The Boston Red Sox

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

* The Boston Globe

Red Sox offense shows signs of life

Peter Abraham

It was the kind of game the Red Sox dreamed of all winter and mysteriously have yet to play very often.

Adrian Gonzalez drove in three runs with a shot off the wall. Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury had multiple hits.

David Ortiz added a loud home run and all Dustin Pedroia did was have a legendary at-bat.

Last night‘s 9-5 victory against the Los Angeles Angels before a crowd of 37,017 at Fenway Park featured all that

and more.

It left one wondering how the Red Sox are 13-15.

―It‘s a nice way to play the game,‘‘ manager Terry Francona said. ―It took us a while to do it.‘‘

A day after winning a game started by reigning Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez, the Sox found a way to

beat Jered Weaver, who appears determined to wrest that award away from King Felix.

Weaver was 6-0, having allowed just five earned runs over 45 2/3 innings. But he lasted only six innings, giving up

three runs on six hits.

Weaver had been scheduled to face the Rays on Sunday but was pushed back a day because of a stomach virus.

Fenway Park also makes him sick. Weaver is 1-3 with a 7.16 earned run average in six career starts on Yawkey

Way.

Pedroia pinned this loss on him. With the Sox trailing, 2-1, in the fifth inning, Crawford doubled to left field, the

ball rolling to the wall as Vernon Wells pursued it with the gait of an old man walking his dog.

After Jason Varitek drew a walk, Ellsbury grounded into a force at second.

Then came an at-bat Pedroia and Weaver won‘t soon forget.

Pedroia saw 13 pitches, fouling off nine of them, including seven with two strikes. Ellsbury stole second on the

seventh pitch, then he and Crawford scored when Pedroia grounded a fastball up the middle.

―He has a way of doing that,‘‘ Francona said. ―He fights. He never gives in. He‘s a ballplayer.‘‘

Weaver threw Pedroia everything he had: four fastballs, three sliders, three cutters, and three changeups. Pedroia

fouled one of the pitches off the shield protecting his surgically repaired left foot. It didn‘t deter him.

―I‘ve never seen anything like that,‘‘ Crawford said. ―He must have fouled off five or six great pitches.‘‘

Pedroia first faced Weaver when both were in college, the second baseman at Arizona State and the righthander at

Cal State Long Beach. Pedroia was only 3 for 24 against him in the majors.

―To be honest with you, man, I was just trying to put the ball in play,‘‘ Pedroia said. ―Jered‘s tough. It doesn‘t get

any better than him. I haven‘t won too many of those. It‘s nice to drive in a couple.‘‘

Pedroia didn‘t allow himself to guess at what was coming. His only chance was to react to what he saw out of

Weaver‘s hand.

―See it, hit it. There‘s really nothing else you can do,‘‘ said Pedroia, who saw 23 of the 118 pitches Weaver threw.

The Sox, ahead 3-2, scored six runs in the seventh off Hisanori Takahashi and Francisco Rodriguez. Gonzalez hit

the Green Monster for the first time this season, driving a three-run double to left-center. Kevin Youkilis followed

with an RBI double and Ortiz with a two-run homer over the wall.

―Keep the line moving, spread a game out, and have a nice big inning,‘‘ Francona said.

Ortiz had gone 88 at-bats without a home run, the last coming on April 2.

―Finally got one,‘‘ Ortiz said. ―That was nice. That was a great inning for us.‘‘

Perhaps playing the Angels is what helped. The Sox are 5-0 against Los Angeles this season and 14-1 over the last

two years.

The big inning secured the victory for Clay Buchholz (2-3), who pitched effectively into the seventh. Like Weaver,

he had been pushed back from his start because of the bug.

―Glad I got the challenge of going out there against him,‘‘ said Buchholz, who allowed two runs on eight hits with

two walks and two strikeouts.

The Angels took advantage of poor control by Buchholz in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Erick Aybar singled to right before Buchholz walked Jeff Mathis, a .180 hitter who had walked once in 55 plate

appearances. With one out, Maicer Izturis walked on five pitches to load the bases.

Bobby Abreu followed with a ground ball up the middle that was deflected by Buchholz. Pedroia, moving to his

right, changed direction, and was able to stop the ball with a dive and flipped to second for a force play.

A run scored but Pedroia‘s play kept Mathis at third. Howie Kendrick grounded to third to end the inning.

―That play was huge because it kept us right there,‘‘ Crawford said. ―We did everything tonight. We had pitching, a

lot of guys hitting, and good defense. This is the way we we‘re supposed to play. I hope this is the start of something

great.‘‘

Side order of Beckett a hit with brass

Peter Abraham

That both general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona were on hand to watch indicated that Josh

Beckett‘s bullpen session yesterday wasn‘t routine.

Beckett threw 125 pitches, one short of his career high, against the Angels April 21. The Red Sox limited him to 92

pitches against Baltimore last Wednesday and now will give him two extra days of rest, starting him against the

Angels tomorrow.

―We leaned on Beckett pretty hard there a couple of games and we don‘t have days off coming up,‘‘ Francona said.

―Just wanted to try and get everybody situated where they all feel as good about themselves as they can physically.

To give him that [extra] day was important.‘‘

Beckett did not make himself available for comment. But Francona said there was no specific injury, just a concern

about wear and tear.

―Pitch counts are pitch counts; there‘s a reason we probably watch that stuff,‘‘ the manager said. ―Just want to make

sure we monitor their workload so he can go out and be Beckett.

―When you have the ability to give a guy an extra day, I think sometimes you have to take it because we won‘t be

able to for a couple of weeks.‘‘

Beckett threw for 10 minutes in the bullpen and appeared to be fine. The righthander was on the disabled list for

nearly three months last season because of a strained lower back and subsequent shoulder problems.

The Sox also have pushed back Daisuke Matsuzaka to Friday night‘s game against Minnesota. He left his last start,

on Friday, because of a tight elbow.

―We‘re trying to buy him a couple of days. He says he doesn‘t need it,‘‘ Francona said. ―I think when somebody

comes out like that, we‘d like to make sure they‘re OK.‘‘

The reconfigured rotation also makes it easier for Francona to divide up the catching duties.

The Sox want Jason Varitek to catch Beckett and Matsuzaka and are comfortable with Jarrod Saltalamacchia

catching Lester and Lackey.

Clay Buchholz, who pitched last night, has worked with both catchers, but more with Varitek of late, including last

night.

He‘s up, then down

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with three runs and two stolen bases in last night‘s 9-5 victory. But he also left the game

after colliding with Angels catcher Jeff Mathis in the seventh inning.

Ellsbury was the second of three runners to score on a double by Adrian Gonzalez and tripped Mathis as their legs

connected. He came away with a bruise on the inside of his knee.Francona said the joint was stable. It is uncertain

whether he will play tonight.Ellsbury has hit safely in 11 straight games (18 of 47, .383). He now has 143 career

stolen bases, fourth most in team history.

More Wakefield?

Tim Wakefield pitched 5 2/3 strong innings Sunday, giving up one run on three hits and one walk. The 44-year-old

knuckleballer should be available in the bullpen by Thursday.

There is a possibility Wakefield could get another start later this month if the Sox want to build in an extra day of

rest for the other starters.

―It could certainly happen,‘‘ Francona said. ―I think part of why we have Wake [in the bullpen] is he gives us the

unique ability to throw a guy in to start. I‘m sure he probably will be making a start at some point depending on

what‘s going on.‘‘

Paying tribute

The Sox paid tribute to the United States military and the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks before the game.

The team unfurled a US flag the length of the wall in left field. There were 18 servicemen and women on the

warning track and the Brockton High band played the National Anthem as players from both teams stood on the

baselines.

There was a moment of silence as well.

Army Ranger Lucas Carr of South Boston threw out the first pitch. Former Celtics forward Satch Sanders and

former Bruins center Derek Sanderson joined Carr at the mound.

―God Bless America‘‘ was performed during the seventh-inning stretch.

The military operation that killed Osama bin Laden was the main topic of conversation in the clubhouse before the

game. Televisions usually tuned to ESPN had CNN on, and several players sat in rapt attention.

―I think everybody‘s got a reason for it to hit home, whether it‘s family or friends or just being a citizen of the

United States. It hits everybody, I‘m sure,‘‘ said Francona, whose son, Nick, is a Marine serving in Afghanistan.

Dustin Pedroia has focused many of his charitable efforts to help veterans. He is a close friend of Kevin Tillman, an

Army veteran whose brother, Pat Tillman, the former NFL player, was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.

―I don‘t think we can do enough for those guys,‘‘ Pedroia said. ―I‘ve talked to Kevin a lot and it‘s amazing what

they do for us.‘‘

Gonzalez stays hot

Gonzalez has a nine-game hitting streak (15 of 38, .395) and has hit safely in 15 of the last 16 games . . . NESN

analyst Jerry Remy missed his sixth consecutive game and tweeted that he has been diagnosed with pneumonia. It is

uncertain when he will return. Dennis Eckersley filled in . . . Saltalamacchia turned 26 yesterday.

Dream Weaver start over

Nick Cafardo

In his first six starts of 2011, Angels righthander Jered Weaver had been nothing short of perfect.

A day after the Red Sox won a game started by reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez, they took out their

patient bats again and made Weaver work for every out and every strike he got. Weaver dropped to 6-1 in his

shortest and worst outing of the season, a 9-5 loss to the Red Sox last night at Fenway Park.

Weaver posted his seventh straight quality start — giving up three runs in six innings — but he labored through a

118-pitch outing. Dustin Pedroia‘s phenomenal 13-pitch at-bat in the fifth inning epitomized Weaver‘s night.

Pedroia fouled off nine pitches before driving a two-run single up the middle to give the Sox a 3-2 lead.

This was a big feat for a Red Sox team that entered the game hitting only .243.

―I felt great,‘‘ said Weaver, who needed 38 pitches to get out of the fifth inning alone. ―Still felt good in the fifth and

still locating. Thought there was one pitch that could have gotten me out of the inning that didn‘t go my way and led

to a big inning. The big battle by Pedroia. He had a good at-bat. He fouled stuff off, got a good pitch to hit and lined

it up. Always seems to be some little thing in Boston that just doesn‘t seem to go my way. We‘ll roll with it and

move on.‘‘

Weaver, who throws across his body, may have been victimized by a questionable call by plate umpire Scott Barry

earlier in the fifth inning. With Carl Crawford on second after a one-out double, Barry seemed to miss a called third

strike on Jason Varitek, who ended up walking. Jacoby Ellsbury reached on a fielder‘s choice before Pedroia‘s epic

at-bat.

―Looked like it was a decent pitch,‘‘ said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. ―You‘re gonna have pitches go your way

and not go your way. It‘s not gonna come down to one pitch. You have to absorb the calls you don‘t get and you

have to keep playing and we weren‘t able to play at a high enough level tonight. I think Weaver felt the pitch was a

good one. That‘s one pitch in a ballgame. I don‘t think anyone is gonna hang their hat on one pitch. We couldn‘t get

enough pressure offensively.‘‘

Weaver entered the game with drop-dead numbers. He was coming off a pair of complete-game victories in which

he gave up only one run with 18 strikeouts. He won his sixth game April 25, the earliest date a pitcher reached that

mark in major league history. Weaver had 49 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings with only 10 walks. He faced the Sox after

being pushed back a day in Tampa Bay because of a stomach virus.

The Sox now head into tonight‘s game against Dan Haren, another tough customer, having survived tough outings

against Hernandez and Weaver. That could be a boost to an offense that has been inconsistent.

It takes an incredible performance by a team to beat a pitcher like Weaver when he is on his game. Leave it to

Pedroia to produce such a performance. Not only did Pedroia have that crucial at-bat, but his defensive gem earlier

in the fifth inning had the Angels buzzing, too.

With the bases loaded, Bobby Abreu hit a sharp grounder up the middle that deflected off Clay Buchholz. Pedroia

had broken toward the bag, but the ball went the other way. He turned his body 180 degrees on the fly to field the

ball and fire to shortstop Jed Lowrie at second base for a force out. Pedroia‘s play quelled an Angels rally and held

them to one run.

―That‘s what he does,‘‘ Weaver said of Pedroia. ―He‘s a great hitter. He didn‘t win an MVP for nothing. He wants to

battle you and he‘s a bulldog and I am, too. He won the battle this time. I‘m not gonna change anything the way it

went down. He won the battle.‘‘

Weaver said he wasn‘t fatigued because of the stomach virus despite the 118 pitches.

But it seemed the Sox wore him down with their patience. Weaver said he got behind in the count in the early

innings and that caught up to him later.

Fenway Park has not been kind to Weaver over the years, and he groused about some of the problems pitching in

Boston that are not ―baseball-oriented.‘‘ He mentioned how fans are on top of the action and one can hear what

they‘re saying. Weaver said it‘s a great atmosphere, but his career numbers tell another story: He dropped to 1-3

with a 7.16 ERA in six career starts at Fenway. In 11 career starts against the Sox, Weaver is 2-5 with a 4.41 ERA.

When asked to elaborate on his thoughts about Fenway, Weaver took a step back.

―I‘m not gonna feed you guys [the media] what you want,‘‘ he said. ―Finito.‘‘

Just like his historic season-opening winning streak. Finito.

* The Boston Herald

Adrian Gonzalez' big double helps Sox top Angels

Scott Lauber

Adrian Gonzalez and Fenway Park were supposed to go together like peanut butter and jelly. A lefty-hitting slugger

with a knack for going the opposite way, and a ballpark that features a left field wall that stands 37 feet high and

only 310 feet from home plate? Surely, they were made for each other.

But the relationship has taken time to develop.As Gonzalez stepped into the batter‘s box in the seventh inning last

night, he had 56 home plate appearances with only three extra-base hits, none of which were home runs, and a .333

slugging percentage. The new Red Sox [team stats] first baseman had not yet gotten a substantial hit off the oh-so-

inviting Wall.

And then, just like that, it happened. With the bases loaded, one out and the Sox leading the Los Angeles Angels by

one run, Gonzalez launched a three-run double that scraped the right edge of The Wall and busted open an eventual

9-5 victory in the opener of a four-game series.Dustin Pedroia [stats] got the Red Sox going with an epic, 13-pitch

at-bat in the fifth inning that resulted in a two-run single and opened a 3-2 lead. Gonzalez later gave breathing room

to a bullpen that can‘t seem to get enough by finally taking advantage of his new home.

―It‘s not the ballpark. It‘s just how the swing feels,‖ said Gonzalez, whose big hit in the six-run seventh was

followed by an RBI double from Kevin Youkilis [stats] and a two-run homer by David Ortiz [stats], his first long

ball since April 2. ―It was just nice to stay inside a ball for once. My approach is to stay inside balls and go to left-

center. I haven‘t been doing much of that all year, and it was nice to be able to do that in that situation.‖But don‘t go

thinking Gonzalez came through with the biggest hit of the night. He conceded that title to Pedroia. In fact, the

bases-clearing double might not even have been Gonzalez‘ most significant contribution to the Red Sox‘ 14th win in

their past 15 games against the Angels.

After Pedroia outlasted Angels ace Jered Weaver in a game-turning at-bat, Torii Hunter led off the sixth with a

double. Gonzalez, playing in, fielded Alberto Callaspo‘s grounder and fired to third where Youkilis made a stellar

pick to cut down Hunter. Rather than having a runner on third with one out, the Angels had a runner on first, making

life easier for starter Clay Buchholz.It‘s an aggressive play that Gonzalez made with regularity for the San Diego

Padres, and during spring training, he made Youkilis aware of his tendency to look to third base in that situation.

―He threw a better sinker over there than I was throwing all night,‖ said Buchholz (2-3), who grinded through 62⁄3

innings. ―He‘s a Gold Glove guy. He‘s going to make the right decisions. That was probably second behind Pedey‘s

at-bat for the best play of the game, I think.‖

Added Gonzalez: ―It‘s something that, if they hit it right at me, I take my chances. It‘s one of those things where, if I

throw it away, hey, it was an aggressive error. I‘m going to take that chance.‖The Red Sox took a chance in

December by trading three prospects for Gonzalez. But with both his bat and his glove, he offered another reminder

of why they believed he was worth it.

Dustin Pedroia's one tough act

John Tomase

Dustin Pedroia won Rookie of the Year in 2007. He topped that with an MVP in 2008. He was an All-Star in 2009

and ‘10. So it‘s saying something that he might be playing the best baseball of his career right now.

It reveals itself not in the stats (Pedroia‘s hitting just .264), but in the moments, like during the fifth inning of last

night‘s 9-5 victory against the Angels, when Pedroia won the game within the game against Jered Weaver, and the

Red Sox [team stats] followed suit.

Pedroia worked the best pitcher in baseball for 13 grueling pitches before lining a two-run single to center that gave

the Sox a 3-2 lead they never relinquished.

―Just two guys with unbelievably strong wills, and neither one of them is going to give in in that situation,‖ saluted

shortstop Jed Lowrie. ―He made a tough pitch, and Pedey was just able to hit it back up the middle and hit it hard.

He won that matchup.‖

The at-bat was a classic, pitting one of the game‘s toughest outs against a pitcher who began the night with a 0.99

ERA and a perfect 6-0 record.

It should come as no surprise that Pedroia prevailed. It‘s been that kind of season for the most exciting player on the

Red Sox, someone who manages to find himself smack in the middle of virtually everything good they do.

―He doesn‘t give in,‖ said manager Terry Francona. ―I mean, not just at the plate, but on the bases, in the field. He

plays the game. He‘s a ballplayer.‖

He was most definitely a ballplayer against Weaver, a former college foe when Pedroia was at Arizona State and

Weaver at Long Beach State.

All the fun began with a 2-1 count.

Pedroia fouled off eight of the next nine pitches while seeing a little bit of everything. Weaver tried a four-seam

fastball, cutter, slider and change. Pedroia fouled off each twice, including one off his foot.

―That‘s what he does,‖ Weaver said. ―He‘s a great hitter. He didn‘t win the MVP for nothing. He goes up there and

he wants to battle. He‘s a bulldog. I feel like I‘m the same way.‖

Weaver began the battle working the inner half of the plate, throwing seven of the first nine pitches for strikes. But

he switched gears on the final three pitches, trying to dispatch Pedroia with hard stuff away.

It‘s a testament to Weaver‘s command that all nine of the pitches Pedroia fouled off were strikes. The latter finally

got a pitch he could handle on No. 13, a 91 mph four-seamer up and just slightly over the plate. He rifled it up the

middle to plate Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury [stats] while Fenway Park [map] exploded.

―To be honest with you, I was just trying to put the ball in play,‖ Pedroia said. ―He throws changeups in, sliders,

curveballs. We always say, you get one pitch to hit each at-bat, so you‘d better hit it. And with him, you might not

get one. The pitch I hit was a good one, too. I just found a hole.‖

Weaver lasted one more inning and departed after throwing 118 pitches. The Sox pummeled the bullpen to make the

final score deceptively lopsided, but don‘t be fooled.

The game was won in the fifth inning, when Pedroia showed Weaver and the Angels that he simply will not be

denied.

Josh Beckett's not injured

Scott Lauber

Twelve days ago, Josh Beckett threw 125 pitches, one shy of tying his career high, in an eight-inning start against

the Los Angeles Angels.

The effects still are being felt.

Because of Beckett‘s recently heavy workload, and because the Red Sox [team stats] don‘t have an off day until

May 12, the team has decided to push back the right-hander‘s next start until tomorrow night at Fenway Park [map]

against the Angels, exactly one week since his last outing.

Beckett isn‘t injured, according to both manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Curt Young, but Francona

indicated the pitcher can benefit from additional rest. In five starts, Beckett (2-1, 2.65 ERA) has averaged 105

pitches.

―We leaned on Beckett pretty hard there a couple games,‖ Francona said prior to last night‘s 9-5 win against the

Angels. ―We don‘t have days off coming up. Part of it — not because of the way he‘s pitching, because he‘s

pitching great — (is) just we wanted to try to get everybody situated where they all feel as good about themselves as

they can physically. I think just to give them that (extra) day was important.‖

At about 2:30 p.m. yesterday, Beckett threw a 25-pitch, between-starts side session that drew an atypically large

audience, including Francona and general manager Theo Epstein. Usually, a starter‘s side session is supervised by

Young and sometimes a member of the training staff.

