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Home , Bobby Kielty, Brad Arnsberg, Carl Crawford, Colby Lewis, David Murphy (baseball), Don Orsillo

The Red Sox Sunday, September 4, 2011

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A grandiose win for Red Sox

Peter Abraham

For a few minutes yesterday afternoon, everything was as it was supposed to be for .

He sent a sailing into the stands in right field at in the fourth and arrived at the plate to hand slaps and hugs from teammates Adrian Gonzalez, , and Mike Aviles.

As the sold-out crowd cheered and some even chanted his name, Crawford walked back to the smiling. His shot helped propel the Sox to a 12-7 victory against the Rangers.

―That‘s the guy we used to play against. He changes a game just like that,‘‘ Ortiz said, smacking his hands together for emphasis. ―One swing, look what it did.‘‘

But even a grand slam can only change the statistics slightly at this point in the season. Crawford is hitting .252 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. After stealing 47 bases last season, he has 17 this year. His .690 OPS is a whopping 161 points less than it was in 2010.

Whatever personal goals Crawford may have had when the Sox signed him to a lucrative seven-year deal last winter won‘t be attained. That contract has sat on his shoulders like an anvil from the first day of .

―I don‘t look at the numbers,‘‘ Crawford said. ―I guess when [the media] reminds me, then I know. But other that that, I just try to take each new day as it comes. That‘s my approach.‘‘

Still, that one swing was a reminder of just how much impact Crawford can have on the Sox in the 24 games remaining in the regular season and particularly in the playoff games that will follow. trophies have a way of outshining the dullest of statistics.

―How many times do you see it? A guy gets hot at the right time and just carries a team,‘‘ said. ―Carl can do that.‘‘

That‘s the message has been preaching.

―It would be nice to see him string it together,‘‘ the manager said. ―He can do that. That‘s what we‘ve been saying the whole way. If his batting average at the end of the season is a little short of what expectations were, that doesn‘t mean he can‘t be a force like he was today.‘‘

A day after losing 10-0 and being held to two hits, the Sox battered six Texas for 16 hits, six for extra bases. Rookie had four hits, his career high.

Erik Bedard (5-9) was the beneficiary of the support as he won his first game with the Sox in six attempts, going six and allowing three runs.

―It‘s nice,‘‘ he said. ―At the end of the day, it‘s for the team. If we win the game and I pitch good and we play good, that‘s all that counts.‘‘

With the Yankees beating Toronto, the Sox remain a half-game out of first place in the East. They will try to take the series this afternoon with facing .

Bedard had a tough start, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks in the first four innings. Two unassisted plays by Gonzalez, one on a suicide squeeze to end the fourth inning, may have saved the lefthander from an early exit.

Trailing, 3-1, Bedard watched his teammates make his day much easier as they scored eight runs in the fourth inning.

Texas starter (11-10) allowed a by Reddick before drove a into the stands in right field. It was his 14th of the season and his second against Texas, his former team.

With one out, Pedroia singled. With Gonzalez 6 for 7 against Lewis in his career, Texas manager Ron Washington called in Yoshinori Tateyama.

Good intentions led to bad results as, following a passed ball, Gonzalez was given a free pass. After a with two outs, Ortiz was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Aviles for an ailing (tight left shoulder) and lined an RBI single to right field. Crawford then hammered a hanging over the fence in right for his fourth career grand slam. That gave the Sox an 8-3 lead.

―You hit a grand slam it definitely helps your confidence,‘‘ Crawford said. ―You‘re hoping that‘s something that can get you going.‘‘

The next reliever, Merkin Valdez, allowed consecutives singles by Reddick, Saltalamacchia, and as the Sox added another run. Six of the eight runs scored with two outs,

The offense stayed hot in the sixth inning against rookie righthander Mark Hamburger.

Crawford doubled to center before Reddick singled. Ellsbury then walked to load the bases for Pedroia with two outs. As always, he swung as hard as he could at a fastball and lined it to straightaway center. The ball banged off the wall and three runs scored.

Those three runs helped offset the four runs allowed by Sox relievers Dan Wheeler and later in the game.

―Everybody went home happy today,‘‘ Crawford said as he walked out of the clubhouse. ―It feels good to be part of that.‘‘

Bedard is finally over hump

Frank Dell‘Apa

It took a month for Erik Bedard to earn his first victory with the Red Sox. But it also took that long for the Sox to produce enough runs to provide Bedard with a comfortable margin for .

In Bedard‘s first five starts for the Sox dating to Aug. 4, he recorded a 3.46 ERA. Since 1919, no Sox starter had been winless in his first five starts with an ERA that low.

In those five games, the Sox produced a total of 11 runs. But they surpassed that in six innings in a 12-7 win over the yesterday.

―It was great putting 12 on the board, it makes it easier on the ,‘‘ Bedard said. ―You‘re not going to quiet this offense for long. It‘s a matter of time before they score a lot of runs - and they did.‘‘

This did not start out as the most efficient of Bedard outings.

The Rangers held a 3-1 lead and Yorvit Torrealba doubled to lead off the fourth. But grounded out and Adrian Gonzalez grabbed a popped-up bunt by , tagging Torrealba for a .

The Sox scored eight times in the fourth inning, matching the run production Bedard had gained in 21 innings in four previous starts dating to Aug. 9.

But Bedard was on the verge of trouble in each of the first four innings, rescued by the combination of his own resourcefulness and the fielding of Gonzalez.

―It starts out they‘re scoring and he‘s able to stop it,‘‘ Sox manager Terry Francona said of Bedard. ―And we had the big inning and the game completely turned around.‘‘

Gonzalez also had an unassisted double play in the opening inning.

―That got [Bedard] an extra inning,‘‘ Francona said. ―First and third and one out and all of a sudden we‘re coming off the field one pitch later.‘‘

Francona noted Bedard‘s difficulties have related to recovering from a knee sprain.

―There is some soreness and instability in there, so he ends up throwing with his arm instead of [using] his legs,‘‘ Francona said.

Bedard believed in the inevitability of the Sox to provide support. And it also seemed like a matter of time before Bedard would get a victory against Texas - he had failed in eight previous starts against the Rangers with a record of 0-3 and an ERA of 4.23.

―I threw a lot of pitches the first couple innings,‘‘ Bedard said. ―I just kept battling and throwing strikes and trying to keep the ball down, and eventually I did.

―I was missing with my fastball early, but as the game went on I got better and better.‘‘

Whether Bedard was taking his time getting warmed up, or he was inspired by the Sox offense, the last two innings of his six-inning stint were spectacular.

Facing the top of the Rangers‘ lineup, Bedard struck out four and did not allow a hit in the fifth and sixth innings.

But Bedard is still finding his comfort zone with the Red Sox and working on not getting his signals crossed with his .

―It‘s a problem,‘‘ Bedard said. ―But as [Jarrod Saltalamacchia] gets to know me, it gradually gets better every day.‘‘

Albers gets mechanical

Peter Abraham

The first four months of this season were a joy for Matt Albers. As the Red Sox climbed into first place, he was a reliable reliever in the late innings.

―I‘ve never really experienced that before,‘‘ said the 28-year-old righthander, who played with the Astros and Orioles before signing with the Sox as a free agent. ―It was a lot of fun.‘‘

But since Aug. 1, Albers has fallen into a hole. In 12 appearances, he has allowed 19 runs on 21 hits and 8 walks over 12 2/3 innings. His average, once 2.09, sits at 4.69. Albers pitched one inning in Friday night‘s 10-0 loss against Texas and gave up three runs.

―He had a bad, tough time,‘‘ manager Terry Francona said.

Albers is frustrated but is trying to come up with a solution. For now, the idea is to try mixing in his and changeup a little more. He believes hitters have become accustomed to the speed of his fastball and .

―I have to take a step back and do something different,‘‘ he said. ―Obviously I need to do something. I also need to throw the hard stuff better and locate it better. I‘ve been working on some mechanical changes to keep the ball down.

―If I throw my at the knees, it‘s a great pitch. If I leave it up, it‘s going to get hit.‘‘

Albers and Francona insist there is no medical issue that is affecting his performance.

Francona believes Albers can regain the form that made him an important part of the .

―If you look up at the end of the year and his ERA is a little higher because he had that one stretch, that doesn‘t necessarily mean he can‘t be that guy again that he‘s been for most of the year,‘‘ the manager said.

Said Albers: ―I‘m not worried about my stats. I just want to get back to doing what I was doing and help this team win. I know I can do what I was doing before.‘‘

Albers has never appeared in a postseason game. He‘s determined to not give the Sox any reason to leave him off the roster.

―It‘s been a lot of fun so far,‘‘ he said. ―The best year I‘ve had. I don‘t want a few rough outings to mess that up. I‘ve got to slow it down and make sure I learn from my mistakes.‘‘

Two go down

Jed Lowrie came out of the game in the fourth inning with what was described as tightness in his left shoulder.

―I don‘t think it‘s anything other than fatigue,‘‘ said Lowrie, who was on the disabled list from June 17 to Aug. 8 because of nerve damage in that shoulder. ―We‘re just being careful.‘‘

Francona plans to give Lowrie today off. ―He‘ll certainly be available. That may be me overreacting a bit,‘‘ he said.

Josh Reddick left the game in the ninth inning after being hit on the left hand by a pitch from Darren Oliver. X-rays were negative.

―Getting hit by a pitch ain‘t really that fun,‘‘ said Reddick, who was 4 for 4 before Oliver threw a fastball inside. ―The good thing is we won.‘‘

The four hits were a career high for Reddick and raised his batting average to .289. He also scored three runs.

Scutaro gets rest

Marco Scutaro was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game, but did play the final inning in the field after Reddick came out and Mike Aviles went from to right field.

That Scutaro was 1 for 14 in his career against Rangers starter Colby Lewis was part of the reason. Francona also wanted to get Scutaro some rest.

―I wanted to give him one more day,‘‘ Francona said. ―We‘ll play Marco [today]. I think these two days will really be good for him. He‘s a little beat up.‘‘

Scutaro said he felt fine and wanted to play. ―I just work here,‘‘ he said with a shrug.

Papi plays Cupid

Greg Escovedo took his girlfriend, Melissa Cheek, to Fenway Park this weekend. They‘re both from Fort Worth, but he‘s a Rangers fan and she‘s a Sox fan. Escovedo arranged to bring Cheek on the field for batting practice and while there, he proposed to her.

David Ortiz heard what was happening and came out of the dugout to congratulate the couple and lead a round of applause from the fans.

―Give it up, people,‘‘ he said. ―They‘re getting married.‘‘

Ortiz later posed for photographs with his new friends.

―I can‘t believe any of this,‘‘ said Cheek, wiping away tears. ―That was amazing. I never expected that. And to have David there. I don‘t even know what to say.‘‘

Escovedo said that while he‘ll still root for the Rangers, he has new respect for Ortiz.

―He‘s a great guy to do that,‘‘ Escovedo said. ―You hear that he‘s a nice guy, and he really is. That was something we‘ll never forget.‘‘

Salty shows speed

Jarrod Saltalamacchia had his first career in the fourth, sneaking to second without a throw being made. ―Probably the last one right there,‘‘ he said. ―I may wait to the playoffs.‘‘ . . . ―God Bless America‘‘ was performed in the seventh inning by a group of children whose fathers are Sox players . . . is 0 for 8 since coming off the disabled list with three . . . had another throwing session before the game and said his back felt fine . . . Red Sox great was recognized before the game as a member of the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame . . . Dustin Pedroia will receive the Heart and Hustle Award from the MLB Players Alumni Association before the game today . . . hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, part of a seven-run frame, as Pawtucket beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 12-7, to clinch the North Division of the for the first time since 2003.

* The

Red Sox break out bats

Dan Duggan

Coming off a shutout loss Friday night at Fenway Park, there were no signs the Red Sox offense was set for an explosion early in yesterday‘s game against the Texas Rangers.

The Sox scratched a run across in the third inning to halt a 16-inning scoring drought, but things didn‘t really get in gear until the fourth in a 12-7 win. By the time the inning ended, the Sox had scored eight runs, collected eight hits and sent 13 batters to the plate.

―To score a bunch of runs, you know, the first three innings, we were putting the ball in play with nothing really to show for it,‖ Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. ―That was a huge inning, obviously.‖

The win kept the Sox a half-game behind the AL East-leading .

Josh Reddick led off the pivotal fourth with the first of his two singles in the inning and Saltalamacchia followed with his 14th home run of the season. After Jacoby Ellsbury flew out, Dustin Pedroia singled, which led Texas manager Ron Washington to give starter Colby Lewis a quick hook.

The move made sense considering Adrian Gonzalez, who is 6-for-7 lifetime against Lewis, was due up. But reliever Yoshinori Tateyama didn‘t make Washington‘s decision look smart.

Tateyama loaded the bases with walks to Gonzalez and David Ortiz sandwiched around a Kevin Youkilis flyout. Mike Aviles pinch-hit for Jed Lowrie, who exited with left shoulder tightness, and delivered an RBI single. Manager Terry Francona said Lowrie‘s shoulder injury is not serious.

That set up Carl Crawford for the fourth grand slam of his career, a shot over the Sox bullpen. The blast gave the Sox an 8-3 lead and chased Tateyama after a third of an inning and four earned runs.

―It definitely helps your confidence out a little bit,‖ Crawford said. ―Just hoping that‘s something that can get you going.‖

Reddick greeted Merkin Valdez with his second single of the inning and Saltalamacchia followed with a single. With Ellsbury up and Reddick at third, Saltalamacchia took second for his first career stolen base. Ellsbury then drove in Reddick by beating out a chopper up the middle. Pedroia finally ended the frame with a groundout after the Sox had opened up a 9-3 lead.

That was more than enough run support for Erik Bedard to cruise to his first win since being acquired by the Sox at the July 31 trade deadline. Bedard wasn‘t sharp early, putting the Sox in a 3-0 hole due mostly to control problems.

The damage was minimized by a pair of unassisted double plays by Gonzalez at first base, while the offensive onslaught allowed Bedard to settle down. The left-hander went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks. He is 1-2 with a 3.66 ERA in six starts for the Sox.

