orioles 4-2-14 (video)

Game 2: Lackey goes 6 strong to beat the Orioles  for their first win of the season

Baltimore- John Lackey started 2014 how he ended last season, pitching six strong innings to give Boston their first win of the season. Lackey only gave up three hits in a winning effort, and the bullpen shut it down late. Here are the four at bats that gave Boston the win.

1) Top of the third inning and Dustin Pedroia is on first base with a single. David Ortiz steps up to face Ubaldo Jimenez. After taking the first two pitches, Papi unloads on an inside fastball and hits it deep into the walkway of a long right field fence for his first homerun of the season. Sox up 2-0.

2) Bottom of the fourth inning and Lackey is cruising. He has only given up one hit so far, but he wants nothing to do with Chris Davis and walks him on four fastball pitches. Lackey repeats his fastballs to Nelson Cruz, but the result is much worse. After getting in the hole 0 and 2, Cruz cracks a poorly located, belt high fastball and drives it just over the right field fence to tie the game at two.

3) Top of the fifth inning, and Daniel Nava is at first when he gets hit by a pitch. Mike Napoli steps up with two outs and takes two strikes before unloading on fastball. Napoli deposits the ball over the center field wall to give the Sox their two run lead again.

4) Top of the seventh inning, and Ryan Webb replaces Jimenez on the mound. Nava and Pedroia start off with singles, and an error puts them at second and third. The O's make a smart choice and walk Ortiz to load the bases. Napoli steps up with his second time to be the hero. And he doesn't let the Nation down. Nap takes a belt high ball over the heart of the plate and ropes it to left field to score two runs and double the lead. And the Sox never looked back.

The Sox were only 1 for 5 with men in scoring position, making them 1 for 15 so far to start the season. They did however make effective use of the long ball, and you can't complain about that. Tomorrow at 7pm will be the battle of the southpaws, as Felix Doubront faces Wei-Yin Chen.


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