Francona downplayed the increased interest, saying he ―just wanted to watch‖ and noting that his familiarity with

Beckett is greater than that of Young, who is in his first season with the Sox.

Likewise, Francona said he was pleased with the way Beckett bounced back from the 125-pitch outing in Anaheim,

Calif. He threw only 92 pitches, his lowest total of the season, and allowed four runs in six innings last Wednesday

night against the Orioles in Baltimore.

―Pitch counts are pitch counts, but just, there‘s a reason we probably watch stuff like that,‖ Francona said. ―We just

want to monitor their workload so he can go out and be Beckett. It‘s not just the starters. It‘s the relievers. We talk

about health and production going hand in hand all the time.‖

Beckett was unavailable for comment after throwing his side session.

Additionally, Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats] will start the series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at

Fenway, one week after leaving a start with stiffness in his right elbow.

Deep thoughts Papi

Designated hitter David Ortiz [stats] snapped an 88-at-bat homerless drought with an opposite-field, two-run shot

over The Wall off righty reliever Francisco Rodriguez in the Red Sox‘ six-run seventh inning.

―I‘ve hit some balls that should‘ve been homers, but they ain‘t going nowhere,‖ Ortiz said. ―I‘ve just got to keep

doing whatever I can until they start showing up. When they show up, they show up in bunches.‖ . . .

Jacoby Ellsbury [stats] left after seventh with a bruised left knee suffered on a play at the plate when he scored on

Adrian Gonzalez‘ bases-clearing double in the inning. Francona said he didn‘t know if the center fielder would be

able to play tonight.

Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a first-inning single. He also stole second base to move ahead

of Heinie Wagner into sole possession of fourth place on the Red Sox‘ all-time list with 142 career steals. . . .

After a one-game absence to rest his balky left hip, third baseman Kevin Youkilis [stats] returned to the lineup and

went 2-for-4 with two RBI. . . .

Left fielder Carl Crawford remained in the No. 8 spot in the lineup and finished 2-for-4 to boost his average to .181.

Buchholz at work

After a stomach virus forced the Red Sox to delay his start by one day, Clay Buchholz (2-3) held the Angels to two

runs in 62⁄3 innings and became the first pitcher this season to outduel Los Angeles ace Jered Weaver (6-1).

But Buchholz wasn‘t at his best while allowing eight hits, walking two and striking out a pair. He was the

beneficiary of solid defense from second baseman Dustin Pedroia [stats], Gonzalez at first base, Youkilis and others.

―I just felt like I let the grip and my trust in the stuff work itself out and (didn‘t) try to press too much in those

situations where you need to get a ground ball or fly ball out or something,‖ Buchholz said. ―It‘s coming along, but

it‘s still not all the way there yet. I‘ve still got some work to do on the side.‖

Added catcher Jason Varitek [stats]: ―He‘s slowly finding his rhythm. I still think his best days are in front of him.‖

9/11 remembrance

In the aftermath of Osama bin Laden‘s death, the Red Sox staged a pregame ceremony that included the unfurling of

an American flag over the Green Monster and a moment of silence for the 9/11 victims.

―Everyone probably has a reason for it to hit home,‖ Francona said. ―Family, friends, or being a citizen of the United

States, it hits everybody, I‘m sure.‖

Walkoff hit boosts Carl Crawford

John Tomase

Twelve years ago today, Mike Cameron first experienced the euphoria that Carl Crawford felt on Sunday. Barely a

month into his Cincinnati Reds tenure, Cameron endeared himself to his new teammates by stroking a walkoff

single against Arizona‘s Darren Holmes in a 4-3 victory.

The situations aren‘t exactly analogous.

Cameron was a youngster who had arrived via an offseason trade with the White Sox, while Crawford is the $142

million man, but Cameron knows how good Crawford felt after bouncing a single up the middle in the ninth to beat

the Mariners, 3-2, on Sunday.

―It‘s always good when you come through in moments of need for your team, especially when you‘ve already been

in the grind a little bit,‖ Cameron said. ―For Carl to do it here just kind of speaks volumes to the depths of how much

he‘s had to persevere already.‖

That said, Cameron made it clear that his transition to Cincinnati received nowhere near the attention Crawford has

garnered in Boston.

―My circumstances were a little different, because I was brought to Cincinnati in a trade,‖ Cameron said. ―The

expectation level was nothing more than me getting back on track after a sorry sophomore year.‖

Cameron had already gotten off to a solid start with the Reds, hitting .271 with three homers and 11 RBI in his first

21 games. When he stepped in against Holmes with the bases loaded, he was just looking for a pitch to drive.

―He threw me a splitter or something, and I hit it down the third base line,‖ Cameron said. ―I was supposed to get a

double out of that!‖

The winning run scored first, so it went in the books as a single.

Cameron wasn‘t done getting big walkoff hits with a new team, though. After the season, he was traded to the

Mariners as the centerpiece of a deal for perennial All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. This situation was a little more similar to

Crawford‘s, since Cameron arrived in Seattle with more expectations on his shoulders. He played pretty well from

the get-go. Then on Aug. 1, 2000, he ended one of the more memorable Red Sox [team stats] losses in history with a

19th-inning walkoff homer against Jeff Fassero.

―I didn‘t even start that day,‖ Cameron said. ―I came in in the ninth inning and ended up getting three at-bats. Those

things always appear for your confidence and are big confidence builders. Some guys have a knack for doing it.

Carl‘s got what, seven?‖

Crawford does indeed have seven career walkoffs. Cameron and Co. can only hope that Sunday‘s winner was the

start of a trend.

Sox stars say love brewin' in Hub

Megan Johnson

A handful of baseball fans learned yesterday that the Red Sox like living and working in New England for the

Dunkin‘ Donuts, but there are some other perks . . .

―Everyone cares about us,‖ Sox fun-pack Dustin Pedroia [stats] told the crowd gathered in the State Street Pavilion

to view a series of new Dunkin‘ TV spots starring Pedie, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzales, David Ortiz [stats] and

manager Terry Francona. ―I went for ice cream with my son last night, and the guy behind the counter starts talking

to me about the lineup. I said, ‗Sir, if you don‘t give me the ice cream I‘m going to kick your (butt).‘‖

Meanwhile Big Papi, sporting designer shades inside the Pavilion, reports he loves ―the police guys.‖

―They get you through traffic,‖ said No. 34. ―One time, we were playing the Yankees, and I jump on the Pike in my

Lamborghini. I‘m going like 75 . . . the police pull me over . . . I say ‗Hey Man, I‘m playing the Yankees today. As a

matter of fact, follow me!‘ We got to Fenway in five minutes.‖

But Ortiz isn‘t the only one enjoying the fruits of the Fenway Faithful. His son, D‘Angelo, 6, is the real celebrity in

the house.

―He‘s a rock star. He comes to the house, and has a back pocket full of money,‖ Ortiz said. ―He says, ‗Daddy, they

were handing it to me!‘‖

Is he peddling influence to Papi or what?

* The Providence Journal

Red Sox 9, Angels 5: Persistent Pedroia makes Weaver pay

Brian MacPherson

Dustin Pedroia worked the count full against Jered Weaver, staying alive long enough for Jacoby Ellsbury to steal

second base and give the Red Sox two runners in scoring position with two outs in the fifth inning.

That‘s when the at-bat really started.

Pedroia fouled off a slider down and in. He fouled off a slider over the middle. He fouled off a changeup up and in.

He fouled off a fastball away. He fouled off a fastball a little farther away.

In all, Pedroia made Weaver throw 13 pitches in a 9 1/2-minute span before he rolled a two-run single into center

field to score Ellsbury and Carl Crawford with the tying and go-ahead runs.

And because the at-bat drove the pitch count of Weaver so high, the Red Sox had a chance to tee off on the Angels‘

bullpen en route to a 9-5 win on Monday night.

―He has a way of doing that,‖ Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. ―He fights. He doesn‘t give in.‖

Said starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, ―That turned the game, for sure. That just shows you what kind of player he is.

He‘s up there —didn‘t give in, fouled off some really good pitches from one of the best pitchers in the game right

now.‖

Hisanori Takahashi and Francisco Rodriguez — the other one —combined to allow six runs on five hits and a walk

in the seventh inning as the Red Sox put the game away.

The Red Sox now have beaten Weaver and Felix Hernandez in back-to-back games.

They‘ll face Dan Haren — who they already beat 10 days ago in Anaheim — on Tuesday.

Buchholz turned in his best start of the season, surrendering two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings pitched, striking out

two and walking two. It was the first time that Buchholz, who finished second in the American League with a 2.33

ERA last season, had recorded a quality start.

He outdueled Weaver, the early Cy Young Award front-runner who struck out six and walked one but failed to pitch

into the seventh inning for the first time this season. Weaver left the game after throwing 118 pitches in six innings

— and Pedroia‘s 13-pitch at-bat certainly sped his exit along.

Jacoby Ellsbury, who has torched American League pitching since he was reinstalled as the leadoff hitter, singled,

stole second and scored on a Kevin Youkilis single in the first inning.

Ellsbury then doubled in the seventh inning, pushing Jason Varitek to third, and Pedroia followed with a walk.

Adrian Gonzalez then launched his first extra-base hit off the Green Monster, a double to center field that cleared

the basis. Kevin Youkilis hit the first pitch he saw right back off the Green Monster, and David Ortiz whacked a

two-run home run -- his first since he homered in back-to-back games to start the season.

―To keep the line moving and spread a game out and have a nice big inning, that was good,‖ Francona said. ―It was

probably no coincidence that the balls that were hit hard were left-center and up the middle.‖

On his way back to the dugout, Ortiz hugged one of the uniformed soldiers sitting in owner John Henry‘s front-row

seats. A day after President Obama announced that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden, periodic ―U-S-A!‖

chants broke out throughout Fenway Park.

So far, the best pitchers have brought out the best in Red Sox

Tim Britton

Early Sunday morning, things looked grim for the Red Sox. Coming off two straight losses and four in five, they

were staring at the imminent prospect of a sweep at the hands of Felix Hernandez and the Mariners.

And then the news got worse. Jered Weaver was scratched in Tampa Bay. He would likely be facing the Red Sox on

Monday.

Two days, two games against the A.L.‘s two best pitchers since the start of 2010. Who knew it would end in two

victories?

Wins like that over top-of-the-line pitchers can propel a team. Just ask Adrian Gonzalez.

―You beat a guy like that, you‘ve won a game most other teams aren‘t going to win,‖ Gonzalez said. ―These pitchers

are going to go 15-5. If you give them one of those five losses, hopefully the teams in your division, he‘s going to

get the wins against them. That‘s to your advantage.‖

Earlier this season, Boston put that theory into practice. After beating then-A.L. ERA leader Gio Gonzalez in

Oakland, the Sox ran off five straight wins. They hope these past two wins over Hernandez and Weaver — the latter

entered Monday as the A.L.‘s ERA leader — can spur a similar run.

Running into Weaver at Fenway was less bad luck than the continuation of an early-season trend for Boston. It fits

with the tenor of a Red Sox season during which, through 28 games, Boston has seen just about every pitcher of note

in the American League. They are getting a quick education in what it is like to step into the batter‘s box against an

ace starting pitcher.

Weaver finished fifth in the A.L. Cy Young voting last year, and he came into Monday as the early frontrunner for

the 2011 award with the 6-0 record and 0.99 ERA. The Red Sox, though, have already faced three of the four hurlers

who finished ahead of Weaver, winning games started by Hernandez and CC Sabathia and falling short against

David Price.

Boston can‘t face the man who finished fourth in the balloting, as Jon Lester pitches for the Red Sox.

―We‘ve got to face quality guys every night,‖ Jed Lowrie said. ―It‘s the Major Leagues. No one‘s a slouch.‖

―You‘re going to face them all throughout the year. It‘s just part of the season,‖ said first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

―You‘re going to get No. 1s and you‘re going to get No. 5s. From a hitter‘s perspective, you better get your hits

against the No. 5s because the ones against the No. 1s aren‘t going to come too often.‖

But let‘s take it one step further. A list of the nine best pitchers in the A.L. since the start of last season according to

ERA includes six pitchers Boston has already faced, two Red Sox (Lester and Clay Buchholz) and Oakland‘s Trevor

Cahill. In the last two weeks alone, the Sox have stepped into the batter‘s box against the A.L.‘s ERA leader three

times, seeing Gio Gonzalez, Dan Haren and now Weaver. It will be four on Tuesday, with Weaver‘s ERA slipping

behind Haren‘s after Monday night.

―I would say the obvious. They‘re good pitchers,‖ manager Terry Francona said. ―There‘s nights where you go into

the game knowing you‘re going to have to battle to win the game. Every day, but you know what I mean. This guy‘s

good tonight. He‘s feeling pretty good about himself. He‘s leading the league in almost everything. We might not

knock him all over the ballpark, but it‘s kind of satisfying when you can find a way to beat him.‖

The Red Sox, though, have actually been better against those top-notch starters. They have beaten Haren, Sabathia,

Gonzalez and now Weaver, and they knocked out C.J. Wilson in the sixth inning. They earned a win against

Hernandez and, if not for the shoddy work of Bobby Jenks, would have handed the reigning Cy Young award

winner the L.

So what‘s been the approach?

―You can‘t change anything,‖ said Lowrie. ―You have to know what he does to try to get guys out, but you can‘t

change your game.‖

―You just know you‘re going to have a tough matchup, and you really have to focus in and grind it out to get your

hits off him,‖ Adrian Gonzalez said, first in general and then more specifically about Weaver. ―From my

perspective, I don‘t care what his stats are. In my mind, he‘s going to bring his A stuff every outing. Can‘t treat him

any other way.‖

The conventional wisdom, of course, is to try to get on the board early against top-line starters, who generally settle

in and get better as the game progresses. The Sox were able to scrounge one first-inning run off Weaver on Monday.

Gonzalez, however, warns against that approach.

―You take the runs when they come. You can‘t pressure yourself or force yourself to try to get a run early because if

you don‘t then you feel down,‖ he said. ―If you say, ‗Let‘s try to get the runs early‘ and we don‘t get them in the

first three innings, then you feel a sense of pressure because we didn‘t get them. You don‘t even focus on that.‖

Red Sox Journal: All eyes on Beckett bullpen session

Brian MacPherson

Terry Francona, with Theo Epstein, made the trek out to the right-field bullpens on Monday afternoon to watch Josh

Beckett throw a 25-pitch side session, something Francona ordinarily wouldn‘t do.

But rather than it being a bad omen, Francona said, it simply was a matter of curiosity and interest. Beckett will take

his regular turn in the Red Sox rotation on Wednesday, pitching on six days‘ rest, and John Lackey and Daisuke

Matsuzaka will follow on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Pitching coach ―Curt (Young) is obviously out there, but I just wanted to see,‖ Francona said. ―I‘ve seen him

probably a lot longer than Curt has. I just wanted to watch.‖

Beckett threw 125 pitches in a win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 25, something only six other

pitchers have done this season — among them Jered Weaver, who was pitching for the Angels on Monday night.

Beckett then was limited to 92 pitches in his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

―That game in Anaheim, pitch counts are pitch counts, but there‘s a reason we watch that stuff,‖ Francona said. ―We

want to make sure we monitor their workload so he can go out and be Beckett.‖

Matsuzaka, meanwhile, was lifted last Friday night after having thrown just 82 pitches in four-plus innings against

the Seattle Mariners. He took a day off on Saturday and played catch on Sunday, and he started his regular five-day

routine on Monday.

―We‘re trying to buy him a couple of days,‖ Francona said. ―He says he doesn‘t need it, but when somebody comes

out like that, we‘d like to make sure they‘re OK.‖

Part of the reason for caution is the schedule the Red Sox have in front of them: They don‘t have another day off

until the middle of next week. Days off tend to buy starting pitchers an extra day of rest in the middle of their five-

day routines, but the schedule for the first two weeks of May didn‘t provide that luxury.

―We leaned on Beckett pretty hard there for a couple of days, and we don‘t have days off coming up,‖ Francona

said. ―It‘s not because of the way he‘s pitching, because he‘s pitching great. We just wanted to try to get everybody

situated where they all feel as good about themselves as they can, physically.‖

The Red Sox rotation going forward:

• vs. Los Angeles — Tuesday: Jon Lester; Wednesday: Josh Beckett; Thursday: John Lackey

• vs. Minnesota — Friday: Daisuke Matsuzaka; Saturday: Clay Buchholz.

Jenks has been a bust, so far

Eleven appearances into his Red Sox career, Bobby Jenks has a 9.35 ERA and almost as many walks (nine) as

strikeouts (10). The free-agent signing that looked like a coup in December has mostly looked like a disaster so far

— never more so than on Sunday, when Jenks inherited a runner on first base with two outs but wound up loading

the bases and forcing home two runs with walks.

―Sometimes wanting to be so good so bad, he‘s been doing some things, trying too hard, squeezing it a little bit,

however you want to say it,‖ Francona said. ―Sometimes you need a guy to foul a ball back if you make a mistake.

That happens a lot more than people realize. Then you make your pitch and everybody feels good about

themselves.‖

No one fouled any pitches back against Jenks on Sunday because no one had to swing the bat. The Mariners took 19

consecutive pitches at one point, patiently watching as the wild Jenks walked in two runs — doing the hitters‘ work

for them.

After his disastrous outing on Sunday, Jenks is allowing opposing hitters to hit .440 with a .517 on-base percentage

against him with runners on base — a stark contract to the .143 batting average and .368 on-base percentage they

have with the bases empty.

A postgame video session revealed a mechanical flaw that both Jenks and the Red Sox hope will turn things around.

Patriotic fever at Fenway

A ―U-S-A‖ chant broke out at Fenway Park after a patriotic montage on the video boards in the middle of the third

inning, a reflection of the sentiment that has swept the United States since the news Osama bin Laden was killed in a

raid in Pakistan.

The Red Sox unfurled an American flag over the Green Monster, something typically reserved for occasions like

Opening Day, Independence Day and the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. But both teams took part in a

ceremony on Monday evening, less than 24 hours after President Obama made his announcement to the nation.

―Everyone probably has a reason for it to hit home,‖ Francona said. ―Family, friends, or being a citizen of the United

States, it hits everybody, I‘m sure.‖

Youkilis returns

A day after a sore hip kept him out of the Red Sox lineup, Kevin Youkilis was in his customary spot on Monday

night, playing third base and batting cleanup.

―We grilled him a little bit to see if he thinks he needs an extra day,‖ Francona said. ―The trainers don‘t. The doctors

don‘t. We‘ll keep an eye on him.‖

Now a Tiger, Victor Martinez sees good times ahead for Red Sox

Paul Kenyon

Victor Martinez is a Tiger now, a member of the Detroit organization. Still, he made it clear Monday night in a

return to Red Sox country that there is a part of him that misses Boston.

Martinez was the designated hitter for Toledo in the first of what is expected to be a two-day rehab assignment with

the Mud Hens against Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium. Martinez, who has been on the disabled list with a groin injury,

is expected to rejoin the Tigers Wednesday night when Detroit hosts the Yankees.

Martinez looks ready to get back to work.

He worked a full-count walk from PawSox starter Brandon Duckworth in the first, had an eight-pitch at-bat in the

third that ended when he hit lashed a line drive to right that went for a sacrifice fly.

Being back among Red Sox fans brought back fond memories for the catcher and designated hitter.

―I had a blast playing in Boston,‖ he said. ―Myself and my family had a great time in Boston.‖

Martinez played well in his season-and-a-half with the Sox, including hitting .302 with 20 home runs and 79 RBI

last season. He made it clear he left for only one reason: money.

He wanted long-term security. The Boston organization was not sure how much the 32-year-old has left ready as a

prime-time player. The Tigers had faith that he has plenty left. They signed the 10-year veteran to a four-year, $50-

million deal.

