Sports of Boston » Red Sox

Sick Jerry Remy to Return Next Tuesday

KC Downey — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:45:24 +0000

One day after NESN announced that commentator Jerry Remy would miss another week, the Rem-Dawg took to Twitter to announce his return date.

Thanks for all your thoughts-I assure you I'm OK and will be back soon-although it looks like #RedSox are doing fine without me!-Jerry

— Jerry Remy (RemDawg) (@Jerry_Remy) June 19, 2013

Good news! Doctors have have given me clearance to return to the booth Tuesday-thanks for your support-I look forward to getting back-Jerry

— Jerry Remy (RemDawg) (@Jerry_Remy) June 19, 2013

So, Remy will make his return Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies.

Remy is recovering from pneumonia, which he began suffering from after dealing with allergies. He has not been in the booth since May 28.

Questions at Third: What is Wrong with Will Middlebrooks?

Jared Smith — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:15 +0000

Will Middlebrooks may have homered in Sunday’s game at Baltimore, but his struggles offensively have continued. Middlebrooks showed great potential last season before getting hurt, and this season we have seen the power in spurts, but the consistency has not been there at all. There are many theories on this and some people still blame his injury from last year, but anyone that understands baseball can watch Middlebrooks take an at bat and tell you what is wrong.

Middlebrooks has a terrible approach to the plate. He had good numbers last season due to the fact that pitchers were unfamiliar with him and he saw a lot of good pitches to hit. Now that teams have a scouting report on him, it seems easy to get him out and he is hitting a dismal .196 and has 60 strike outs in 199 at bats. Many times it is just Middlebrooks doing it to himself. The scouting report on him is to pitch him outside, and it has been very successful this season. Not only does Middlebrooks have an open stance, but he flies open on his swing and tries to pull the ball. Even with his home run Sunday, he did not drive the ball to the other field on purpose. For a guy who has so much potential, he lacks patience and a plan at the plate.

He needs to learn how to take outside pitches to the opposite field, which is one of the best ways to get yourself out of a slump at the plate. But he continues to fly open and try to pull the ball, pitchers realize that and throw him outside and Middlebrooks finds ways to get himself out. All he needs to do is take a look at some old Manny Ramirez film and see how Ramirez kept his hands back and could take any outside pitch to the opposite field with power. Ramirez has admitted that when he is in a slump he tries to let the ball get deeper and tries to drive the ball to the opposite field, and this is exactly what Middlebrooks needs to start doing if he wants to live up to all the hype with his offensive potential.

If Middlebrooks does not get things turned around soon, the Red Sox could consider making a change. Though, depth at third base in the Red Sox system is thin with their best prospect being Garin Cecchini at the single A level. Cecchini is nowhere close to ready, but there has been a lot of talks about potentially moving top prospect Xander Bogaerts to third base. Bogaerts is having a great year and was hitting over .300 in double A Portland before getting called up to Pawtucket last week. This may not be a bad move for the Sox considering how he has hit in the minors. Bogaerts, who played third base for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, is a shortstop by trade, but he may have a hard time getting to the big club at that position, especially with the way Jose Iglesias has been playing this year. If he can make the move to third, which he should have an easy time doing, he could be in the majors and fighting for a starting position by August.

Everyone loves Middlebrooks’ potential, but if he is not going to make adjustments and the Sox have a top 3 prospect in baseball knocking at the door, he could lose his job quickly. That brings up questions about potentially trading him or what his future would be. If he can get things turned around, he could always make a position switch to make room for Bogaerts, or potentially he could be packaged in a deal for a power hitter like Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins. Regardless, people will be watching closely to see how Middlebrooks plays over the next month or so, because he could be on a short leash and could potentially lose the job that was just handed to him in the offseason.

Red Sox Make up their Mind, Place Clay Buchholz on the DL

bwebber — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:30:33 +0000

Boston Red Sox ace Clay Buchholz was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a neck strain. According to Boston.com, the Red Sox made the decision after beating the Rays in the opener of a day-night double header.

Buchholz has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, going 9-0 with a MLB-best 1.71 ERA. The Red Sox will need other starters such as Jon Lester to step up their game during his absence.

During his last start on June 8 against the Angels, Buchholz made an early exit, the Red Sox were reluctant at first to place him on the DL, stating he was day to day. According to Boston Globe, the move will be retroactive to June 9. The Red Sox will fill the vacated spot on their 25-man roster with Triple- A catcher Ryan Lavarnway from Pawtucket.

