Final, Red Sox 4-2: The great interleague losing streak of 2011 has come to a close after four consecutive defeats.
Jonathan Papelbon threw four straight balls to leadoff hitter Ronny Cedeno, causing some in New England to squirm in their seats. But he makes quick work of the next three and Boston has salvaged the finale.
Monday is a day off. Tuesday is Josh Beckett against Cliff Lee in Philadelphia. If you aren't tuning to NESN to catch that one, you have issues. And if you aren't using the live blog to help follow along, well I can't help you there, other than to urge you to reconsider. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 4-2: Jonathan Papelbon has had just two save chances since his meltdown at the beginning of the month against Oakland.
He will get his chance at No. 14 of the season. The Sox pen has allowed just one run in its last 13 1/3 innings.
Boston left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Pittsburgh committed its fourth error in the process before escaping the jam.
End 8th, Red Sox 4-2: Seven straight Pirates hitters have been retired since Andrew Miller walked a man after trying to hit him twice.
Jonathan Papelbon will get a rare save opportunity, barring anything wacky in the top of the ninth.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 4-2: Nothing doing in the eighth for the Sox. The pitcher's spot leads off the ninth. Mike Cameron will probably draw that assignment.
Unless Terry Francona wants Daniel Bard to hit one wicked hahd. Bard is on to work the eighth.
End 7th, Red Sox 4-2: Alfredo Aceves gave up three rather hard-hit balls in the seventh, but all three are outs.
A hot shot to second base is picked on a hop by Dustin Pedroia and two long flies send Jacoby Ellsbury and Darnell McDonald racing back for their respective grabs.
It will be interesting to see how Terry Francona manages the eighth.
Daniel Bard is certainly capable of throwing on consecutive days, but he did toss 28 pitches late last night. Bard is up and throwing. The first sign of trouble might give us Jonathan Papelbon for a save of more than one inning.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 4-2: Only one of the six runs in this game have come in on a hit.
There have been three sacrifice flies, one throwing error that scored a run and an RBI groundout.
The Red Sox are just happy that they have the bulk of those scoring plays, getting two in the seventh to take the lead.
After the bases were loaded, Dustin Pedroia chopped one up the middle that Ronny Cedeno fielded and fired to first for the first out. Marco Scutaro came in easily with the go-ahead run.
With first base open, the Pirates intentionally walked Adrian Gonzalez. Kevin Youkilis flew to right, where Garrett Jones made the catch on the run before firing home. It was big bad David Ortiz attempting to score from third, and he did so on a slide/collision with catcher Eric Fryer.
Ortiz seemed caught in between a bit, but was still able to get a shoulder into Fryer while also sliding his right foot across the plate. Clint Hurdle argued that Ortiz never touched home, but replays proved otherwise.
Alfredo Aceves is on to pitch. Andrew Miller is in line for the win.
3:55 p.m.: Since we left you eight minutes ago, the Pirates have failed to record an out, David Ortiz hit one to Altoona (but foul), the game's fifth error was made and Clint Hurdle decided to make another pitching change.
Following the Marco Scutaro walk, Ortiz worked another one off lefty Daniel Moskos, but not before hitting one a mile high and an inch or two foul down the right-field line.
Jacoby Ellsbury then dropped down a nice sacrifice that Moskos dropped. It goes down as a sacrifice and an error. Bases loaded. No outs. Chris Resop on to pitch for the Pirates.
3:47 p.m.: Get strapped in. Clint Hurdle likes to play the matchups and is quick with the hook.
After Tim Wood comes on and walks Marco Scutaro to lead off the seventh, David Ortiz steps into the box as a pinch hitter and Hurdle steps from the dugout to go grab a lefty.
It is Daniel Moskos, who got Adrian Gonzalez last night.
End 6th, 2-2: There won't be any jerseys or balls or uniforms going to Cooperstown, but you'd have to classify Andrew Miller's first two starts with the Red Sox as decent. Or solid. Or pretty good. Whatever works for you.
In this one, Miller allows two runs on five hits in six innings. Two of the hits were bunt singles, one was a flare to center and the Red Sox committed two errors behind him.
Due up second in the inning, Miller will be yanked. Alfredo Aceves has been up and warming.
Before he left, Miller tried his best to get retaliation for the Dustin Pedroia knockdowns. He threw two pitches way inside (both rather low) to catcher Eric Fryer. Warnings were issued to both sides.
Daniel Bard went more than an inning last night, so his availability is up in the air. Jonathan Papelbon is very rested. If Boston takes the lead this could be a four-out save kinda day for Papelbon.
Mid 6th, 2-2: You'd be hard-pressed to find an uglier six innings than those we've seen so far today.
The Pirates have now matched the Red Sox with two errors and all but one has helped the other team to score.