―I had to take care of my family,‖ Martinez said. ―I was doing all that I could do to come back to Boston, but it

didn‘t work out. There‘s nothing you can do about it. They went out and definitely got way better. They got good

players.‖

Martinez said he keeps in regular contact with a number of his former teammates. Monday, as Pawtucket was

finishing batting practice and Toledo was getting ready to begin, Martinez took the time to seek out Ryan Kalish.

The two, who were together with Boston for part of last season, shared a hug and chatted for several minutes.

Martinez all but predicted that Boston will not only survive its tough start, but thrive.

―It happens to everybody,‖ he said of the Boston slump. ―That shows you this is baseball, and anything can happen.

It won‘t be like that the whole season. They‘re going to wake up, and when they wake up, watch out. They‘re too

good of a team.‖

Martinez went out of his way to praise two Red Sox players, Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia, in particular.

―That‘s a man who gives everything he‘s got to that organization,‖ Martinez said of Varitek. ―I really had a great

time being Jason Varitek‘s teammate. He‘s one of the great teammates I‘ve had playing baseball. (Jarrod)

Saltalamacchia is great guy, too. He‘s going to come around.‖

And then there is Pedroia.

―It‘s amazing. It‘s unbelievable how hard that man plays the game. He‘s so hungry every day to play the game. He‘s

ready to go at 6 a.m.,‖ Martinez said. ―That shows you in this game size doesn‘t matter. . . He plays the game the

right way.‖

As for himself, Martinez said he felt pain in his groin when he ran out a ground ball in the 10th inning in a game in

Oakland two weeks ago. He took a day off, but then when he tried to play again in Seattle, it was worse and he had

to go on the disabled list.

He reported that he is feeling much better. He served as the Mud Hens‘ designated hitter and clean-up batter

Monday night and is expected to do the same Tuesday before rejoining his teammates in Detroit.

―I just love to play. I love to play the game and have fun. It‘s not fun to be watching the game on the bench or in the

training room,‖ he said. ―I want to play every day.‖

PawSox fans were good to him. There were a few boos every time his name was introduced, but the huge majority

applauded. Martinez will not have to wait long to see how Boston fans react. The Tigers visit Fenway in two weeks.

* The Springfield Republican

Jacoby Ellsbury day-to-day with bruised left knee

Nick Underhill

Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury's status for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels is now

questionable after a bruising his left knee while crossing the plate in Monday's 9-5 win.

Ellsbury, who is currently on an 11-game hitting streak, suffered the bruise while sliding into home and getting tied

up with Angels' catcher Jeff Mathis following Adrian Gonzalez's bases-clearing double in the seventh inning.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that the injury isn't serious.

Dustin Pedroia's 13-pitch at-bat keys Sox to victory

Nick Underhill

In a game featuring the current best pitcher in the American League, and one of its best from last year, a single at-

bat in the fifth inning stood as the defining moment.

With Boston down 2-1 against impenetrable Los Angeles Angels (16-13) starter Jered Weaver Monday night at

Fenway Park, Dustin Pedroia went to the plate in the fifth inning and had the best at-bat of the season for the Red

Sox (13-15).

He battled off 12 pitches before drilling a two-out, two-run single up the middle off that gave Boston a 3-2 lead,

knocked Weaver out of the game, and allowed the Red Sox to get into the Angels bullpen and finish with a lopsided

9-5 victory.

"Phenomenal at-bat," catcher Jason Varitek said. "Gave us the lead, he's up there battling, doing what he does. That's

what we're built on."

Entering action, Weaver had a 0.99 ERA, and allowed just one run in his previous 18 innings, and hadn't allowed

more than two in an outing.

Pedroia's at-bat changed all of that. He came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning with Carl Crawford on

third and Jacoby Ellsbury on first.

He alternated balls and fouls on the first four pitches to make it 2-2. While trying to execute the and run with

Ellsbury, Pedroia fouled off the next two, both of which were fastballs.

Weaver then attempted to pickoff Ellsbury at first, only to have him take second on the next pitch, a 92-mph cutter,

that Pedroia watched pass his eyes for ball three.

That's when the battle turned into a war. The second baseman fouled off the next five offerings – two sliders, two

cutters, and a changeup – before driving pitch No. 13, a 91-mph fastball, up the middle for a two-out, two-run single

that put Boston up.

Pedroia downplayed the moment initially, simply stating: "See it, hit it. There‘s really nothing else you can do."

In all, he saw four fastballs, three sliders, a changeup, and three cutters. He was 3-for-25 against Weaver throughout

his career entering the at-bat.

"Jered‘s tough, man," Pedoria said. "I faced him in college and the first few years in the big leagues, and it doesn‘t

get any better than him. I haven‘t won too many of those but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get

everything going.‖

The next batter, Adrian Gonzalez, swung at the first pitch he saw and grounded out gingerly to second baseman

Maicer Izturis.

That ended Weaver's night. He allowed three runs over six innings with six strikeouts and one walk. He scattered six

hits, threw 118 pitches, and left with his ERA at 1.39.

Boston scored its first run in the first inning on a single by Kevin Youkilis that brought home Ellsbury, then battered

the Angles bullpen in the later innings.

The battle appeared as though it was going to be for naught when Los Angeles Torii Hunter led off with a double to

center field, but Gonzalez stayed true to his spring training promise that he was going to be aggressive with his

throws by making one of the more impressive defensive plays of the season.

Third baseman Albert Collaspo hit a soft grounder up the first-base line that Gonzalez charged in on. Hunter took

off for third on contact, and Gonzalez fired a dart across the field to retire him at third.

The throw was aggressive, but the play wouldn't have been made possible without third baseman Kevin Youkilis

making an impressive scoop on the short-hopped throw.

"He's one of the few first basemen that will do that," Francona said. "It was a game changer."

Pedroia also had a game changing moment in the field earlier in the game. In the fifth inning, with starter Clay

Buchholz (6 2/3 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) starting to falter, he made a run-saving play that kept Boston in the

game.

Buchholz put the first two men on base, and threw wild pitch to make it second and third. He managed to strike out

Peter Bourjos, before loading up the bases with another walk.

Bobby Abreu then came to the plate and laced a pitch up the middle that Pedroia went in pursuit of, but as he took

off towards second, the ball bounced off of Buchholz's glove.

Seeing this, Pedroia dove back towards first against his momentum, fielded the ball, and retired Izturis at second.

The next batter grounded out to third to end the threat with only one run surrendered.

"He has a way of (lifting us)," manager Terry Francona said. "He fights, he doesn't give in, we needed him and he

came through for us."

Red Sox reshuffle rotation: Josh Beckett to start Wednesday

Nick Underhill

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett has had his scheduled start pushed back to Wednesday, making it

seven days between appearances for him.

Manager Terry Francona said that it was nothing more than a precautionary measure after leaning on him heavily in

his previous starts, and wanting to take advantage of an opportunity to give Beckett a day off.

―There‘s no days off coming up,‖ Francona said. ―When you have the ability to give a guy an extra day, I think

sometimes you have to take it because we won‘t be able to moving forward for a couple weeks.‖

Beckett threw 125 pitches April 21 against the Angels, falling one pitch shy of his career high. He lasted eight

innings, struck out five, allowed two earned runs in the no-decision and averaged 93.02 miles per hour on his two-

seam fastball.

Last Wednesday against Baltimore, he threw 96 pitches, lasted six innings and gave up four runs. His two-seamer

was at 92.70.

He threw a side session prior to Monday‘s game against Los Angeles and totaled 25 pitches, which isn‘t unique.

What was special was that both Francona and general manager Theo Epstein monitored the session, while typically

only a trainer or pitching coach Curt Young take them in.

―I just want to see,‖ Francona said. ―I‘ve seen him a lot longer than Curt has. Just want to watch.‖

Beckett, who is 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA and an 0.853 WHIP, had no comment for this story.

In the rest of the rotation shakeup, Jon Lester will go Tuesday, John Lackey will make his scheduled start Thursday

and Daisuke Matsuzaka will take his turn Friday against Minnesota.

DICE-K ON TRACK: Matsuzaka came out of last Friday‘s 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners in the fifth inning after

watching his velocity drop off due to a bout with elbow tightness.

The injury isn‘t believed to be anything serious, and after taking Sunday off, he resumed his regular five-day

schedule Monday.

―Trying to take advantage of the time off, give him a day off, then get him ready for the start,‖ Francona said.

YOUK FEELING FINE: Third baseman Kevin Youkilis was held out of Sunday‘s game with a sore hip, but was

back in the lineup Monday night, batting cleanup.

Youkilis jammed his hip Thursday against Baltimore and played through the pain until being lifted for a pinch

runner Saturday against the Mariners.

He is hitting .218 with five homers and a .392 on-base percentage.

―(We) grilled him a little to see if he needed an extra day and he doesn‘t think he does, the doctors don‘t, the trainers

didn‘t,‖ Francona said prior to Monday's game. ―So he‘s going to go.‖

* The MetroWest Daily News

Red Sox 9, Angels 5: Red Sox continue Halo mastery

Lenny Megliola

For a team that wasn't hitting, this could have been construed as cruel and unusual punishment.

Sunday, the Red Sox went up against Seattle's wunderkind Felix Hernandez, last year's Cy Young winner. Last

night, they faced the Angels' Jered Weaver who's bidding to get a grip on the 2011 Cy by Memorial Day.

The lanky, right-handed Weaver was 6-0 with a 0.99 earned run average. He was trying to do something that no

pitcher had done since Benjamin Harrison was president. That would be 1891, in case it slipped your mind. A

pitcher hadn't won seven straight starts by May 2 since then.

That's the Weaver the puny Boston bats were up against at Fenway Park. Weaver was supposed to pitch Sunday

against Tampa Bay, but he was sick to his stomach, so he didn't.

He may have felt better yesterday, but history was not on his side. He left after six innings (and 118 pitches), trailing

by a run. In the seventh, a three-run Adrian Gonzalez double off Francisco Rodriguez triggered a six-run uprising. A

Kevin Youkilis RBI double and David Ortiz's two-run homer (no. 3), polished off Rodriguez and the Angels, 9-5.

Boston has whipped the Angels 14 of the last 15 times the teams have played.

Weaver's ERA went up to 1.39.

"He's just tough," said Ortiz. "He can throw any pitch in any situation." Big Papi was relieved to get another dinger.

"I've hit some balls that went nowhere." This one landed in the monster seats.

Clay Buchholz (6 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs) got the win to climb to 2-3. Buchholz was 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA against

the Angels last season. Dan Wheeler surrendered a two-run homer to Vernon Wells, his second, in the eighth. Many

of the 37,017 fans had vacated the premises, probably heading for the nearest saloon to watch the end of the Bruins

game.

"He's slowly finding his rhythm," said Jason Varitek, who caught Buchholz. "I still think his best days are in front of

him."

Buchholz, who is off to a sluggish start, was more than happy to get the best of Weaver. "Yeah, absolutely. When

you're going up against him, you've got to keep their guys off balance, and off the bases. (Weaver) goes out there

and wins."

Not this time.

After struggling, Boston's won two in a row.

"We're working at it," said Varitek. "Some things are starting to happen."

With two on and two out in the fifth, and speed boys Carl Crawford (on third) and Jacoby Ellsbury (on second)

ready to roll, Dustin Pedroia made Weaver throw 12 pitches before drilling the 13th into centerfield scoring both

runners for a 3-2 lead.

Ellsbury left the game in the eighth inning with a left knee contusion.

The Angels took a 2-1 lead in the fifth, but it could have been worse for Buchholz. With the bases loaded and one

out, Bobby Abreu hit a liner that glanced off the mound. Pedroia had broken for second, then had to make a hard left

turn to stab the ball that had changed direction. He flipped to second for the force out.

The Red Sox scored in the first inning when Ellsbury singled, stole second and came in on a Youkilis single. The

Angels tied it in the third. Maicer Izturis doubled and was plated by Abreu's single.

The Angels' first three batters in the first inning singled, but didn't score. Leadoff man Izturis singled but was tagged

out at second trying to stretch it to a double. Abreu and Howie Kendrick followed with singles, but Buchholz got

Torii Hunter on a double-play ball.

The visitors got a leadoff double from Hunter in the sixth, but Buchholz got the next three batters without incident.

In the 7th, with a runner on third and two outs, Daniel Bard came in to retire Abreu.

NOTES: Ellsbury has hit in 11 straight. He stole two bases. ... It was oldies-but-goodies night regarding ceremonial

first pitches. They were tossed by ex-Celtic Satch Sanders and former Bruin Derek Sanderson. ... Shouts of "USA!

USA!" were heard on several occasions. ... Good matchup tonight: Jon Lester (3-1, 2.52) vs. Dan Haren (4-1, 1.23).

... Jarrod Saltalamacchia turned 26, but the 39-year-old Varitek started behind the plate. ... Josh Beckett, after

missing a turn, is slated for tomorrow night, opposing Ervin Santana.

Sox golden vs. the iron

Chaz Scoggins

Maybe for the Red Sox to stay focused they need to be challenged more.

Either that or play the Angels every night.

Sox 9, Angels 5

The Red Sox had lost four of their last six games -- to the Orioles and Mariners no less -- and fallen back into last

place and five games behind the Yankees again before playing their favorite foils, the Angels, last night at Fenway

Park.

But the challenge was going to be beating Jered Weaver, who was 6-0 with a microscopic 0.99 ERA and 49

strikeouts in 46 innings. He was leading the American League in all the Triple Crown categories.

All four AL pitchers since 1958 who has started a season 6-0 while compiling a sub-1.00 ERA had gone on to win

the Cy Young Award that same year: the Yankees' Bob Turley in 1958, the Sox' Roger Clemens in 1991, the

Indians' Cliff Lee in 2008, and the Royals' Zack Greinke in 2009.

But the Red Sox merely sneer at pitchers with Cy Young credentials. The Red Sox are 9-2 since the start of the 2010

season against pitchers who have won Cy Young Awards, including two wins this year in games started by the

Yankees' CC Sabathia and the Mariners' Felix Hernandez.

It's the lesser regarded pitchers who have been giving the Red Sox fits this season. Last night the Red Sox beat

Weaver and the Angels 9-5, and they were clearly focused.

"He's one of the best pitchers in the game," acknowledged Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "You have to grind it

out. You're not going to knock him around the ballpark."

And the Red Sox did exactly that.

That focus was never more evident than in the fifth inning with the Red Sox trailing 2-1 and runners on second and

third with two outs. They had made Weaver work, driving up his pitch count, but had been unable to put anything

together.

Then Dustin Pedroia put up a 13-pitch at-bat, barely fouling off a couple of two-strike pitches in that sequence. It

was was if Pedroia was going to get a hit through sheer willpower, and on Weaver's 106th pitch of the night he

drilled a single to center to put the Red Sox ahead 3-2.

Weaver left after six innings, and the Red Sox broke the game open against the Angels' bullpen in the seventh with a

six-run uprising. A three-run double by Adrian Gonzalez boosted them into a 6-2 lead, and an RBI double by Kevin

Youkilis and a two-run homer by David Ortiz -- his first in a month -- climaxed the rally.

"It took awhile to do it, but I thought we did a lot of good things tonight," Francona said. "You talk about Pedey's at-

bat ... and defensively.

"He doesn't give in. He fights on every at-bat. He's a ballplayer."

In the top of the fifth, Pedroia had made a terrific play at second base to short-circuit what could have been a big

inning by the Angels, who had loaded the bases with one out against Clay Buchholz.

Bobby Abreu hit a smash up the middle that Buchholz deflected with his glove and was headed for the spot just

vacated by Pedroia, who had rushed toward second base. Pedroia was somehow able to corkscrew himself into a

position to snare the ball and force a runner at second, turning a two-run single into an RBI fielder's choice that put

the Angels ahead 2-1.

Gonzalez also made a rare play at first base in the sixth with the Red Sox leading only 3-2 and Torii Hunter aboard

with a leadoff double. Alberto Callaspo hit a sharp grounder to Gonzalez, who passed up the easy play at first and

instead threw to third to nail the fleet Hunter.

The Red Sox are now 5-0 against the Angels this season with two more wins in the Hernandez and Sabathia games

and 6-15 against everyone else. In fact, the Red Sox are 14-1 against the Angels since the start of the 2010 season.

But with the season more than a month old, the Red Sox need to start focusing harder on pitchers and teams they're

supposed to beat.

* The Quincy Patriot Ledger

Dustin Pedroia's toughness showing no cracks

Mike Fine

As late as Monday afternoon, Jered Weaver had been the toughest pitcher in the game. The Angels‘ right-hander had

won all six of his starts in April, with a 0.99 ERA.

And then he met up with Dustin Pedroia.

Nobody‘s saying that Pedroia is the best player in the game, but he‘s certainly one of the toughest. A night earlier he

had a couple of hits off reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez, so Weaver was, to him, just another good

pitcher trying to bring him down. In fact, the lanky Angel did take care of him with a strikeout and a groundout

through two at-bats, but Pedroia had enough of that.

So in the fifth inning, the Red Sox second baseman stepped to the plate with two on and two out, his team trailing,

2-1, and in a world of hurt. Pedroia then proceeded to spend the next nine-and-a-half minutes taking 13 Weaver

pitches, fouling off nine of them, before he smacked a fastball straight up the middle, scoring two runs. It was the

greatest at-bat of the season, and it led to a 9-5 win.

―It was awesome, man,‖ said teammate Adrian Gonzalez, who later hit a wall-ball, three-run double himself. ―Just

one of those things that he just battled, battled, battled, and you see Weaver make pitch after pitch, and he just kept

fouling them off and finally he left … I think it was a fastball away that he could handle and took it up the middle. It

was great.‖

―It was a phenomenal at-bat,‖ said catcher Jason Varitek. ―He‘s up there doing what he does and battling, and that‘s

what this team is built on.‖

What was so impressive was how Pedroia did it off Weaver, who has been so untouchable.

―Yeah, he didn‘t have the greatest first two at-bats where he was just missing stuff,‖ Varitek said, ―and he just hung

in there, hung in there, hung in there, hung in there, and then got a ball up and was able to hit it up the middle. He

did a great job.‖

Varitek‘s one to talk. Earlier in the inning, after Carl Crawford had doubled, Varitek worked a nine-pitch count on

Weaver and walked.

Varitek was asked about his key at-bat but said, ―I walked. I mean, Pedey‘s at-bat kind of put the finishing touches

to this.‖

It was that kind of day for Pedroia, the star of the day. Not only did he grind out that huge at-bat, sparking a terrific

offensive surge that also included a David Ortiz opposite-field, two-run home run, but he was involved in other key

plays. In the fifth inning, for instance, Pedroia saved starter Clay Buchholz and his team a whole lot of headaches

when Buchholz deflected a Bobby Abreu ground ball toward the just-vacated second-base hole. Pedroia was able to

twist his body, make the stop and get a force out at second base. ―I was just trying to keep it in the infield,‖ he said.

―It hit Buck's glove and I was trying to knock it down and get an out.‖

―Looking back at it, if I wouldn‘t have touched it it might have been a double play and got out of the inning,‖

Buchholz said. ―But yeah, he‘s an all-around great player, the guy that you want in all those situations, with guys on

base, less that two outs.

‗‗I know that‘s what he strives for and that‘s what we expect every time he goes up to the plate and expect of him

when he‘s out there on defense, too.‖

Then, in the seventh inning, Pedroia was walked by reliever Francisco Rodriguez to load the bases. Gonzalez

planted the ball off the wall, scoring all three runners. As Jacoby Ellsbury crossed the plate ahead of him, Ellsbury

banged legs with catcher Mike Mathis (Ellsbury later left with a contusion), just as Pedroia was bearing down on top

of them. ―Ells needs to get faster because I was creeping up on him,‖ Pedroia said. ―He‘s getting old. He‘s losing a

step.‖

Still, it was that one elongated and impressive at-bat that was the show-stopper.

―I mean, to be honest with you, man, I was just trying to put the ball in play,‖ he said. ―Jered‘s tough. I faced him a

lot in college and the first few years in the big leagues, and it doesn‘t get any better than him. I haven‘t won too

many of those but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get things going.‖

Buchholz, who‘d been struggling, was especially appreciative. ―That was awesome,‖ he said. ―That was the turn of

the game for sure. It just shows you what kind of player he is.‖

―He has a way of doing that,‖ said manager Terry Francona. ―He fights. He doesn‘t give in, not just at the plate, on

the bases, in the field. He gets a double play ball, turns it into a double play ball. On the bases he gets a great read.