Hopefully, this will be a quick stint on the DL for Buchholz and he can come back to his dominating form sooner rather than later.

Update: Sick Jerry Remy to Miss Another Week in NESN Booth

KC Downey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:40:13 +0000

According to Boston.com, NESN announced Tuesday that commentator Jerry Remy will miss all of the Red Sox games this week.

He hasn’t broadcast a game since May 28.

Remy later explained on Twitter that he was suffering from allergies and then came down with pneumonia.

Feel free to leave get-well wishes in the comments below.

A Brief History of Stolen Bases and the Red Sox

andrew macdonald — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:57:52 +0000

The Red Sox have never been about stolen bases. It’s nothing new. We all know that the Sox have always been loaded with lineups consisting of lumbering sluggers. Many teams were built around hitters who could take advantage of the ballpark’s friendly dimensions. They were righties whose only goal was powering the ball to left and lefties who aimed for Pesky’s pole. The Sox were your typical flatfooted American League team, well before there was even a true difference between how the two leagues played.

There’s nothing wrong with not stealing bases. There’s no true connection between success and failure among teams that steal a lot and teams that don’t. I’m not trying to make a case for that. What my focus is is the culture of Red Sox teams that just never cared much for stealing bases. Red Sox fans are certainly used to it too. It’s been that way for pretty much a century. Generations and generations of fans grew up with teams that weren’t much to write home about on the base path.

I’ve been really thinking about the Sox and stolen bases lately. It all started with Jacoby Ellsbury and his five-stolen-base performance against the Philadelphia Phillies. He broke Jerry Remy’s record of four thefts in one game and now he’s the proud owner of three distinct Red Sox stolen base records (more on that later). His playing style is pretty unfamiliar in Boston. Base stealing just hasn’t been the norm when it comes to baseball around here. Here’s a brief history that highlights the good and bad of Red Sox base path burglary.

From Bad to Worse

The last time Boston led the American League in stolen bases was 1935, when they had 91 thefts on the year. That same season, Red Sox third baseman Billy Werber stole a whopping 29 and actually led the American league in ransacking sacks. That was the first, last and only time the Sox have ever, as a team, led the league in stolen bases. As for finishing dead last, well you’d have to go all the way back to 1904. That was the very first time the old town team finished in the basement in packet pillages. The Sox would then go on to embarrass themselves on the base path for the next one hundred years. They would go on to finish dead last in that category again in 1906, 1907, 1915, 1916, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1936, 1939, 1951 (only twenty that year) 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964 (only eighteen that year) 1966, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993 (tied with Baltimore), 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2006. The Red Sox absolutely dominated the 1980s when it came to immobility. With power guys like Jim Rice and pure hitters like Wade Boggs on the team, why bother running? Whitey Herzog would have quit after two days if he was managing these 80′s teams.

Twenty-seven times since 1901, the Boston Red Sox have had players finish first or at least in the top five in poached pouches. Buddy Meyer, Billy Werber, Tommy Harper and Jacoby Ellsbury are the only Sox to lead the league more than once. Each of them have two stolen base crowns each, as no Boston player has ever had a third.

In 1915, Boston finished with a league-worst 118 thefts and had been caught stealing 117 times. That’s actually pretty impressive. Considering stolen bases were still a huge part of the game then, and the Sox had both Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper.

Joe DiMaggio’s litter brother Dom DiMaggio was a terrific centerfielder. In the annals of baseball history he is criminally underrated and should get way more credit for being a terrific ballplayer. The seven-time All-Star was Boston’s token speedster and in 1950 he certainly showed it, sort of. Joe’s little brother led the American league with 15 stolen bags, the fewest ever to lead either league in the history of the game.

Here is, in my opinion, the absolutely most interesting piece of statistical history I can share with you, dear readers. The year was 2002, and the Boston Red Sox signed 43-year-old future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. The man already had the most stolen bases by any player ever. At the time, Henderson had amassed 1,395 stolen bases. The Boston Red Sox as a franchise (one that started about a hundred years prior) had amassed 1,382 thefts. A single player for the Red Sox had more stolen bases than the 100-year-old franchise that he played for. The Red Sox have since then caught up to and passed Rickey in thefts.