―It was great. When you put 12 runs on the board, it makes it easier on a pitcher,‖ Bedard said. ―(I) just tried to battle — throw strikes and keep the ball down. Eventually I did and got through six and we scored some runs.‖

The barrage continued in the sixth, as Pedroia tagged his 200th career double off the wall in center to drive in three runs.

Reddick set a career high with four hits, going 4-for-4 with three singles, a double, a hit-by-pitch and three runs. He was hit on the left hand in his final at-bat, but X-rays were negative.

―So many times he‘s given us such a lift and that‘s hard for young players to do that,‖ Francona said. ―He had a little time there where he kind of came back, they made some adjustments, but he still has that ability to put some sock in his bat. Not just singles, there‘s some production in that bat.‖

2011 spotlight shines on a chosen few

John Tomase

As the homestretch arrives with the start of September, there‘s little in the way of postseason intrigue across the game. The Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Braves, Brewers and Diamondbacks are the playoff teams as of today, and they‘re likely to be the playoff teams come the postseason.

About the only question is who‘s going to win the American League East, and considering that the Red Sox have already won a World Series as a wild card, even that issue contains little drama.

No, the real race this month will be for postseason awards, and a number of those are wide open, chief among them the push for AL MVP. No fewer than six players can make a case for that one, which will be decided over the next four weeks.

Here‘s one man‘s look at how things stand now:

• AL MVP: Jacoby Ellsbury, CF, Red Sox

Also in the running: (CF, Yankees), Adrian Gonzalez (1B, Red Sox), Jose Bautista (3B/OF, Blue Jays), Dustin Pedroia (2B, Red Sox), (RHP, Tigers)

Preseason pick: Gonzalez

The skinny: Rarely are there so many deserving candidates for this award.

Granderson is going to rightfully earn a ton of votes for what is shaping up to be an historic season.

He remains on pace to become the first player since in 2000 and the first American Leaguer since in 1949 to score 150 runs. He‘s also neck and neck with Gonzalez for the RBI lead, and has surpassed the slugging Bautista in homers.

But Ellsbury gets the nod by about a millimeter for his all-around prowess. He‘s got a very good chance to become just the second leadoff hitter in history (joining the Angels‘ in 2000) to drive in 100 runs. He could end up with the first 30-30 season in Red Sox history. His defense grades out as above- average.

He has done a little bit (and in some cases, a lot) of everything. With all due respect to the outstanding seasons put together by Gonzalez and Pedroia, Ellsbury is not only the MVP of the Red Sox, but of the league.

• NL MVP: , LF, Brewers

Also in the running: (CF, Dodgers), (OF, Diamondbacks), (RHP, Phillies), Joey Votto (1B, Reds), Mike Stanton (OF, Marlins)

Preseason pick: , SS, Rockies

The skinny: The Brewers did not mess around with the fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft, locking him up through 2020 with a five-year, $105 million extension that tacks on to the end of the eight-year, $45 million deal he signed in 2008.

Braun is the best player on the most surprising team in baseball, a Brewers squad that has basically run away with the NL Central.

The fact that Braun plays for a playoff contender won‘t hurt when it comes time to hand out postseason hardware. If straight performance were the sole criterion, the nod would probably go to Kemp, who has posted monster numbers in while the team crumbles around him, thanks to the divorce proceedings tearing apart ownership.

As for the rest, Halladay‘s had a great season, but he‘ll be picking up another piece of hardware. Meanwhile, the next generation of superstars (Upton, Stanton) has made its arrival known, but its day awaits.

• AL : Verlander, RHP, Tigers

Also in the running: (RHP, Angels), CC Sabathia (LHP, Yankees), (RHP, Red Sox), (LHP, Blue Jays), James Shields (RHP, Rays)

Preseason pick: , LHP, Red Sox

The skinny: With all due respect to Weaver, Sabathia and Beckett, all of whom have had outstanding seasons, this is the easiest decision of the bunch.

Verlander has simply been pitching on another plane this year. He tossed a no-hitter in May, came very close on three other occasions, and leads the league in every meaningful pitching stat except ERA, in which he‘s second.

Verlander is renowned for still throwing 100 mph in the eighth and ninth innings, and the prospect of facing him twice in a five-game series should scare any potential ALDS foe.

The rest aren‘t slouches. Weaver entered the weekend at 15-7 with a league-leading 2.28 ERA while placing second to Verlander in a number of categories. Sabathia — at least when he‘s not facing the Red Sox — has been borderline unbeatable for the Yankees. And Beckett is inexplicably this year‘s Felix Hernandez, the starter with great peripherals who has taken seven no-decisions while allowing two or fewer runs.

As for Romero, he has very quietly put together a superb season in the AL East (13-9, 2.84), while the same can be said for the complete-game machine Shields.

• NL Cy Young: Halladay, RHP, Phillies

In the running: Cliff Lee (LHP, Phillies), (LHP, Phillies), Clayton Kershaw (LHP, Dodgers), Ian Kennedy (RHP, Diamondbacks), (RHP, Giants)

Preseason pick: Josh Johnson, RHP, Marlins

The skinny: It‘s too bad Halladay won just 18 games in his first four seasons, because we might be talking about a potential 300-game winner otherwise.

As it is, he‘ll have to settle for being a three-time (or more) winner, because the eight- time All-Star once again looks like the best of a crowded NL field.

He‘s no sure thing. Teammates Lee and Hamels have had outstanding seasons, too, with the latter recently returning from injury to toss six innings of two-hit ball. Those three are the reason the Phillies are the team to beat.

Elsewhere, Kershaw has built on the quietly excellent start to his career by going 17-5 with a league- leading 212 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA. But he loses points for pitching for a second-division team.

The same cannot be said of Kennedy, who has spearheaded the Diamondbacks‘ charge atop the NL West. And to think the Diamondbacks were considered the losers in the three-team deal that brought Kennedy in 2009 and sent Granderson to the Yankees. That may have ended up being a Cy Young Award winner for an MVP.

As for that preseason pick, Johnson was 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA when he complained of shoulder soreness in May. The Marlins rested him for what they assumed would be two weeks, but he hasn‘t pitched since. They finally decided to shut him down for the season last week. There‘s no telling what kind of numbers he would have posted if healthy.

• AL Rookie of the Year: , RHP, Rays

Also in the running: (1B, Angels), (1B, Royals), Michael Pineda (RHP, Mariners), Jordan Walden (RHP, Angels)

Preseason pick: Tsuyoshi Nishioka, SS, Twins

The skinny: The Rays have begun sending out ―For Your Consideration‖ packets to media members, but they‘re unnecessary. Hellickson‘s the guy.

The 24-year-old has been remarkably consistent, allowing more than three earned runs only three times in 24 starts. By means of comparison, Verlander‘s done it four times.

Hellickson‘s got an outside shot at winning 15 games, and he‘s kept his ERA right around 3.00 all season.

A couple of slugging first basemen — Trumbo and Hosmer — will also merit consideration. The former stepped in for Kendry Morales early in the season and never looked back, ranking among the top 10 in the AL in homers (24) as September began. Trumbo‘s a free swinger (.297 OBP), but when he connects, the ball goes a long way.

Hosmer, meanwhile, has provided a tantalizing glimpse into the kind of fearsome farm system the Royals have assembled and has been one of the best sluggers in the game in the second half, hitting .304 with an .839 OPS.

In the AL West, Pineda has given the Mariners hope of a formidable 1-2 starting rotation punch alongside King Felix, while Walden made the All-Star team as a .

• NL Rookie of the Year: , RHP, Braves

Also in the running: Vance Worley (RHP, Phillies), Freddy Freeman (1B, Braves), Danny Espinosa (2B, Nationals), Brandon Beachy (RHP, Braves)

Preseason pick: Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Reds

The skinny: There are three truly worthy candidates in this field: Kimbrel, Worley and Freeman.

The nod goes to Kimbrel. He had already set a rookie record for saves (41) by the end of August, and projects to obliterate the previous standard of 40 set by the Rangers‘ Neftali Feliz last year.

His back-end dominance alongside second-year set-up man Johnny Venters makes the Braves a team to reckon with come October.

Worley is making a late push, however. With All-Star sidelined for most of the year, Worley has stepped in and gone 10-1. Historically, the only rookie with a better was Jim Nash of the 1966 A‘s.

Freeman, meanwhile, has emerged as yet another 21-year-old potential star in Atlanta. He‘s hitting .327 in the second half and is on pace to finish the year with an OPS above .800. With nearing retirement, the Braves will soon belong to Freeman, and Brian McCann.

• AL Manager of the Year: Jim Leyland, Tigers

Also in the running: Terry Francona (Red Sox), Manny Acta (Indians), (Rays), Mike Scioscia (Angels)

Preseason pick: Bob Geren, A‘s

The skinny: This year‘s AL crop of managers is kind of uninspiring. Acta seemed like a shoo-in for much of the season, but as September dawns, the Indians are barely hanging on to a .500 record. In fact, since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 with a victory over the Red Sox on May 23, the Indians are just 38-51. Not exactly Manager of the Year timbre.

Could this be the year Francona wins? Probably not. Big-market teams never get much consideration for this award, even though Francona has done a heck of a job incorporating the likes of Andrew Miller into the starting rotation while rebuilding a bullpen that includes out-of-nowhere set-up men Matt Albers and .

In the end, the award probably goes to Leyland, a three-time Manager of the Year choice with the Pirates (1990, 1992) and Tigers (2006). Detroit went 81-18 a year ago after selling off Granderson, but has rebounded to take control of the Central this year.

• NL Manager of the Year: Fredi Gonzalez, Braves

Also in the running: (Brewers), Kirk Gibson (Diamondbacks), Charlie Manuel (Phillies), Bruce Bochy (Giants)

Preseason pick: Gonzalez

The skinny: Roenicke‘s likely to win for leading the Brewers to the third-best record in the and a runaway lead in the NL Central. And he‘s certainly a worthy choice.

But no one has had to do a better job of juggling things than Gonzalez, who a) made the gutsy decision to hand the ninth inning to Kimbrel; b) nurtured Venters along over the last two years; c) incorporated rookie machine Brandon Beachy into the rotation; and d) dealt with injuries to Jones, Heyward, McCann and three-fifths of his starting rotation while making the Braves the team no one wants to face in the .

Big bats back Erik Bedard in 1st win

Michael Silverman

His first win and more than a few runs of support have been hard to come by for Erik Bedard in his short Red Sox tenure.

Yesterday, he got everything he and the rest of the team wanted.

After a fuzzy beginning in which he allowed three runs by the third inning, Bedard sharpened up every aspect of his game to finish with three scoreless frames in a 12-7 victory over the Texas Rangers. That the left-hander was able to enjoy the fruits of the Sox‘ prodigious eight-run outburst in the fourth inning just made the final outcome sweeter.

―It was great — when you put 12 runs on the board it makes it easier on the pitcher,‖ said Bedard, who had seen an average of only 3.46 runs in support in his first five starts since coming over at the July 31 trade deadline from the . ―We got some key hits, a grand slam, another home run from Salty (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) – we just played good tonight.‖

Bedard had three no-decisions and two losses to show for his first five Red Sox starts, none of which distinguished themselves as particularly rough or smooth. He gave up four runs three starts ago against the Rangers, and none against the Oakland A‘s in the outing prior to yesterday‘s win.

Texas scored once in the second inning, then used a pair of walks as the catalyst for a two-run third. With the Sox offense held scoreless up to that point by Rangers starter Colby Lewis, the outlook was not so bright.

―I threw a lot of pitches in the first couple of innings,‖ said Bedard. ―Just tried to battle, throw strikes and keep the ball down. Eventually I did and got through six and we scored some runs.‖

Bedard faced the minimum in his final three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four.

―I was just missing a lot with my fastball early in the game,‖ said Bedard. ―Gradually, as the game went on, I got better and better.‖

While with the Mariners this season, Bedard went on the disabled list with a left knee issue. He was still in recovery mode when the Red Sox traded for him in late July. He is, of course, good enough to pitch now, but as his inconsistent results with the Red Sox have shown, a lot of that has to do with him pitching on a not perfectly fine knee.

―I would say a lot of it is with his knee,‖ said manager Terry Francona. ―There‘s still some soreness and instability there. He ends up throwing with his arm more than his body. As much as you want a pitcher to throw with his legs under him, at times it‘s still hard for him. Probably going to have to fight that a little bit.‖

Yesterday, Bedard won the battle.

Jed Lowrie exits early, should be ok

Dan Duggan

With the way things have gone for Jed Lowrie, it‘s no surprise that Red Sox manager Terry Francona erred on the side of caution when the shortstop complained of tightness in his left shoulder.

Francona lifted Lowrie in the fourth inning of yesterday‘s 12-7 win against the Rangers at Fenway Park . Lowrie missed 45 games earlier in the season with a left shoulder strain, but yesterday‘s tightness is not expected to be a major setback.

―Jed‘s just stiff, I think probably from a little bit of fatigue,‖ Francona said. ―He‘s played a lot. I don‘t think we‘ll play him (today), but he‘ll certainly be available, so we‘re OK there.‖

Lowrie has hit only .256 while playing through discomfort in the shoulder since returning from the disabled list Aug. 8. The 27-year-old‘s career has repeatedly been derailed by injuries, but he appears to have dodged a bullet with this latest scare.

Lowrie went 1-for-2 with an RBI single before he was removed yesterday. Mike Aviles filled in and went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Hits keep coming

Josh Reddick‘s great day at the plate was nearly ruined in his final at-bat. Reddick set career highs with four hits and three runs, but was hit in the left hand by a Darren Oliver fastball in the eighth inning.

Reddick, who was in obvious pain, remained in the game to run the bases, but didn‘t return to right field for the ninth inning.

―Red got hit pretty good,‖ Francona said. ―He was X-rayed – (it was) negative. He‘s going to be a little sore (today). We‘ll see how he reacts from there, but just like the rest of us, he‘s day-to-day.‖

Reddick went 4-for-4 with a double and three singles, including a pair of singles in the Sox‘ eight-run fourth inning. He entered the game with one hit in his previous 15 at-bats.