He plays the game. He‘s a ball player.‖

Red Sox starters get extra rest

Mike Fine

Josh Beckett isn‘t hurt, and the Red Sox want to keep him that way. That‘s why manager Terry Francona has

decided to reset his starting rotation, giving the right-hander a week between starts.

Beckett will start against the Angels Wednesday, following starts by Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester (Monday and

tonight), all against the Angels. They‘ll be followed by John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who himself is getting

an extra day between starts after being pulled from his last because of a tight right elbow.

―Dice came out of the game the other day. We were trying to buy him a couple of days,‖ said Francona, beginning

his explanation of the restructuring. ―He says he doesn‘t need it. When somebody comes out like that we like to

make sure they‘re OK. Buck (Buchholz) was sick. We leaned on Beckett pretty hard for a couple of games and we

don‘t have days off coming up so, not just because of the way he‘s pitching because he‘s pitching great, so just want

to try to get everyone situated where they all feel as good about themselves as they can physically and I think to give

them that day was important.‖

Francona said matchups are always important, but that wasn‘t the motivation in this case. ―Just want to make sure

we monitor the workload so he can go out and be Beckett.‖

Beckett last pitched April 27 in Baltimore, when he lasted six innings and threw 92 pitches, giving up four runs.

Francona‘s concerned because Beckett was outstanding one game prior, at Anaheim, when he gave up three hits in

eight innings. But he threw 125 pitches that game.

―We leaned on him pretty hard and there‘s no days coming up, so when you have the ability to give a guy an extra

day, sometimes you gotta take it because we won't be able to going forward for a couple of weeks.‖

After Matsuzaka told Francona he‘s ready to throw again after leaving his last start after four innings with a tight

elbow, the manager‘s not buying it. ―We had him down for a day and then he played catch and then he‘ll start his

regular five-day cycle. Trying to take advantage of the time off, or give him a day off. Then he‘ll start his regular

getting ready for his start.‖

Around the bases

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez took a ground ball in the sixth inning, threw over to Kevin Youkilis at third and

snuffed Torii Hunter, who led off with a double. It saved a run. ―I‘ve done that my whole career. It‘s something that

if they hit it right at me I take my chances going that way and I let Youk know since spring training to be aware

because I will go there.‖ … Prior to the 9-5 Boston win, the Sox and Angels participated in a pre-game ceremony to

honor 9/11 victims. As the huge American flag draped the left field wall, the players lined the baselines while the

Brockton High School Boxer Band performed a stirring and exceptional national anthem … Former Celtic Satch

Sanders, former Bruin Derek Sanderson and Army Ranger Sgt. Lucas Carr of South Boston threw out ceremonial

first pitches … Jarrod Saltalamacchia turned 26 and got the night off … Jacoby Ellsbury singled in the first to

extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He then stole second, his 142nd career, moving him into fourth place on the

team‘s all-time list. He later suffered a left leg contusion crossing the plate in the seventh, and was removed from

the game … David Ortiz‘s seventh-inning two-run home run was his first since he started the season with home runs

in the first two games. ―I haven‘t put the right swing on the ball,‖ he said …

Francona said that Tim Wakefield, who started Sunday against Seattle, will likely get another start somewhere down

the line. ―I mean, that‘s part of what we have Wake down there for. He gives us that unique ability to kind of throw

a guy in and start. I‘m sure he probably will make starts at some point depending on what‘s going on.‖ Wakefield

won‘t be available for awhile, though, which hurts the Sox all around. ―That‘s the hard thing. When you do use a

guy like that you take away your long guy out of the bullpen, too.‖ … Kevin Youkilis was back in the lineup tonight

after missing Sunday with his sore left hip … Rehabbing (groin) for Detroit‘s Toledo farm club in Pawtucket

Monday, catcher Victor Martinez said of his old team and its struggles: ―It happens to everybody. It won‘t be like

that the whole season. They‘re going to wake up and when they wake up, watch out. They‘re too good of a team to

play like they‘re playing right now for the whole season.‖ … Martinez on Jason Varitek: ―He‘s one of the best

teammates that I‘ve ever had playing baseball.‖

* The New Hampshire Union Leader

Relief from unexpected sources

Dave D‘Onofrio

When Theo Epstein set about retooling his team's bullpen last December, Matt Albers was actually the first reliever

to sign, agreeing with the Red Sox exactly two weeks after he was granted free agency following three seasons as an

Oriole.

So had Bobby Jenks opted to pursue the opportunity to close somewhere, and had Dan Wheeler taken another club's

offer, Albers could well have entered this season slotted alongside Daniel Bard as one of Boston's primary late-

game, lead-protecting relievers.

And at this point, that doesn't look like such a bad thing.

While Jenks and Wheeler entered last night's game with the Angels as owners of the two worst earned run averages

among the entire Red Sox staff -- at 9.35 and 8.31, respectively -- it was Albers who ranked as the club's best at

1.13. And who had delivered each and every time Terry Francona had handed him the ball.

He was twice summoned under difficult circumstances this past weekend against the Mariners, asked to replace an

injured Daisuke Matsuzaka on Friday, then clean up after a messy appearance from Jenks let Seattle tie the game.

But both times he responded with two innings of yeoman's work. Both times he did his job without yielding an

earned run. And both times he left his team with a chance to win the game.

"Albers," Francona said, "has been really, really good."

He's been so good that foes have reached him for just three hits -- all singles -- and one run over eight innings this

season, and those numbers put him among the elite of the American League. He ranks fifth among relievers with an

opponents' batting average of .111. He ranks fourth in slugging percentage (also at .111), ranks sixth in on-base

percentage (.226), and when totaled together his .337 OPS ranks third.

Four of his six outings have been hitless, while five have been scoreless, and he's consistently shown an effective

sinker that goes a long way toward explaining why it's been 56 innings since he allowed a home run. Matching that

pitch with a fastball that way of way way of solid contact.

And that's exactly what a manager needs when he calls on a reliever in a tight spot in a close tilt.

"(He's got) life down in the zone," Francona said. "It's exciting to watch."

Jenks was everywhere but in the zone on Sunday, when he walked in a couple of runs and didn't force one Mariner

swing in the span of 19 pitches. It was the fifth time he'd been scored upon in his last seven appearances, and in

every case he's given up at least four baserunners while completing an inning or less.

After his latest failure Jenks said he found a mechanical flaw while watching film afterward, and blamed his lack of

command on his tendency to fall off the mound toward first base -- but Francona insinuated that it was at least

partially mental, and that had led the burly righty to start trying too hard.

"Just need him to get a good inning and sit back and relax," the manager said. "That's a little easier said than done,

but we're not going to run from him. He's going to help us win a lot of games."

That was the plan with Wheeler, too, but it seems as though the veteran has yet to earn the trust of his manager.

Having spent parts of seven seasons with the Rays, his acquisition was lauded in part because he had proven himself

against the iron of the AL East, but he hasn't yet been put in a spot where he was asked to apply his mettle.

Only twice has he been used in a game the Sox have won -- and the scores of those were 8-1 and 7-0. Before last

night he'd faced only six hitters when Boston even had a lead, and he'd faced only six hitters in situations considered

to be "close and late," while pitching to a total of 38 batters when one team had a lead of at least four runs.

That wasn't exactly the way Epstein drew it up back in December. At that point, the general manager had to be

thinking that Wheeler and Jenks would stabilize his bullpen. Then again, he had to be thinking his team would be

better than 11-15 after April.

But, if he keeps this up, maybe Albers will ultimately be the one to help him with both.

* The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Money players cash in a Red Sox win

Bill Ballou

Blueprints are sort of old-fashioned, like mince pie or slowing down for a yellow light, but the Red Sox drew some

up last winter anyway, figuring that the roster they put together would win lots of games like last night‘s.

Boston‘s 9-5 victory over the Angels came about because a young pitcher the Sox are counting on, Clay Buchholz,

was able to beat Jered Weaver. It also came about because Adrian Gonzalez got a huge hit off the Green Monster

and made a superb defensive play, because Dustin Pedroia had a big hit and a big save with his glove, and because

Jacoby Ellsbury had a couple of hits, stole a couple of bases and scored three runs.

Pitching, speed, power and defense — that‘s what you expect from $163 million worth of baseball players.

―It‘s a nice way to play the game,‖ manager Terry Francona said, ―and it took us a while to do it.‖

Buchholz improved to 2-3, while Weaver (6-1) lost for the first time in 2011. If there was a night for the Red Sox to

put it all together, it was last night, since the Angels have become some sort of magic potion that cures all of

Boston‘s ills.

The Red Sox are 5-0 against the Halos this year and 14-1 against them since the start of last season.

Boston broke open a close game by scoring six times in the seventh. The biggest hit was Gonzalez‘s bases-loaded

double, driving in three runs. The second-biggest was a subsequent two-run homer by David Ortiz.

Prior to that, though, when Weaver was still in the game and the outcome was in doubt on a pitch-by-pitch basis,

Pedroia came up with two plays that probably wound up winning the game.

In the top of the fifth, the Angels were rallying and on the verge of piecing together their own killer rally. In a 1-1

game, they had the bases loaded and one out for Bobby Abreu, who slashed a hard ground ball up the middle.

Buchholz deflected it toward right field, and Pedroia, who had broken for the bag, was somehow able to turn in time

to snare the ball, then shovel it to shortstop Jed Lowrie for a force.

A run scored, but much more damage was averted as Buchholz got Howie Kendrick to ground out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs and men at second and third, Pedroia battled Weaver for 13 pitches — 10 of

them foul balls — before singling up the middle to give Boston a 3-2 lead.

―If I hadn‘t touched it, it‘s probably a double-play ball,‖ Buchholz said of the play on Abreu‘s grounder, ―but that‘s

the kind of player (Pedroia) is, and it‘s what we expect of him.‖

Buchholz and Francona agreed that Pedroia‘s two-run base hit was the single key play of the game.

―He has a way of doing that,‖ the manager said. ―He fights, and he never gives up. Not just at the plate, but in the

field and on the bases, too.‖

Buchholz wasn‘t overpowering. He gave up eight hits and struck out just two, but he wasn‘t trying to be

overpowering. The idea, he said, is to make ‘em hit the ball, preferably on the ground. He did get a lot of ground-

ball outs, and several of the Angels‘ hits were grounders that found holes.

But it was one of the ones that didn‘t find a hole — the one that Abreu hit to Pedroia — that enabled the Sox to

saddle Weaver with his first loss of the season.

Streaking Ellsbury suffers bruised left knee

Bill Ballou

Jacoby Ellsbury went 2 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, but might not get a chance to lengthen the

streak tonight. He bumped into Angels catcher Jeff Mathis in the seventh inning while scoring on Adrian Gonzalez's

double and suffered a bruised left knee.

He bumped into Angels catcher Jeff Mathis in the seventh inning while scoring on Adrian Gonzalez's double and

suffered a bruised left knee.

The injury doesn't appear to be that serious at first glance, manager Terry Francona said, but the Sox will be careful

with Ellsbury.

The last 10 games of the center fielder's hitting streak have come since he was moved up to the leadoff spot, and he

is 17 for 43 (.395) in that span.

Ellsbury also had two stolen bases last night, giving him seven for the season and 143 for his career.

He has moved into sole possession of fourth place on the team's all-time list, and all three players ahead of him are

in the Hall of Fame — Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker and Carl Yastrzemski, in that order.

Starters' extra days off

The Red Sox starting rotation is set for the next five days anyway, with both Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka

getting two extra days' rest between appearances. Beckett will pitch tomorrow against the Angels, and Matsuzaka

will work the opening game of the Twins series on Friday night.

Matsuzaka left his last start early due to some minor soreness in his right elbow. Beckett is being treated cautiously

because he threw 125 pitches in Anaheim on April 21.

―When you get the opportunity for an extra day, you take it,‖ Francona said. ―It's not gonna happen again for a

couple of weeks.‖

Boston doesn't have a day off until May 12.

Wakefield to start again

Tim Wakefield's start versus the Mariners on Sunday earned him another one. Francona just doesn't know when that

will be.

Wakefield will get getting two or three days off to recover from Sunday's appearance, which is one problem with

using him as a starter. The Sox lose him as a possible long reliever for a couple of days afterward.

9-11 victims honored

In the wake of the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death, the Red Sox honored the victims of the Sept. 11,

2001, attacks with a moment of silence. They also had their special occasion giant-sized version of Old Glory cover

the Green Monster during the playing of ―The Star Spangled Banner.‖

Forget the shutout

Francona frequently does what he did here on Sunday with Wakefield — take his starter out when he's pitching a

shutout. It can be infuriating for fans, as it was Sunday when Bobby Jenks blew the save, but Boston won that game

and usually does in that situation.

Since Francona took over as manager in 2004, he has pulled the starter 129 times with a shutout in progress. The

Red Sox's record in those games is 122-7, a winning percentage of .946.

Jon Lester has been lifted 26 times, and Boston is 24-2 in those games. Wakefield has been pulled 20 times, and the

Sox are 18-2.

Diamond Dust

Kevin Youkilis was back in the lineup in the usual spots, batting cleanup and playing third base. … With both the

Celtics and Bruins in the playoffs, Satch Sanders and Derek Sanderson helped with the first-pitch ceremonies. …

U.S. Navy musician 3rd Class Nina Church of Ayer sang ―God Bless America‖ during the seventh-inning stretch. …

David Ortiz's home run in the seventh snapped a string of 29 innings without a homer at Fenway. … Gonzalez's

double extended his hitting streak to nine games. … Red Sox pitchers have held the opposition to fewer than six

runs in 16 straight games, the longest such streak for them since 2001. The time they did it for longer than 18 games

was in 1982. … Carl Crawford had his second straight two-hit game, and his average is up to .181. … Boston's six-

run outburst in the seventh was its biggest inning since last Sept. 1.

* The Portland Press Herald

Sox fortunes seem to turn with key RBI

Tom Caron

The Red Sox spent the offseason beefing up on offense.

General Manager Theo Epstein put together a team with the highest payroll in franchise history, going after two

high-priced bats in the winter. With Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford aboard, the Sox were expected to bash their

way to an American League pennant.

One month into the season, the offense has performed well below expectations.

Entering Monday night's game with the Angels, the Sox had scored 110 runs, ranking them 22nd in Major League

Baseball.

Only three AL teams had scored fewer runs. The Red Sox were ninth in the AL in batting average, 10th in slugging

percentage, and most shockingly had hit just 22 homers -- fifth fewest in the AL.

The lack of power has been shocking. Through 27 games, only three Sox hitters had more than two home runs. With

five homers on the season, Kevin Youkilis was the only Red Sox batter in MLB's top 49 home run hitters.

Gonzalez and J.D. Drew entered Monday's game with one homer apiece. The Sox hadn't gotten a homer from a

catcher.

RISP has become a nasty four-letter word in Red Sox Nation. Prior to a two-run double by David Ortiz in third

inning of Sunday's game with the Mariners, the Sox had gone hitless in their last 16 opportunities with runners in

scoring position.

Those two runs snapped a 16-inning scoreless streak.

And yet the Sox have been able to tread water, hanging within five games of first place in the AL East despite the

disappointing start. They've done it with tremendous starting pitching.

Red Sox starters began this series with a 3.75 ERA, sixth best in the league. The last three times through the

rotation, the starters have gone 8-3 with an ERA under 2.00. That pitching has kept the Sox afloat while the offense

waits for a jumpstart.

Perhaps that jumpstart came thanks to a little solar energy. Sunday afternoon, as the shadows began to grow long

and the frustration of another low-scoring day crept into the bleachers, Jed Lowrie lofted a one-out fly ball to right

field in the ninth inning. Ichiro Suzuki, winner of 10 Gold Gloves, lost it in the sun. The ball bounced off his leg,

and Lowrie bounded for third.

With two outs, Carl Crawford stepped to the plate. Crawford, the $20 million man with a .168 batting average, was

the poster boy for the team's slow offensive start.

This was an opportunity to make his mark on the new team. He'd already delivered six walk-off hits in his career,

and a seventh would send everyone home happy.

Crawford came through in the clutch. His base hit up the middle scored Lowrie and triggered the best celebration of

the season as his teammates mobbed him on the basepaths.

Crawford didn't try to downplay the significance of his at-bat. "It was like a big weight was off my shoulders," he

said after the game.

"(My teammates) understand I'm going through some things," Crawford added. "They've been really good at trying

to get me going and I appreciate that."

Now, with a disappointing month behind them, the Sox will see if they can keep going as this homestand -- the

longest of the season -- continues. May got off to a great start, and a few more wins would make April a distant

memory.

* The Lynn Daily Item

Pedroia wore down a nemesis...and won a ballgame

Maureen Mullen

It‘s hard to say who has the advantage in that situation.

―I think it‘s still his, man,‖ said Dustin Pedroia. ―He‘s got an 0.9 ERA or whatever he‘s got. He‘s tough. We‘ve seen

his numbers and what he‘s done this year and previous years. So, it‘s a battle any time you're facing him.‖

Pedroia was referring to Angels ace Jered Weaver, who entered Monday‘s game -- the first of a four-game set at

Fenway Park -- the American League leader in wins, with six, ERA (0.99), strikeouts (49), opponents‘ batting

average (.163), and complete games (2).

In this particular battle, though, the advantage went to Pedroia. With the Sox trailing by one run and with two outs

and runners on second and third, Pedroia came to the plate to face Weaver. The Red Sox second baseman had been

scuffling. He entered the at-bat hitting just 4 for his last 23 overall, and 3-for-25 in his career against Weaver. He

worked Weaver for 13 pitches, including five straight 3-2 pitches that he fouled off. On the 13th pitch, Pedroia

singled up the middle, scoring Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury to give the Sox a precarious one-run lead.

Two innings later they added six more runs, a season-high for one frame, before beating the Angels 9-5. ―To be

honest with you, man, I was just trying to put the ball in play,‖ Pedroia said. ―Jered‘s tough. I faced him a lot in

college and the first few years in the big leagues and it doesn‘t get any better than him. I haven‘t won too many of

those. But it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get things going.‖

It was clearly the game changer the Red Sox needed.

―It was awesome, man,‖ said Adrian Gonzalez, who watched the marathon at-bat from the on-deck circle. ―Just one

of those things that he just battled, battled, battled. And you see Weaver make pitch after pitch. And he just kept

fouling them off. And finally he left I think it was a fastball away that he could handle and took it up the middle. It

was great.‖

Clay Buchholz was the beneficiary of Pedroia‘s determination last night. Wins for Buchholz have been as difficult

to come by as they have for his team. Buchholz improved to 2-3 with a 4.81 ERA. It was his first quality start in his

sixth outing.

―That was awesome,‖ Buchholz said. ―That was the turn of the game, for sure. It just shows you what kind of player

he is. He‘s up there, he didn‘t give in, fouled off some really good pitches from probably one of the best pitchers in

the game right now. That‘s definitely good to see that. It lifted the team up to an extra step. It was good.‖

With the Sox struggling to find wins this season, it was a play that could serve as not only a game changer but also a

season changer. Just last week manager Terry Francona said Pedroia almost wills himself to find ways to help his

team win.

―He has a way of doing that,‖ Francona said. ―He fights. He doesn‘t give in. Not just at the plate, on the bases, in the

field. He gets a double-play ball, turns it into a double-play ball. On the bases he gets a great read. He plays the

game. He‘s a ball player.‖

Which is about the best compliment any ball player can hear.

* The Pawtucket Times

Martinez lets agent do his talking

Brendan McGair

To trace the path of how Victor Martinez became a Detroit Tiger, one can look back at last July‘s trading deadline.

The acquisition of Jarrod Saltalamacchia meant the Red Sox had their coveted catcher of the future, and with

Martinez heading into free agency, the handwriting was on the wall that the 32-year-old stood a longshot to be back

with Boston in 2011.

