Final, Red Sox 4-0: Koji Uehara tossed a scoreless ninth inning, and the Red Sox take the series finale, 4-0.
Felix Doubront pitched seven shutout innings for Boston before handing the keys to the bullpen. He struck out five and didn’t walk anyone while giving up just five hits.
The Red Sox scored two runs in both the fifth inning and sixth inning to give Doubront the victory.
End 8th, Red Sox 4-0: The Diamondbacks’ deficit will be four runs as we enter the ninth inning.
Heath Bell, who recorded the final out of the seventh inning, tossed a scoreless eighth. He hit Shane Victorino, but he retired everyone else he faced.
Victorino got grazed in the elbow area on Bell’s first pitch of the eighth inning.
Koji Uehara will enter the game and look to secure a win, although it won’t be a save situation to start.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 4-0: Drake Britton struck out Didi Gregorius upon entering, and then yielded a one-out single. He retired the next two hitters to keep Arizona scoreless.
Britton struck out Gregorius with a high fastball. Gregorius worked the count full before chasing a pitch out of the strike zone.
A.J. Pollock ripped a single into left field, and Britton then settled back down. Aaron Hill flied out to right field and Paul Goldschmidt grounded back to the mound.
Britton made a nice play on Goldschmidt’s comebacker.
4:30 p.m., Red Sox 4-0: Matt Thornton is coming out of this game with an injury.
Thornton gave up a single to Tuffy Gosewisch, and then injured himself while facing Didi Gregorius. It’s unclear where exactly Thornton hurt himself, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia knew something was up and immediately went out to check on the southpaw.
Drake Britton will enter the game for Boston.
End 7th, Red Sox 4-0: Heath Bell got the Diamondbacks out of trouble.
Bell entered with runners at first and second and two outs, and he struck out Jacoby Ellsbury swinging to end the inning.
Matt Thornton will now take over on the hill after seven shutout innings by Felix Doubront.
Doubront was very sharp in his seven innings of work. He gave up just five hits, struck out five and didn’t walk anyone.
Jonny Gomes will remain in the game as the new left fielder.
4:20 p.m., Red Sox 4-0: Joe Thatcher came back out for the seventh inning, and he got two quick outs before running into some trouble.
Thatcher struck out Jonny Gomes, who pinch hit for Mike Carp, and got Jarrod Saltalamacchia to fly out to right field.
The Fenway Faithful gave Gerardo Parra a mock cheer after he made the grab in right field, as Parra has had a tough day in the field.
Thatcher lost control with two outs. He walked Stephen Drew and Brock Holt, and the Diamondbacks will now turn to Heath Bell.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 4-0: Felix Doubront received a visit from John Farrell and the Red Sox trainer after grabbing hold of his abdomen in the seventh inning. The lefty stayed in the game, though, and he navigated through some trouble to keep the Diamondbacks scoreless.
Paul Goldschmidt reached base to begin the inning. He hit a ground ball to Brock Holt, and the third baseman made an error.
Farrell and the trainer then came out while Doubront faced Martin Prado. Doubront indicated that he was OK, however, and he went back to work and retired Prado on a fly ball to center field. Dustin Pedroia went out while Jacoby Ellsbury charged in, and Ellsbury ended up catching the ball over Pedroia’s head.
Cody Ross singled to put runners at first and second with one out, but Doubront settled back down to retire the next two hitters. Wil Nieves struck out swinging, and Gerardo Parra, who has had a horrendous day in the field, grounded out to Stephen Drew at short.
End 6th, Red Sox 4-0: Joe Thatcher showed why the Diamondbacks went out and got him prior to the trade deadline.
Thatcher entered the game with runners at first and third and one out, and he managed to minimize the damage for Arizona.
Thatcher struck out David Ortiz on three pitches, the last of which was a nasty slider in the dirt. The lefty then got Mike Napoli to fly out to center field to end the inning.
3:45 p.m., Red Sox 4-0: It’s just not Gerardo Parra’s day.
Parra, who made an awful error back in the first inning, made another miscue in the sixth inning, and the Red Sox have posted two more runs in the frame thus far.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stephen Drew got the inning going with back-to-back singles, and Brock Holt moved them both up a station with a sacrifice bunt.
