GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: BOSTON (85-56) at BALTIMORE (60-79)

Lester sharp as Red Sox continue to roll

<h3>BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0</h3>By Rich Dubroff
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


BALTIMORE (Ticker) - The Baltimore Orioles have had no answerthis week for the Boston Red Sox's young pitchers.

Lester and two relievers combined to limit the Orioles to fourhits as the Red Sox pulled out a 4-0 victory on Friday night.

Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp each drove in a run and scored arun for Boston, which has won six of its last seven games. TheRed Sox are now 86-56 - the first time they have been 30 gamesover .500 since the end of the 2004 season.


Friday marked just the second time this season that Baltimorehas been shutout this season, with both times coming in the lastweek to the Boston. Last Saturday, 23-year-old Clay Buchholzpitched a no-hitter in just his second career start and followedthat outing up with three scoreless frames in Thursday'sseries-opening 7-6 victory.


The 23-year-old Lester (4-0) worked seven innings on Friday,allowing four hits - all singles - striking out four and walkingtwo. It was his second win in a row against the Orioles afteryielding two runs and three hits last Sunday at Fenway Park.

Javier Lopez worked a perfect eighth and Manny Delcarmen turnedin a scoreless ninth to seal the shutout.


The Red Sox scored their first run in the second when Youkilisled off with a walk. J.D. Drew hit a ground-rule double andJason Varitek followed with a single to right, scoring Youkilis.Drew scored on Crisp's sacrifice fly.


Boston scored a run in the fourth when Crisp led off with asingle. He moved to third on consecutive infield outs andscored when Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera (9-15) balked.Crisp made a move home and Cabrera did not take his foot off therubber when he faked a pickoff throw to third.


On the next pitch, Cabrera fired the ball over the head ofBoston's Dustin Pedroia. He was warned by home plate umpireMike DiMuro, and both teams' benches and bullpens emptied.Cabrera had words with the Red Sox before being ejected.

In 3 2/3 innings, his shortest stint of the year, Cabrera wascharged with three runs and six hits.


Cabrera was replaced by Brian Burres, who did not allow a hituntil Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single. He stole second,and with one out, David Ortiz walked.


Fernando Cabrera relieved Burres. He struck out Mike Lowell,but Youkilis singled to score Ellsbury with the fourth Bostonrun.


Youkilis set an American League record in the game by playing inhis 179th errorless game at first base. The previous recordholder was Mike Hegan from September 1970-May 1973 withMilwaukee and Oakland.


Baltimore has lost 15 of its last 17, and tied a franchiserecord by dropping its 11th straight at home.

 

AL: BOSTON at BALTIMORE

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOSTON (4) AT BALTIMORE (0) - EVENT LOG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boston Starting Lineups -- J Ellsbury LF, D Pedroia 2B, D Ortiz DH, M Lowell
3B, K Youkilis 1B, J Drew RF, J Varitek C, C Crisp CF, J Lugo SS, J Lester LHP.

Baltimore Starting Lineups -- B Roberts 2B, M Mora 3B, N Markakis RF, M Tejada SS,
K Millar 1B, A Huff DH, R Hernandez C, J Payton LF, T Redman CF, D Cabrera RHP.

Umpires -- Mike Dimuro (HP), Bill Welke (1B), Laz Diaz (2B), Wally Bell (3B).


Gametime Weather: 92 degrees, Clear, wind right to left at 7 mph.


BOSTON 1ST: J Ellsbury grounded out to shortstop. D Pedroia doubled to
right. D Ortiz grounded out to shortstop, D Pedroia to third. M Lowell flied
out to left. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BOSTON 0, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 1ST: B Roberts singled to center. B Roberts stole second. M Mora
flied out to right. N Markakis flied out to left. M Tejada walked. K Millar
grounded into fielder's choice to third, M Tejada out at second. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) BOSTON 0, BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 2ND: K Youkilis walked. J Drew hit a ground rule double to deep
left center, K Youkilis to third. J Varitek singled to right, K Youkilis
scored, J Drew to third. C Crisp hit sacrifice fly to center, J Drew scored.
J Lugo struck out swinging. J Ellsbury struck out swinging. (2 Runs, 2 Hits,
0 Errors) BOSTON 2, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 2ND: A Huff popped out to shortstop. R Hernandez flied out to
center. J Payton reached on infield single to first. T Redman grounded out to
first. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BOSTON 2, BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 3RD: D Pedroia grounded out to shortstop. D Ortiz singled to left.
M Lowell singled to left, D Ortiz to second. K Youkilis struck out swinging.
J Drew walked, D Ortiz to third, M Lowell to second. J Varitek struck out
looking. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 2, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 3RD: B Roberts grounded out to third. M Mora struck out
swinging. N Markakis struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 2,
BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 4TH: C Crisp singled to right. J Lugo grounded out to third,
C Crisp to second. J Ellsbury grounded out to first, C Crisp to third.
C Crisp scored on D Cabrera's balk. Baltimore's D Cabrera ejected by M Dimuro.
B Burres relieved D Cabrera and inherits a 2-0 count. D Pedroia lined out
to center. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BOSTON 3, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 4TH: M Tejada singled to left. K Millar walked, M Tejada to
second. A Huff grounded into fielder's choice to second, K Millar out at
second, M Tejada to third. R Hernandez lined out to shortstop. J Payton
grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, A Huff out at second. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) BOSTON 3, BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 5TH: D Ortiz popped out to first. M Lowell grounded out to
shortstop. K Youkilis grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
BOSTON 3, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 5TH: T Redman struck out swinging. B Roberts flied out to left.
M Mora struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 3, BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 6TH: J Drew lined out to shortstop. J Varitek grounded out to
second. C Crisp walked. J Lugo grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop,
C Crisp out at second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 3, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 6TH: N Markakis flied out to left. M Tejada flied out to right.
K Millar grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 3,
BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 7TH: J Ellsbury singled to shallow left. D Pedroia flied out to
center. J Ellsbury stole second. D Ortiz walked. F Cabrera relieved B Burres.
M Lowell struck out looking. K Youkilis singled to left, J Ellsbury scored,
D Ortiz to second. J Drew walked, D Ortiz to third, K Youkilis to second.
J Varitek struck out swinging. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 7TH: A Huff flied out to center. R Hernandez flied out to right.
J Payton singled to right. T Redman fouled out to third. (0 Runs, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 8TH: C Crisp flied out to left. J Lugo flied out to left.
K Birkins relieved F Cabrera. J Ellsbury flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 8TH: J Lopez relieved J Lester. B Roberts struck out swinging.
M Mora flied out to left. N Markakis flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0.