Boston had a price in mind when it came to Martinez, something that obviously fell well short of the four-year, $50

million deal the Tigers inked him to. With Saltalamacchia, the Red Sox had a younger and cheaper alternative,

someone whose best years were seemingly ahead of him.

Rehabbing with Toledo on Monday, Martinez was asked pointblank if he sensed his tenure in Boston was coming to

an end the moment Saltalamacchia entered the fold.

Ever the diplomat, Martinez responded, ―There‘s what, something like 30 teams? I just worry about my team and

help my team win somehow and let things happen. I can‘t control what happens.‖

That may be true, but that doesn‘t mean those firmly in Martinez‘s camp can‘t speak freely and openly about the

course of events that have gone on to shape the current catching situation in Boston.

―I think that Detroit showed Victor the confidence that he could contribute long-term, and they offered him a

contract that right from the get-go was longer in duration,‖ said Alan Nero, the agent for Martinez. ―They were

much more aggressive about trying to get him. The Red Sox did make an effort to keep him, but in comparison, their

offer fell short.

―When you‘re an impending free agent and your team doesn‘t lock you up a year before or during the season, as you

get closer to free agency, you get to a point where you feel change is appropriate,‖ Nero, a Rhode Island native,

continued. ―I think he was very committed to wanting to be a Red Sox, though it became more obvious as time went

on that he would probably have to make a change.‖

If the Red Sox were leery about Martinez, currently on the disabled list with a strained right groin, serving as their

primary catcher as he drifted into his mid- to late-30s, what about moving him to either first base or DH?

―I think the Red Sox organization thought that Victor, from a long-term perspective, wasn‘t the right fit because of

the catching, first base, and DH-ing situation. I don‘t think they saw the fit that they wanted. The Red Sox are

committed to David Ortiz, they are committed to Kevin Youkilis, and committed to Jason Varitek,‖ Nero explained.

―Detroit saw him as somebody who could help at all three positions.‖

Thus far the catching tandem of Saltalamacchia (17 games) and Varitek (13 appearances) has produced at an

abysmal clip, combining for a .167 batting average with zero home runs and seven RBI heading into play Monday

night. Such woeful stats make the numbers Martinez compiled before landing on the D.L. on April 18 – .250 with

two homers and nine driven in – shine like the sun.

―You can‘t take anything for granted in terms of what Jason Varitek has done for this organization. He was one of

the greatest teammates I‘ve ever played with,‖ said Martinez, who credits the Red Sox captain and bullpen coach

Gary Tuck in helping his transition upon being acquired from Cleveland in July 2009. ―Saltalamacchia is another

great guy. He‘s going to turn it around because he‘s got great talent. He just needs to get confident. His time will

come when he gets comfortable.‖

There‘s also this to consider -- with Martinez behind the plate last season, Clay Buchholz burst into a pitcher of

prominence, parlaying an all-star campaign into a four-year, $30 million contract. Buchholz has yet to resemble the

pitcher who in 2010 won 17 games with a 2.33 ERA, taking a 1-3 record and a 5.33 ERA into Monday‘s outing

against the Angels.

―I thought I had a good relationship will all the pitchers, not just Buchholz,‖ Martinez said.

Given the playful exchanges Martinez had with PawSox players Jose Iglesias and Ryan Kalish during batting

practice Monday, the popularity of the Venezuelan native has not waned. His first plate appearance before the

McCoy Stadium Faithful consisted of mostly cheers with some boos mixed in. The real test of how Red Sox fans

receive Martinez will come May 18 when Detroit invades Fenway Park for a two-game series.

―I was doing all that I could to come back to Boston,‖ said Martinez. ―It just didn‘t work out. You can‘t second

guess anything, so I‘m not going to.‖

* RedSox.com

Pedroia wins duel with Weaver, sparks Red Sox

Ian Browne

For a few years now, the Red Sox have taken a lot of their cues from Dustin Pedroia. So when a big hit was needed

on Monday night and the scrappy second baseman provided it, it's no wonder his team broke out from that point on

en route to a 9-5 victory over the Angels.

When Pedroia dug in during the bottom of the fifth inning against one of the game's most talented pitchers in Jered

Weaver, Boston was down 2-1. There were runners on second and third with two outs, and it was an at-bat Pedroia

seemingly refused to lose.

After working the count to 3-2, Pedroia fought off Weaver's nasty arsenal with five consecutive foul balls. And on

the 13th pitch of the enthralling at-bat, he laced a two-run single up the middle.

For the rest of the night, it was pretty much all Boston.

"He has a way of doing that," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He fights. He doesn't give in."

Pedroia was 3-for-25 lifetime against Weaver before coming through when his team badly needed him.

"To be honest with you, man, I was just trying to put the ball in play," Pedroia said. "Jered's tough, man. I faced him

in college and the first few years in the big leagues, and it doesn't get any better than him. I haven't won too many of

those, but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get everything going."

With the arsenal that Weaver has, he isn't forced to tip his proverbial cap often, but in this case, that's exactly what

he did.

"That's what he does," Weaver said. "He's a great hitter. He didn't win the MVP [in 2008] for nothing. He goes up

there and he wants to battle. He's a bulldog. I feel like I'm the same way. He won that battle this time. I'm not going

to change anything about how it went down. Like I said, he won the battle."

After the hit, a lot of good things happened for the Red Sox. For starters, in the top of the sixth, after Torii Hunter

led off with a double to right-center, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and third baseman Kevin Youkilis combined on

a stellar play to thwart a rally. On a grounder by Alberto Callaspo, Gonzalez fired across the diamond to Youkilis,

who dug out the low throw to apply the tag on Hunter for a big out.

"I've done that my whole career," Gonzalez said. "It's something that, if they hit it right at me, I take my chances.

I've let Youk know since Spring Training to be aware because I will go there -- to be in position. He made an

unbelievable pick and applied the tag to get the out."

And in the bottom of the seventh, the Red Sox put the game away with a season-high six-run inning.

Entering the game, Boston had hit a meager .212 with runners in scoring position. But after Pedroia's key hit in the

fifth, everyone seemed to relax a little.

Gonzalez ripped a bases-clearing double off the Monster, during which Jacoby Ellsbury crashed in to catcher Jeff

Mathis. Pedroia was about two feet behind Ellsbury and scored also.

"Ells needs to get faster because I was creeping up on him. He's getting old. He's losing a step," quipped Pedroia.

In fact, on the aggressive play, Ellsbury suffered a left knee bruise and was forced out of the game for the final two

innings. His status for Tuesday is unknown.

After hitting the Green Monster for the first time, Gonzalez was simply happy to give his team some breathing

room.

"I didn't get the key hit -- Pedey did," Gonzalez said. "But that was a double that opened it up. He just made a

mistake, left the ball over the plate. In that situation, I was trying to get a run in. I was able to get the three runs

being as that was a double."

Youkilis drilled a double off the Monster to bring home Gonzalez. And David Ortiz ended his 88 at-bat homer

drought by putting one over the wall in left, a two-run shot that made it a 9-2 game.

"Felt good," Ortiz said. "I haven't put the right swing on the ball. I've hit some balls that should've been homers, but

they ain't going nowhere. I've just got to keep doing whatever I can until they start showing up. When they show up,

they show up in bunches."

Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz produced his first quality start in six tries, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs

over 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two, improving his record to 2-3.

Buchholz gave up three straight hits to start the game, but no runs came across. Leadoff man Maicer Izturis notched

a base-hit to right-center, but J.D. Drew cut him down trying to stretch it to a double. That helped short-circuit the

rally.

"My objective was to go out there and try to pitch to contact, get some ground balls, get some balls hit at people and

go from there," said Buchholz. "They found a couple of gaps and some holes early, and that's going to happen.

They're an aggressive team. They swing the bat a lot. They've got some pretty good hitters. I just tried to do the little

things right and control the controllables and go from there."

The Red Sox were able to put up a run in their half of the first against Weaver. Ellsbury led off with a single and

stole second. That put him in position to score on an RBI single to left by Youkilis.

Bobby Abreu tied the game in the third on a two-out RBI single to right.

In the fifth, Buchholz gave up two walks and a hit, and the Angels wound up taking a 2-1 lead on a fielder's-choice

grounder by Abreu.

However, Pedroia would get the lead back for the Red Sox, and changed the complexion of the game in doing so.

"It was awesome," Gonzalez said. "It was just one of those things that he battled, battled, battled. You could see

Weaver making pitch after pitch, and he just kept fouling them off. Finally he left a fastball away that he could

handle. He just took it up the middle. It was great."

Beckett to start Wednesday on six days' rest

Evan Drellich and Jason Mastrodonato

Josh Beckett will start on Wednesday, Red Sox manager Terry Francona announced, saying the right-hander's health

is fine after a 25-pitch side session at Fenway Park on Monday.

Francona filled in the blanks for the rest of the rotation after two days of keeping mum, announcing that John

Lackey will go on Thursday and Daisuke Matsuzaka on Friday.

"We leaned on Beckett pretty hard there a couple games and we don't have days off coming up," Francona said. "So,

not just because of the way he's pitching, because he's pitching great, just wanted to try to get everybody situated

where they all feel as good about themselves as they can physically. Just to give him that day I think was important."

Beckett will be on six days' rest.

Francona watched Beckett's afternoon side session along with pitching coach Curt Young, saying he "just wanted to

see" because he has watched Beckett a lot longer than Francona has. While neither Young nor Francona has said that

Beckett was bothered by anything physically, the evidence is there that Beckett was feeling, at least, overtaxed.

Beckett threw 125 pitches against the Angels on April 21, an eight-inning performance and the third of three straight

strong starts. His pitch count was scaled back for his next start, and he ended up throwing 92 in a six-inning, four-

run outing in Baltimore on Wednesday. He wasn't as effective, taking the loss.

"Besides the one inning where we had the ball drop, he only gave up a couple hits," Francona said of the start

against the O's. "We keep an eye on the workload, and it's not just the starters, it's the relievers. Again, we talk about

health and production going hand in hand all the time. But, no, I thought he did pretty well.

"That game in Anaheim, pitch counts are pitch counts. There's a reason we probably watch that stuff. Just want to

make sure we monitor that workload so he can go out and be Beckett."

As for Matsuzaka, the right-hander told Francona he's fine after exiting his start Friday with elbow tightness. He'll

be on six days' rest as well.

"We were trying to buy him a couple days," Francona said. "He says he doesn't need it, I think when somebody

comes out like that, we'd like to make sure they're OK."

The realigned rotation puts a day between Matsuzaka and Beckett's starts, which could impact Jason Varitek. He's

more likely to catch both than Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The Red Sox, still early in a stretch of 16 straight games, don't have an off-day until May 12.

Tim Wakefield will need two or three days' rest, Francona said, before he's available again in relief. Wakefield

threw 76 pitches Sunday in a spot start for Clay Buchholz, who was pushed to Monday because of a stomach

ailment.

Ellsbury bruises knee, may not play Tuesday

Evan Drellich and Jason Mastrodonato

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hit streak to 11 games with two hits in Monday night's 9-5 win over the Angels, but

the leadoff hitter's status for Tuesday's game is now in question.

Ellsbury was replaced in center field in the top of the eighth inning by Darnell McDonald after leaving with a left

knee bruise.

Manager Terry Francona said Ellsbury was injured when crossing home plate following a bases-clearing double by

Adrian Gonzalez in the seventh. With Dustin Pedroia running close behind him, Ellsbury chose not to slide into

home and instead stepped on the plate before bumping into Angels' catcher Jeff Mathis.

"[Ellsbury's] a little sore," Francona said. "He banged the inside of his [left] knee. He's real stable and everything, he

just has kind of a bruise on the inside of his knee."

Ellsbury was 2-for-4 with three runs, a double and two stolen bases before leaving and is batting .383 during his hit

streak. Francona said Ellsbury's status for Tuesday is uncertain.

"We'll see with a bruise like that how he wakes up," Francona said.

Aces Lester, Haren set to duel at Fenway Park

Cash Kruth

There was good that came out of Jered Weaver's Sunday bout with a stomach virus: Now the Angels once again

have their best two pitchers throwing back-to-back.

After getting his start bumped from Sunday, Weaver on Monday suffered his first loss of the season. On Tuesday,

Dan Haren will look to give the Angels only their second win in their past 15 games against the Red Sox.

Weaver and Haren have been two of the game's top pitchers. But aside from giving opponents a look at two aces on

consecutive nights, Halos manager Mike Scioscia said the ability to have them lined up with one another makes his

entire pitching staff stronger.

"The first thing you're looking for in a rotation is going to be length," Scioscia said. "When those guys were split up,

it helped us in that aspect. You had more normal length. With those guys back-to-back, there are obvious advantages

to trying to get on a roll. If you get length from [Ervin] Santana, [Joel] Pineiro and [Tyler] Chatwood, it's a moot

point. If Ervin and Joel are going deep in games, it won't be an issue at all with the bullpen."

The 30-year-old Haren has allowed two or fewer earned runs in all six of his starts, ranking second only to Weaver

in ERA and batting average against entering Monday. Despite his solid start, Haren's lone blemish came 11 days ago

against these Red Sox, whom Haren has lost three straight starts against. On April 22 against Boston, Haren allowed

four runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings.

Opposing Haren on that day was left-hander Jon Lester, who also will get the start Tuesday. Lester hasn't allowed

more than three runs in a start since Opening Day, also striking out 35 in 34 innings during that stretch.

In his last start, he improved to 14-0 against Baltimore, allowing two runs in eight innings.

"He was really good," manager Terry Francona said, "and he needed to be because we had chances to spread it out

and we didn't. But he pitched so well, he gave us enough time where we finally did."

Angels: Trumbo expected to return

Rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo sat Monday, but should be in Tuesday's lineup. Trumbo is hitting .333 against

left-handers and entered Monday leading American League rookies in homers (four), RBIs (13), total bases (41),

hits (23) and runs (11). He also has a team-leading .353 average with runners in scoring position.

Red Sox: Wakefield makes history

Tim Wakefield has made at least one start for Boston in each of the past 17 seasons, becoming only the eighth

pitcher in history to make one or more starts in at least 17 straight seasons for the same team. On Monday, Francona

said the 44-year-old pitcher could be used in the rotation again this season.

"I think that's part of what we have Wake down there for," Francona said. "He gives us kind of a unique ability to

throw a guy in a start, and I'm sure he probably will be making starts at some point, depending on what's going on."

• Bobby Abreu's RBI single with two outs in the third inning Monday broke a streak of 25 2/3 innings in which Red

Sox starters had not allowed a run against the Angels.

Worth noting

Tuesday night will mark the Angels' 8,000th game ... Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has an 11-game hitting

streak. ... The Red Sox have won seven of their last eight against the Angels at Fenway Park.

Whiffs down, but Buchholz happy with results

Jason Mastrodonato

Clay Buchholz did exactly what he wanted to in Monday night's 9-5 win over the Angels.

The Red Sox right-hander pitched to contact and kept his team in the game, allowing two runs on eight hits and two

walks before leaving with a one-run lead in the seventh inning.

But with only two strikeouts, the 26-year-old hurler is averaging less than five strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest

rate in his six-year career.

His strikeout rate has dropped every year he's been in the Majors, falling from 8.7 per nine innings in 2007 to 4.5 per

nine this season. But Buchholz is OK with that -- as long as the results are there.

"You pitch to contact, you get some balls hit at guys [on the] first or second pitch of the at-bat rather than throwing

six pitches to get a strikeout," Buchholz said. "Obviously when you get to two strikes, you want to strike somebody

out to not let them put the ball in play. But you can't strike somebody out on the second pitch of the at-bat.

"So that's my thought process on it. I got to two strikes a couple times tonight and got some balls in play and they hit

it, I have to do a better job executing that. But I'm basically going out there to try and help this team win ballgames."

After Buchholz's start on Thursday, when he allowed four runs on 12 hits to the Orioles, catcher Jason Varitek said

he still didn't think the righty had the same feel for his pitches that led to a 2.33 ERA a year ago, second to only Cy

Young Award winner Felix Hernandez (2.27) in the American League.

Even after 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball Monday, Varitek insists Buchholz is not quite there. But he's close.

"He's slowly finding his rhythm," the catcher said. "I still think his best days are in front of him ... It's not like he's

bad. It's just a feel. You have those things for such an extended period of time, but in his last few outings, he's

getting there."

There were certainly some reasons to be encouraged from the Buchholz's first quality start of 2011. After admitting

to feeling uncomfortable with runners on base his last time out, he was able to minimize damage Monday. He

allowed three straight singles to open the game, but induced an inning-ending double play with a 95-mph fastball

and escaped without allowing a run.

He pitched with men on base in five of seven innings, yet allowed just two runs.

And more importantly, the two-seam fastball that gave Buchholz so much success a year ago is getting closer to top

form.

"I felt like it was good tonight," he said. "I threw a couple that I pulled but just about all the ground balls on the

infield were two-seamers, and that's what the pitch is meant to do. And up until this point, I hadn't been getting a

whole lot of ground balls."

Said manager Terry Francona, "I thought he used his fastball really aggressively. He had the two walks in [the fifth]

inning. Other than that, he didn't [allow any]. And he got us to a point in the game where we could go to [Daniel]

Bard. That was big."

It was especially important with a one-run lead and the recent struggles of Bobby Jenks (9.35 ERA), who was

supposed to be the shutdown guy in the seventh inning.

But it's still a work in progress for Buchholz, as he admits. And the pitcher who fanned nearly a batter per inning

when he first appeared in a Boston uniform may be no more. But the efficiency and results were there, at least for

one start, and for that, Buchholz is happy.

"Everything was good tonight," he said. "You can go back and say, 'Well, I didn't throw this pitch right.' I think

you're going to have that regardless of what kind of outing you have.

"I'm sometimes trying too hard to do certain things, but tonight, I just felt like the grip and trusting my stuff and

letting everything work itself out and try not to press too much in those situations.

"It's coming along."

Youkilis in lineup after sitting out Sunday

Evan Drellich and Jason Mastrodonato

Kevin Youkilis returned to the Red Sox's lineup on Monday, his answers regarding his sore left hip sufficient

enough to satisfy some questioning from manager Terry Francona.

"[It's feeling] pretty good," Francona said. "Grilled him a little bit, see if he needed an extra day, and he doesn't think

he does and the trainers don't and the doctors don't. But we'll keep an eye on him."

Youkilis batted cleanup against Angels ace Jered Weaver, whom he was 6-for-23 against with a pair of homers.

Youkilis was a .307 lifetime hitter against Los Angeles entering Monday.

The third baseman has had a peculiar start to the season. He has five home runs and a .392 on-base percentage, but

his average is just .218 and he's struck out 26 times in 78 at-bats.

Varitek, Francona weigh in on Bin Laden

Evan Drellich and Jason Mastrodonato

Red Sox captain Jason Varitek woke up around 1:30 a.m. ET on Monday to use the restroom, and had fallen asleep

with the TV on. The news he discovered was welcome.

"He did a lot of destruction to this country and our people," Varitek said of Osama bin Laden, whom the United

States brought to justice on Sunday. "He caused a lot, a lot of heartache."

The Red Sox honored the memory of the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, before Monday's game with a moment of

silence. The American flag blanketed the Green Monster before first pitch, and other patriotic moments were

planned during the game.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona stayed up Sunday night to watch President Barack Obama's announcement that

bin Laden had been killed. Francona started a ticket program in 2009 through which he purchases tickets and food

vouchers for active military members and veterans, and in '10, he served as honorary co-chair for the Marine Corps

Scholarship Foundation.

As concerned about the armed forces as Francona is, he said Sunday's news impacted all.

"I don't know if you have to come across those guys for it to hit home," Francona said. "I think everybody's got a

reason for it to hit home. Whether it's family, friends or just being a citizen of the United States, it kind of hits

everybody I'm sure."

Albers effective in multiple-inning outing

Evan Drellich and Jason Mastrodonato

Matt Albers has been the most effective offseason addition to the Red Sox's bullpen. Not Bobby Jenks (9.35 ERA),

nor Dan Wheeler (8.31).

Yes, the right-handed Albers was sidelined for two weeks because of a strained right lat, but that move was made

more out of the team's necessity than the severity of the injury. He also isn't being used -- or paid -- as much as

Jenks is. And still, Albers six appearances have all been effective. He's allowed one run in eight innings with six

strikeouts and four walks.