The Best of the Best

There are of course some bright spots in Boston’s abysmal base stealing buffoonery (J. Jonah Jameson would have enjoyed that alliteration). Here are the best of the best:

Honorable Mention:

Dave Roberts. Most fans aren’t too sure exactly how many stolen bases Roberts had in 2004, but only one really matters. We all remember game four of the 2004 American League Championship Series. I’m sure Mariano Rivera certainly does. Ironically enough, one of the most important plays in the history of the Boston Red Sox was a bottom of the ninth, pinch run stolen base. He’ll always be remembered for that one stolen base.

The Best:

Otis Nixon. Nixon is an incredibly underrated base stealer. The center fielder has 620 thefts in his career. He really never gets any credit because he never led the league in stolen bases. That’s what happens, I guess, when you share your era with both Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines. He’s on this list because during the strike-shortened 1994 season he stole 42 for Boston and in my estimation could have easily ended up with the single-season record.

Amby McConnell. The second baseman played for Boston from 1908-1910 and during his 1908 rookie year he set the Sox rookie single season record for stolen bases. Pretty cool, but ol’Amby only had a hundred years to bask in his accomplishment. Ellsbury broke that record in 2008.

Jerry Remy. Years before he was a marketing gimmick and buying hotdogs for dolts from out of state, he was an excellent base stealer. It’s true that his best days of his very short career took place in California for the Angels, but in 1978 for Boston he did manage to swipe 30 bases. He was one of the main base stealers on pretty much every Red Sox team he was on (98 steals during his Sox tenure) and even had the then-record of four swipes in a game.

Tommy Harper. Harper is what I would consider a “lost great of the game.” Harper is an incredibly underrated player whose name never comes up in conversation. He was an excellent hitting outfielder and base runner. He had a 24-game hitting streak, three games with three stolen bases, led the league in runs twice, holds the Brewers single-season record for most stolen bases and had held the Sox record as well. In 1973 Harper stole 54 (now passed by Ellsbury) and was named Red Sox MVP. He was the gold standard for snitched satchels in a single season. I highly encourage everyone to read more about his awesome career.

Tris Speaker. The Golden Eagle was one of the game’s best centerfielders. He was a true legend that got his start right here in Boston. Some 267 out of his 436 career thefts came in a Red Sox uniform (he played in Boston from 1907-1915). One of the team’s premier base burglars, Speaker stole 50 bases and had the original single-season record in 1912.

Jacoby Ellsbury. He has done a lot of cool things during his time for with the Red Sox, which is why he is so high up on my list. In 2008, he had a 25-game stolen bases streak, just two shy of the major league record. He broke the one hundred year rookie record for stolen bases in a season. In 2009 he led the league with 70 stolen bases, breaking Tommy Harper’s record by 16 and in 2011, he became the Sox very first 30/30 man. Then, of course, a few weeks ago, he stole five bases in a game. Pretty good for a guy who’s only played what, ten games in his career?

Harry Hooper. From 1909-1920, Harry Hooper was a Red Sox mainstay in right field. A terrific hitter (the first man to hit a leadoff home run in both games of a doubleheader) and run producer, Hooper was a part of some of the game’s best lineups and a huge part of the early Red Sox dynasty. But what put him at number one on my list? With exactly 300 stolen bases as a Red Sox, he is the franchise all-time leader in thefts. He’s number one. He is the man no one’s come close to in nearly a hundred years.

Lackey Solid Against O’s, Red Sox Win 5-4

Scott M. Siegler — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:16:47 +0000

John Lackey showed resilience on the mound as he guided the Boston Red Sox to an important 5-4 victory over the division rival Baltimore Orioles.

Lackey entered Saturday’s contest coming off of a rough start in Tampa Bay last week, and it appeared his misfortune was fated to continue. The Oriole offense took the right-hander by storm opening up the game with four straight hits and two quick runs. With men on first and second with nobody out, Lackey buckled down and induced a ground out from the hot hitting Chris Davis and retired the next two batters to quell the Baltimore rally.

From that point forward, Lackey dominated the Oriole lineup, surrendering just three hits and zero runs over his remaining six innings. Even after Dustin Pedroia committed his first error of the season in the fifth inning to put Orioles on first and third with nobody out, Lackey emerged unscathed retiring consecutive batters to work out of the jam.
The Texas native had plenty of help from Jarrod Saltalamachia, who threw out both Nate McLouth and Manny Machado as they tried to steal second base and move into scoring position at critical points in the game.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox offense had free reign on the base paths, swiping three bags and ultimately got back on track after going their previous 18 innings without run.

