The Red Sox now lead the Athletics by six runs after picking up three more in the third inning and another in the fourth.
In keeping with the tradition established in the second inning, the Athletics started off the inning by scoring in the top half of the second before the Sox put up their three. This time, however, it wasn’t Lester’s fault. Marco Scutaro couldn’t make the play on the first batted ball of the inning, and after a walk and three steals (two coming on a double steal), the Athletics only needed Coco Crisp’s sacrifice fly to score a run.
The Sox didn’t waste any time fighting back. Adrian Gonzalez scraped a double off the wall, Dustin Pedroia walked, and after lining a ball just barely foul down the left field line, Oritz hit a gapper to left-center. Adrian Gonzalez scored easily, and Dustin Pedroia crossed home after an errant throw home, which also allowed Papi to reach third base. Carl Crawford’s fly ball was deep enough to bring Ortiz home, and the Sox took a 7-2 lead.
Boston would maintain their streak of scoring in every inning in the fourth, when Mike Aviles dropped a great bunt down the third base line, stole second, and came home on Marco Scutaro’s line drive single over a leaping Cliff Pennington’s head.