―I think everything has to go your way,‖ Reddick said. ―Whether it does fall in or whether guys are playing you a certain way, they just have to go your way and just keep having good at-bats. Those are the same swings I‘ve been putting on balls for the last week or so, and I just haven‘t been getting the results. Today I got them.‖

No help needed

Adrian Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with two walks and improved to 6-for-7 in his career against Texas starter Colby Lewis. But the may have made a bigger impact in the field, turning a pair of unassisted double plays.

With one out and runners on the corners in the first, Gonzalez snared a line drive and stepped on first to get Red Sox starter Erik Bedard out of a jam. In the fourth, Gonzalez caught Craig Gentry‘s popped-up suicide squeeze attempt and tagged Yorvit Torrealba to end the inning.

―We‘ll take them,‖ Francona said. ―They probably got Bedard an extra inning. We‘re looking at a first-and- third and one out, and all of the sudden we‘re coming off the field one pitch later. That‘s huge.‖ ...

Jarrod Saltalamacchia had an eventful fourth inning. The catcher put the first two runs of the frame on the board with his 14th homer of the season. Later in the inning, he singled and stole second. It was the first stolen base of his five-year career.

―I didn‘t know that was my first career (steal),‖ Saltalamacchia said. ―I thought I had one before that. Like I said, I‘m trying to catch up to those guys – (the Mets‘) Jose Reyes with the triples, and I‘ll catch up to (Jacoby Ellsbury ) pretty soon in stolen bases.‖

Nothing for Youk

Kevin Youkilis went 0-for-5 and was the only Red Sox starter without a hit. The is 0-for-8 since returning from the disabled list Friday. Youkilis‘ frustration showed when he raised his arms in exasperation after a line drive to third base was snagged by Adrian Beltre. ...

Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-5, including his 200th career double in the sixth inning. ...

Dan Wheeler allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings. The reliever had only surrendered one run since July 15.

Ian Kinsler went 0-for-4 with a walk to snap a 16-game against the Sox.

Marco‘s cameo

Marco Scutaro was supposed to have a second consecutive day off, but he had to step in to play shortstop in the ninth inning when Aviles shifted to right field to replace Reddick. Scutaro isn‘t dealing with a specific injury, but Francona thought the shortstop would benefit from some rest.

"He‘s a little beat up,‖ Francona said. ―It‘s our responsibility to try to pick and choose, even when they may not want to hear it, just try to keep our guys healthy so they can be more productive.‖ ...

All nine games this season between the Sox and Rangers have been decided by four or more runs. The Rangers lead the season series, 5-4, with the final matchup today at Fenway. ...

The Sox improved to 30-11 in day games, the second-best mark in the majors behind the Yankees (36-9). ...

The Sox are 4-4 on their nine-game homestand, which ends today. They begin a seven-game road trip tomorrow in Toronto.

Regular thrill kill: Sox, Rangers offer little for playoff preview

Michael Silverman

So much for that playoff preview angle.

If there‘s one thing these late-season Red Sox - Rangers games have taught us, it‘s neither team is learning a great deal about how to beat the other.

We already knew a complete pitching fail by one team and not by the other results in a meaningless, one- sided blowout.

That‘s all we‘ve been getting in this series. While a Fenway Park crowd could find no flaws with a Carl Crawford grand slam capping an eight-run fourth inning in an eventual 12-7 victory yesterday, there is a letdown factor because these games fail to resemble October baseball.

In the playoffs, pitching rises to the fore and usually prevails, but there has not been a hint of postseason aura in and around these parts.

Maybe that‘s to be expected in early September, when the intensity has not quite ratcheted itself into the fever pitch that exists during October. Still, is one high-quality, even thrilling, game asking for too much?

The quite-likely playoff foes obviously have decided, separately of course, that is too much. They won‘t waste a good, old-fashioned pitching duel or a low-scoring game or just a close game in the regular season.

Yesterday marked yet another drama-free, over-before-you-know-it outcome, this one featuring a whole lot of offense by one team – the Red Sox – and a complete pitching fail by the other.

―You‘re not going to quiet this offense that long,‘‘ said Red Sox starter Erik Bedard. ―It‘s a matter of time before we score a lot of runs, and we did.‘‘

On Friday night, that offense had been completely quieted, when the Rangers blew by the Red Sox in the series opener 10-0.

On the last road trip at the end of August, the four-game series in Arlington, Texas, featured three wins by the Red Sox. They averaged 10 runs a game, and their average margin of victory was nearly eight runs. The sole Rangers victory was a 4-0 shutout.

So, since wishful and forward thinking has turned into a waste of time, there could still be a thing or two to take away from yesterday‘s game.

One is that the bottom third of the Red Sox batting order – Crawford, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia – came up big on a day when the rest of the batting order was pretty average.

Assuming Reddick‘s left hand is OK – he was hit by a Darren Oliver pitch in the eighth inning – he only will gain confidence with his first four-hit game. He had three singles, including two during the big fourth inning, and a double.

Saltalamacchia started the scoring in the fourth with his two-run homer. If there is an angle that will be explored come October, an excellent one will be how the Rangers essentially gave him away at the trade deadline last July 31.

And then there‘s Crawford, whose debut with the Red Sox has been underwhelming, but has shown flashes, like yesterday, of the awe-factor everybody expected.

―It‘s exciting – it would be nice to see him string it together, but he can do that,‘‘ said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. ―If his batting average at end of year is a little short of expectation that doesn‘t mean he can‘t be a force like he was today.‘‘

The Red Sox were the force yesterday, the Rangers were on Friday, and there is still time this afternoon for those forces to meet head-on and play an evenly matched game.

And if they refuse to cooperate, us hard-to-please types will just have to wait another month to get what we want.

Jed Lowrie improving by degree

Steve Buckley

Take a look at the official Red Sox pregame press notes for infielder Jed Lowrie on any given day and you‘ll find such nuggets as these:

• He began a 5-4-3 play on Aug. 16.

• A switch hitter, he‘s been sizzling against left-handed pitching this season, with a .347 average (35-for- 101) entering the weekend.

• While recovering from a left shoulder strain, he hit .412 (7-for-17) during a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket.

But for all this talk about his work with the cowhide, next to no attention has been paid to Lowrie‘s work with the sheepskin. However, during spring training this year, Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse wrote a piece detailing how Lowrie was at long last closing in on completing his degree from Stanford University. A native of Oregon, Lowrie played his college ball at Stanford but left after his junior year when he was selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the June amateur draft.

This past spring, Price reported, Lowrie took his last step toward completing his degree in political science when he submitted a 17-page paper comparing the labor unions in and the .

But inquiring minds wanted to know: Is Jed Lowrie officially a member of the Class of 2011 at Stanford University?

Has he received his diploma?

If so, where is it? Stuffed somewhere in the back of his locker? In his equipment bag? In his Boston apartment. Perhaps at his offseason home in Arizona?

―It was sent to my parents‘ home in Oregon in the middle of June, and right now my mother is in possession of it,‖ Lowrie said. ―When you graduate from Stanford in the winter quarter, they just wait until spring commencement to send you your degree.

―From what I have been told, it‘s on my mom‘s coffee table. It is being displayed.

―We sort of celebrated my graduation in spring training, but I think actually seeing the proof, they were pretty excited about it.‖

Many athletes who trade the campus for the pros fail to complete their degrees. Some simply don‘t have the interest. Some make such staggering amounts of money that the value of a college education is lessened. And some, even if they wanted to get their degree, just don‘t have the time.

After Lowrie completed his first pro season in 2005, hitting .328 in 53 games with the Single-A of the New York-Penn League, he returned to Stanford and took a class during the fall semester. A year later, following a full season with Wilmington of the Single-A , he returned to Stanford and took another class.

Things got a little complicated when he was promoted to Double-A Portland in 2007.

―I talked with my adviser in the AARC — that‘s the Academic Athletic Resource Center — and he kind of got me on track,‖ Lowrie said. ―I had left that loose end coming out of college. It always weighed on me. But I was more focused on baseball.

―But last offseason, I had the time, and, really, the desire to get it done. Life‘s not getting any slower. I figured the longer I waited, the harder it would be to finish.‖

Lowrie is not the first Red Sox player to complete his degree requirements while still in the big leagues.

Outfielder Darren Lewis, who played for the Red Sox from 1998-2001, hit the books during his offseasons and came away with a degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford‘s archrival.

Better known, perhaps, is , who left Notre Dame to sign with the Red Sox in 1958. Keeping a promise to his parents that he would finish college, the future Hall of Famer earned a business degree from Merrimack in 1966 — one year before his Triple Crown season propelled the 1967 ―Impossible Dream‖ Red Sox to the American League pennant.

―I promised a lot of people I‘d finish,‖ Lowrie said. ―It was my goal to fulfill that promise.‖

One of those people was Milessa Muchmore, herself a Stanford graduate who now works for the U.S. State Department.

Now that Jed Lowrie has his college degree, he‘ll soon by working on yet more paperwork: In November, the two Stanford grads are getting married.

*

Eight-run fourth gives Bedard first Boston win

Brian MacPherson

Erik Bedard had to wait more than a month for a little run support.

When he finally got his run support, though, he really got run support.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run home run and Carl Crawford hit a grand slam as part of an eight-run fourth inning as the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers, 12-7, at Fenway Park on Saturday.

And thanks to the offensive onslaught — the Red Sox scored more runs in the fourth inning than they had in the last three games the lefty started combined — Bedard earned his first win in a Red Sox uniform. His ERA with the Red Sox stands at 3.66.

―When you put 12 runs on the board, it makes it easier on a pitcher,‖ Bedard said. ―We had some key hits — a grand slam, another home run by Salty. We just played good tonight.‖

Three of the four hitters Bedard walked came in the second or third inning as his command betrayed him. Part of the issue was persistent soreness in his left knee early in the game, something that he‘ll probably have to deal with for the rest of the season.

His mechanics and command suffered accordingly. Two runs scored in the third inning, and only a botched squeeze that Adrian Gonzalez turned into an unassisted double play got him out of trouble in the top of the fourth.

―A lot of it is with his knee,‖ Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. ―There‘s still some soreness and some instability there. He ends up throwing with his arm more than his body, as much as you want pitchers to keep their legs under them. I think, at times, it‘s a little hard for him still. He‘s probably going to have to fight that a little bit.‖

But after the Red Sox scored eight runs for him in the bottom of the fourth, Bedard struck out four of the next five hitters he faced and pitched through the sixth inning.

―The last two innings, I put the glove up and he hit it,‖ Saltalamacchia said. ―The first few innings, the control was a little off and we had to use the curveball a little more to try to get back in the count. He came back and battled through some big innings for us.‖

Josh Reddick started the fourth inning with a single to center field, the second of his career-best four hits on the day. Saltalamacchia followed with a game-tying two-run home run to right field, his 14th of the season.

But the inning was far from over. Dustin Pedroia singled and Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz both walked to load the bases with two outs for pinch-hitter Mike Aviles — and Aviles lined a single to right field to score the go-ahead run.

Crawford then followed with a grand slam over the in right field, his 11th home run of the season. Crawford is slugging .634 in his last 11 games.

Pedroia hit a bases-loaded double, the 200th double of his career, in the sixth inning.

Lowrie’s defense has suffered in shift of fortunes

Brian MacPherson

It‘s been a rough season defensively for Jed Lowrie.

While Kevin Youkilis was out with a back injury, Lowrie played almost every day at third base. When Youkilis returned on Friday, Lowrie moved over to shortstop and played back-to-back games there. The workload might have contributed to the stiffness in his shoulder that prompted Terry Francona to lift him from the game Saturday, which ―might be me overreacting a little bit,‖ Francona said.

The other problem for Lowrie is that he hasn‘t played the type of defense he‘s accustomed to playing at either shortstop or third base. He‘s made 15 errors in fewer than 400 innings in the field — an average of one every three games. Ten of those errors have come at shortstop, five at third base. He failed to make what looked like a routine play on a ground ball up the middle on Friday night.

Lowrie acknowledged after a rough game last weekend that playing multiple positions has not made things easy. He‘s not the first player to find that transition difficult.

Like Lowrie, came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop. He broke into the major leagues as a shortstop. He played all of three games at second base — and none at third base — in his minor-league career.

But with the arrival of late in 1996 season, Valentin was pushed first to second base and, later, full-time to third base.

The season Valentin first moved off his preferred position, he made 11 errors at second base and 11 errors at third base. One Baseball-Reference.com statistic calculated that he cost the Red Sox five runs in the field that season, just two years after saving them 23 runs in the field as a shortstop.

Making the transition from third base or second base to shortstop would have been next to impossible, he said.

―Being a shortstop first was probably the best thing,‖ said Valentin, who visited Fenway Park this week as part of Telethon. ―If you play a different position and you‘re not playing shortstop and you try to become a shortstop, it‘s not possible.‖

But moving from shortstop to third base was a little more challenging — even if moving to second base was less so.

―To be able to play short and have the versatility, have the footwork underneath you to play that position and be able to move around, moving over to second for that short period of time was a piece of cake,‖ he said. ―I felt like I was just standing still.

―Going to third base was a little more challenging. Although I didn‘t have to move that much, the ball was coming to me a little faster. Trying to react to the baseball was the challenge.‖

Hitting in the stretch

The first five months of the season aren‘t going to go away. No realistic scenario exists in which Carl Crawford can finish his first season in Boston hitting .300.

But Crawford will have a chance to give the Red Sox a big boost down the stretch.

―The games have passed, I don‘t really worry about,‖ he said. ―I just try to take the approach of trying to do well the next day and the day after that. Everything that happens is pretty much behind me.‖

Crawford hit a grand slam to cap an eight-run fourth inning on Saturday, his 11th home run of the season and his fourth in the last two weeks. It was his fourth career grand slam, his first with the Red Sox.

Two innings later, he doubled with one out to spark another crooked-number inning.

―If his batting average at the end of the year is a little short of what expectations are, that doesn‘t mean he can‘t be a force like he was today,‖ Francona said.

