Scoring only four runs in their last series with the Colorado Rockies in three games, the Boston Red Sox (42-24) bats woke up thanks to the combined eight hits and eight RBI’s driven in by leadoff man J.D. Drew and second slot hitter Dustin Pedroia.
Added with some filthy pitching from number five starter Julian Tavarez (4-4) who went 7 innings, six hits, two earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts gave Boston a much needed “pick me up” with the New York Yankees starting to climb back into the race.
Tavarez also kept Barry Bonds at bay who did not get a hit but drew a walk off of him in the top of the third.
Bonds finished his night going 1-3 with a walk and a single to his credit that come off of Hideki Okajima.
The scoring came early for the San Francisco Giants (30-36) and then Tavarez settled down for his next six innings.
Mark Sweeney hit an RBI double in the first and he later scored on a Tavarez wild pitch making it 2-0.
Dave Roberts scored off of the Sweeney double and went 2-4 on the night. To add to his night at the plate Roberts was met with a standing ovation in his first at-bat returning to Fenway Park for the first time since his steal of second base against the New York Yankees in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS championship series.
Pedroia responded back to the Giants and the two-run lead they had put up in the first inning hitting a two-run homerun into the Monster seats that scored Drew and tied the game at two apiece.
Tavarez from here on out threw six scoreless innings giving the Sox lineup all night to give him more run support, the Boston lineup did just that.
Manny Ramirez grounded to short on a fielder’s choice scoring Drew in the bottom of the third giving the Sox a 3-2 lead they never looked back on.
Drew’s two RBI double in the bottom of the fourth and Pedroia’s RBI single to right made the score 6-2, but both batters were not done for the night.
Barry Zito (6-7) only lasted 5.2 innings, on five hits, seven runs, six earned, four walks, five strikeouts, and one homerun given up.
Drew picked up his third and final RBI notching a single to right that scored Coco Crisp in the bottom of the sixth pushing the score to 7-2.
Pedroia grabbed his fourth and fifth RBI’s of the night in the bottom of the eighth on a double to deep center that got over Roberts head scoring Crisp and Julio Lugo. Wily Mo Pena grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop that scored Pedroia and gave the Sox a 10-2 lead.
Okajima pitched one scoreless inning for the Sox in the eighth and Joel Pineiro earned a mop-up assignment in the ninth throwing a 1-2-3 scoreless inning.