The last two times out, including Sunday's 3-2 win, the 28-year-old Texan has gone two innings. He was perfect on

Sunday, and a lesser performance may have taken away Boston's chance to win a game that was tied at 2 until there

were two out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"He can get early contact with that two-seamer, and he's not throwing 40 pitches where he's taxing himself,"

manager Terry Francona said. "He comes out of an inning, he's got 13, 14 pitches and he's getting them out, so he

can go back out. When you're down a run or two, it's great to be able to send a guy out for the second inning, not use

somebody else."

Albers wasn't supposed to pitch unless the game was likely headed to extra frames. It was Jenks who was supposed

to pitch two frames and record four outs originally, but that fell apart quickly.

"The reason we brought [Jenks] in when we did is we wanted to get an inning and a third out of him," Francona said.

"I actually wanted to keep Albers behind [closer Jonathan Papelbon], in case we had a tie game. Couldn't do that

because of the way the inning went with Bobby."

When Jenks was called on in relief of starter Tim Wakefield, there was a runner on and two down in the sixth.

Instead of getting out of that inning and pitching through the seventh, Jenks faced five hitters and threw 28 pitches

before retiring the side. Francona on Monday seemed to understand how it could appear he didn't show a quick

hook, but there was reasoning behind it.

"We needed him to get out of that inning," Francona said. "[Michael Saunders, who made the final out of the sixth]

was certainly going to be [Jenks'] last hitter, but we needed him to get out of that inning. Some days it's really not as

hard as it looks -- it might be uncomfortable -- but it's not as hard as it looks because we need to keep some guys in

that bullpen."

* ESPN.com

Jacoby Ellsbury bangs knee during slide

Brendan Hall

Boston Red Sox centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury seems to be OK after leaving the game after the seventh inning of

Monday night's 9-5 win over the Angels, the result of an awkward slide into the plate coming home on Adrian

Gonzalez's three-RBI double off the Green Monster.

"[He's] a little sore," manager Terry Francona said. "He banged his knee at the plate. He banged the inside of his

knee. He's real stable and everything, he's just got kind of a bruise on the inside of his knee."

Darnell McDonald finished the game out in center field for Ellsbury. Asked if Ellsbury will need the night off

Tuesday, Francona said, "We'll see. Again, I don't know, with a bruise like that, we'll see how he wakes up."

Jered Weaver's lapse in poise costly

Mark Saxon

The Boston Red Sox are like that childhood friend who used to talk you into egging the neighbor's house and

running. They seem to bring out the worst in Jered Weaver every time they get together, even years later at the class

reunion.

The Los Angeles Angels' ace reverted to an old bad habit in the Angels' 9-5 loss at Fenway Park on Monday night,

and the Red Sox -- who else? -- kept him from starting faster than any pitcher in modern baseball history ever has.

He let a bad break get under his skin. Wasn't that the old Jered Weaver?

As Weaver has grown into one of the best pitchers in the American League, he has learned to harness his intensity,

but Monday it spilled in a few different directions in a dreadfully long fifth inning, particularly toward home-plate

umpire Scott Barry.

Weaver -- and most objective people who watched the replay -- thought he had aging catcher Jason Varitek struck

out on a pivotal 2-and-2 pitch, but Barry deemed the fastball a tad low. Varitek wound up walking. It seemed like

ages before Dustin Pedroia singled up the middle to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs. That's because it was.

Pedroia fought Weaver off for 13 pitches, including seven foul balls after he'd gotten two strikes.

Hours later, Weaver was still clenching his jaw when he talked about the umpire's non-call.

"I thought there was one pitch in particular that could have gotten me out of that inning, but it didn't go my way and

led to a big inning," Weaver said.

Weaver (6-1) kept insisting that it didn't lead to his brief unraveling, a moment uncharacteristic of his sizzling start

to 2011. Had he won Monday, he would have been the first pitcher in the modern era to win seven games on or

before May 2. His composure has largely been steely the past two seasons.

"I don't think so," Weaver said. "I still was battling. I'm not going to let that affect me. The next inning went pretty

good. No, I don't think it affected me at all. It affected me in being a long inning."

If it didn't affect him, why couldn't he stop dwelling on it? He said "It always seems to some little thing in Boston

that doesn't seem to go my way or the team's way." Weaver hasn't won at Fenway since April of 2009. He has a 7.16

ERA at Fenway Park. Oh, by the way, the Angels have lost 14 of their past 15 games against the Red Sox. They

seem to get bad vibes before they ever cross Boylston, their best pitcher included.

Last year, Angels starter Ervin Santana said the Angels expect not to get calls when they travel to Boston or New

York. Weaver wouldn't go there Monday, saying, "I'm not going to say what you guys want me to." Nor would

Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

"There are always going to be calls that don't go your way. We have to play well enough to absorb them," Scioscia

said.

But the Red Sox might have found the only way to beat Weaver this year. They did it slowly, methodically and

largely passively, during that endless fifth inning. Only two balls were struck hard, but Weaver's pitch count kept

going up and up.

The Red Sox fouled off 34 of Weaver's pitches tonight. That's more than his previous two starts combined and is the

most off any pitcher in any game this season, according to ESPN's Stats & Information researchers. Weaver got only

14 called strikes from Barry, his fewest this season.

Weaver's mound presence is a lot like that of his former mentor's, John Lackey. His gestures have been known to

rub opposing hitters the wrong way at times. Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki, who has been facing Weaver for since

2002 in their college days, said the other day, "It doesn't really bother me, but I know with some guys it might."

Early in Weaver's career, Scioscia and others had multiple meetings with him about putting bad luck or poor pitches

behind him and "getting to the next pitch," in Scioscia's words. It was largely about temper management, which

certainly looked like an issue Monday.

"He's getting a lot better with that," catcher Jeff Mathis said before the game. "When he was younger, he'd give up a

blooper or not get a call from the umpire and he'd let it kind of get to him a little bit."

It had to be frustrating. Weaver painted the bottom of the strike zone and didn't get rewarded. A .128 hitter got a free

pass to first base that he might not have deserved. But if you're the best pitcher in the league -- if that's Weaver is

these days -- you find a way to move on.

You could just see it in Weaver's body language. After Barry's ball call, he turned his back on the plate and threw

back his head. A pitch later, pitching coach Mike Butcher jogged to the mound. Who knows, Pedroia might have

sensed it. Hitters can sniff out that kind of thing. Pedroia fouled off an assortment of nasty sliders and changeups,

got a 91-mph fastball on the outer half of the plate and lined it up the middle.

After the inning, Weaver walked over to consult with Barry. He wouldn't reveal what the umpire told him. At this

point, who cares?

* WEEI.com

Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia have left injury concerns in rear-view mirror

Rob Bradford

Two players, two injuries, few concerns.

Both Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez entered February with at least some questions regarding what April

would hold.

The Red Sox second baseman was living life with a screw in his left foot, having come to the realization that

"managing" the surgically repaired portion of his body would be a necessity.

Gonzalez was also living a somewhat uncertain existence upon his arrival in Fort Myers, not being able to even

swing a bat due to a procedure done on an injured right shoulder.

But, as Monday night exemplified, the mindset has changed.

"I was just taking it day by day, and still kind of am. But for the most part everything is going well," Pedroia said.

"When I'm on the field I'll make adjustments and do things I do to help us win games. It's just been fun being out

here. At the start of the rehab process I didn't think I'd be able to do what I've done so far, so I'm very pleased."

The experience hasn't been all that different for Gonzalez.

"When I took my first swings in the spring, it was definitely pretty weak, where now I feel like it's pretty close to

being 100 percent compared to where I was two years ago," the Red Sox first baseman said. "The shoulder feels

great."

Batting statistics aside, perhaps the most telling numbers when it comes to the pair are innings played in the field.

Both have been out at their respective positions for 242 innings, missing just three frames throughout the Red Sox'

first 28 games.

The Red Sox' 9-5 win over the Angels Monday night at Fenway Park offered a telling glimpse into the optimism

both players are currently carrying.

Pedroia, who is hitting .264 with just a single error, came away with a signature moment in the Sox' latest game,

punctuating a 13-pitch at-bat (that included nine foul balls) by ripping a pivotal two-run single against Angels starter

Jered Weaver back up the middle.

Running down the line, the second baseman skipped, hopped and pumped his fist in the same fashion he has for the

past four seasons. He has stolen three bases, while carrying an on-base percentage (.378) better than anything he

finished with since his rookie season.

Not bad for a player who, back in January, relayed some significant anxiety regarding how he was going to be able

to get through the uncertainty that came with possessing a screw in his foot. (It is an accessory, by the way, that

Pedroia plans on taking out at the conclusion of this season.)

"I've been good taking care of my foot, trying to adjust and play baseball every day," he said. "My foot feels great.

That part has been great. There have been times where my foot has had a big test, but I'm running good, I'm stealing

some bases, playing good defense and running good down the line. That's huge for me."

Gonzalez' lot in life isn't all that dissimilar to that of Pedroia. He also entered Monday with a fair amount of

optimism, and left the day with his own signature moment.

The lefty hitter is batting .310 with an .822 OPS (second on the team) after launching his first-ever Fenway Park

wall-ball double to left. The three-run hit helped break open the game for the Red Sox, while offering another sign

that Gonzalez' healthy shoulder is allowing the slugger's normal swing to return.

"I can let it go now," Gonzalez said regarding his swing. "I can say, 'I'm going to swing hard here and let it go.' It

has just gradually felt better."

Gonzalez admits the the shoulder has come a long way, even since the regular season began. One of the examples of

progress he points to is the ability to execute batting practice like normal. The Sox' No. 3 hitter has gone back to

using a heavier bat against right-handed pitching after using a lighter model vs. righties and lefties due to his

shoulder issues a season ago. (He still uses the smaller bat against left-handed pitching, a practice he says he will

continue for the remainder of his career.)

The execution against righties -- and the ability to enact such a method -- has gone swimmingly with Gonzalez

notching all of his 12 extra-base hits while hitting from the left side, where he has a .342 batting average and .946

OPS.

"In spring training I would swing the heavier bat and get fatigued by it," he said. "I could only swing it 30 times and

I would feel really tired. That's one of the things I had to get back is the stamina to the point where I could take 70 to

100 swings and not get tired. But the shoulder feels great."

An epic grind: Breaking down how Red Sox beat Jered Weaver

Alex Speier

That Jered Weaver is now one of the top pitchers in the game is beyond dispute. The towering right-hander finished

fifth in AL Cy Young voting in 2010 in a season in which he led the league in punchouts and had a 3.01 ERA. This

year, he had been even better -- nearly perfect -- in amassing a 6-0 record and 0.99 ERA.

Weaver had pitched into the seventh in all six of his starts entering Monday. He had one game in which he'd allowed

two earned runs, three in which he'd permitted one earned run and two more in which he hadn't allowed a single run.

As Sox manager Terry Francona noted before the game, Weaver was leading the league in virtually everything.

And so it seemed that the Sox had cause for despair when the Angels took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

Weaver was on a run of retiring 10 of 11 Sox hitters, and seemed to offer little sliver of hope to his opponents.

But the Sox strung together a signature collection of at-bats in order to turn the tide and lay the groundwork for their

9-5 victory. (Recap.) An offense that had failed to deliver as advertised for much of the year came together over the

course of 28 memorable pitches.

Carl Crawford doubled with one out, but that was the mere prelude for a remarkable sequence against Weaver.

The Angels right-hander has an uncommon array of pitches that has turned him into one of the great swing-and-miss

artists in the game. But the Sox managed to spoil one pitch after another, in a three-batter sequence that involved 28

pitches, 15 of which were fouled off.

First, Jason Varitek stepped to the plate. He had struck out -- frozen by a changeup -- in his first at-bat of the night.

With a runner in scoring position, he was looking to be aggressive in hopes of driving in the tying run.

"I‘ve got a man on second," said Varitek. "I‘m trying to drive that sucker in there."

But Weaver's repertoire eluded the barrel. Varitek fouled off a first-pitch, 69 mph curveball, a 1-1 changeup, a 2-2

two-seam fastball and a 2-2 slider. Then came the pivotal pitch, a 2-2 fastball that the umpire judged to be inside.

Weaver disagreed.

"I thought there was one pitch in particular that could have got me out of the inning, but it didn‘t go my way and it

led to a big inning," said Weaver. "There‘s always just some little thing in Boston that doesn‘t seem to go my way or

the team‘s way. You know, roll with it and move on."

But Weaver followed that pitch with a changeup that dove out of the strike zone for ball four. That was the

beginning.

"It just happened that I was in an at-bat where I was able to foul off pitches, foul off pitches," said Varitek. "You

have in that situation one pitch I didn‘t, take, it‘s borderline and you have advantage."

Jacoby Ellsbury followed. He reached a full count, fouled off a fastball and then expanded the zone on a curveball

that resulted in a seven-pitch fielder's choice groundout.

That brought Dustin Pedroia to the plate for the most impressive Red Sox at-bat of the season. Pedroia would

ultimately match a career high by facing 13 pitches -- the most he's seen since encountering the same number on

Aug. 27, 2006, in his third big league game. It was a sequence that left virtually everyone on the field marveling at

both the pitcher and batter.

"We know what [Weaver]‘s got. We know what he‘s capable of. He‘s going to be tough on everybody every night.

He‘s not going to give you an inch. You‘ve got to foul away his tough pitches and try to make him give you a good

pitch to hit, because he doesn‘t do that often," said Jed Lowrie. "It was just two guys with unbelievably strong wills,

and neither one of them is going to give in in that situation."

Pedroia had looked bad in his first two at-bats of the night against Weaver. He struck out swinging on a 93 mph

fastball in the first, and grounded out to short on another fastball in the third.

"He didn't have the greatest first two at-bats," noted Varitek.

Through those two initial plate appearances, Pedroia -- who has a long history against the Angels right-hander,

dating to the days when Weaver played at Long Beach State and Pedroia was at Arizona State -- was 3-for-24 (.125)

in his big-league career (regular season and postseason) against a pitcher whose funky delivery and ability to hide

the ball makes him a particularly miserable opponent for right-handers, who entered the game with a .126 average

and .376 OPS against him.

Combine deception with a willingness to throw any pitch in any count and you have a pitcher whom right-handers

hate to face.

"With a guy like that, we‘re all battling. It‘s not like you look up at the lineup and see he‘s pitching and everyone is

lining up at the bat rack," said Pedroia. "We know it's going to be a grind."

And so it was. Over the next 13 pitches -- an inning's worth of offerings -- Weaver threw four fastballs, three

changeups, three cutters and three sliders. He worked up-and-in, low-and-in and up-and-away. He filled the strike

zone, and Pedroia just kept fouling one pitch after another. Pedroia did not take a single called strike, nor did he

swing and miss.

There were nine foul balls in the at-bat before finally, with Crawford on third and Ellsbury on second, Weaver left a

91 mph fastball up and on the outer half of the plate. And Pedroia lined the pitch for a single past Weaver and up the

middle for two runs to put the Sox up, 3-2.

Pedroia was almost sheepish about the knock.

"To be honest with you man, I was just trying to put the ball in play. Jered‘s tough, man. I faced him in college and

the first few years in the big leagues and it doesn‘t get any better than him," said Pedroia. "I haven‘t won too many

of those but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get everything going.‖

Everyone else in both the Sox and Angels clubhouse, however, was far more effusive.

Take Weaver. Prior to Monday, the right-hander had taken part in 25 at-bats in his career that had lasted 10 or more

pitches. The result? Opponents were 2-for-20 with five walks and eight strikeouts. No batter had ever driven in a run

against him in a 10-plus pitch at-bat. No batter had ever lasted more than 12 pitches against him.

This year, no batter had seen as many as 10 pitches in an at-bat against Weaver. In the 14 plate appearances that had

lasted from seven to nine pitches against him, however, Weaver had held his opponents hitless, going 0-for-13 with

one walk.

Weaver clearly relishes the sort of challenge posed by Pedroia. And so it was that he emerged from the

confrontation with nothing but respect for a counterpart who bested him.

"He‘s a great hitter. He didn‘t win the MVP for nothing. He goes up there and he wants to battle. He‘s a bulldog. I

feel like I‘m the same way. He won that battle this time. I‘m not going to change anything about how it went down,"

said Weaver. "I made some good pitches, 3-2 count, able to throw a couple sliders, a couple of changeups. It was a

battle. That‘s how he is. He‘s not just going to give in and let you get him out. He won that battle."

The sequence of at-bats against a pitcher who had been as good as any in the game to this point in the season was

exceptional. Not only did it allow the Sox to take the lead, but it also positioned them to blow the game open two

innings later.

Weaver's night came to an end after six innings and 118 pitches. With the right-hander knocked out prior to the

seventh for the first time all year, the Sox were able to erupt for six runs -- their biggest inning of the year -- against

relievers Hisanori Takahashi and Francisco Rodriguez to put the game out of reach.

Ultimately, it was a night when nearly every member of the Red Sox lineup had something feel good about, as the

team piled on one run after another while batting around (for just the second time of the 2011 season) in the seventh.

But the postgame cheer could all be traced to a three-batter sequence that served as a perfect execution of the Red

Sox blueprint for beating elite pitchers.

"It was great," said Varitek. "You can‘t really [run deep counts] on purpose. But it‘s [about] will and a testament to

trying to grind out at-bats, trying to give what you have."

* CSNNE.com

May 2, 2011: Red Sox 9, Angels 5

Maureen Mullen

The Red Sox offense came alive Monday night against the Angels, erupting for six runs in the seventh inning – a

season-high for one inning – as Boston beat the Angels at Fenway Park, 9-5.

If this game is remembered for anything, it will be Dustin Pedroia‘s 13-pitch at-bat in the fifth inning against Jered

Weaver. On the 13th pitch, Pedroia lashed a grounder into center field, scoring Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Clay Buchholz earned the win, improving his record to 2-3 (4.81). He went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on

eight hits and two walks, with two strikeouts and a wild pitch. It was Buchholz‘s first quality start of the season.

The Sox offense, which has betrayed the team so often this season, finally came around. Boston had 11 hits in the

game, two shy of its season high, and the nine runs matched a season high. Batting with runners in scoring position

has been a mark of futility this season, with the Sox batting just .212. Monday against the Angels they were 5-for-8

in such situations.

After a four-game sweep in Anaheim in April, the Sox are 5-0 against the Angels this season. They have outscored

them, 29-10.

Player of the Game

Dustin Pedroia

While Pedroia‘s 13-pitch at-bat against Jered Weaver may have been the turning point in the game, he was all over

the field for the Red Sox.

Just before his marathon at-bat against Weaver, it was his defense that kept the Angels in check. In the top of the

fifth, the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Bobby Abreu‘s shot up the middle seemed destined to score a

couple of runs. Pedroia broke to his right, but Buchholz deflected the ball. Pedroia quickly reversed field, snagged

the ball and tossed to Jed Lowrie covering second. Instead of two runs in with one out, just one run scored and there

were two outs. Buchholz then got Howard Kendrick to ground out, ending the threat.

The play set the stage for Pedroia‘s at-bat in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs to give the Sox a lead they

would not relinquish.

―He has a way of doing that,‖ manager Terry Francona said. ―He fights. He doesn‘t give in, not just at the plate, on

the bases, in the field. He gets a double-play ball, turns it into a double-play ball. On the bases he gets a great read.

He plays the game. He‘s a ballplayer.‖

Honorable Mention

Clay Buchholz

Wins have not come easy for Buchholz this season. With Monday‘s victory over the Angels, he improved to 2-3

with a 4.81 ERA. It was his first quality start of the season, besting the Angels‘ Jered Weaver, who entered the

game leading the league in wins, with six, ERA (0.99), strikeouts (49), opponents‘ batting average (.163), and

complete games (2), posting quality starts in each of his six previous outings.

Buchholz kept the Angels in check, going 6 2/3 innings, matching a season high, giving up two runs on eight hits

and two walks with two strikeouts and a wild pitch.