Four hits for Reddick

A big bruise wasn‘t the way Josh Reddick hoped to end his four-hit day.

Still, though, he‘ll take the four-hit day.

Reddick took a Darren Oliver fastball off the outside of his hand, just above his wrist. He underwent x-rays — results were negative — and left the clubhouse with a wrap around his hand. The pitch capped a day in which he doubled and singled three times, his first career four-hit game. He scored three runs, including two of the eight runs the Red Sox scored in the fourth inning.

Since hitting .483 with a .529 on-base percentage in his first 34 plate appearances after his mid-June call- up, Reddick has cooled off considerably. He hit .280 with a .330 on-base percentage in July, and he hit just .208 with a .265 on-base percentage in August. He even went hitless in his first five plate appearances in September.

But games like the one he put together Saturday provide a reminder of the explosiveness he has in his bat.

―The main thing is helping out the team win,‖ Reddick said. ―That‘s the main thing for me right now. But, definitely, after the struggles I had, it‘s huge to pick up a game like that.‖

Keeping the faith

Francona is seeing the same rockets being hit off Matt Albers that everyone else is seeing. He‘s well aware Albers has seen his ERA more than double since Aug. 1.

But that doesn‘t mean he‘s about to bury a reliever who pitched so well for so long.

―If you look up at the end of the year and his ERA is a little higher because he had that one stretch, that doesn‘t necessarily mean he can‘t be that guy again that he‘s been for most of the year,‖ Francona said.

Albers is throwing with the same mid-90s velocity with which he has thrown all season. His sinker, his trademark pitch, is moving just about the same as it did six weeks ago.

Only the location in the strike zone has been dreadful –– and so too have been the results.

―His velocity is good,‖ Francona said. ―Sometimes his velocity is real good. There‘s been times he‘s been behind in the count and paid the price, and there‘s times he‘s made mistakes over the middle of the plate. When he‘s good, he‘s working ahead and allowing that two-seamer to come through the zone with some life, the occasional breaking ball. Right now, it‘s elevated a little bit –– and it‘s getting hit.‖

Former teammates Saltalamacchia and Harrison have seen each other blossom

Brian MacPherson

Matt Harrison first met Jarrod Saltalamacchia almost a decade ago at the ‘ spring-training complex. Harrison had been a third-round pick of the Braves in the 2003 draft, and Saltalamacchia had been a supplemental first-round pick.

The Texas lefty probably will come face-to-face with Saltalamacchia on Sunday, the second time he will have faced him in the major leagues. Before this season, the two spent eight seasons on the same side — first with the Braves and, after the midway through the 2007 season, with the Rangers.

Saltalamacchia first caught Harrison in -level Gulf Coast League, and he caught him again at Double-A Mississippi four years later. After the trade with the Rangers, the two played together again at Triple-A Oklahoma before Saltalamacchia — and, later, Harrison — broke into the major leagues for good.

―I pitched to him I don‘t know how many times,‖ Harrison said.

Harrison enters his start Sunday, his 26th start of the season, with a 3.54 ERA — a big step forward from the 5.39 ERA he brought into this season.

―It‘s fun to watch him out there pitching,‖ Saltalamacchia said. ―I know what he went through. He went through a lot of ups and downs, a lot of send-downs and call-ups, messing with his mechanics, putting him in the bullpen. He had a rough road over there, but he‘s proven that he can pitch at the big-league level and proven he can dominate at the big-league level.‖

Way back when they first met, Saltalamacchia was a gangly catcher with big raw tools, a first-round pick who could hit for power from both sides of the plate and the arm strength to be a major-league catcher.

All he needed to learn was what most minor-league catchers need to learn along the way. He needed to know how to guide pitchers through games and take charge of a pitching staff.

―He was a big guy, a big target to throw to, a good receiver, and he had a great arm to throw guys out at the time,‖ Harrison said in the Rangers‘ clubhouse on Saturday. ―Coming up through the minor leagues, you figure out stuff and you figure out how to pitch guys. The more focus you put into the game, the more you get out of it. He definitely learned a lot coming up.

―He seems like he knows a lot more what‘s going on. He really knows how to make adjustments when he needs to out there, when to calm pitchers down and when to jump on their butts. He‘s doing a good job.‖

In 2006, the final season before Saltalamacchia was summoned to the major leagues, the Double-A compiled a sub-4.00 ERA as a team. Saltalamacchia caught more than half of the games the team played that season.

―The more he caught, the more he saw what guys had,‖ said Harrison, who threw 77 1/3 innings for Mississippi that season. ―If the fastball or changeup or curveball was working that day, he really stuck with that pitch. That just shows his maturity at a young age.‖

The learning curve of Saltalamacchia has peaked this season. The 26-year-old catcher has taken charge of the Red Sox pitching staff this season, and he‘s fulfilled the promise so many scouts saw in his bat.

He hit his career-high 14th home run off Rangers righty Colby Lewis on Saturday, a rocket to right field on a slider over the inner half of the plate. That home run sparked an eight-run fourth inning during which Saltalamacchia also singled to center field — and stole his first career base.

The catcher now is slugging .472 on the season, third-best among catchers in the major leagues behind Detroit‘s Alex Avila and Atlanta‘s Brian McCann.

Most important, though, has been the way he has guided the Red Sox staff — most recently lefty Erik Bedard on Saturday. Bedard began the game with rocky command but still managed to persevere through six innings.

―His first few innings, he was trying to find the control a little bit, so we had to go with some breaking balls to get back into some counts,‖ Saltalamacchia said. ―But after the second or third inning, he started to really command the fastball a lot more and just go after hitters.‖

Saltalamcchia had to learn the entire Red Sox staff this season, his first as the full-time catcher in Boston. He‘s had to learn Bedard on the fly.

―It‘s a process,‖ Bedard said. ―The first couple of games, he gets to know me, and then, gradually, the more he catches me, the better he gets. It gets better every time.‖

* The Hartford Courant

Matt Barnes making the best of his gift

Dom Amore

Matt Barnes was maybe 15, his brother A.J. about 11 when their father decided to talk about "gifts."

"It was at the dinner table. I'd talk about things like that once in a while," Eric Barnes said. "I said, 'I want to talk about gifts and what you do with those gifts.'"

A.J.'s gift was his intelligence, Matt was blessed with a special right arm.

"We knew he'd be good," Eric said, "but we didn't know he'd be this good. A first-round draft pick? Come on."

Eric Barnes' talk was, in and of itself, a gift that keeps on giving. He and his wife, Jean, drove from their home in Bethel clear across the state to see Matt Barnes in the uniform of a professional ballplayer, the uniform of the Lowell Spinners. When Eric saw his son signing autographs between games of the Spinners' doubleheader against the Connecticut Tigers Friday, he hurried down the grandstand at Dodd Stadium to take a picture and get his own program signed. Jean tugged at his left sleeve to study and touch the Red Sox logo.

"Yeah, that's kind of nice," said Matt, wearing No. 44. "They've always been so supportive of me. My dad was the one always working with me, helping me get better."

Barnes, 21, who went on to become the ace at UConn, was drafted by the Red Sox with the 19th pick of the first round in June and signed for a $1.5 million bonus minutes before the deadline on Aug. 15. The Red Sox are treating that special right arm with ultimate care. Barnes has been assigned to Lowell just for a taste of minor league life; he was not to pitch in any games or even throw off a mound as the New York- Penn League regular season comes to an end Sunday.

"Sure, you want to get out there and pitch," Barnes said, "but they're being smart with me. It's a lot like at UConn. I pitched every seven days and watched all the other games."

After the Huskies' season ended with a loss at South Carolina in the NCAA super regional, Barnes spent the summer lifting weights, running and resting. Since reporting to Lowell, he has been throwing in the — first every other day, more recently two out of three days — building to a distance of 105 feet. The Red Sox want him to build slowly toward their instructional camp in Fort Myers, which runs Sept. 19 to Oct. 11. Then he returns home to rest for spring training.

Why the caution? Barnes threw 120 innings for UConn between Feb. 19 and June 11, going 11-5 with a 1.,93 ERA. Perhaps the most important of those starts was a win against South Florida on May 7 at Dodd Stadium, where Red Sox GM came to watch, hustling down to the bullpen to take in Barnes' warmup and take his own radar readings during the game. The ultimate national cross-checker, Epstein was sharing high-fives with scouts when Barnes lasted to the 19th pick.

As with all first-round picks, negotiations were non-existent until the final minutes. The Red Sox's offer came at 11:51 p.m., nine minutes before they would have lost Barnes, who saw no point in going back to college.

"I was prepped for it," Barnes said. "I knew it was going to be an 11:59 deal. I knew what it was going to be. I was pretty set that I was going to sign. To be drafted by a great organization, a team that's here in , and to be drafted where I was drafted, I couldn't ask for anything more than that."

Since turning pro, Barnes has simply watched. He was in Albany last week to see his former teammate, , who was drafted at 11th overall by the Astros and also signed at the deadline, hit his first home run as a pro.

"A bomb," Barnes said.

"Baseball's always the same game, just different guys," he said. "It's really the same here. You just get after it and try to get that W."

* The Springfield Republican

Handy Mike Aviles comes through in a pinch as Red Sox roll

Ron Chimelis

Of the 16 hits and six walks the Red Sox collected in their 12-7 victory Saturday, it was Mike Aviles' fourth-inning at-bat that Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said he wanted back most.

"But I don't want to give it back,'' said Aviles, whose bases-loaded, pinch-hit RBI single gave the Red Sox a 4-3 lead.

The Red Sox wound up scoring eight runs in the inning for a 9-3 lead. Even so, Aviles' two-out hit changed the complexion of the slugfest at Fenway Park.

Aviles was sent up to hit when Jed Lowrie had to leave with tightness in his left shoulder.

The utility infielder was asked how much warning he had that he would hit.

"I would say not much. At the start of the inning, I started moving around and loosening up,'' Aviles said.

Aviles went 2-for-3. He is hitting .333 in 57 at-bats since coming from Kansas City on July 30.

"I come to the park every day, prepared to play, because you never know,'' Aviles said.

The pinch-hit at-bat was not an easy one for Aviles, a right-handed hitter who faced righty sidewinder Yoshinori Tateyama.

He spanked a 3-1 single to right field.

Aviles replaced two injured players in the same game. When Josh Reddick was hit by an eighth-inning pitch, Aviles went from shortstop to right field in the ninth.

The acquisition of and the expected return of J.D. Drew would seem to mean Aviles would no longer be needed in right.

But he stays ready, just in case.

"Absolutely. I was only out there for an inning and no balls were hit to me, but what if?'' he said.

"(Pitcher) Franklin Morales is on the mound, and he's got a family to feed. I don't want to be the reason to cause him any harm.''

LOWRIE UPDATE: Manager Terry Francona said Lowrie will probably not play Sunday, but will be available.

"The shoulder was just stiff, probably from fatigue because he's played a lot,'' Francona said.

"(Replacing Lowrie) might have been overreacting on my part, but we just don't want to lose guys.''

A strain in the same shoulder hampered Lowrie for nearly three weeks before it finally forced him to the disabled list on June 17.

He remained there for 45 games until returning Aug. 8.

Before leaving, Lowrie was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two sharply-hit line drives.

Marco Scutaro was to receive a second straight day off. Scutaro is healthy, and played the ninth after Aviles moved to the outfield.

YOUK LINE: Kevin Youkilis went 0-for-5. He is 0-for-8 since coming off the disabled list for back problems Friday.

Daylight slugging time, Carl Crawford shines as Red Sox punish Texas

Ron Chimelis

Until this year, baseball had never been like night and day for Carl Crawford.

In his first season with the Red Sox, though, though, there have really been two Crawfords.

There is Daytime Carl, whose grand slam punctuated Saturday's 12-7 victory over Texas at Fenway Park.

Then there is Nighttime Carl, who is not afraid of the dark, he just hasn't hit in it.

"I don't know what to think about that. I didn't even know it until I was told,'' said Crawford, who also had a double.

Josh Reddick had his first four-hit game for the Red Sox. He had two hits in the fourth inning, when Crawford's grand slam was part of an eight-run inning.

Reddick's chance for a fifth hit ended in pain when he was hit by Darren Oliver's pitch in the eighth.

He stayed in to run, but left in the ninth.

"It's sore, but not too serious,'' said Reddick, who was hit just above his right wrist.

"Getting hit is never fun, but fortunately, it didn't hit the bone.''

With left-hander Matt Harrison pitching for Texas on Sunday, there was a good chance Reddick would get a day off in any case.

Crawford is hitting .328 in day games, including 4:10 starts such as Saturday's. That ranks seventh in the American League.

At night, he's hitting .221. Unfortunately, most games are played at night, explaining his .252 overall average.

"I don't look at my numbers anymore. I just try to take each day as it comes, and the day after that,'' Crawford said.

His fourth career grand slam, and first with Boston, paved a long-awaited victory road for Erik Bedard (5- 9).

The six-inning stint was Bedard's first win with the Red Sox and first in more than 11 weeks.

The left-hander is 1-2 in six starts since coming to Boston in a July 31 trade with Seattle.

Bedard had looked headed to victory a week ago. Leading 3-0 after four innings, he after a rain delay to avoid injury risk.

He did not reach the five-inning minimum required for a victory.

Bedard had been 0-5 in eight starts since his last win, which came on June 15 for the Mariners againt the Angels.

He labored in the first three innings Saturday, but after Yorvit Torrealba's double to open the fourth, he fired three hitless innings with one walk.

Four of Bedard's six strikeouts came after Torrealba's hit.

Crawford's career has never reflected much preference for day or night. Playing in Tampa Bay meant home games were staged under a dome, making outside weather irrelevant.

Crawford is a .289 lifetime hitter in daytime, and .294 at night. He is a .303 indoor hitter, and .283 in outdoor games.

Reddick had gone 2-for-16 on the homestand, adding to a longer slump that has put his playing time in question. . Conor Jackson's acquisition from Oakland has increased the choices in right field, but Reddick remains confident.

"Everybody goes through slumps. It's how you cope that matters,'' he said.