Parra then lost a ball in the sun in right field, which allowed Saltalamacchia to score.
Shane Victorino singled into center field to plate Boston’s fourth run, and Dustin Pedroia followed with a walk.
The D-Backs are now making a pitching change, as Joe Thatcher will relieve Josh Collmenter.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 2-0: Felix Doubront is wheeling and dealing.
Doubront pitched a perfect sixth inning, and his hiccups have been few and far between.
Didi Gregorius grounded out to first base for the first out, and A.J. Pollock lined out to left field for the second out. Doubront capped the inning with a strikeout of Aaron Hill.
Hill tried to check his swing on a pitch up high, but he couldn’t do so.
Doubront has only thrown 70 pitches through his first six innings of work, so he’s in excellent shape right now.
End 5th, Red Sox 2-0: The Red Sox loaded the bases after scoring the first two runs of the game, but they couldn’t get anymore.
Will Harris came in to relieve starter Brandon McCarthy and punched out both Mike Napoli and Mike Carp to end the inning. Napoli popped out to first base before Carp hit a lazy blooper to short left field that third baseman Martin Prado was able to track down and catch over his shoulder.
3:14 p.m.: After a solid start to this one, D-Backs starter Brandon McCarthy quickly unraveled in the fifth, and his day is done after the Sox scored two runs on him in the fifth.
Stephen Drew led off with a single, and then advanced to third on a hit-and-run after a Brock Holt single. Jacoby Ellsbury then broke the scoring by hitting a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0 Red Sox.
The Sox weren’t done, though. After a Shane Victorino single, Dustin Pedroia laced a double down the left-field line to score Holt. McCarthy then intentionally walked David Ortiz to load the bases.
Will Harris will now take over for McCarthy with one out and the bases loaded.
Mid 5th, 0-0: The Red Sox turned a lightning-quick double play, and we’re still scoreless here at Fenway.
It looked like the Diamondbacks might have been cooking up a run in the top of the fifth. Wil Nieves led off by muscling a bloop single to right, but Doubront was able to settle down, and only required two more batters to get three outs.
After forcing Gerardo Parra to fly out to center, Tuffy Gosewisch came up and lined a laser to third baseman Brock Holt, who quickly fired to first to throw out Nieves, who was caught in the basepaths.
End 4th, 0-0: The Red Sox finally have a hit. They still don’t have any runs to speak of, though.
Mike Carp singled into center field with two outs in the fourth inning, but the Red Sox were unable to do anything with the base knock.
Carp continues to swing a hot bat for Boston. Among American League players with at least 150 plate appearances, Carp ranks third in slugging percentage and 10th in average.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded out to second base to end the inning after Carp’s single. Prior to the hit, David Ortiz flied out and Mike Napoli struck out swinging.
Mid 4th, 0-0: Felix Doubront is cruising right along.
Doubront tossed another scoreless inning in the fourth, capping it with a strikeout.
Aaron Hill and Paul Goldschmidt both flied out before Martin Prado singled into right field. Cody Ross failed to build anything off the hit, though, as he struck out looking to end the inning.
The Red Sox will come up in the fourth inning still searching for their first hit.
End 3rd, 0-0: Shane Victorino’s body is taking a beating.
Victorino was plunked with two outs in the third inning. It came a half inning after he crashed into the wall while trying to make a grab.
Brandon McCarthy worked around the hit batter to keep the Red Sox scoreless. Brock Holt struck out and Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left field prior to Victorino getting hit, and Dustin Pedroia ended the inning by grounding out to third base.
Mid 3rd, 0-0: Shane Victorino will probably have a nice bruise after this game.
Victorino ranged over near Pesky’s Pole and leaped into the air in an effort to make a grab. He was unable to make the catch, and he landed on top of the wall. It definitely looked like it stung.
A.J. Pollock ended up grounding out to second base to end the inning after the home run bid that hit off Victorino’s glove in foul territory.
Tuffy Gosewisch started the inning by flying out to left field, and Didi Gregorius struck out swinging for the second out.
End 2nd, 0-0: Chances are you’ll see Arizona’s second-inning double play among Sunday’s top plays.