Mike Carp led the charge drilling a fastball into the left field seats for a two-run home run in the fourth and Stephen Drew followed up with a two-out RBI double.
Jacoby Ellsbury came around to score after leading off the fourth inning with a single and Jonny Gomes hit a solo home run in the fifth to give Boston the run support that they needed.

Jose Iglesias was able to extend his hitting streak to sixteen games after beating out a ground ball to the shortstop in the top of third inning. Iglesias has now notched the longest hitting streak of all Red Sox this season.

After Koji Uehara struck out the side in the eighth, closer Andrew Bailey secured the win, but only after surrendering two more runs in the ninth inning. With the game-tying run on first base, the Red Sox capitalized on a base running error by pinch runner Alexi Casilla to end the game on a double play. The Red Sox improved to 42-28 overall on the season and will look to even the series on Sunday behind the arm of Jon Lester.

Book Review: How the Red Sox Explain New England

John — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:59:51 +0000

“How the Red Sox Explain New England” is a very interesting account of the history of the Boston Red Sox. Rather than reading like a droll history novel, it is more of a collection of 13 different topics relating to the Red Sox, their players, their history and whatever other fun tidbits fans, athletes and media have come up with. In addition to media and team figures, the book features stories directly from fans that are the epitome of the loyalty and respect Boston fans have for their beloved baseball team.

Not only is the book packed with historical facts and trivia, but their are also some pictures scattered throughout to further illustrate topics; some of the pictures are quite old and rare, which makes it even more fun to have a direct link to the memories of the past, especially for those of us who happened to be alive during those famous (and sometimes infamous) moments. The occasional anecdote separated from the main body of a chapter makes the reader feel even more like they’re right there with everyone else instead of holding a stack of paper (or some sort of tablet, for the techie crowd).

Chapter 1: First Experiences

After a brief foreword, introduction and preface, the book kicks off its introduction with a few stories from some lifelong and die-hard fans about their introductions to the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park. From a man whose father immigrated from Italy to native residents of Massachusetts, everyone just has a natural attraction to the Red Sox. The camaraderie and history of fans draw others to them and inspire great loyalty. The biggest fans among them even do everything in their power to make the Red Sox a part of their career.

Chapter 2: Little Fenway

The second chapter leaves Fenway Park to take a road trip to Vermont, where one man had the dream and vision to bring Fenway to the state, and created a 23% scale replica of the park in his backyard. Rather than hosting baseball games, wiffle ball is played on the smaller version of Fenway. Tournaments are hosted for the sport, and various Red Sox players have even made the trip up to visit. Little Fenway has taken on a life of its own, and shows what some fans will do to get closer to their team.

Chapter 3: Comedy

The third chapter leaves the direct baseball realm for a bit and heads into New England’s comedy clubs. The chapter allows a few area comedians to discuss the influence they’ve received from the Red Sox for their routines, especially prior to 2004. Before Boston got good, the misery experienced by every loyal fan made for some great jokes at the Red Sox’ own expense, and was a good way to cope for another year.

Chapter 4: Tim Wakefield

Chapter 4 is a brief but informative interview with Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield. He discusses his favorite times with the Red Sox and favorite things about New England.

Chapter 5: Fenway Weddings

Chapter 5 talks about an experience few get have but many would love, getting married at Fenway Park. Going out on the field, walking the warning track and even experiencing being on top of the Green Monster, all are breathtaking experiences that some people have waited lifetimes to take in. Even stripping down the length of the ceremony to get married between innings mid-game serves to heighten the Fenway experience, with a wedding party of thousands.

Chapter 6: Inspiration

Many people follow the Red Sox religiously, and have extensive collections of baseball cards and other memorabilia. This chapter details those who have been inspired by the team to use writing as a means to get closer to their favorite club. Be it fan fiction or sports writing, having a way with words allows one to put themselves right there with the greats, and maybe get on the field now and then. What better way to enjoy Fenway than by making a career of it?

Chapter 7: Connecticut

Most of New England is firmly attached to the Red Sox, but Connecticut is the exception. The chapter examines the divide that exists in the state between fans of the Red Sox and the Yankees, and attempts to look for where the dividing line might be. It’s interesting the different proportions of fans you find in various towns, especially when a town’s government is divided between the two teams.

