The Red Sox made it three straight wins Sunday afternoon, getting to Justin Masterson for six runs and then doubling their lead off of Dan Wheeler in the seventh to down the Indians 12-1.
The Sox did not wait long to get after old friend Justin Masterson. After the first two Sox batters recorded outs, the team sent six straight men to the basepaths, with Will Middlebrooks and Daniel Nava driving in a run a piece before Jarrod Saltalamacchia put an exclamation mark on the inning by driving in two runs of his own.
The Indians would get a run back in the third--an inning that could have been much worse but for a Travis Hafner double play with the bases loaded. Will Middlebrooks would waste no time in getting it back, however, cleaning out an inside fastball for a rocket shot into the Monster seats.
Daniel Bard was once again not at his best, allowing four walks as he struggled with control, but managed to allow just the one run while surviving through the end of the sixth, where Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled home a sixth run for the Sox.
The Sox would really blow the game open in the seventh, picking up a single, three doubles, and a walk to start the inning before Jarrod Saltalamacchia once again provided the big hit, launching a two-run shot to center field to put the Sox up 12-1.
Rich Hill, Matt Albers, and Scott Atchison finished the game in quick fashion, leaving the Sox winners of three straight.
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Will Bounces Back: After a 2-for-17 stretch took some of the shine off of Will Middlebrooks' early returns, the third baseman seems to be back in force, going 2-for-3 with his fourth home run and a walk. One thing that's undeniable is Will Middlebrooks' power--the shot tonight was almost still rising when it smashed off the barrier behind the first row of Monster seats.
Flashing the Leather: The Sox have been impressive defensively the last few games, and today was no difference. Daniel Nava made a couple strong grabs to keep the second a 1-2-3 inning, a well-turned double play on a slow roller kept the third from getting out of hand, Will Middlebrooks saved a pair by snagging a line drive in the fourth, and Mike Aviles turned two on a line drive in the fifth. It's stuff like that which will keep the Sox in games even when their pitchers aren't on their best form.
Adrian On A Tear: Remember how Adrian was the center of attention for his failures a week back? Well, going back to May 4 and including today's doubles, Adrian has been hitting .378/.408/.556. No homers, but double after double is getting the job done right now.