To win a game against a guy like Cliff Lee, who absolutely flew through the second through eighth innings, and to have a chance to split the series instead of warding off a potential sweep is a pretty big development.
To make it feel even better, the Sox have the pitching advantage Sunday with Jon Lester on the mound opposite C.J. Wilson. First pitch is 1:35 p.m., when it should be in the 90s and sunny.
Final, Red Sox 3-2: The Rangers brought in Darren O'Day to face Kevin Youkilis with the bases loaded and nobody out, but Youkilis did the job hitting a sacrifice fly to center for the win.
Youkilis sent it to extra innings with an RBI double in the ninth and then won it for the Sox in the 11th with the sacrifice fly plating Marco Scutaro with the winning run.
Bot 11th, 2-2: The Red Sox are in business.
After walking Marco Scutaro to lead off the inning, Alexi Ogando made matters worse when he threw away Darnell McDonald's bunt attempt trying to force out Scutaro at second.
McDonald — credited with a sacrifice — moved up to second on the error.
The Rangers elected to walk David Ortiz intentionally so Kevin Youkilis will come up with the bases loaded and no one out with a chance to win it two innings after sending it to extra innings.
Mid 11th, 2-2: Bill Hall just turned in the latest great defensive play of this one.
Hall went into the hall between first and second and made a diving stop to rob Vladimir Guerrero of a base hit to end the 11th.
Manny Delcarmen, making his first appearance since June 30, pitched a perfect inning for the Red Sox who have the top of the order coming to the plate in the bottom of the inning.
End 10th, 2-2: Mike Cameron had a walk-off home run off the bat, but Nelson Cruz had other ideas.
Cruz robbed Cameron of the walk-off, leaping and making the catch at the bullpen wall in right field to open the bottom of the tenth.
Bill Hall and Dusty Brown were both set down following Cameron.
Manny Delcarmen has been warming in the Red Sox bullpen and will likely take over to start the 11th.
Mid 10th, 2-2: Jonathan Papelbon picks up a 1-2-3 inning and the Red Sox will look to close it out in the bottom of the tenth.
Papelbon got the side in the order for the second consecutive inning.
The Red Sox will have Mike Cameron, Bill Hall and the recently recalled Dusty Brown in the bottom of the tenth.
End 9th, 2-2: The Red Sox finally get to Cliff Lee again and because of it, we're headed to extra innings.
Marco Scutaro led off the ninth with a single and Darnell McDonald sacrificed him to second with a bunt.
After a David Ortiz ground-out, Kevin Youkilis ripped a pitch into left field plating Scutaro who had moved to third on the Ortiz ground out.
The Rangers walked Adrian Beltre intentionally, before J.D. Drew grounded out to end the inning, but the damage has been done. We go to the tenth, the scored tied 2-2.
Bottom 9th, 2-2: Kevin Youkilis just laced a two-out RBI single off of Cliff Lee to tie the game.
The Rangers will intentionally walk Adrian Beltre to get to J.D. Drew.
Mid 9th, Rangers 2-1: Not even notoriously slow worker Jonathan Papelbon can disrupt this brisk pace.
The Red Sox closer came on to work the ninth and retired the side on only 11 pitches.
The Red Sox, even though they're trailing by only a run, have their work cut out for them against the virtually unhittable Cliff Lee in the ninth.
End 8th, Rangers 2-1: The Red Sox aren't doing much to help themselves against Cliff Lee, but on a night like tonight, that may not even matter.
Lee just retired the side on only five pitches putting at 85 for the night heading into the ninth.
He got Mike Cameron and Bill Hall to fly out on the first pitches they saw, and then labored through three pitches before getting pinch-hitter Ryan Shealy to fly out aided by a nice sliding catch by Nelson Cruz in right.
Mid 8th, Rangers 2-1: With the help from a double play and a popped up bunt, Daniel Bard flies through the top of the eighth. Cliff Lee's turn.
End 7th, Rangers 2-1: We have mentioned this a few times already, but it is worth a reminder — Cliff Lee has thrown four complete games in his last five starts and six overall, twice as many as the Red Sox as a team. Daniel Bard is on in relief of John Lackey, who had just one rough stretch in the sixth but was otherwise excellent.
Lee is through seven innings on 80 pitches so his impressive numbers figure to go up. Just one man has reached against him since there were two outs in the first inning.