BOSTON 9TH: D Pedroia grounded out to shortstop. D Ortiz grounded out to
third. M Lowell struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BOSTON 4,
BALTIMORE 0.

BALTIMORE 9TH: M Delcarmen relieved J Lopez. M Tejada flied out to right.
K Millar grounded out to shortstop. A Huff walked. R Hernandez grounded into
fielder's choice to shortstop, A Huff out at second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0.</div>

 

Lester sharp as Red Sox continue to roll

<h3>BOSTON 4, BALTIMORE 0</h3>By Rich Dubroff
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


BALTIMORE (Ticker) - The Baltimore Orioles have had no answerthis week for the Boston Red Sox's young pitchers.

Jon Lester and two relievers combined to limit the Orioles tofour hits as the Red Sox pulled out a 4-0 victory on Fridaynight.


Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp each drove in a run and scored arun for Boston, which has won six of its last seven games. TheRed Sox are now 86-56 - the first time they have been 30 gamesover .500 since the end of the 2004 season.


Friday marked just the second time this season that Baltimorehas been shut out this season, with both times coming in thelast week to the Boston. Last Saturday, 23-year-old ClayBuchholz pitched a no-hitter in just his second career start andfollowed that outing up with three scoreless frames inThursday's series-opening 7-6 victory.


The 23-year-old Lester (4-0) worked seven innings on Friday,allowing four hits - all singles - while striking out four andwalking two. It was his second win in a row against the Oriolesafter yielding two runs and three hits last Sunday at FenwayPark.


"Today was probably the best I've felt mechanically all year,"Lester said. "I had a clue as to where the ball was going."

Javier Lopez worked a perfect eighth and Manny Delcarmen turnedin a scoreless ninth to seal the shutout.


The Red Sox scored their first run in the second when Youkilisled off with a walk. J.D. Drew hit a ground-rule double andJason Varitek followed with a single to right, scoring Youkilis.Drew scored on Crisp's sacrifice fly.


Boston scored a run in the fourth when Crisp led off with asingle. He moved to third on consecutive infield outs andscored when Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera (9-15) balked.Crisp made a move home and Cabrera did not take his foot off therubber when he faked a pickoff throw to third.


"I wasn't just faking right there," Crisp said. "I was going tosteal. He wasn't looking at me."


On the next pitch, Cabrera fired the ball over the head ofBoston's Dustin Pedroia. He was warned by home plate umpireMike DiMuro, and both teams' benches and bullpens emptied.Cabrera had words with the Red Sox before being ejected.

"I think he lost his cool," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley saidabout Cabrera. "It's going to be addressed. ... "I'm just gladPedroia didn't get hurt."


Umpire crew chief Wally Bell explained to a pool reporter thereason they ran Cabrera.


"The ejection occurred for what Cabrera did during the incidentafter the pitch," Bell said.


"Dave (Trembley) was fighting for his team. He was fighting forhis pitcher to stay in the game. We explained to Dave why hispitcher was ejected. Dave was just protecting his team, which iswhat he should do as a manager."


In 3 2/3 innings, his shortest stint of the year, Cabrera wascharged with three runs and six hits.


"I didn't lose my temper. I didn't lose nothing. The ballslipped out of my hand," Cabrera said.


"(Boston) talked (junk) from the other side. That's something Idon't like."


Boston manager Terry Francona defended his team.


"I don't think we escalated anything. I have my hands fulltrying to de-escalate things," Francona said. "I mean we're inthe middle of a pennant race. We have more important things toworry about. Our focal point was to win."


Cabrera was replaced by Brian Burres, who did not allow a hituntil rookie Jacoby Ellsbury led off the seventh with a single.After he stole second, David Ortiz drew a one-out walk.

Fernando Cabrera relieved Burres and struck out Mike Lowell, butYoukilis singled to score Ellsbury with the fourth Boston run.

Youkilis set an American League record in the game by playing inhis 179th errorless game at first base. The previous recordwas held by Mike Hegan from September 1970 to May 1973 withMilwaukee and Oakland.


Baltimore has lost 15 of its last 17 and tied a franchise recordby dropping its 11th straight at home.