―Everybody knows going in that [Weaver‘s] going to throw a lot of strikes, he‘s going to throw all his pitches for

strikes,‖ Buchholz said. ―That being said, as the guy going up against him, you got to keep their guys off balance

and try to keep them off base. They made some early contact, had some runners in scoring-position situations. All I

can do is try to limit the damage as best as I could. Got a couple of balls that were hit at guys and got out of the

inning. But yeah, [Weaver] that‘s what he does. He goes out there and wins. He‘s obviously a strikeout guy and not

a whole lot of stuff going on on the base paths with him on the mound. It was a definitely a good step for this team.‖

The Goat

Francisco Rodriguez

The Red Sox had a slim one-run lead going into the seventh inning. Rodriguez entered with one out and runners on

second and third after Hisanori Takahashi gave up consecutive one-out hits to Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury to

start the inning. Rodriguez allowed the next four batters to reach base – Pedroia on a walk, Adrian Gonzalez on a

three-run double, Kevin Youkilis on an RBI double, and David Ortiz on a two-run homer – before getting an out.

The Red Sox scored six runs in the inning, a season high. Two runs were charged to Takahashi, four to Rodriguez.

Turning Point

Pedroia‘s 13-pitch battle

Dustin Pedroia‘s 13-pitch at-bat was the signature moment of the game. With the Sox trailing, 2-1, in the fifth, two

outs, and runners on second and third, Pedroia came to the plate. The Sox second baseman had just 4 hits in his last

23 at-bats, and was 3-for-25 in his career against Jered Weaver. But he worked Weaver for 13 pitches over nearly 10

minutes, including five straight 3-and-2 pitches that he fouled off. On the 13th pitch, Pedroia lashed a grounder in

center field, scoring Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Plays like that can serve as a catalyst not only for a game but also for a team that has been struggling to find ways to

win.

―To be honest with you, man, I was just trying to put the ball in play,‖ Pedroia said. ―Jered‘s tough. I faced him a

lot in college and the first few years in the big leagues and it doesn‘t get any better than him. I haven‘t won too

many of those, but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get things going.‖

By the Numbers

5-for-8

Entering the game the Sox had been struggling to find ways to get runners in scoring position across the plate. They

had been hitting just 54-for-255 (.212) in such sitautions this season.

Against the Angels Monday night, however, they were 5-for-8 (.625) with runners in scoring position

―It‘s a nice way to play the game and it took us a while to do it,‖ Terry Francona said. ―There‘s night when you need

your big guys to hit some three-run homers or hit a ball off the wall. But I thought we did a lot of good things

tonight. You talk about [Dustin Pedroia's] at-bats, [or they way he played] defensively. And we had to because the

way Weaver pitches, you better play a good game.‖

Quote of Note

―It was awesome, man. Just one of those things that he just battled, battled, battled. And you see Weaver make pitch

after pitch. And he just kept fouling them off. And finally [Weaver] left, I think it was a fastball away that [Pedroia]

could handle and took it up the middle. It was great.‖ -- Adrian Gonzalez on Dustin Pedroia‘s 13-pitch at-bat in the

fifth inning that ended with the tying and go-ahead runs scoring.

Notes: Buchholz gets 2nd win; Ellsbury injured

Danny Picard

Clay Buchholz picked up his second win of the season on Monday night at Fenway Park, and he did so while

handing the opposing starter – Los Angeles‘ Jered Weaver – his first loss of the season.

Weaver entered Monday‘s game with a 6-0 record and an ERA of 0.99, but with a little help from his offense and

his defense, Buchholz outlasted Weaver and helped Boston to a 9-5 win.

―As the guy going up against [Weaver] you got to keep their guys off balance and try to keep them off base,‖ said

Buchholz. ―They made some early contact, had some runners in scoring position situations, and all I can do is try to

limit the damage as best as I could. I got a couple of balls that were hit at guys and got out of the inning.

―But yeah, [Weaver], that‘s what he does, he goes out there and wins. He‘s obviously a strikeout guy and there‘s not

a whole lot of stuff going on, on the base paths with him on the mound. It was a definitely a good step for this

team.‖

Buchholz pitched 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out two.

―Everything was good tonight,‖ said Buchholz. ―Obviously you can go back and say I didn‘t throw this pitch. You

can have that regardless of what kind of outing you have. But slowly but surely, I‘m sometimes trying too hard to do

things. Tonight I felt like I let the grip and trusted the stuff and let everything work itself out, and not try to press too

much.‖

Francona came out to get Lester with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, a runner at third, and the Red Sox

trying to hold onto a 3-2 lead. Daniel Bard came in and got them out of that inning with the lead.

―I thought he used his fastball really aggressively,‖ said manager Terry Francona. ―He had the two walks in the one

inning. Other than that, he didn‘t. He got us to a point in the game where we could go to Bard. That was big.‖

―Obviously, he‘s still finding his rhythm,‖ said Varitek. ―I still think his best days are in front of him. But it was a

good job tonight, minimizing damage.‖

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his season-high hit streak to 11 games on Monday night, going 2-for-4 with three runs

scored, a double, and two stolen bases.

But the center fielder left Monday‘s game after the seventh inning with a left knee contusion, when his leg collided

with Angels catcher Jeff Mathis in the seventh inning. Ellsbury came home on Gonzalez‘ bases-clearing double, but

as he crossed the plate, his left leg got caught up with Mathis‘ foot.

Francona said that Ellsbury was ―a little sore‖ after the game, and will wait until Tuesday afternoon to make a

decision on his status for Tuesday night‘s game.

―He‘s real stable and everything,‖ said Francona. ―He just got kind of a bruise on the inside of his knee.

―With a bruise like that, we‘ll see how he wakes up.‖

The Red Sox saw an offensive surge in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to the timely hitting of Adrian Gonzalez,

Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz.

With bases loaded and one out in the inning, and the Red Sox holding onto a 3-2 lead, Gonzalez ripped a ball off the

monster in deep left-center, just to the left of the yellow home-run line on the center field wall.

Three runs scored on the double, giving Boston a 6-2 lead.

Youkilis followed that up with an RBI double of his own, ripping a liner off the top of the monster in left, and

scoring Gonzalez for a 7-2 lead.

Then, Ortiz made it 9-2 with his third home run of the season, into the monster seats.

―It keeps the line moving,‖ said Francona after the win. ―Spread the game out, have a nice big inning. Yeah, that

was good. And it‘s probably no coincidence that the balls that were hit hard, were to left-center and up the middle.

―There‘s nights when you need your big guys to hit some three-run homers, or hit a ball off the wall.‖

There‘s also nights where you need your defense to step up and make game-changing plays, not just with the gloves,

but with their arms.

Gonzalez can be applauded for that on Monday night, as his gutsy throw to third on a grounder to first in a non-force

out situation, kept Boston in the lead.

Instead of stepping on first on a ball hit to him by Alberto Callaspo, the Red Sox first baseman immediately threw to

Youkilis at third, attempting to gun down Torii Hunter, who had previously doubled.

The throw was low, and Youkilis made a nice tag for the out.

―He‘s playing in, and he‘s one of the few first basemen that will do that,‖ said Francona. ―A lot of guys can certainly

catch it over there, like him, but he can catch it and throw it. And he threw it low, but [Youkilis] made a nice play. It

could be a game-changer.‖

―If there‘s ever a runner on second with two outs, you know the hitter is trying to hit a ground ball to the right side,‖

said Gonzalez. ―And I‘ve always told the third baseman, and I probably did it five or six times in San Diego, where I

got the guy out there. So it‘s one of those things where I always tell him, just be aware, because if it‘s hit hard right

at me, I‘m going to you.‖

Josh Beckett threw a 25-pitch side session on Monday afternoon, and Francona said afterwards that Beckett's been

pushed back to Wednesday only because the schedule allowed them to do so.

―I just want to make sure that we monitor the workload, so he can go out, and be Beckett,‖ said Francona.

―We‘ve leaned on him pretty hard,‖ added the Red Sox manager. ―Again, there‘s no days off coming up. So when

you have the ability to give a guy that extra day, I think sometimes you‘ve got to take it. Because we won‘t be able

to, going forward for a couple weeks.‖

Francona said that the rest of his rotation will be Jon Lester on Tuesday, Beckett on Wednesday, John Lackey on

Thursday, and Daisuke Matsuzaka on Friday.

Pedroia sparks Sox with an epic at-bat

Danny Picard

There was simply nothing else Jered Weaver could do. Slider, changeup, fastball, cutter; he just couldn‘t get

anything by Dustin Pedroia in the bottom of the fifth inning on Monday night at Fenway Park.

It was the type of at-bat that signified everything the feisty second baseman is all about. Pedroia was downright

ruthless.

With runners on second and third and two outs in a game which the Red Sox were trailing the Los Angeles Angels,

2-1, Pedroia and Weaver battled for nearly 10 minutes in a 13-pitch at-bat that ended when the Sox second baseman

ripped a fastball up the middle, scoring Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

Needless to say, it was a game-changer.

―He has a way of doing that,‖ said manager Terry Francona of Pedroia after Boston‘s 9-5 win over Los Angeles on

Monday night. ―He fights, he doesn‘t give in. Not just at the plate. On the bases, in the field.

―He plays the game. He‘s a ballplayer.‖

Pedroia ran up the first-base line wearing his emotions on his sleeve. Not just because he won a hard-fought battle,

but because it came against one of the best pitchers in the league. Weaver entered the game with a 6-0 record and an

ERA of 0.99.

―To be honest with you, man, I was just trying to put the ball in play,‖ said Pedroia. ―I‘m mean, Jered‘s tough, man.

I faced him a lot in college and my first few years in the big leagues, and it doesn‘t get any better than him.

―I haven‘t won too many of those, but it was nice to drive in a couple, and kind of get everything going.‖

Pedroia started the fifth inning with some clutch glove work as well, after the Angels had loaded the bases with one

out.

With the game tied at 1-1, Bobby Abreu hit a ball up the middle that changed directions as it glanced off pitcher

Clay Buchholz and then off the side of the mound. Pedroia, who was racing to his right, had to stop his momentum

and make an awkward cross-body stab at the ball, which was now on his left.

Pedroia somehow was able to snare the ball and make the flip to second base for the second out.

The Angels scored their second run of the game on the play, taking a 2-1 lead. But if Pedroia didn‘t make that play,

the ball would have gone into short right field, two runs would have scored, and there would have been runners on

the corners with only one out.

The Red Sox got out of the inning trailing by one, 2-1.

―I was just trying to keep it in the infield, and it hit [Buchholz‘] glove, and I was just trying to knock it down and get

an out,‖ said Pedroia after the game.

He got the out, and then carried it over to his offense in the bottom of the fifth, changing the momentum on Monday

night.

―It was a phenomenal at-bat,‖ said Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. ―It gave us the lead. He‘s up there battling, doing

what he does, and battling. And that‘s what this team is built on.‖

―With a guy like [Weaver], we‘re all battling,‖ said Pedroia. ―It‘s not like you look at the lineup, and see he‘s

pitching, and everyone‘s lining up at the bat-rack. We know it‘s going to be a grind. We had some good at-bats. He

still pitched his butt off, and we were a few runs better.‖

Nation STATion: April showers us with stats

Bill Chuck

April was a month that had Red Sox Nation yelling ―Mayday!‖ Yet on Sunday they were delightfully dancing

around the May Pole (not as well known in these parts as the Pesky Pole) after a very satisfying victory. After all

was said and done, April was a month that begun and ended with frustration for the Sox and their fans. That‘s what

made Carl Crawford‘s ninth inning single yesterday as much a relief as it was a new beginning.

The Red Sox started May 1-0 after having started April 0-6 before they won 11-of-20. But the end result was still a

very disappointing 11-15 record, their second straight losing April, since they were 11-12 in 2010.

It didn‘t really matter where the Sox played, as they were 5-6 at home and 6-9 on the road. The Sox were 3-5-1 in

series, 2-2 in series at home, and 2-7 in series openers.

There were many numbers to look at in April but they all revolve around explaining the answers to a couple of

questions.

First, how is a team that is 18th overall in team batting average (.243) end up eighth in on-base percentage (.331)?

By being second in the majors with 109 walks.

But then, the obvious question is how does a team who is eighth in on-base percentage end up being 22nd in runs

scored?

The answer is simple:

The key stat of the month: in April, the Sox hit .212 with runners in scoring position.

The Sox were shut out three times and tossed three shutouts, but were 1-5 in one-run games (although they did win

their only extra-inning game). The Sox had no dispiriting walkoff losses but also had no energizing walkoff wins

like their May 1 victory.

Scoring was real issue for this team. The Sox scored two runs or less in seven games and lost them all. On the other

hand, the Sox scored seven runs or more in three games and won them all. The 2nd inning was the Sox most

productive. They scored a total of 19 runs and once put up a five spot, their most productive output of any inning.

But then again, in all of April, they only scored six times in the 5th inning. On an individual level, Jacoby Ellsbury

led the team by scoring 16 times.

The Sox scored four runs in a game eight times during the month and were 4-4 in those games. The Sox were 6-2

when ahead at the start of the 3rd inning, 9-5 when ahead at the start of the 4th inning, and 10-3 at the start of the

5th. But, the Sox were 2-5 when trailing at the start of the 2nd inning and didn‘t win any game if they trailed at the

start of the 3rd inning.

The Sox were ninth in the league with 22 homers, hitting 12 homers at Fenway and 10 on the road. The Sox hit nine

homers off of righties; only the Twins (six) hit fewer. On the other hand, so to speak, the Sox hit 13 homers off

lefties only exceeded by the 14 hit by Texas. The Sox were 0-for-29 in grand slam opportunities, but had 10 solo and

10 two-run homers. Mike Cameron had the only multi-homer game when he hit a pair on April 29. One of the

oddest stats was that no one who hit number three in the batting order hit a homer.

While we‘re talking homers, Jacoby Ellsbury hit four as many as Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, J.D. Drew

combined (they had one each). David Ortiz hit home runs in the first two games of the season and then went 23

games and 78 at bats without another one.

Kevin Youkilis had an odd month all by himself. Youk led the team in homers with five but only hit .218. He also

led the team with 21 walks and 26 whiffs. But he also had six singles, six doubles and five homers.

Jed Lowrie had a good month, making an appearance at every infield position, and hitting .368. His .962 OPS was

the best on the team. His .429 average on full counts was also the best on the team. He was the only Sox with a two-,

three-, and four-hit game and went 1-for-3 as a pinch hitter, while the rest of the Sox pinch hitters were 0-for-8.

But, Lowrie only averaged 3.44 pitches per plate appearances and Carl Crawford only 3.61. On the plus side, Kevin

Youkilis averaged 4.55 pitches per plate appearances and J.D. Drew 4.38.

The Sox used 13 different batters in the month and when they were ahead on the count they hit .276, when the

pitcher was ahead they hit .200, and on even counts they hit .255. On 3-0 counts, Youk and Lowrie were 1-for-2,

J.D. Drew was 2-for-4, Adrian Gonzalez was 1-for-1; the rest of the team was 0-for-11.

Sox righty batters hit .221 with 13 homers and 45 RBI. Sox lefties hit .257 with 9 homers and 59 RBI. Right-handed

batters hit .255 going to the opposite field, left-handed batters hit .254 going in the other direction.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out in 29.1% of all his plate appearances, but Marco Scutaro in only five percent of his

plate appearances. Only two percent of Marco Scutaro strikes were swinging without contact; Jarrod Saltalamacchia

rate was 22 percent.

Carl Crawford had an ugly April hitting just .155. In the fourth month of the year he had four doubles, four infield

hits and four stolen bases. The Sox had 14 stolen bases and Dustin Pedroia had the lone steal of third base.

The guy you want at the plate with runners in scoring position and two out has been Adrian Gonzalez who hit .455

with six RBI. J.D. Drew was 0-for-5 and Darnell McDonald was 0-for-4. Gonzalez though only hit one homer and it

is indeed an odd month when A-Gon‘s homer and triple totals were the same. His .354 against righties was good for

fourth in the AL. Adrian Gonzalez had 21 singles to lead the team and 10 doubles to lead the team. The notoriously

slow Gonzalez even stole a base and had the team‘s only bunt hit. In 26 opportunities, he hit into three double plays

as did Kevin Youkilis (24 opportunities), and David Ortiz (21 opportunities). Jarrod Saltalamacchia (13

opportunities), J.D. Drew (10 opportunities), and Jed Lowrie (19 opportunities) each hit into none.

Behind the plate, Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 3-for-23 in steal attempts, Jason Varitek 1-for-8. Jarrod

Saltalamacchia‘s catching ERA was 5.55 with a .267 batting average against, Jason Varitek‘s 2.55 with a .201

batting average against. With Salty on the mound pitchers allowed 20 homers and 20 steals, with 'Tek, seven homers

and seven steals.

The Sox used 15 different pitchers and they allowed 204 hits on the month, second fewest to the Angels in the AL

who allowed 203. Red Sox starting pitchers had no shutouts or complete games and allowed 12 runs in the 26 1st

innings. The Sox only allowed six runs in the 3rd inning, but 19 runs in the 4th, their worst inning. Overall the

starters were 10-10 with a 3.83 ERA, the relievers were 1-5 and a 5.13 ERA.

Jon Lester led the team with five Quality Starts. John Lackey and Josh Beckett had three each, Dice-K had two, and

Clay Buchholz had none. Jon Lester had a club best 2.52 ERA, Josh Beckett‘s was 2.65, but John Lackey‘s was

5.65. Jon Lester recorded 35 strikeouts, Josh Beckett had 32 while John Lackey (17) and Clay Buchholz (15) had 32

combined. Clay Buchholz allowed 16 walks, Jon Lester 14, Josh Beckett only nine. Jon Lester had a .143 batting

average against with runners in scoring position, Josh Beckett‘s was .160, Clay Buchholz‘s was 174 and Jonathan

Papelbon was .182.

Josh Beckett has a 0.853 WHIP but on the other side of the ledger, Bobby Jenks WHIP was 2.160. Clay Buchholz

surrendered six homers, the same number he allowed all last season. Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Josh Bard each

tossed two wild pitches.

Jonathan Papelbon was 5-for-5 in save opportunities, the only saves on the team. Daniel Bard‘s record was 0-3 but

he had five holds and allowed none of his five inherited runners to score. Bobby Jenks had a .500 batting average

against with runners in scoring position, Dan Wheeler‘s was .444, and Hideki Okajima‘s was .400.

Defensively, the Sox only committed 10 errors tied with the Brewers for the fewest in the majors. J.D. Drew had the

only outfield assist.

You can see that the Sox need their numbers and their wins to continue to flower in May after a month of frustration

demonstrated by runners left on base, homers off starters, relievers who struggled, batters who weakly grounded or

popped out and Terry Francona getting thrown out on April 19.

May brings the Angels, Twins, Orioles Tigers, Cubs and White Sox to Fenway. The Sox head to Toronto, the Bronx,

Cleveland and Detroit and Nation STATion will be here to cover it all.

Beckett throws side session, ready for Wednesday

Danny Picard

Terry Francona just wants Josh Beckett to be Josh Beckett.

So to see Beckett throwing a 25-pitch side session on Monday, at first, may be alarming, considering he last pitched

on April 27. But the Red Sox manager said Monday that Beckett's been pushed back to Wednesday only because the

schedule allowed them to do so.

―I just want to make sure that we monitor the workload, so he can go out, and be Beckett,‖ said Francona.

―We‘ve leaned on him pretty hard,‖ said Francona. ―Again, there‘s no days off coming up. So when you have the

ability to give a guy that extra day, I think sometimes you‘ve got to take it. Because we won‘t be able to, going

forward for a couple weeks.‖

With Buchholz pitching on Monday, Francona said that the rest of his rotation will be Jon Lester on Tuesday,

Beckett on Wednesday, John Lackey on Thursday, and Daisuke Matsuzaka on Friday.

Third baseman Kevin Youkilis is back in the lineup after missing Sunday‘s game with tightness in his hip. Youkilis

is hitting fourth, behind Adrian Gonzalez and in front of David Ortiz.