Mid 7th, Rangers 2-1: If that was John Lackey's final inning of work (he is up to 115 pitches), then he made it count. Lackey gets three outs in the time it took me to get a cup of water.
Daniel Bard had been up in the Red Sox bullpen but nobody is throwing at this moment. Perhaps Lackey will get another inning. He certainly deserves it.
End 6th, Rangers 2-1: Cliff Lee has another perfect inning, and it keeps getting easier for him. It would be interesting to see if he is even sweating. David Ortiz strikes out to finish the sixth.
Mid 6th, Rangers 2-1: Josh Hamilton just wears out John Lackey and it's his two-out single that finally gets the Rangers on the board in the top of the sixth. Nelson Cruz follows with another run-scoring hit and just like that the Rangers are on top.
Lackey had the first two outs of the inning and needed just six pitches to get them. Ian Kinsler started the two-out mess with a base hit and Vladimir Guerrero walked ahead of the Hamilton hit.
Hamilton is 9-for-21 (.429) with six RBIs against Lackey, who has thrown 106 pitches.
End 5th, Red Sox 1-0: Mike Cameron's double with one out in the bottom of the fifth breaks Cliff Lee's string of 11 straight retired hitters. What does Lee do to respond? Freezes both Bill Hall and Kevin Cash on fastballs on the inside corner, his fourth and fifth strikeout victims of the night.
Lee has thrown 17 fewer pitches than John Lackey through five and is accustomed to lasting longer, so you figure the Red Sox bullpen will be the first we will see. Everyone on the back end of the pen is well rested and Manny Delcarmen is back.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 1-0: John Lackey has recorded 10 of his 15 outs on the ground and is through five scoreless. Marco Scutaro helps him out in the fifth with a nice sliding stop up the middle. Pretty good duel developing here.
End 4th, Red Sox 1-0: This is how Cliff Lee has six complete games, twice as many as the Red Sox as a team. After a five-pitch fourth inning he has thrown just 38 pitches, an amazing 31 of them for strikes.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 1-0: Go figure. The Rangers have 35 straight successful steals against the Sox since Aug. 14, 2008. They've been thrown out twice on stolen base attempts in this one, the latest looming large.
Moments after Vladimir Guerrero was a dead duck trying to steal second, Josh Hamilton doubled to the gap in left-center, a hit that likely would've scored a run.
Hamilton is now 8-for-20 (.400) with three home runs against John Lackey.
Not to take anything away from Lackey, who has been solid, but the Rangers have four hits and a walk but have run into two outs on questionable choices.
End 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: That is seven straight set down by Cliff Lee. Three have come via the strikeout, three on the ground and one a weak fly to center. Good thing the Sox bunched their hits together early.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Work quick. Throw strikes. Keep the ball down. That has been John Lackey's theme over the years but he hasn't been able to showcase it 100 percent of the time in 2010. He did in the third, retiring the Rangers in order for the first time.
End 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: That looks a bit more like the Cliff Lee we expected to see. J.D. Drew flies to shallow center and both Mike Cameron and Bill Hall are strikeout victims in a quick bottom of the second.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Haven't seen an inning end like that in, well, forever. In a lull in the action after John Lackey issues a two-out walk, Nelson Cruz takes off for third with nobody covering. Adrian Beltre recovers, takes the throw from Lackey and Cruz is an easy third out. Strange.
Earlier in the inning, Josh Hamilton lost another bat into the stands. Not really sure what he has against Red Sox fans, but he's going to hurt someone soon. It's the second time in as many games he has flung his bat into the stands along the first-base line after a swinging strike.
Hamilton also lost his bat on another pitch Friday night that caught Sox catcher Kevin Cash.
The Cruz caught stealing ends the Rangers' string of 35 straight successful steals against Boston.
End 1st, Red Sox 1-0: Not really sure what took the Sox so long to get Darnell McDonald into the lineup in this series. He seems to love Rangers pitching. McDonald, whose memorable debut with the Sox in April (game-tying homer, walk-off hit) came against Texas, doubles with one out and scores the first run of the night on David Ortiz's RBI single.
The rally ends when Adrian Beltre hits into a 4-6-3 double play, after which we see both Beltre and Ortiz a tad gimpy.
Remember, Beltre is not 100 percent and he did grab at that left hammy after crossing first. Not sure what happened to Ortiz. Keep an eye on it.