"There have been so many times he's given us such a lift. That's tough for a young player to do.'' Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

The Red Sox had eight hits in the fourth, when they sent up 13 batters against Colby Lewis (11-10) and two relievers.

With Reddick on first, Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered off Lewis to tie the game at 3-3.

Later in the inning, Saltalamacchia singled and logged his first career stolen base.

* The Lowell Sun

Ellsbury having historic campaign in leadoff spot

Chaz Scoggins

As a kid collecting baseball cards back in the early 1960s, I remember being astonished when I looked at the back of 's card.

Ashburn had been the Phillies' leadoff hitter for years, and he would finish his career with a .308 lifetime average that would earn him admission to the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Around the Bases

The year that leaped out at me was 1958. Ashburn won the NL batting crown that summer by hitting .350. He had 215 hits but drove in just 33 runs. Two of the RBI were himself with the two homers he hit that year.

I know that the 1950s wasn't an especially a high-scoring era in baseball history, and weak-hitting pitchers were batting in front of Ashburn, somewhat limiting his RBI opportunities. But I couldn't figure out how someone with 215 hits, including 24 doubles and a league-leading 13 triples, could drive in just 31 teammates all season.

Nor was that year an aberration for Ashburn. He had only 33 RBI on 186 hits in 1957 when he batted .297, and a meager 20 RBI on 150 hits in 1959 when he batted .266.

I don't mean to single out Ashburn for criticism. The fact is, he's far from alone when it comes to leadoff hitters being able to drive in runs. Hitters bat leadoff because they're able to get hits and draw walks and get on base, run, and score runs. But as a fraternity, they're woefully inadequate when it comes to emptying the bases.

There are self-styled baseball experts who will try and tell you that there is no such thing as clutch hitting. They're wrong. There's a knack to driving in runs, and most leadoff hitters seem to freeze up when they're batting with runners in . It's kind of like you telling your boss when he asks you to do a little extra: "Hey, that ain't my job."

Long ago I came to believe that a leadoff hitter who can also drive the ball and knock in runs is an extremely valuable commodity in baseball.

The reason the Red Sox' Jacoby Ellsbury is a leading candidate for the MVP Award this year is because he's started hitting for power and hitting in the clutch in addition to performing his usual leadoff duties.

Through yesterday's game against the Rangers, Ellsbury was hitting .313 and slugging .522 with 35 doubles, 4 triples, 24 homers, 36 steals, 98 runs -- and 85 runs batted in. And there's still nearly a month to go.

In the history of baseball, only one hitter who batted primarily leadoff has ever driven in 100 runs. That was Darin Erstad, who had exactly 100 RBI for the Angels in 2000.

Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra just missed, driving in 98 runs and belting 30 homers out of the leadoff slot in 1997.

For the first half of the season, I felt Adrian Gonzalez was the league's MVP. But now, when you take Ellsbury's Gold Glove-caliber defense into consideration, I'd go with Ellsbury. The question is if either Ellsbury or Gonzalez will beat out the Yankees' Curtis Granderson for the award.

I've put together a list of the top 10 all-around seasons by a Red Sox leadoff hitter since RBI became an official statistic in 1920. In case you're wondering, while , , and had some terrific offensive years as part-time leadoff hitters, none of them hit in that position often enough to make the list.

Honorable Mention: Doc Cramer, 1938 -- Cramer did not hit a single homer that year, but he did drive in 71 runs while batting .301 with 36 doubles and 8 triples and scored 116 runs in 148 games.

Honorable Mention: , 1987 -- If Burks had begun the season with the Red Sox instead of playing in the minors until late April, his numbers probably would have been good enough to rank very high on this list. In 133 games, the rookie Burks hit .272 with 30 doubles, 20 homers, 27 steals, and 94 runs while driving in 59.

10. Mike Andrews, 1970 -- His batting average was a modest .253, but Andrews got the most out of it. He whacked 28 doubles and 17 homers that season in 151 games, drove in 65 runs and scored 91 times. He also drew 81 walks.

9. Jose Offerman, 1999 -- Yeah, I know. You're as shocked as I was to see Offerman make this list. Red Sox fans tormented him almost the entire time he played in Boston, and every year he was here was worse than the one before it. But believe it or not, Offerman had quite a year for the Red Sox out of the leadoff slot in 1999. He hit .294 with a .391 on-base percentage, scored 107 runs, and drove in 69 in 149 games. He slammed 37 doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, 8 homers, drew 96 walks, and also stole 18 bases.

8. , 1973 -- Harper stole what was then a club-record 54 bases that summer but also slammed 17 homers and drove in 71 runs in 147 games. He batted .281 with 23 doubles and scored 92 times.

7. Dominic DiMaggio, 1951 -- One of the lesser celebrated DiMaggio brothers appears on this list three times, more than any other player. In 1951, DiMaggio led the AL with 113 runs while driving in 72. He batted .296 with 34 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 homers in 146 games.

6. , 2005 -- Damon followed up his fabulous 2004 season with another stellar performance. Although his homers were halved from 20 to 10, Damon still drove in 75 runs while scoring 117 and batting .316 with 35 doubles, 6 triples, and 18 steals in 148 games

5. Dominic DiMaggio, 1950 -- DiMaggio led the AL with 131 runs (and 15 steals) in 141 games and also knocked in 70 while hitting .328 with 30 doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, and 7 homers while walking 82 times.

4. Dominic DiMaggio, 1948 -- Showing why he was one of the premier leadoff hitters in the game, The Li'l Perfesser had 87 RBI while scoring 127 runs in 151 games and batting .285 with 40 doubles, 4 triples, and 9 homers and walking 101 times. He also stole 10 bases in that era when stealing had become a lost art.

3. Johnny Damon, 2004 -- Damon was the catalyst for the world champions, driving in 94 runs and scoring 123 while batting .304 with 35 doubles, 6 triples, 20 homers, 76 walks, and 19 steals.

2. Nomar Garciaparra, 1997 -- It was his rookie year, and Garciaparra lit up the league with his then-record 98 RBI out of the leadoff spot while hitting .306 and slugging .534 with 44 doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, 30 homers, 22 steals, and 122 runs.

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2011 -- The season isn't over yet. But when it is, I suspect Ellsbury will have had the most brilliant all-around season a Red Sox leadoff hitter has ever had.

* The Quincy Patriot Ledger

Crawford's grand slam helps Red Sox topple Rangers

Mike Fine

Carl Crawford knows where he‘s been and knows what he‘s been, which is pretty much a disappointment for the Red Sox. It doesn‘t mean a thing at this stage of the season.

―The games in the past, I don‘t‘ really worry about it,‖ said the Red Sox‘ , whose fourth-inning grand slam was a key to his team‘s 12-7 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday. ―I just try to take the approach of try to do well the next day and the day after that. So, everything that happens is pretty much behind me.‖

Crawford is beyond the point of looking at his average (a disappointing .252) because, like some of his teammates, it all goes down the drain with an impressive performance heading to the playoffs. ―I just try to take it as the new day comes. That‘s just my approach. I don‘t really know if that (a strong performance) will erase everything. It‘ll if I can help the team win a World Series or whatever, it‘ll definitely feel better. Give me something that I can improve on for next year. I guess it‘ll be nice to see if that happens.‖

That was certainly the case in this game, as the Sox overcame a semi-shaky start by starter Erik Bedard, who finally won his first game in a Red Sox uniform, snapping a string of eight straight winless starts, thanks to the eight-run fourth inning in which 13 Red Sox batters got to the plate. They chased Rangers starter Colby Lewis in a big way. There was the Crawford slam, but he had plenty of company at the bottom of the order. Both Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two hits in the inning, something that teammates Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia did on May 25 at Cleveland.

These were big hits, though. Reddick ended up at 4-for-4 before getting hit by a Darren Oliver pitch on the left hand in the eighth inning. The first of Saltalamacchia‘s two hits was a two-run home run. The final three batters had eight hits – Crawford also doubled – and scored six runs.

―It was huge,‖ Reddick said of the bottom‘s contribution. ―CC had a huge day for us with the grand slam, and I think everybody did a little bit of something today. Bedard came out and gave us a strong start. He got toughed up a little early, but luckily this lineup doesn‘t give up and came out and pounded the ball.‖

The beauty of it, though, was the fourth inning, when the Sox erased a 3-1 deficit.

―It was fun,‖ said Reddick, who got hit on the hand, just below the wrist (X-rays were negative). ―Just trying to get on base any way I can to get us going, and fortunately we did. We have a tendency to put up that kind of run support, so hopefully we can do it tomorrow, too.‖

―So many times he‘s given us such a lift,‖ manager Terry Francona said of Reddick, ―and it‘s hard for young players to do that.‖

Saltalamacchia thought that the key wasn‘t so much the eight-run inning, but that the Sox slammed the door in the following innings. In fact, Bedard came back to retire five straight, giving up one of his four walks and then closing the door again. It enabled him to snap a personal eight-game winless streak against the Rangers. Dan Wheeler had trouble in the eighth, giving up three runs.

―Any time you score runs you‘ve gotta put up zero on the board on the other side,‖ said Saltalamacchia. ―Regardless of whether it‘s one run or two runs, you gotta put a zero up the next inning.‖

The catcher had already done his part with two hits, but he did something that kind of came out of the blue: He stole his first career base after his single.

―No, I didn‘t know that was my first career,‖ he said. ―I thought I had one before that but, yeah, like I said, I‘m trying to catch up to those guys – Jose Reyes with the triples and I‘ll catch up to Ellsbury soon in stolen bases, I guess.‖

Asked how many more he‘d end up with by the end of the season, he said, ―Probably the last one right there. I‘ll wait to the playoffs.‖

The Sox didn‘t simply accept the one big inning. In the sixth inning they loaded the bases again, when Dustin Pedroia stroked his 200th career double, clearing the bases. Amidst the big fourth inning, Mike Aviles pinch-hit for Jed Lowrie, who had earlier singled in a run but was suffering with a stiff shoulder. Aviles stroked a run-scoring single himself and later scored.

Crawford, though, might have been a bit more triumphant than his teammates given that he was a late scratch a day earlier when he got sick.

―Took some medicine‘‘ he said. ‗‘Feeling better.‖

At the plate, too.

―When you hit a grand slam, it definitely helps your confidence out a little bit. Just hoping that‘s something that can get you going. It feels good whenever you can contribute and help out and do anything to try and help the team win. So, you do something like that, especially a grand slam, it feels good.‖

Red Sox Notebook: Scutaro gets day of rest

Mike Fine

Sox manager Terry Francona decided to give shortstop Marco Scutaro a consecutive straight day off Saturday, even if Scutaro‘s wasn‘t fully with the program.

―Wanted to give him another day just to kind of let him take advantage of having Youk back,‖ Francona said before his team‘s 12-7 win over the Texas Rangers. ―We‘ll play Marco tomorrow. Two days will really be good for him.‖

Francona acknowledges that Scutaro‘s been a little ―beat up,‖ even if he‘s playing the best ball of his two- year Red Sox career. Scutaro has been perfectly fine in the field and Wednesday night made a terrific stop of a Robinson Cano ground ball.

He‘s batting .270 and has made nine errors in 85 games, half of error total from last season, when he was ailing even more and played 132 games at shortstop.

―I just think it‘ll be good for him,‖ said the manager. ―He‘s a little beat up, and when you try to look at things in advance, when he does have a tough time with somebody, it‘s a good time to do it.‖

Scutaro has a career 1-for-14 hitting mark against Rangers starter Colby Lewis.

Francona said that although Scutaro (who played the top of the ninth defensively) is a little beat up, that doesn‘t mean that he hasn‘t fared well physically this season.

―He always makes himself hold up. He‘ll play. I think it‘s our responsibility also to try to pick and choose even when they may not want to hear it. Just trying to keep our guys healthy so they can be more productive.‖

Francona has long been an advocate of sitting players to give them a break when things aren‘t going well, either for lack of production or injury. He doesn‘t hesitate to give a player a day off, no matter what the situation.

―If they need it. Not if they don‘t need it. But if they need it, I think it‘s very important. We certainly try to keep an eye on them,‘‘ said Francona. ―There‘s no set formula. We watch guys and just try to use common sense.‖

Albers struggles:In 10 appearances in July, reliever Matt Albers had a 0.00 ERA. Since the beginning of August it‘s 13.50. In 122/3 innings over 12 games, he‘s allowed 21 hits and 19 runs, striking out 11 and walking eight.

Francona says there‘s nothing wrong with the right-hander.

―No, he‘s had a tough time. His velocity‘s good. Sometimes his velocity‘s real good. There‘s been times when he‘s been behind the count and paid the price and there‘s been times when he‘s made mistakes over the middle of the plate. When he‘s good he‘s working ahead and he‘s allowing that two-seamer to just come through the zone with some life, (with) an occasional breaking ball, and right now it‘s elevating a little bit.‖

―Sometimes, for whatever reason, he goes through ruts or things don‘t go well. If you look up at the end of the year and his ERA‘s a little higher because he had that one stretch, that doesn‘t necessarily mean he can‘t be that guy again that he‘s been for most of the year. Just his ERA might pay the price a little bit.‖

Albers‘ ERA is currently 4.69. It was 2.09 on July 28.

Bowden comes up big:One of the overlooked stories of Friday‘s 10-0 loss to the Rangers was the pitching of reliever Michael Bowden in his second appearance since his latest call-up. Bowden went a career-high 22/3 innings, allowing two hits and a run on two fourth-inning singles (and a stolen base), but he struck out a career-high five batters.

―He finished a couple of hitters off with breaking balls pretty well,‖ Francona said. ―Velocity‘s starting to creep up a little more consistently. Interesting guy, a guy that‘s come through the minor leagues with pretty stellar numbers at times and for various reasons hasn‘t gotten a shot that maybe he would with other teams. But he‘s an interesting guy.‖

Asked if he thought such outings buoy his confidence, Francona said, ―Pretty quiet guy. I don‘t know that I‘ve ever seen him not be confident, but when you throw the ball and you get results, I think it lends itself to having confidence, sure.‖

Around the bases:Adrian Gonzalez turned two unassisted double plays, the first Sox first baseman since at least 1969 to do so. … The Sox are listing and Andrew Miller as starters Wednesday and Thursday in Toronto, which would confirm a six-man rotation. … Carl Crawford‘s grand slam was the fourth of his career. … The Sox have outscored the Rangers, 42-14, in four wins against them this year. … The Sox drew three first-inning walks and didn‘t score.