Chapter 8: Twitter

This chapter details the tweets some fans sent out Twitter during the Red Sox / Yankees game on August 19, 2012 over the course of the game. Since the Red Sox were in the middle of their worst season in a very long time, this didn’t have the usual feel of a game in this legendary rivalry, which gave the fans ample opportunity to take pot shots at their favorite targets. (Surprisingly, Bobby Valentine wasn’t the most “popular.”)

Chapter 9: Bartending

Without being at Fenway, the next best way to be part of a Red Sox crowd is to go to a local bar and hang out, especially in the postseason. Few things are more gut-wrenching than leaving the bar dejected after the 2003 loss to the Yankees. Of course, 2004 more than made up for it, although the first three games started out the same way. By the time 2007 came around, the whole atmosphere changed among the bar crowds, who went from hoping for a victory to expecting it in just a few short years.

Chapter 10: New England Sox

This chapter looks at the direct connection made between team and sport by profiling baseball players from New England who have been fortunate enough to play for their home team. Who can forget Carlton Fisk, Mo Vaughn and Jerry Remy, among others? The book tabs them along with other New England native Red Sox players from the past to create Boston’s All-New England team. It really does create a unique look at Boston’s native sons.

Chapter 11: Bill “Spaceman” Lee

This chapter serves as a biography of the career of noted Boston pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee. It gives descriptions of some of his most notable moments and games, all within a couple of paragraphs each. The most amazing part? Even approaching old age, he can still mix it up in a game here and there.

Chapter 12: Johnny Pesky

Similarly, Chapter 12 goes over the career of Johnny Pesky, though in the form of a continuous story instead of bits and pieces. And of course, it had to be discussed how much personality he brought to the Red Sox, Fenway and spring training even up to his final days. To that end, the chapter concludes with a touching eulogy presented at Pesky’s funeral that’s sure to have you choking up.

Chapter 13: Changing Teams

As a fitting ending, the book discusses the endings of the Red Sox careers of various players throughout team history, and the fans’ reactions. They don’t necessarily blame a player just for leaving, unless of course they head on over to the Evil Empire in New York. The management is blamed for making lopsided trades without getting much in return or letting loved players leave to free agency. Injuries can shorten careers in very unfortunate circumstances as well, and such players are sent off with loving hearts. Whatever the case, it’s a wide range of reactions to be sure.

“How the Red Sox Explain New England” is available at online retailers and bookstores everywhere.

Ryan Dempster’s Solid Start Wasted in 2-0 Loss to Orioles

Brian Roach — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:25:39 +0000

The Boston Red Sox did not have many chances to score in this game and were stymied by Chris Tillman and the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen in the 2-0 loss on Friday evening. The Red Sox have now lost four of five game to the Orioles in 2013.

Ryan Dempster had his fourth straight quality start and ended up with his seventh loss of the season with a lack of run support. He lasted 7 2/3 innings while allowing five hits and two earned. He walked five and struck out four on 122 pitches.

Tillman got the win and gave up only three hits in his six-plus innings of work. He walked four batters to go along with three strikeouts.

The Orioles got on the board in the second inning on a solo shot from Chris Davis that just squeaked over the left field fence to make it 1-0 O’s.

With runners on first and third and two outs in the third, Adam Jones came to the plate and slow tapped a grounder to third. He was able to beat it out and Nate McLouth scored to make it 2-0.

The Red Sox had a chance in the fourth to get on the board. Jose Iglesias reached on a one-out bunt single to make it first and third with one down in the frame. Will Middlebrooks came up to the dish and promptly served a shallow broken-bat flyball to right that was not deep enough to score Mike Carp from third. David Ross struck out to end the inning.

In the seventh inning, Iglesias led off the inning with a double down the right field line. Tillman was pulled and Darren O’Day took over. O’Day was able to retire the next three Red Sox hitters in order to end the threat.

Jim Johnson came in to record his 24th save of the season. He hit Daniel Nava with one out, but Iglesias then grounded into the game-ending double play.

The Red Sox will look towards John Lackey to end the two-game slide against the Orioles on Saturday afternoon. He will face Freddy Garcia.

Red Sox Lose to Orioles in Extras, Call Up Top Prospect De La Rosa

Nick Bohlen — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:20:08 +0000

Three nights after pulling out a 10-8 win in 14 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox couldn’t recapture the extra inning magic against the Baltimore Orioles, losing 5-4.