Mid 1st, 0-0: The Rangers have swiped 35 straight bases without being caught by the Red Sox after Ian Kinsler took second without a throw in the top of the first. Moments later, John Lackey struck out Vladimir Guerrero in the first ever matchup between the longtime Angels teammates, ending the inning.
6:53 p.m.: Lost in the constant moves and injury updates is the intriguing pitching matchup of John Lackey and Cliff Lee. Both come into this one with a little bit of motivation.
Lackey had one of his roughest starts of the season before the All-Star break and has struggled against Texas in his career.
Lee went the distance in his Rangers debut but gave up an un-Lee-like six runs on nine hits.
On a totally different note, the Yankees are losing to the Rays 9-4 in the seventh.
5:45 p.m.: The ever-changing Red Sox roster looks a bit different once again. Gone is Felix Doubront (optioned to Pawtucket) and Fernando Cabrera (designated for assignment), and back with the club is Manny Delcarmen (activated from DL) and catcher Dusty Brown (recalled from Pawtucket).
The Brown addition was a bit curious as it is rare to see teams carry three catchers, but Terry Francona indicated he wants to have another bat at the position. Kevin Cash and Gustavo Molina have done a fine job behind the plate but both could be pinch hit for by Brown in late-game situations.
Brown suffered a thumb injury last month, otherwise he would've received the call when Molina was brought up. Francona said Brown will likely start Sunday.
One of the three will go back down before Clay Buchholz is activated to start Wednesday in Oakland.
In other news:
– Buchholz told us he feels great and that the one rehab start (3 2/3 innings Friday in Syracuse) was all he needed). In a season full of ups and downs and roster alterations, the young righty has been just about the most consistent performer. It will be a huge addition to the team.
– Mike Lowell will get a cortisone shot Monday in New York and then begin a rehab at Pawtucket on Thursday. He had some things to say on his situation, especially as it relates to the trading deadline. I'll get you more on that in a bit.
– Jacoby Ellsbury is throwing, running and hitting soft toss down in Fort Myers. He has yet to take live batting practice.
– There is no new progress on Victor Martinez. Until he can swing from the right side and/or put on a mitt without pain he remains at this stage.
– Josh Beckett will throw about 85 pitches in his rehab start at Syracuse on Saturday.
Finally, here is the Rangers lineup for Saturday's game:
Elvis Andrus, SS
Michael Young, 3B
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Josh Hamilton, LF
Nelson Cruz, RF
Bengie Molina, C
Chris Davis, 1B
Julio Borbon, CF
3:28 p.m.: As Dustin Pedroia performs some light drills around second base with his now infamous boot on, we take a look at the Red Sox' lineup for Saturday night.
Marco Scutaro, SS
Darnell McDonald, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Mike Cameron, CF
Bill Hall, 2B
Kevin Cash, C
2:55 p.m.: Greetings from a sun-splashed Fenway Park, where we are settling in for another steamy afternoon likely filled with injury updates and roster moves. Manny Delcarmen will be activated Saturday, and Red Sox manager Terry Francona (after meeting with general manager Theo Epstein) indicated after Friday's 8-4 loss that more moves will be forthcoming. Boston has lost seven of nine.
"We'll kinda get our house in order and we'll have some things to announce tomorrow," Francona said late Friday.
It is doubtful that Clay Buchholz will be activated right away following his rehab stint Friday night in Syracuse — the team always waits until the last moment on such matters, just in case.
So Felix Doubront may stick around for a few days. Other possible moves may also involve the bullpen, or perhaps another bat — the Sox' still lead the majors in runs scored but have quietly cooled off of late.
We will get you the lineups and the updates on all those moves in time.
12:42 p.m.: Cliff Lee's second start as a member of the Texas Rangers takes place in Fenway Park on Saturday night as he faces the reeling Red Sox for the 10th time in his career.
Lee was acquired last week in a stunning deal that wrested the former Cy Young Award winner from the clutches of the New York Yankees, who were heavily rumored to have a deal in place for the lefty.
He recorded his sixth complete game of the year in his debut with the Rangers but was on the wrong end of a 6-1 setback to the Baltimore Orioles. Lee has a 5.79 ERA in his career in Fenway.
John Lackey, who closed the first half on a rough note, goes for the Sox, who could use a dominant effort from a guy that has yet to give one. The righty was 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in his last two starts before the break.
Boston has dropped seven of nine, three straight at home, and is now six back in the AL East.
First pitch for this one is 7:10 p.m.