After Kevin Youkilis leads off with a walk, James McDonald fields a comebacker and attempts to start what would've been a big double play. But McDonald's throw sails into center and the Red Sox are set up with runners at the corners and no outs.
One out later, Josh Reddick flew to left to plate Youkilis with the tying run. Reddick has nine RBIs in 12 games so far, some of which saw him come off the bench.
Andrew Miller begins his sixth inning having thrown 92 pitches.
End 5th, Pirates 2-1: When you walk the pitcher, you're asking for trouble. That's exactly what Andrew Miller got, although a baserunning gaffe by the Pirates helps to limit the damage.
After the walk to James McDonald, Garrett Jones singled and Chase d'Arnaud beat out a sacrifice attempt, loading the bases with no outs.
Andrew McCutchen then singled to left to score McDonald, but the Pirates made a mistake by first sending Jones and then holding him up. When the cutoff was made at third by Kevin Youkilis, Jones was a dead duck off the base.
That was the first out, and a huge one. Miller then got a strikeout and a fly to center to leave this a one-run game entering the sixth.
Mid 5th, 1-1: After getting knocked down for the third time in as many at-bats, Dustin Pedroia showed his displeasure. It looked like he told Andrew Miller to hit James McDonald with a pitch once McDonald steps to the plate to start the bottom of the fifth.
Keep an eye on this. Miller will not want to do anything dumb, but he would also like to make a good impression.
After that, Adrian Gonzalez missed a home run to right by a few feet and then sent one to the track in left. I theorized that Gonzalez is due for one of his vintage power surges soon, and when it comes he could be talked about as a real viable Triple Crown candidate.
Maybe too early, but fun to think about.
End 4th, 1-1: Some more poor defense, albeit induced by the field conditions, allows the Pirates to tie the score.
Some very fine defense prevents the Pirates from taking the lead.
After the leadoff man was hit by an Andrew Miller pitch, a grounder to short ate up Marco Scutaro. The ball really took off on him with that last hop, but it goes in the books as an error, the second in as many innings for Boston.
Miller gets the first out on a fly to center, the runner staying put at third. Ellsbury then slides to make the second out and makes a pretty good throw home, but it was just a tad late and Neil Walker slid home.
Then, a hard comebacker hit off the foot or leg of Miller and bounced all the way to first. Miller was able to recover and race over to take the toss for the final out.
Both runs in the game are unearned.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 1-0: The blazing speed of Jarrod Saltalamacchia causes all sorts of issues in the fourth for the Pirates, and leads to the first run of the game.
Saltalamacchia led off with a double, taking second on a ball that was cut off in the left-center field gap by Andrew McCutchen.
Saltalamacchia then broke for third on a fly to right-center by Josh Reddick, but the throw to third by McCutchen sailed all the way into the stands.
That's an automatic trot home for Salty.
Some very poor defense being played by the outfielders in this one.
End 3rd, 0-0: Andrew Miller has been unable to get out of innings clean, but not necessarily through any fault of his own.
It was just a bunt single that the Pirates got off him in the first. In the second, Ronny Cedeno won a long battle with a weak flare that dropped in with two outs. And in the third, Josh Reddick drops a routine fly ball to left, allowing Chase d'Arnaud to reach second.
Miller spares Reddick some grief by getting Andrew McCutchen to ground out to second.
Mid 3rd, 0-0: James bests Darnell in the first meeting of the McDonald cousins, and it comes at a big moment.
Darnell, batting with two on and two out, waved at a third strike to end the Red Sox' threat. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis both singled with two outs.
J.D. Drew left with a left eye contusion. A foul ball during BP bounced up and hit him in the eye, causing the swelling.
Word is that Jose Tabata departed with a left quad injury. It may be more than a strain, based on the severity of his pain. Potentially a big blow for Pittsburgh.
End 2nd, 0-0: Andrew Miller is able to work around a two-out bloop single by Ronny Cedeno, who has had some very long at-bats against Red Sox pitching in this series.
The big news in the bottom of the second is the installation of Darnell McDonald in right field. J.D. Drew had a swollen left eye, which likely caused his departure. We are not sure yet what caused the swelling, but will get you the update when we can.
McDonald slides into the fifth spot in the lineup. He was there in the opener, stranding six runners in his first three at-bats. He will get a chance to face his cousin for the first time ever.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Jarrod Saltalamacchia began the second by walking on four straight pitches and then Josh Reddick saw two straight balls from the often wild James McDonald.
McDonald rallied to get Reddick on a liner to center, Marco Scutaro on a fielder's choice and Andrew Miller on a strikeout.
End 1st, 0-0: Garrett Jones replaced Jose Tabata on the bases after the latter was carted off.
Jones never advanced as Andrew Miller sandwiched a pair of fly balls around his first strikeout.
1:54 p.m.: The bottom of the first inning began with two guys hurt, one much more than the other.