―We grilled him a little bit, to see if he needed an extra day,‖ said Francona. ―And he didn‘t think he does. The

trainers don‘t. The doctors don‘t. But we‘ll keep an eye on him.‖

* NESN.com

Clay Buchholz records first quality start of 2011, slowly joining Red Sox teammates in run of superior

pitching

Tony Lee

It wasn't the prettiest effort in his career, but Clay Buchholz has finally joined the Red Sox' pitching party.

In outdueling Angels star righty Jered Weaver and helping Boston to a 9-5 win Monday night, Buchholz posted his

first quality start of the season after five of the non-quality variety. This, a year after he had 19 quality starts in 28

total.

"It's coming along but still not all the way there," Buchholz said after allowing two runs on eight hits in 6 2/3

innings. "Some work to do on the side. It's a stepping stone."

Buchholz continued to build on a rather ugly walk-to-strikeout ratio. He had two of both against the Angels and still

has one more walk (18) than strikeout (17) on the season. But he saw positives in the 14 groundball outs he induced,

a sure sign that his two-seam fastball and his pitch-to-contact attack was working.

"Obviously, he's slowly finding his rhythm," catcher Jason Varitek said. "I still think his best days are in front of

him. Good job tonight to minimize damage. It's not like he's been bad. But I think [executing] the full five pitches,

more so than anything, it's just a feel ...The last few outings, he's getting it."

Buchholz is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in those last few outings. His effort Monday contributed to a rather impressive

streak for Red Sox pitchers, who have now held opponents to five runs or less in 16 straight games, matching the

team's longest such run since 1982.

Patriotism, positivity the theme of the night at Fenway Park

Tony Lee

To a man, the Red Sox felt that they did a number of things well in Monday's 9-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels

of Anaheim. The positive vibe actually began hours earlier, when the team took part in pregame ceremonies that

helped mark a historic turn of events for the United States.

In the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Sox and Angels stepped to their respective base lines and first

observed a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11 and all those who have fought in the consequent wars.

With the first few notes of the Star Spangled Banner, a giant American flag was unfurled across the Green Monster.

It was another reminder that as important as baseball is, especially in a town like Boston, it pales in comparison to

what occurs on the front line.

"It was awesome. It was great to be a part of," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "Everyone saw what happened

10 years ago. It brings everybody together. It's special."

"It was a great ceremony to honor the troops that have done so much for us," added first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

There were several troops sprinkled throughout Fenway Park, including a handful next to the Red Sox dugout. One

gave David Ortiz a badge that he had worn overseas after Ortiz's second at-bat.

The slugger singled his next time up and then hit a two-run homer to cap a rally in the seventh, his first blast in a

month.

"I think it was very nice," Ortiz said, referring to both the gesture and its results.

The same goes for the entire evening.

Dustin Pedroia fuels Red Sox' offensive outburst with at-bat for the ages against Jered Weaver

Tony Lee

When Dustin Pedroia stepped to the plate with two on and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning Monday night,

his team had scored a grand total of 19 runs in its last 67 innings, or an average of 2.6 per every nine innings. There

were men on second and third, two outs and Angels ace Jered Weaver on the mound, a recipe for the type of failure

that has dogged the Red Sox all year -- wasted opportunities.

Undeniably, Boston, which trailed Weaver at the time 2-1, needed a big hit. But the manner in which Pedroia

delivered it provided so much more than the lead. It served as the catalyst for an offensive outburst the likes of

which the 2011 Red Sox have rarely seen.

Pedroia battled Weaver, who entered 6-0 with a 0.99 ERA, for 13 pitches. He fouled off nine of them, including one

off his left foot, much in the same way he did when he broke it last year in San Francisco.

The last of the bunch, the fourth fastball of the encounter, was smacked back up the middle, scoring two and giving

Boston a lead it would not lose.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play," he said. "Jered's tough. I've faced him a lot in college and in the big

leagues. Haven't won too many of those but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get everything going."

That he did, for the Red Sox would plate six in the seventh to blow the game wide open. It represented a season high

for runs in one inning and the nine total runs tied a team high for the year. Nobody was shocked that it all began

with Pedroia.

"He has a way of doing that," manager Terry Francona said. "He plays the game. He's a ballplayer."

Francona had more than Pedroia's long at-bat on his mind when saying that. In the top of the fifth, his second

baseman made a play with his glove that may have been just as important.

With the bases loaded and one out in a 1-1 game, Bobby Abreu knocked a comebacker that got a piece of Red Sox

starter Clay Buchholz. On contact, Pedroia was flying toward second base, but he had to dive back to his left when

the ball was deflected, all with a runner bearing down on him. Pedroia backhanded the ball, turned on a knee and fed

shortstop Jed Lowrie for a force and the second out of the frame.

A run scored to give the Angels a lead, but the play prevented a big inning and ultimately changed the flow of the

game. It also had Pedroia's teammates marveling in the clubhouse.

"Any time you have to make an adjustment like that when there's a deflection, especially when the ball is hard hit,"

Lowrie said. "A lot of times when there's a deflection it slows it down a lot. It was still hard-hit. Even though it

slowed down, it was still going quick, so the redirection he had to do and knock it down and get it to me quickly, it

was a quality play.

"He just seems like he has a knack of making big plays in big spots, that's why he's a great player. It seems like he's

always in the right spot at the right time."

Still, it was the at-bat that many will remember, especially if the nine-run outburst leads to many more productive

nights for the heretofore struggling offense.

"Phenomenal at-bat," catcher Jason Varitek said. "Doing what he does, battling. He hadn't had the greatest first two

at-bats. He hung in there, hung in there, hung in there, hung in and got a ball up and hit it up the middle."

And, potentially, woke up the Red Sox offense.

Red Sox should benefit from easier May schedule chock-full of AL Central teams

David Grotz

May started out with a bang, not just around the world but also around Red Sox Nation. With a safer road ahead,

more victories should be in store.

Following an 11-15 April, the Red Sox hopefully will have a lot of victories in store, as they face an easier May

schedule, matching up against four of the AL Central teams (and Tigers twice) and two other sub-.500 teams.

On Sunday, the Red Sox kicked off the month with a walk-off win, backed by Carl Crawford's RBI single in the

bottom of the ninth to lift the team over the Mariners.

On Monday night, they took on the AL West's first-place team, the Angels. Just last week, the Sox swept the Halos

on the West Coast, backed by incredible pitching that allowed only five runs during the four-game series.

In the next series, the Red Sox welcome the struggling Minnesota Twins, whose run production and run prevention

ranks last in the American League with just 85 runs scored and a league-worst 5.06 ERA.

After opening May with nine straight in front of the home crowd, the Red Sox travel to two AL East opponents --

first the Blue Jays, then the Yankees. This will be Boston's most difficult stretch of the month, as they face two high-

powered offenses, but it's only a five-game stretch.

Starting May 13, the Red Sox will close out the month with 19 games in 19 days, including a seven-game

homestand and seven-game road trip. The homestand consists of the Orioles, losers of 12 of their last 18 games, the

Tigers, who have the AL's second-worst ERA (4.72), and the Cubs, who have had plenty of struggles this season.

The Red Sox then head out on the road to Cleveland to play the first-place Indians. The Tribe did sweep the Red Sox

earlier this season. And Cleveland does have the third-best ERA in the AL (3.48) and the most runs scored this

season (146). But how long can this success last? Both injury-prone Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore are having

All-Star seasons, and seven starters have four or more home runs already, on pace for 25 home runs each.

However, the Red Sox do also visit the Tigers -- playing them for a second series in the month of May -- before

hosting the White Sox. The White Sox have struggled mightily, entering Monday as losers of 15 of their last 18

games.

If the Red Sox can turn things on in May, it will be the second year in a row they'll follow up a subpar April with a

strong May. The Sox finished April with an 11-12 record, but that was after winning three of their last four to close

out the month. From there, they went 18-11 in May, all part of helping them get back near the top of the AL East

before injuries took their toll.

Even several of the hitters' numbers improved that May. David Ortiz hit .363 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, while

Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew both hit at better than a .300 clip and added 15 RBIs. All three could use a boost right

now.

Only a 17-13 record in May will bring the team to .500. They're about to enter a stretch where they will take on

teams with a collective winning percentage of .487. With the team's easy schedule ahead, it might be time for the

Red Sox to break out and get over the .500 mark.

* USA Today

Jered Weaver meets his match: Fenway Park, Dustin Pedroia

Gabe Lacques

Through six starts, nothing, it seemed, could slow down Jered Weaver.

The Los Angeles Angels right-hander methodically dissected opposing lineups, producing six wins and a 0.99 ERA.

Monday night, he was bidding to become the first starter since 1891 to go 7-0 this early in the season.

But a stomach virus pushed Weaver's start to Fenway Park, against the Red Sox, rather than his Sunday date at the

Tampa Bay Rays. And Weaver doesn't much care for Fenway.

The Red Sox gradually wore Weaver down Monday, touching him for three runs in six innings, and eventually won

9-5.

The result dropped Weaver to 1-3 with a 7.16 ERA lifetime at Fenway. And part of him seems to believe the park's

atmosphere has a profound effect on how the game is called.

Weaver could have escaped the fifth inning unscathed, with a 2-1 lead, but a borderline ball call on a pitch to Jason

Varitek extended the at-bat. Varitek walked, and the inning was extended long enough for Dustin Pedroia to line a

go-ahead two-run single after fouling off nine pitches.

Weaver tipped his cap to Pedroia. He was less understanding about the call to Varitek, as the Los Angeles Times'

Kevin Baxter writes:

Asked whether the strike zone in Boston seemed smaller than the strike zone in other ballparks, Weaver tightened

his jaw and stared straight ahead.

Asked whether he feels as if he's pitching against more than just the Red Sox when he comes here, Weaver smiled

wanly but didn't answer.

What Weaver did say: "I thought there was one pitch in particular that could have gotten me out of that inning."

Instead, he had to deal with Pedroia. Here's your stat of the night: Weaver threw 118 pitches; Pedroia saw 23 of

them. None were as crucial as the two-out, two-run single that turned the game around and pushed the Red Sox to

14-1 against the Angels the past two years.

Said Pedroia, who had been 3 for 24 against Weaver: "Jered's tough. It doesn't get any better than him. I haven't won

too many of those."

Weaver figures to get back on the beam again. His ERA "rose" to 1.39, which is what happens when you're coming

off two complete-game victories with just one earned run allowed.

Better yet, barring a return engagement in the playoffs, he's done with Fenway for the season.

Asked once more by sports reporters to elaborate on the stadium, he again bit his lip. ""I'm not gonna feed you guys

what you want,'' he said. "Finito.''

* The Los Angeles Times

Jered Weaver can't sew it up as Angels lose to Boston, 9-5

Kevin Baxter

Reporting from Boston — Jered Weaver does not like Fenway Park.

Oh, sure, he didn't say that. But then there were a lot of things he meant but didn't say Monday after watching his

perfect season crash and burn in the wreckage of a 9-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

In fact, Weaver spoke volumes without ever opening his mouth.

Asked whether the strike zone in Boston seemed smaller than the strike zone in other ballparks, Weaver tightened

his jaw and stared straight ahead.

Asked whether he feels as if he's pitching against more than just the Red Sox when he comes here, Weaver smiled

wanly but didn't answer.

Fenway Park has always been a house of horrors for Weaver, but never more so than Monday, when the record-

setting start to his season unraveled in the span of three batters.

"It always seems to be some little thing in Boston that just doesn't seem to go my way," said Weaver, who was

seeking to become the first starter to go 7-0 this early in the year since 1891.

This time the "little thing" was a two-strike pitch to Boston's Jason Varitek that plate umpire Scott Barry called a

ball.

Angered, Weaver walked Varitek with his next pitch. And two batters after that, Dustin Pedroia lined a two-out,

two-run single up the middle to give the Red Sox a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"I thought there was one pitch in particular that could have gotten me out of that inning," Weaver said. "It didn't go

my way and it led to a big inning."

Actually, there were eight pitches that could have gotten him out of the inning if you include the seven two-strike

pitches Pedroia fouled off before getting his hit. But that at-bat would never have happened if Varitek hadn't walked.

"There are some things that you have to battle against that aren't baseball-oriented," Weaver said of Fenway. "It's a

great atmosphere here. The fans are right on top of you so you hear a lot of the stuff they're saying. But you don't let

that stuff bother you.

"We've have some success here and we've had some not so successful games here."

Lately it's been not so successful, especially for Weaver. Thirteen games above .500 on the road against the rest of

baseball, Weaver is 1-3 with a 7.16 earned-run average at Fenway.

Working on a string of one runs allowed in his last 19 innings, Weaver gave up twice that many on one pitch to

Pedroia.

And coming off back-to-back complete games, the right-handed lasted only six innings Monday, his shortest outing

of the year.

The three runs he allowed the Red Sox were the most he's given up to anyone this season —in fact, Monday's game

marked the first time he's even trailed this year.

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia gave credit to the patient Red Sox.

"He had to work hard very hard for every out," said Scioscia, who watched his bullpen put the game out of reach by

giving up six runs the inning after Weaver left. "But he definitely pitched well enough to give us a chance to win. I

don't think there's anything you're going to critique on what Jered did that was so much different from other games."

Well, there was one telling difference: this game was at Fenway.

* The Orange County Register

Frustrated at Fenway, Angels' Weaver takes first loss

Bill Plunkett

It might have been a virus that bothered Jered Weaver in Tampa over the weekend. But it was something else

Weaver found difficult to stomach in Boston on Monday night.

Pitching on six days' rest after coming down with a stomach ailment over the weekend, Weaver's unbeaten string

came to an end with a 9-5 loss to the Red Sox that turned on one pitch – and then 13 pitches.

"It always seems to be some little thing in Boston that doesn't seem to go my way or go the team's way," said

Weaver who is now 2-5 in 11 career regular-season starts against the Red Sox with a 1-3 record and 7.16 ERA at

Fenway Park (although he is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA in three post-season appearances against the Sox).

In this case, it was the slight difference in opinion about the strike zone between Weaver and home-plate umpire

Scott Barry that proved to be that critical "little thing."

Weaver (6-1) took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning – the first lead the Angels have held in five games against the Red

Sox this season – but that inning proved his undoing. The Red Sox milked him for 38 pitches in the inning including

one key call that didn't go his way.

"They're a lineup that is patient and they're definitely going to make you work for every out and work to pitch deep

into games," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

With one out and the tying run on second in the fifth inning, Weaver threw a 2-and-2 fastball down and in to the

.128-hitting Jason Varitek. Varitek took it for what Weaver thought was strike three. Home-plate umpire Scott Barry

called it ball three and Varitek went on to work a walk.

Weaver was still fuming over the call four batters later when the inning finally ended and he let Barry know on his

way off the field.

"None of you guys' business," Weaver said after the game when asked what he said to Barry.

With two runners on now, Weaver got Jacoby Ellsbury to bounce into a force out for the second out (third in

Weaver's mind). That brought up Dustin Pedroia who battled Weaver in a 13-pitch at-bat during which Ellsbury

stole second and Pedroia fouled off seven two-strike pitches. He finally lashed a single through the middle of the

infield for a two-run single that gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

"It looked like it was a decent pitch," Scioscia said of the disputed pitch to Varitek. "But it's not going to come down

to one pitch. ... I don't think anyone is going to hang their hat on one pitch and say that was the difference in the

game."

Scioscia might have had a hard time getting a certain starting pitcher of his to agree.

"There was one pitch, in particular, that could have gotten me out of that inning," Weaver said, confirming that he

was referring to the 2-and-2 fastball to Varitek – not any of the 13 he threw to Pedroia.

The game came unraveled for the Angels in the seventh inning after Weaver left. The Red Sox scored six times off

relievers Hisanori Takahashi and Francisco Rodriguez, getting a three-run double from Adrian Gonzalez and a two-

run home run from David Ortiz.

"Pedroia had an incredible at-bat there," Scioscia said. "That's an important momentum swing in the game and we

didn't recover."

The Angels did close the gap when Vernon Wells hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and Maicer Izturis an

RBI double in the ninth. But the Angels have now lost 14 of their past 15 meetings with the Red Sox including all

five this season by a combined score of 29-10.

* Associated Press

Pedroia's lengthy at-bat sparks Red Sox to win

Dustin Pedroia just wouldn't give in. Facing the top pitcher in the AL, he kept fouling off pitch after pitch.

In all, Pedroia fouled off nine pitches in a 13-pitch at-bat against previously unbeaten Jered Weaver before lining a

go-ahead, two-run single that helped the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-5 on Monday night.

"I faced him a lot in college and the first few years in the big leagues and it doesn't get any better than him," Pedroia

said. "I haven't won too many of those, but it was nice to drive in a couple and kind of get things going."

He fouled off four early and, when the count was full, it was five more until he lined his key hit to center.

"He has a way of doing that. He fights. He doesn't give in," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Weaver (6-1) scratched Sunday due to a stomach virus, gave up three runs, six hits, struck out six and walked one

over six innings. He failed to become the first pitcher since 1891 to go 7-0 by May 2 or sooner. Sadie McMahon of

the Baltimore Orioles from the American Association was the last to open 7-0 by the second day of May.

Weaver, who entered the game with an 0.99 ERA, thought he could have retired him a few times.

"That's what he does," Weaver said. "He wasn't an MVP a couple of years ago for no reason. I made some good

pitches. It was a 3-2 count. Some good sliders and good changeups. He just won the battle this time. Sometimes you

lose them."

Two innings later, David Ortiz hit a two-run homer during a six-run burst to break it open.

A soldier dressed in fatigues, seated next to the Red Sox dugout, held up a flag and led fans in a chant of 'U-S-A'

early in the game. Ortiz hugged him on the way back after his shot into the Monster seats.

Ortiz said the soldier gave him a patch from the uniform of a buddy that "went down" after the slugger walked back

earlier in the game.

"Maybe it was good luck," he said, smiling.

With the Red Sox trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Carl Crawford doubled and Jason Varitek walked before Jacoby Ellsbury

bounced into a fielder's choice, erasing Varitek at second. During Pedroia's lenghty at-bat, Ellsbury stole second

before the 2008 MVP won his battle with the two-run single to make it 3-2.

"Phenomenal at-bat," Varitek said. "He didn't have the greatest first two at-bats. He just hung in there, hung in there,

hung in there."

Adrian Gonzalez had a three-run double and Clay Buchholz (2-3) pitched 6 2-3 solid innings for the win.

It was Boston's second straight win after dropping four of five, and raised its record to 5-0 against the Angels this

season. The Red Sox, who swept four games in Anaheim from April 21-24, have beaten Los Angeles 14 of the past

15 games.

Vernon Wells hit a two-run homer for the Angels, who had won four of six since being swept by Boston.

Buchholz, coming off a career-high 12 hits in a 4-1 loss at Baltimore in his last outing, held the Angels to two runs

on eight hits, walking two and fanning two.

"That was awesome," Buchholz said of Pedroia's key hit. "That was the turn of the game for sure. It just shows you

what kind of player he is. He's up there, he didn't give in, fouled off some really good pitches from probably one of

the best pitchers in the game right now."

Gonzalez's double, Kevin Youkilis ' RBI double as well as Ortiz's homer made it 9-2.

Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Youkilis' RBI single.

The Angles tied it on Bobby Abreu 's RBI single after Maicer Izturis doubled with two outs, reaching second on a

close play. Replays showed he was tagged just before he slid into the bag. In the first inning, he singled and was out

trying to stretch it when he overslid the bag.

Los Angeles made it 2-1 in the fifth on Abreu's run-scoring fielder's choice.

There was a large flag draped over the 37-foor Green Monster for the national anthem, something usually reserved

for Holidays and Opening Day. Members of the military lined up along the edge of the grass at the warning track in

left and helped carry the flag off the field. Both teams lined up along their respective foul lines in front of their

dugouts during a moment of silence and the anthem.

The moment of silence was held for victims of 9-11 and those that lost their lives since fighting for the country. The

PA announcer also asked fans to thank those that have risked their lives.'

NOTES: Ellsbury left the game with a bruised left knee. ... Francona said RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka , who left

Friday's start with tightness in his elbow, was pushed back two days to Friday. The reshuffled rotation has Jon

Lester on Tuesday, Josh Beckett Wednesday and John Lackey on Thursday.