Chris Davis delivered the walk-off win with a bloop single to left after Nick Markakis walked and Adam Jones singled, all with two outs. Alex Wilson got the loss after 2.2 strong innings, before being unable to get the final out in the 13th.

Wilson was the sixth Red Sox pitcher to take the mound Thursday night, prompting manager John Farrell and general manager Ben Cherington to call up highly touted prospect Rubby De La Rosa as reinforcement for the recently taxed bullpen. De La Rosa was the centerpiece the Red Sox got back in last August’s trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wilson is the odd man out, making the return trek to Pawtucket for the second time this season despite strong performances out of the bullpen.

The Orioles jumped out to a 3-0 in the third inning behind former Red Sox Danny Valencia‘s home run and RBI singles by Manny Machado and Davis. Red Sox starter Felix Doubront wouldn’t last much longer, only pitching 4.2 innings while giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out five against one base on balls.

The Red Sox climbed back within one run on back-to-back home runs by David Ortiz and Mike Carp in the fourth. Carp replaced Mike Napoli at first base after Napoli was forced to leave the game due to illness.

After the Orioles had increased their lead to 4-2 on an RBI single by catcher Matt Wieters, the Red Sox would tie it up with some small ball in the seventh. Struggling shortstop Stephen Drew lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3, and Jacoby Ellsbury evened the score by beating out the relay throw to stay out of the double play on a slow roller to second. The Red Sox would only have one baserunner the rest of the way, with Ellsbury getting on base via a catcher’s interference call in the tenth inning. He was stranded at second after swiping his 29th bag of the season.

Despite his promise as a prospect, De La Rosa likely won’t make much of a splash in the big leagues, at least for now. He is still being treated cautiously two years after Tommy John surgery, only cracking the five inning mark in his most recent start at Pawtucket. Nonetheless, he boasts a sparkling 1.14 ERA with 31 strikeouts to 14 walks over his last eight starts. Red Sox fans will watch any appearances closely to see what they might have in the 24-year-old moving forward.

With De La Rosa in the fold now, the Red Sox will look to get back in the win column and extend their AL East lead over the second-place Orioles on Friday night. Ryan Dempster will pitch opposite the Orioles’ Chris Tillman. First pitch is at 7:05 PM.

Walks Sting Lester as Rays Thump Red Sox

Matthew Bond — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:49:52 +0000

Jon Lester turned in his shortest and worst start of the season as the Boston Red Sox fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on a night where the Sox southpaw ace tied a career-high by allowing seven walks. The Rays homered three times against Lester, as Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce all went deep before the pitcher was removed before completing the fifth inning.

The Red Sox took an early lead when Dustin Pedroia drove home Jacoby Ellsbury in the first inning, but the Rays countered as Lester walked James Loney with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning to force in Jennings, who then homered in the second inning to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead.

Boston rallied to begin what appeared to be the start of a back-and-forth battle, as Mike Napoli drove in two runs against Roberto Hernandez (formerly known as Fausto Carmona), but again Tampa Bay wiped the lead away in the bottom half as Ryan Roberts and Jose Molina each drove in runs. The Rays took a 4-3 lead, which they would hold while tacking on more runs against Lester, who looked as bad as he ever has on the mound.

With the loss, Boston drops to 40-26 on the year, still holding a lead over the rest of the division while Tampa Bay creeps closer. The top four teams in the division are within 5.0 games of the top, while Toronto remains 12.0 back despite playing significantly better baseball of late.

Wednesday night the Sox will give a spot start to Alfredo Aceves, as the team’s pitching staff has been drained over the last few days. The one upside to Tuesday night’s game was the work of Jose De La Torre, who saved the bullpen by pitching the final 3.1 innings following the premature departure of Lester.

Noteworthy Stats

Dustin Pedroia’s 14-game hitting streak ended, while Jose Iglesias extended his streak up to 14 games.

Jacoby Ellsbury stole his AL leading 27th base in his 59th game. He stole 14 bases in 78 games last year.

Mike Napoli and David Ortiz have a combined 97 RBI in 111 games.

Matt Joyce and Evan Longoria have each homered on back-to-back nights. They both had the same number of home runs in 2012 (17), as well as so far in 2013 (11).

Roberto Hernandez has thrown 21.0 innings in his last three starts combined. That hasn’t been true since a stretch in 2011, when his name was Fausto Carmona.