Brandon McCarthy struck out Mike Carp to begin the inning, and he then walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia before the Diamondbacks turned a nifty twin killing.
Stephen Drew threatened to send a ball into center field, but Aaron Hill made a great diving play and flipped to second to start up the double play.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Felix Doubront induced a ground-ball double play to stymie any potential threat in the second inning.
Cody Ross, who had four hits in Friday’s series opener, led off the frame with a single into center field, but Doubront got Wil Nieves to hit a ground ball to third. Brock Holt fielded it cleanly and fired to second base to start up a 5-4-3 twin killing.
Gerardo Parra, who made a terrible error in the first inning, tried to bunt his way aboard. His bunt traveled right to Dustin Pedroia, though, and Pedey flipped to first to end the inning.
End 1st, 0-0: Brandon McCarthy was able to work through a major gaffe by Gerardo Parra to keep the Red Sox scoreless in the first inning.
Dustin Pedroia worked a two-out walk after Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out and Shane Victorino struck out swinging. David Ortiz then hit what should have been an inning-ending flyout, but Parra simply didn’t catch it. The fly ball ricocheted off Parra’s glove, and Pedroia went from first to third as Ortiz reached safely.
McCarthy escaped the first-and-third jam by striking out Mike Napoli. Napoli tried to check his swing on a high fastball, but he failed to do so.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Felix Doubront gave up a two-out single, but he otherwise held the Diamondbacks in check in the first inning.
Doubront started his outing by striking out A.J. Pollock. The left-hander dropped in a 1-2 changeup to strike out Pollock looking.
Aaron Hill then gave one a ride to the warning track, where Jacoby Ellsbury hauled it in for the second out.
Paul Goldschmidt, who is having one heck of a season, singled into center field with two down, but Doubront bounced back and got Martin Prado to ground to Dustin Pedroia at second base.
1:40 p.m.: Felix Doubront misses up high with his first pitch. We’re underway at sunny Fenway.
1:16 p.m.: Sunday’s series finale marks the final game of the Red Sox’ seven-game homestand. They’re 4-2 through the first six games.
After the game, the Red Sox will head out on the road. They will play 16 of their next 19 games away from Fenway Park.
1:09 p.m.: The Red Sox will send a knuckleballer to the hill on Tuesday.
John Farrell said before the game that Steven Wright will get the start Tuesday against the Astros.
Wright pitched three scoreless innings and earned the win in Thursday’s incredible comeback. He’ll get the nod as Boston looks to keep its starters fresh.
John Lackey will get the start Monday, and Ryan Dempster will toe the rubber Wednesday.
12:34 p.m.: Tuffy Gosewisch (James Benjamin Gosewisch) will be getting just his second career start today behind the dish. Talk about a great baseball name.
Tuffy, 29, has made one career start prior to today, going 1-for-3 against Texas on Aug. 1. Not bad for an 11th rounder out of Freeport, Ill.
11:38 p.m.: Happy birthday to manager John Farrell who turns 51 today. Also turning 51 is the Rocket Man himself (no, not Elton John), Roger Clemens. Former Sox outfielder Troy O’Leary celebrates his 44th birthday, as well. While justifiably overshadowed by Pedro’s pen performance, who can’t forget TO smacking two taters in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Indians?
10:42 a.m.: The lineups have been posted. Check them out below:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Mike Carp, LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Stephen Drew, SS
Brock Holt, 3B
Felix Doubront, LHP
Arizona Diamonbacks (56-54)
A.J. Pollock, CF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
Martin Prado, 3B
Cody Ross, LF
Wil Nieves, DH
Gerardo Parra, RF
Tuffy Gosewisch, C
Didi Gregorius, SS
Brandon McCarthy, RHP
9:39 a.m.: Felix Doubront can make history.
The lefty, who starts Sunday in the Sox-Dbacks series finale at Fenway, has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 straight starts. That’s the longest streak by any Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 2002.
Doubront will go up against Brandon McCarthy, who makes his first start in two months. He was placed on the DL back in May with right shoulder inflammation.
This one kicks off at 1:35 p.m. ET so tune into NESN at Noon to get your Sox fix with a brand new episode of The Ultimate Red Sox Show Presented by AAA before pregame coverage begins at 12:30.
