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| (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) |
John Lackey finally got his run support—but it turns out he can't pitch that well with a 9-run lead. Boston was on its way to a Bronx rout when
a 12-3 lead turned into a 13-9 cardiac win. Lackey didn't even make it out of the sixth—giving up seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Boston's 14-hit attack was again led by
September Monster Mike Napoli—who knocked out two more HRs (he now has 21) while driving in three. Multiple hit games were also turned in by
Jonny Gomes (3 hits, a 3-run HR, 4 RBIs),
Will Middlebrooks and
Xander Bogaerts (who nailed his first major league HR). Boston's win puts them at a season-high 30 games over .500 (87-57). The dirty little secret of the last few wins is that—for the first time in a long time—the starting pitching has been awful. Add to that the unsure status of
Jacoby Ellsbury, and even a five-game win streak can make you nervous. Hey, we're Red Sox fans.