* The Nashua Telegraph

Playoffs not for Miller

Alan Greenwood

In baseball the euphemism for a player‘s case of the jitters is ―the game speeds up on him.‖ In other words, the jittery man gets stuck on a nasty emotional treadmill that is fueled by the crowd, the snarling opposition and whatever insecurities haunt him. What is happening between the foul lines becomes a blur.

Typically the game speeds up on younger players, those who require a little time to outgrow the bewilderment of actually putting on a big-league uniform, surrounded by men he had, to that point, admired from afar.

Andrew Miller is only 26 but he has had more than a taste of big-league experience. His major league debut, out of the bullpen for the Tigers, came Aug. 30, 2006. His first start came May 18, 2007. The Red Sox are Miller‘s third organization since Detroit drafted him in 2006. He also worked three seasons for the Florida Marlins.

In all, Miller has made 92 big-league appearances, including 65 starts, so it seems reasonable to wonder if the game will ever stop speeding up on him. Or; at least, will he ever establish a modicum of consistency so it might be possible to immediately tell if the game starts revving its engines.

Friday night, eight days after he shutout the Rangers for six innings in Arlington, Texas, Miller was eager to take the ball again. He achieved four outs in the time it took him to serve up six runs on five hits and four walks. But the real evidence of the game speeding up on him came with runners on first and second when he balked. He hesitated in mid-move, unsure exactly what he wanted to do with the ball, throw it to second or make his next pitch.

―I can‘t remember the last time I balked. I don‘t think I balked in college,‖ Miller said. ―That goes to show you that the game really sped up on me and I wasn‘t handling it well.‖

That is the main reason he has bounced from Detroit to Florida to Boston in five years. He is left-handed, which just about assures a pitcher of employment as long as he retains his left arm. There also is the certitude among managers and general managers that they are the ones who can discover the cure for whatever ails a promising player.

That sort of confidence is required of managers and general managers. So it is difficult to criticize them when they take a flier on a guy like Miller, who at first sight seems to possess the skill set needed to enjoy a solid big-league career.

It‘s why Terry Francona, who like most modern managers is loathe to publicly criticize a player, will try to deflect some of the heat to himself.

―That‘s something we‘re trying to do better at,‖ Francona said after Miller‘s Friday night flogging. ―We got awfully excited the last couple of starts. Then today, coming out of the chute, he‘s leaving a lot of balls up, especially arm side. Then when he did bring it in to the plate it was in the middle and got hit.‖

Throwing fat pitches can be caused by lack of control, which can be caused by fear of the hitters, which results in throwing fat pitches. Jumping off that carousel is a lot easier said than done.

The up-side to Miller‘s 11⁄3 innings Friday night is that it calmed down those who were growing downright giddy after his win in Texas. Such giddiness is easily inspired among New Englanders, most of whom will deify or damn a Red Sox player on a body of evidence that could fit on a matchbook cover.

Maybe Francona and his coaches can unearth the key to Miller‘s considerable talent. Maybe Miller can find it himself. It‘s a safe bet that such an epiphany will not come this month, which means Miller shouldn‘t be allowed anywhere near the Red Sox‘ playoff roster.

Those are the games that can speed up on just about anyone.

Sox slam Texas

Alan Greenwood

Two swings of the bat aren‘t likely to get everyone off his back, but they certainly quieted the grumbling that has been directed at Carl Crawford this season.

Crawford capped an eight-run fourth inning by lining a grand slam over the bullpen and later drilling a double off the center-field wall, prompting the latest cues to speculate that the ―real‖ Carl Crawford may be ready to show up in 2011.

For the moment, Crawford will simply relish his role in Boston‘s 12-7 win over the Texas Rangers, a bit of payback for Friday night‘s 10-0 Texas rout.

Dustin Pedroia provided the exclamation point with a bases-clearing double high off the center-field fence in the sixth.

―You hit a grand slam it definitely helps your confidence a little bit,‖ he said. ―You‘re just hoping it‘s something that can get you going.

―The games that have passed I don‘t worry about them. I just try to take the approach to try and be ready the next day and the day after that. Everything that‘s happened is pretty much behind me.‖

―Carl puts a five-run swing there with two outs, which was huge in the game,‘‘ Terry Francona said.

Eric Bedard particularly appreciated Crawford‘s efforts as he recorded his first win in six starts while pitching for the Red Sox.

Bedard struggled at the outset and found himself in a 3-0 hole by the middle of the third inning, but recovered nicely and retired seven of the eight remaining batters he faced. Overall he went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking four and fanning six.

―It starts out where they‘re scoring and it seems like they‘re tacking on, but then he‘s able to stop it,‘‘ Terry Francona said. ―If his batting average is a little short at the end of the day it doesn‘t mean he can‘t be a force the rest of the way.‖

The fourth inning deluge began with Josh Reddick‘s single, one of his four hits, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s 14th homer of the season, a line shot over the bullpen. From there, little went right for Rangers‘ starter Colby Lewis. He induced a harmless fly ball from Jacoby Ellsbury for the inning‘s first out but was through after Pedroia singled to left.

Yoshinori Tateyama came on and lasted just five batters. Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz received intentional walks, sandwiching Kevin Youkilis‘ fly out to left. Mike Aviles singled, scoring Pedroia, and Crawford hammered a 1-0 pitch for his fourth career grand slam.

Three singles later, Reddick scored from third on Ellsbury‘s infield hit, which bounced high over Texas pitcher Merkin Valdez‘s head.

Francona proceeded to get his bullpen some work, but lifted Dan Wheeler after Texas slapped him around for three in the eighth. Franklin Morales mopped up from there hurt only by Esteban German‘s towering homer to left-center.

Notes

During the fourth-inning bludgeoning, Saltalamacchia stole his first base as a big leaguer. For the record, it took him 337 games to get there.

Staff sergeant Amber McGraw of Nashua was the soldier honored between innings, standing atop the Red Sox dugout to receive her round of cheers. During each game at Fenway a service member is honored in the ―Here‘s to the Heroes‖ program.

* The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Unlike Drew, Reddick here to stay

Bill Ballou

It is Antarctica vs. Barbados, egg salad vs. lobster salad, Treasure Valley vs. Death Valley.

There's just no way the contrast between rookie Josh Reddick and veteran J.D. Drew could be any greater.

―J.D's a great player,‖ Reddick said yesterday, not long after coming into the Red Sox clubhouse after a 4- for-4 afternoon that helped Boston beat the Rangers, 12-7, ―and I know we're gonna need him coming down the stretch these last few weeks.‖

However, Reddick is here and Drew is not, and may never be again. Only Drew could go on a two-day rehab assignment to the minor leagues and get hurt. The Red Sox have thrived without him this season and have no plans for him in the future.

Just what that future is in right field is an open question, and has been the season's most FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) ever since it became apparent that Drew was not going to be a contributor this season.

Reddick was not Plan B after Drew. That was , who failed. Then there was , who was hurt. Darnell McDonald never got his average above .200, and now Conor Jackson has jetted in from Oakland.

However, Reddick just won't go away.

Going into yesterday afternoon's game, he was in a slump. His average had dipped to an unexciting .275, and the energy that he often provided with a big hit or walk or throw had subsided. It looked like he was destined to prove that sooner or later, hitters find their career average.

Reddick had four hits and was hit by a pitch yesterday, not precisely the kind of five-hit game that players dream about and that send their batting averages skyrocketing. He was nursing a sore left hand after the game, and that may keep him out of today's lineup, but it won't wind up being a month-long injury as it probably would have been for Drew.

―Everybody wants to go 5 for 5 every night,‖ Reddick said, ―but the most important thing is helping the team get a ‗W' and we were able to do that today.‖

Reddick started his day with a double in the second inning, then had two singles in the fourth and another in the sixth. His five times on base, four hits and three runs scored were all career highs. That unexceptional .275 was a much more presentable .289 at the end of the day.

―So many times,‖ manager Terry Francona said, ―he has given us such a lift. Along the way, they made some adjustments on him, but he's had some pretty good days. He has that ability. He has some sock in his bat.‖

This is Reddick's third shot at the majors, but he is still considered a rookie — not that he'll get any consideration for the American League award. He just hasn't played enough, and his numbers are not spectacular enough, for him to be in that race.

But, for a 17th-round draft pick like him, just being a major league regular is enough, and it is something he has had to work diligently at to make it a reality.

Like his recent offensive problems.

In his first 22 games after being recalled from Pawtucket, Reddick was ridiculously hot, and on July 9 was batting .414. There was obviously going to be a cool-down period — the question was, how long would it last and how cold would it get, and would the Red Sox still be able to win as he battled through it?

Going into yesterday, Reddick was 9 for 66 (.136) since July 10, and 1 for 15 in his previous six games.

―I've been working with (batting ),‖ Reddick said, ―and the past few days, I'd hit some balls hard, had some balls get caught. When you have a day like (yesterday), everything has to go right. You hit balls that fall in, or it has something to do with the way the other team is playing you.‖

You have to hit 'em for them to fall in, and you have to be in the lineup to hit 'em. Through the ups and downs of the season, Reddick has been there every day, which is more than can be said for Drew.

The Sox can hope that Drew will contribute down the stretch, but they can count on Reddick.

Tough decision for Red Sox: Keep Papelbon or Bard?

Bill Ballou

In this database world, numbers are king, but they don‘t always tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

If you‘re a distance runner, the numbers say that you‘ll run one percent faster for every one percent of body weight you lose. By that reckoning, if I drop 144 pounds by next Patriot‘s Day, I‘ll run the Boston Marathon in 24 minutes.

Eat my dust, Kenyans.

And in the world of the bullpen, numbers often don‘t make sense, either.

Relievers are mostly measured by saves and, to a lesser extent, wins and losses, and by any of those standards, is a failure. His career won-lost record is 5-9, and he has had 18 chances and blown 13 of them, including Thursday night at Fenway Park against the Yankees.

And yet the case can be made that Bard is the most important member of the Boston bullpen. While manager Terry Francona won‘t say that, he ignores the saves and won-lost numbers in evaluating his .

―You have to look past that,‖ Francona said. ―He comes into games in impossible situations — bases loaded, nobody out, that kind of thing — and almost always gets out of them. Once in a while, somebody‘s gonna get a hit. But when he‘s a closer, you bring him into closer situations, and nobody‘s gonna beat him.‖

The ―when‖ for Bard becoming a closer will be a major concern for the Red Sox this offseason when they face the reality of having either to sign for enormous money, or find a replacement.

If that replacement is Bard, fine, but then Bard has to be replaced, and these days, both components of finishing off a game are equally important.

As his first shot at free agency approaches, Papelbon has resurrected a faltering career. In his last 17 appearances, he has permitted only three base-runners — none of them via walks — and has not allowed a run. With Papelbon, it has always been about control. When he walks people, he struggles.

Last year, he was walking people and averaged 17-1/2 pitches every inning. During this current 17-game shutout stretch, he is throwing 12-1/2 pitches every inning.

Papelbon is 4-0 with 29 saves in 30 chances. Bard is 2-5 with one save in four chances. Papelbon has come into only three games with runners on base and is 4 for 5 stranding them. Bard has come into 18 games with runners on base and has stranded 26 of 31, but not the two who scored versus the Yankees.

So, which one is more valuable to the Boston bullpen?

The database probably says Papelbon, but numbers are only part of the story. If the Sox aren‘t prepared to open John Henry‘s vault, they may be finding out for sure in 2012.

Baseball Jeopardy Answers:

1. The only Red Sox left-hander ever to get any votes in the Cy Young Award balloting.

2. He holds the Red Sox franchise record for most wins by a pitcher who was born and raised in Massachusetts.

3. The two Red Sox players — one current, one former — who tied for fourth behind former Sox player in the 2002 American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Questions below.

Falcons to honor Orsillo

Congratulations to broadcaster Don Orsillo, who will be honored by the Springfield Falcons on Jan. 21. There will be an Orsillo bobblehead. He called AHL games in Springfield for both the Indians, who eventually became the IceCats, and the Falcons. … The question has been raised: How often, if ever, have the Red Sox had three players with 100 or more RBIs in the same season? It has happened several times through the years, most recently in 2003 when Nomar Garciaparra (105), Manny Ramírez (104) and David Ortiz (101) did it. This year, Adrian Gonzalez is already over 100, Ortiz is at 88 and Jacoby Ellsbury 84. No Sox team has ever had four players in triple figures. … On Friday night, recognizing their 700th straight sellout, the Red Sox saluted ―The Best Fans in Baseball.‖ However — and this is a real coincidence — they also say that at , Camden Yards, Coors Field, etc. Is there a scientific way of finding out which boast is true? … Newcomer Conor Jackson is the 426th Red Sox teammate for Tim Wakefield. … Since their respective high-water marks, former playoff contenders Cleveland and Pittsburgh are 36-46 and 12-31, respectively. Teams and players eventually reach their correct levels, which goes a long way toward explaining what has happened to Matt Albers since the end of July. … The Indians, by the way, were 38-31 before firing hitting coach Jon Nunnally and are 31-35 since. The Astros were 30-63 when they fired pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and are 17-28 since. The Athletics were 27-36 when they fired former Sox minor league manager Bob Geren and are 35-40 since former Sox catcher took over. … Jon Lester‘s 75-31 all-time record is second only to Pedro Martinez on the Sox‘ list of winning percentages. Bard‘s blown save versus the Yankees marked the 15th time the Boston bullpen had blown a save for Lester, so he could be 90-31 except for that. … It is one day late, but happy birthday to new octogenarian Tom Brewer, who turned 80 yesterday. Brewer and Frank Sullivan, both righties, were the Josh Beckett- Lester combination for the Red Sox in the 1950s. Brewer went 19-9 in 1956 and is one of just 11 Boston pitchers in 111 seasons to win 19.

