Recap: Boston vs. Cleveland
Sports Network | September 25, 2008
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Jon Lester took a no-hitter into the sixth frame and Kevin Youkilis scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, as Boston didn't let Tampa Bay out of its sights in the AL East race with a 6-1 victory over Cleveland.
Boston's win, coupled with Tampa Bay's loss earlier in the day at Detroit, cut the division deficit to two games with three contests left for each team. The Rays' magic number, however, still stands at one. If the Red Sox don't win the division, they will be the American League's wild card representative.
Lester (16-6), who no-hit Kansas City on May 19, was his dominant self on the mound Thursday night, limiting the Indians to two hits and one run with four strikeouts and one walk in six innings. Josh Barfield broke up his no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the sixth, but the southpaw improved to 11-1 at Fenway Park in 17 home starts.
The top of the Boston order did almost all of the damage. Jacoby Ellsbury finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Jed Lowrie had two hits and scored twice and Youkilis hit his 28th home run of the season. The Red Sox won the final three contests of this four-game set.
Jeremy Sowers (4-9) gave up five runs on seven hits with three walks and one strikeout over six frames in the loss. Jamey Carroll knocked in the lone run for the Indians, losers in three straight after a seven-game win streak.
The Red Sox wasted little time attacking the southpaw Sowers with a three-spot in the first frame. Ellsbury led off the proceedings with a clean single and he sprinted first to third on Lowrie's base hit. Dustin Pedroia hit a deep enough fly ball to center, scoring Ellsbury, then Youkilis and Jason Bay took walks to load the bases. Jason Varitek followed Pedroia's lead with a sacrifice fly to center and Mark Kotsay lined a hit past Jhonny Peralta at short and into left-center, stretching the hit into a run-scoring double.
Boston added two more runs in the home half of the second inning. Ellsbury and Lowrie were again at the front of the onslaught with back-to-back doubles, the second scoring Ellsbury for a 4-0 advantage. Youkilis drove home Lowrie with a single for a five-run edge.
Cleveland broke up the no-hitter and Lester's shutout in the sixth frame. Barfield hooked a double down the left-field line, and Carroll drove him home with a single to right.
Youkilis' solo shot pushed the edge back to five runs at 6-1 in the home seventh.
Pedroia has 83 RBI this season and Youkilis now has 113 runs batted in...Boston has won five of the six encounters this season after defeating the Tribe in last season's AL Championship Series...The Red Sox placed pitcher Bartolo Colon on the restricted list prior to the game...Attendance was 37,726.