Jose Tabata beat out an infield bunt single to third base but then crumpled to the ground. He was carted off with an apparent serious left leg injury, likely something related to the hamstring.
Kevin Youkilis charged and made the play, but was seen limping as well. Then again, that's nothing new. He's gutting it out through plenty this year.
Mid 1st, 0-0: The Red Sox finally got a hit with a runner in scoring position after going 0-for-16 in those situations in the first two games of the series.
Unfortunately, Adrian Gonzalez's one-out single with Dustin Pedroia on second was nothing more than a little dribbler to second that Gonzalez beat out.
When Kevin Youkilis followed with a flare to third base for the second out and J.D. Drew stared at a third strike, that RISP number fell to 1-for-19.
Boston was kept off the scoreboard in the first inning for just the third time in the last 10 games.
1:35 p.m.: James McDonald's first pitch to Jacoby Ellsbury is a ball upstairs. We're off and running.
1:26 p.m.: After tomorrow's day off, we get to sink our teeth into the Red Sox-Phillies matchup.
However, we are still waiting word on all of the probables for Philadelphia.
Cliff Lee will pitch in the opener and Charlie Manuel is expected to use Vance Worley in the second game. Cole Hamels could pitch in the finale on regular rest, but Manuel might use Kyle Kendrick in that spot.
Kendrick is the likely replacement in the rotation for the disabled Roy Oswalt.
Another configuration could see Manuel use Kendrick on Wednesday and Hamels on Thursday, pushing back the young Worley a bit to give him a bit of a break. The Phillies may have to lean on Worley a bit more if Oswalt is out for a long time, so any chance to give him a break cannot hurt.
Expect Lee, Worley and Hamels in that order.
12:27 p.m.: When the Red Sox defeated the Padres 14-5 in Andrew Miller's last start, didn't it seem as if they were almost unbeatable?
The team had won 14 of 16 and had scored in double figures in six of the victories. With several games against NL teams, with whom Boston has enjoyed loads of success, it had the feeling as if the Sox might create some distance in the standings.
Fast forward five days and they are a second-place team for the first time since June 6 and not far from falling into third.
One scenario which bodes well for Boston today was referenced by Kevin Youkilis last night. Youkilis cited a silver lining in the fact that the Red Sox had forced Pittsburgh to use its bullpen quite a bit in the first two games.
Five Pirates relievers have been used in each game, totaling six innings of work. Clint Hurdle has played every matchup possible.
That, combined with the fact that today's starter, James McDonald, does not go deep into games, makes for a potential winning formula for Boston. McDonald has lasted beyond six innings just twice in 15 starts and has never reached the seven-inning mark. On six occassions, he has failed to get through five, including his last time out against Baltimore.
McDonald is a high-walk hurler facing a team that ranks second in the majors in bases on balls. If Boston is unable to do much against him, the talk of David Ortiz playing first will only increase.
11:46 a.m.: Word from the desk of Terry Francona is that Bobby Jenks will rejoin the team in Philadelphia.
Jenks threw one inning Saturday night for Double-A Portland. It was thought that he would need multiple rehab appearances, but apparently he is good to go.
Presumably, Scott Atchison would be sent back down again.
As for today's affair, the Pirates will put the following lineup out there against Andrew Miller:
Jose Tabata, LF
Chase d'Arnaud, 3B
Andrew McCutchen, CF
Neil Walker, 2B
Matt Diaz, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Ronny Cedeno, SS
Eric Fryer, C
James McDonald, P
Only McCutchen and Diaz have faced Miller. They are a combined 5-for-15 (.333) with a home run against the lefty.
9:36 a.m.: Three starting lineups so far on the trip, none with David Ortiz.
Sunday's batting order is identical to Saturday's, with the exception of the pitcher. Interestingly enough, Jason Varitek caught Andrew Miller in his first start with the Red Sox and had yesterday off, so it seemed as if he would be in there for a day game after a night game.
We will learn in time if that means anything. Saltalamacchia has started the day game after a night game before, and perhaps they want both catchers to become familiar with Miller.
Here is the very Salty lineup:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Josh Reddick, LF
Marco Scutaro, SS
Andrew Miller, P
8 a.m.: Andrew Miller will make his second start for the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon in the series finale with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Miller allowed three runs -– all of them on a homer -– in 5 2/3 innings in his debut with the team Monday at Fenway. Although Miller did not factor in the decision, it was the last time the Red Sox tasted victory.
Pittsburgh has taken the first two games of the series, the third and fourth straight defeats for Boston. The Red Sox are 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the series.
James McDonald, the cousin of Boston outfielder Darnell McDonald, starts for the Pirates. He has lasted more than six innings just twice in 15 starts this year.
Terry Francona has already given a pretty solid indication he will not play Adrian Gonzalez in right field for this game. That means another day with David Ortiz starting things off on the bench.
First pitch for the finale is 1:35 p.m.