How to speed up games…

People vote with their feet, eventually, so the Red Sox‘ sellout streak says that fans don‘t really care how long games last these days. However, there will be a breaking point, so here are one observer‘s suggestions for speeding up games:

•All balls hit into the seats that are caught by fans — or vendors, even — are outs.

•All batters are provided with helmets that have mailbox flags on them. If they reach first base and put the flag up, that means they may steal and pitchers can try to pick them off. If the flag is down, that means they promise not to try to steal and pitchers are not permitted to throw over.

•Teams can establish ―out‖ banks. If there is a runner at first, for instance, and two outs in an inning and a batter hits a ground ball, the defensive team can turn a double play and put the extra out in an account. Extra outs can be used any time in games against the same team.

Are you reading this, Commissioner Bud Selig?

Catching up with…

Curtis Leskanic was always good at picking his spots.

In an 11-year career as a reliever, Leskanic registered one postseason win, but it was a classic. He got it in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, getting the final four outs of that one, giving David Ortiz enough time to win it with a homer in the 12th.

―I will still see people today who recognize me,‖ Leskanic said, ―and they‘ll come up to me and thank me for what I did to help us win that game. And I know that there are fans who‘ll drive by my house and say, ‗That‘s where Curtis Leskanic, the pitcher who won Game 4 in 2004, lives.‘ ‖

These days, Leskanic is living outside of Orlando, Fla., and is a part-time for the Red Sox. It‘s something he likes doing, but he has three school-age children and his wife, Susan, is finishing up a doctoral degree to become a nurse practitioner.

―She put her career on hold for my baseball career,‖ Leskanic said, ―so I promised that when I was done, it was her turn.‖

Leskanic, while pitching for Colorado, got the save on the final day of the 1995 season when the Rockies earned their first playoff berth, and that moment ranks up there with the Game 4 win on a personal level.

―But,‖ he said, ―there are some teams — the Red Sox and the Yankees in baseball, the Steelers, LSU — that are special, and I was lucky enough to a part of that in Boston. It‘s like no other place.‖

Jeopardy questions

1. Who is Jon Lester? Lester came in fourth in the voting last season, with Felix Hernandez winning the Cy Young.

2. Who is ? The Medford native won 96 games during a Red Sox career that lasted from 1958-65.

3. Who are John Lackey and ? Rodrigo Lopez and Jorge Julio, both of the Orioles, also finished ahead of Lackey and Kielty in the voting.

At last: a victory for Erik Bedard

Bill Ballou

It took him a while, but Erik Bedard finally has a win in a Red Sox uniform.

He survived a shaky start and wound up going six innings for the decision in Boston‘s 12-7 victory over the Rangers yesterday. Again, wildness was an issue for the lefty. Bedard walked four, including the first two batters in the third, both of whom scored.

He has walked eight in 10 innings in his last two starts. Bedard improved to 5-9 overall. He is 1-2 with the Red Sox.

―I think the knee‘s still bothering him,‖ manager Terry Francona said. ―There‘s some instability there, and I think it‘s something he‘s just gonna have to deal with.‖

Bedard spent time on the DL earlier this season when he was with Seattle and had a sprained left knee.

Clearing the bases

The Red Sox snapped out of their bases-loaded slump in a big way as Dustin Pedroia and Carl Crawford had bases-clearing hits — Crawford a grand slam and Pedroia a double. Mike Aviles also singled as Boston was 3 for 4 with eight RBIs in that situation. Jed Lowrie also had an at-bat with the bases full and lined to second.

Aviles‘ single in the fourth snapped an 0-for-13 team drought with the bases loaded. Crawford has been one of Boston‘s best bases-loaded hitters this season at 6 for 16 (.375) with 16 RBIs, and Pedroia is 3 for 8 (also .375) with 10 RBIs.

Shuttle at short

Lowrie was back at shortstop to start the game, but that didn‘t last long. He departed in the fourth with left shoulder tightness and was replaced by Aviles.

Marco Scutaro got most of the day off, coming in as a late-game defensive replacement. He just needs a rest, Francona said. Scutaro is not injured beyond normal September wear and tear and should play again today.

Keeping average up

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3, and while he‘s not exactly hot, he‘s not exactly cold, either. Gonzalez has a quiet four-game hitting streak going, during which he is 4 for 12 to keep his average at .342. He went over .340 for good on June 12, and his average since has been between .341 and .361.

Gonzalez also had an unusual day in the field, turning two unassisted double plays. One was a liner to first by Michael Young with getting doubled off. The other ended the fourth inning when Craig Gentry popped up a suicide squeeze attempt, and Gonzalez, charging toward the plate, made the catch and tagged out Yorvit Torrealba as he reached home.

Gonzalez is the first Sox first baseman with two unassisted double plays in one game since at least 1969. KC‘s has done it this season.

Bullpen options

In what has become a regular ritual, Francona was asked about Matt Albers‘ recent woes and said there is nothing wrong with the reliever, either physically or psychologically. Albers‘ velocity is as good as ever, and he would like to pitch even more than he has been.

With rosters having expanded, Francona will have more and more bullpen options as September goes along, and one of them that looks promising is Michael Bowden. Bowden had a strong outing on Friday night, striking out five, and for the season has a 2.31 ERA in 11-2/3 innings.

―He‘s an interesting pitcher,‖ the manager said, adding that Bowden‘s velocity has become more consistent. ―He has had stellar numbers in the minors, but with this team, he maybe hasn‘t gotten the same chances (in the majors) as he would with another.‖

Breaking a long run

In the Sox seventh, a fan bolted from the left-field stands and ran about 100 yards for what would have been a touchdown in the days when the Patriots played at Fenway. He was finally brought down on the warning track just in front of the Sox bullpen. No extra point was attempted.

Diamond Dust

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 5 in his second game back from the disabled list and is 0 for 8 since returning. … The Rangers could be back here for postseason games, but they will be through at Fenway Park for the regular season after today. John Lackey (12-10, 5.94) gets the start for the Red Sox, while Matt Harrison (10-9, 3.54) goes for Texas in a 1:35 p.m. game. … Jacoby Ellsbury‘s infield single in the fourth extended his hitting streak to eight games. … Sox batters have hit six straight home runs, and eight of their last nine, with at least one runner on base.

* RedSox.com

Crawford's slam leaves Rangers feeling ill

Ian Browne

It was less than 24 hours earlier that Carl Crawford had a night of baseball taken away from him due to an upset stomach that led to multiple incidents of clubhouse vomiting.

By Saturday, Crawford made a most dramatic recovery. Not only did he play, but the left fielder delivered a grand slam which fueled the Red Sox to a 12-7 thumping of the Rangers.

"Just glad to be back in the lineup," said Crawford. "I was glad I didn't feel sick like I did yesterday. I just was happy. I was feeling much better. I took some medicine, and later on last night, I was fine."

With the win, the Red Sox stayed a half-game behind the Yankees in the American League East.

Coming off a 10-0 loss in the series opener, Boston got many big hits. But the game-breaker came off the bat of Crawford, who swatted a 1-0 changeup from side-winder Yoshinori Tateyama over the Boston bullpen and into the bleachers in right-center.

It was Crawford's fourth career grand slam and first in a Red Sox uniform.

The inconsistency Crawford has had in his first season after signing a seven-year, $142 million contract to come to Boston has been well advertised. But moments like the one he experienced Saturday is a reminder of how quickly things can turn around.

"A grand slam, it definitely helps your confidence out a little bit," Crawford said. "I'm just hoping that's something that can get you going."

The speedy left fielder is hitting .252 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs. But in Boston, seasons are generally viewed based largely on the events of September and October.

"The games that have passed, I don't really worry about it," Crawford said. "I just try to take the approach of trying to do well the next day and the day after that."

For the Red Sox, there were a lot of things to like in this one. Josh Reddick, in a month-long slump, broke out with a 4-for-4 performance.

"That was good. So many times he's given us such a lift, and that's hard for young players to do that," said manager Terry Francona. "We're in the middle of the pennant race and this kid comes in like when Carl wasn't playing and gave us a lift there. Now he's playing the majority of right field, and he's had some pretty good days. He had a little time there where he kind of came back, they made some adjustments, but he still has that ability to put some sock in his bat."

Erik Bedard, making his sixth start for the Sox, finally got a win to show for his effort. The lefty settled down after a shaky start and went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs while walking four and striking out six.

"It's nice," said Bedard. "At the end of the day, it's for the team. If we win the game at the end of the day and I pitch good and we play good, that's all that counts."

Bedard labored early, throwing 62 pitches over the first three innings. In that time, he put his team in a 3-0 deficit. The Rangers got their first run on a two-out single up the middle by David Murphy in the top of the second.

In the third, Bedard walked the Rangers' 1-2 tandem of and . With one out, Michael Young smacked an RBI single to right. Adrian Beltre got another run home on a groundout.

The Sox got one back in the third, as Jed Lowrie ripped an RBI single up the middle. Lowrie would later leave the game with tightness in his left shoulder, an area that has troubled him for much of the season.

After Yorvit Torrealba led off the fourth with a double and moved to third on a groundout, Rangers manager Ron Washington tried to play small ball. Twice he called for a suicide squeeze. Craig Gentry fouled off the first attempt. The Red Sox then called for a pitchout, but that didn't deter Washington. On the third pitch, Gentry went squeeze again, but first baseman Adrian Gonzalez snuffed it out by catching it in the air. Torrealba had no chance to retreat back to third in time and was tagged out by Gonzalez.

It was the second unassisted double play made by Gonzalez in the first four innings.

"We'll take them," Francona said. "They probably got Bedard an extra inning. We're looking at a first and third and one out, and all of the sudden we're coming off the field one pitch later. That's huge."

The game turned emphatically after that, as the Red Sox came roaring back with an eight-spot in the fourth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia got things started by hammering a two-run shot to right to tie it at 3.

"I had Salty struck out on a 2-2 pitch and didn't get the call," said Rangers righty Colby Lewis. "Then I came in with more of a strike and he hit it out."

Dustin Pedroia belted a one-out single to left, and just like that, Washington had seen enough of Lewis.

Tateyama came on and walked Gonzalez. With two outs and a 3-1 count on David Ortiz, Washington ordered for the intentional walk. It was the logical thing to do, given that utilityman Mike Aviles, a right- handed batter, had to pinch-hit for the injured Lowrie.

Tateyama entered the game holding right-handed hitters to a .169 average. Aviles was hitting .213 off right- handed hitters. This time, however, the trend went the other way, as Aviles lined a clutch single to right, scoring Pedroia.

"It was just one of those situations where I knew I had the bases loaded, so I knew at some point in the at- bat he was going to have to throw something for a strike," said Aviles. "I was just trying to be as patient as possible and wait for a good pitch that I knew I could handle and not swing at his pitch."

Crawford then struck with his slam, and a rout was in motion. As Crawford rounded the bases, Fenway Park shook with approval.

"That's a good feeling when the stadium is cheering for you like that and everybody is happy," Crawford said. "It's a nice feeling."

Jacoby Ellsbury capped the damage in the inning with an infield single that scored Reddick.

"We needed seven batters to get one out," Washington said. "When that happens, damage will be done. We just didn't get it done."

The Sox came back with three more in the sixth. Crawford (double), Reddick (single) and Ellsbury (walk) got the table set. Pedroia then cleared it with a three-run double off the wall in center.

Bedard could be postseason factor with Sox

Mike Bauman

Erik Bedard has stepped into an important role with the . Now, can he pitch up to the necessary level?

Bedard's first six starts for the Red Sox, taken as a whole, have placed him in that broad, gray area that lies between impressive and inadequate. He's been OK, all right, reasonably good, neither the talk of the town, nor a mistaken acquisition.

On Saturday, there was encouragement to be taken from the fact that Bedard recorded his first victory in a Boston uniform. It was not necessarily Bedard's fault that he had not won in his first five starts with the Red Sox. He received relatively little run support.

Bedard could have expected that with the Mariners earlier this season, but being traded to the Red Sox would have seemed like the cure for that condition. But no, the Red Sox scored just 13 runs in those first five starts, so although Bedard compiled a 3.46 ERA, all he got out of it was an 0-2 record.

His teammates with the bats compensated for this shortcoming against the Rangers on Saturday, overcoming an early three-run deficit, putting up eight runs in the fourth inning and eventually prevailing 12-7.

"Just a matter of time," Bedard said of the erruption of runs on his behalf. "You're not going to keep this offense down that long."

This was a mixed performance on Bedard's part, but encouraging because the last three innings were significantly better than the first three. Bedard walked three men in the second and third, including the leadoff man in both innings. All three walks eventually scored. But he finished with three shutout innings. Given the big cushion after the fourth inning, Bedard responded with his best work, striking out four batters in his last two innings. He finished with the minimum requirement for a quality start -- three earned runs or less in six innings.

"They're scoring and they're adding on, and then he's able to stop it," manager Terry Francona said of Bedard's performance. "Then we have the big inning and the game gets turned around."

Bedard attributed his improved performance after the third inning to better command, particularly of his fastball. He missed nearly all of July with a sprained left knee, and Francona suggested that some residual soreness was creating occasional problems for Bedard's command, the tendency being to throw with the arm rather than the whole body. Bedard acknowledged that he had some initial soreness in the knee Saturday, but said that it was not a problem as the game went on.

When healthy, Bedard's ability has not been an issue for doubt. How much more he can give the Red Sox over the next two months remains to be seen.

As it now stands, Bedard figures to be in the Red Sox's rotation for the American League Division Series. Even if Clay Buchholz makes a remarkable recovery from a stress fracture in his back, he is unlikely to make it back as a starter for the first round. So Bedard, one way or the other, could be a major postseason factor for the Red Sox.

The argument that Bedard is not psychologically suited to working in the high-profile, high-pressure Red Sox environment has been frequently made. Bedard had a reputation earlier in his career for not being particularly fond of dealing with the media. The Red Sox are covered in Boston as something of a religious experience, every moment being weighted with significance, each individual act being examined to determine if the cause has been adequately served. This is, to put it mildly, a media-intensive situation.

On the other hand, Bedard will be given all of the support that he requires by the Boston organization. In the end, what will determine his success or failure with the Red Sox will be the quality of his work on the mound, not the quality of his interaction with the media.

And it must be said that in his postgame media session Saturday, he handled routine questions routinely, answering with a full measure of cooperation and candor. Perhaps he has matured in his dealings with the media. Perhaps the media have matured in their dealings with him.

Either way or both ways, if Bedard pitches very well for the Red Sox, he'll be fine in Boston. You could see Saturday, working against a very tough lineup, bouncing back from initial difficulties to keep his team in a game it would eventually win, how he could be headed in that direction.

Reddick busts out of slump with four-hit outing

Ian Browne

Josh Reddick's best day at the plate as a Major Leaguer had an unfortunate ending on Saturday.

After starting the game 4-for-4, setting a career high for hits in a game, Reddick was plunked on the left hand in the eighth inning. He stayed in the game to run the bases, but was removed after the inning. Reddick said his hand was sore, but X-rays were negative.

"Just right on the tender part of the hand, just above the wrist," he said after the Red Sox's 12-7 win over the Rangers. "Luckily it missed the bone and just swelled up quite a bit. Nothing too serious. But the good thing is we won. That's the main thing."

"He's going to be a little sore tomorrow," added manager Terry Francona. "We'll see how he reacts from there, but just like the rest of us, he's day to day."

With a southpaw on the hill for the Rangers on Sunday, it might make sense to let the left-handed-hitting Reddick rest one more day anyway.

But the 24-year-old outfielder was pleased with his career day, especially considering his struggles at the plate since the All-Star break. After storming out to a .393 mark in the first half, Reddick entered Saturday with a .223 second-half average.

"After the struggles I had, it's huge to pick up a game like that," he said. "I had a few off the handle fall in when I've been hitting the ball hard. Just keep having good at-bats, that's all I can do."

Reddick's seemingly at his best when he remains disciplined at the plate, staying away from his free- swinging ways of the past. Despite his recent struggles, he believes he's remained consistent all season.

"In the past, I changed my stance, changed my hands location whenever I started struggling," he said. "So that's one thing we've been focusing on, is staying the same way I've been all year. Everybody goes through slumps. We've seen everybody do it. It's just how you cope with it and come back the next day."

Reddick flashed a glimpse of his old self in his fourth at-bat of the day, quickly falling behind 0-2 after swinging at two pitches well out of the strike zone. But he fouled off the next three before sending a base hit up the middle for his fourth knock of the day.

"I think if I would have laid off some pitches I might have been 3-1," Reddick quipped. "But just to get the bat on the ball a little bit, foul some pitches off and get one I can handle was huge -- especially being down 0-2."

Reddick was 8-for-61 (.131) over his last 23 games entering Saturday, and as the Sox fight for first place in the American League East, Francona was thrilled to see one of the team's youngest players step up.

"That was good. So many times he's given us such a lift, and that's hard for young players to do that," said Francona. "We're in the middle of the pennant race and this kid comes in like when Carl wasn't playing and gave us a lift there. Now he's playing the majority of right field, and he's had some pretty good days. He had a little time there where he kind of came back, they made some adjustments, but he still has that ability to put some sock in his bat."

Harrison ready to make an impact

Cash Kruth

Matt Harrison is rejoining the Texas rotation, and he's rested and ready to make an impact.

The left-hander was skipped in his last start, but he pitched two perfect innings of relief Wednesday.

"It was a good break for me," Harrison said. "It's a long season and I needed a break. What's best for me is best for the team, especially since [Scott] Feldman did a great job. The couple of innings I pitched was better than a bullpen session. It was a live situation, I got my pitches going and could see what I was doing. I feel ready to go."

One of the reasons Harrison, 25, was skipped his last turn was because of his second-half performance. After posting a 3.04 ERA prior to the All-Star break, Harrison has a 4.56 mark. Despite throwing 155 innings this season -- 12 2/3 frames shy of his professional high in 2008 and something the Rangers are monitoring -- Harrison said he feels OK.

"I don't think I was physically fatigued, it was more of a mental grind," Harrison said. "As far as innings, I've never been in this position and I need to make an adjustment, figure out how to push through it; slow myself down, get my legs under me and concentrate on making pitches."

Harrison likely will face Marco Scutaro in Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox, as the infielder is expected to return to the lineup after not starting the past two games. Red Sox skipper Terry Francona said the club wanted to take full advantage of Kevin Youkilis being back in the lineup Saturday, but said Scutaro will return Sunday.

"We'll play Marco tomorrow. Two days will really be good for him," Francona said Saturday. "I just think it'd be good for him. He's a little beat up. When you try to look at things in advance, when he does have a tough time with somebody, it's a good time to do it."

Rangers: Beltre one away

Third baseman Adrian Beltre needs one more hit to become 266th player to reach the 2,000-hit plateau in his career. He'd also be the second Ranger to reach the milestone this season, as Michael Young accomplished the feat on Aug. 7.

• Beltre and David Murphy each have nine-game hitting streaks.

Red Sox: Albers struggling

Usually reliable, Matt Albers has struggled as of late, allowing runs in eight of his last 12 appearances. Francona said he still isn't losing faith in the reliever.

"Physically, he's fine. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you go through ruts or things don't go well," Francona said. "I come back to, if you look up at the end of the year and his ERA is a little higher because he had that one stretch, that doesn't necessarily mean he can't be that guy again that he's been for most of the year."

• Right-hander John Lackey, who went 3-2 with a 5.31 ERA last month, takes the mound for the Red Sox on Sunday. He's struggled against the Rangers throughout his career, going 12-13 with a 6.04 ERA in 35 career starts against them.

Worth noting

• Boston has outscored the Rangers, 42-14, in its four wins against Texas this season but has been outscored, 40-11, in its five losses.

• Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon is one save shy of becoming the first pitcher to record 30 or more saves in each of his first six full Major League seasons.

Cutter paying big dividends for Bowden

Jason Mastrodonato

Michael Bowden has had his share of chances with the Red Sox over the past few seasons, but Major League batters had knocked him around at a .323 clip or better each year.

Bowden had enough of that after the 2010 season. He ditched the curveball this year and added a cutter, a pitch he learned in winter ball and has yet to perfect. But the right-hander, who relies heavily on a mid-90s fastball with little movement, wasn't getting it done in the big leagues, despite having continued success with Triple-A Pawtucket.

The cutter -- which he throws the same way as the fastball, simply turning his grip a little bit -- has given the 24-year-old much more success. He struck out a career-high five batters over 2 2/3 innings in Friday night's 10-0 loss to the Rangers, lowering his ERA to 2.31 in 11 2/3 innings with the Red Sox this season.

"His velocity is starting to creep up there more a little more consistently," said manager Terry Francona.

Bowden's fastball has averaged 92.6 mph this season, the highest of his career.

"He's an interesting guy," said Francona. "He's a guy that's come through the Minor Leagues with pretty stellar numbers at times. For various reasons, he hasn't gotten the shot maybe he would have with other teams. But he's an interesting guy."

Now a full-time reliever after splitting time between the rotation and bullpen the last few years, Bowden lit up Triple-A hitters this season, posting 10.4 strikeouts/nine innings, the highest since his first season of rookie ball in 2005. He held righties in Triple-A to a .121 batting average (15-for-124).

"It's not something I try to do," Bowden said about his increase in strikeouts. "It's nice when it happens. I think that goes along with just throwing the ball more confidently. I have confidence in all my pitches in any count, where in the past, I didn't really do that."

Bowden has always felt he could get Major League hitters out.

"It was just a matter of being able to show that over a period of time," he said. "I feel like I'm a lot different this year. Once you're up here a little while, you start getting more and more comfortable, so you start going out there with a better, more comfortable approach and just pitch your game."

Scutaro gets second straight day off

Jason Mastrodonato

Marco Scutaro got his second consecutive day of rest Saturday, despite the right-handed Colby Lewis taking the mound for the Rangers.

While Jed Lowrie has continued to pound left-handed pitching this season with a .347 average, he's struggled mightily against righties, hitting .216 over 171 at-bats. Scutaro has hit righties at a .273 clip, but manager Terry Francona thought the 35-year-old shortstop needed another day off.

"Two days will really be good for him," said Francona, who will give Scutaro the starting nod Sunday. "He's a little beat up. When you try to look at things in advance, when he does have a tough time with somebody, it's a good time to do it."

Scutaro is just 1-for-14 lifetime vs. Lewis.

Lowrie had been playing mostly third base over the past couple of weeks, taking the place of Kevin Youkilis, who was on the 15-day disabled list with an injured back. Lowrie returned to shortstop when Youkilis was activated Friday night and couldn't handle a fairly routine grounder early in the game, though he was not charged with an error.

Scutaro has hit .280 since the All-Star break, while Lowrie has hit .250, lowering his season average to .265. But Francona wants to be sure Scutaro remains healthy down the stretch.

"He always makes himself hold up," Francona said of Scutaro. "He'll play. I just think it's our responsibility, also, to try to pick and choose -- even when they may not want to hear it -- and keep our guys healthy so they can be more productive."

Albers looks to reverse recent struggles

Jason Mastrodonato

Matt Albers was looking like the missing piece to the puzzle in the first half of the 2011 season, working admirably out of the bullpen and eventually earning the seventh-inning role, a job that was supposed to be held by Bobby Jenks.

Albers struck out 34 batters over 35 1/3 innings with a 2.55 ERA in the first half, but something's been off since.

His strikeout numbers are still there, and so is his velocity, which touched 96 mph in Friday's 10-0 loss to the Rangers. But Albers allowed three runs in an inning of work, serving up his fourth homer since the All- Star break and raising his second half ERA to 8.41.

"He's just had a bad, tough time," manager Terry Francona said. "There's been times he's been behind in the count and paid the price, and there's times he's made mistakes over the middle of the plate. When he's good, he's working ahead and allowing that two-seamer to come through the zone with some life, the occasional breaking ball. Right now, it's elevated a little bit -- and it's getting hit."

Albers has allowed at least one run in eight of his last 12 appearances, as he's seen his role change from a late-inning setup man to a blow-out mop-up guy.

"Physically, he's fine," Francona said. "Sometimes, for whatever reason, you go through ruts or things don't go well. ... If you look up at the end of the year and his ERA is a little higher because he had that one stretch, that doesn't necessarily mean he can't be that guy again that he's been for most of the year."

Lowrie exits with left shoulder tightness

Jason Mastrodonato

Jed Lowrie was removed in the fourth inning of Saturday's 12-7 win over the Rangers due to left shoulder tightness and will likely be held out of Sunday's series finale, manager Terry Francona said.

Lowrie had started the game at shortstop, despite the right-handed Colby Lewis on the mound, and went for 1-for-2 with an RBI single before his departure. He was replaced in the bottom of the fourth by Mike Aviles, who roped an RBI single during Boston's eight-run outburst and finished the day 2-for-3.

"Jed's just stiff," said Francona. "I think probably from a little bit of fatigue. He's played a lot. He just grabbed me on the way up. I don't think we'll play him tomorrow, but he'll certainly be available, so we're OK there. That might be me overreacting a little bit. [I] just don't want to lose guys."

Lowrie missed nearly two months earlier this year with a left shoulder strain. The 27-year-old has yet to accumulate more than 300 at-bats in a season with the Red Sox.

* ESPNBoston.com

4-for-4 game is timely for Reddick

Joe McDonald

The Red Sox received a major offensive boost from Josh Reddick on Saturday afternoon.

Boston's right fielder went 4-for-4 with a double, scored three runs and was hit by a pitch to reach base for a career-high five times to help the Red Sox to a 12-7 victory over the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.

The timing was perfect for Reddick.

He has struggled mightily of late and entered Saturday's game with a .136 average (9-for-66) since Aug. 6. His performance on Saturday might have bought him a little more playing time as veteran right fielder J.D. Drew prepares to return from the disabled list.

Drew, who has been on the DL since July 20 with an impingement in his left shoulder, was set to be activated last Thursday but he suffered a sprained finger during his minor-league rehab assignment earlier in the week and his status is unclear at this point.

After Saturday's game, Reddick said he's not concerned about losing his starting job when Drew returns.

"You try not to think about that," he said. "This game is hard enough as it is. You just try to block out that stuff. J.D. is going to come back and help us at one point; we know that, everybody knows that in this clubhouse, especially me. Look at the career he's had, so we know he's going to come back and help us produce one way or another."

When/if Drew comes back, Reddick says he'll be ready to contribute in any way possible.

"I'm happy to be here," he said. "Good days like this help turn it around and hopefully I can continue producing until he does come back."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona has always been impressed with the way Reddick plays the game and was thrilled with the young outfielder's production on Saturday.

"That's good," Francona said. "So many times he's given us such a lift, and that's hard for young players to do that. We're in the middle of a pennant race and this kid comes in when Carl [Crawford] wasn't playing and gave us a lift. Now, he's playing the majority of right field and he's had some pretty good days. There was a time there when [opposing pitchers] made some adjustments, but he still has that ability to have some sock in his bat -- not just singles, there's some production in that bat."

He's proven in the past, even at the minor-league level, that he's a streaky hitter. Reddick was hitting .343 at the time his recent slump began early last month, and it dropped as low as 60 percentage points. With Saturday's performance he's back to .289. He was ridiculous in June and July, struggled in August, and is off to a good start in September.

"The main thing is helping the team win," said Reddick. "Definitely after the struggles I had, it's huge to pick up a game like this and have a few off the end and off the hands fall in when I've been hitting the ball hard. Just keep having good at-bats is all I can do."

Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan has been stressing the importance of staying consistent, and Reddick has tried to do that this season. The results show that he's maturing as a player.

"In the past I've changed my stance and changed my hand location whenever I started struggling, so the one thing we've been focusing on is staying the same way I've been all year," Reddick said. "Everybody goes through slumps. We've seen everybody do it, the greats do it, and how you cope with it and come back the next day ready to play is how you have to respond to it."

A scary moment occurred during his fifth at-bat on Saturday when Reddick was drilled in the left hand by a pitch delivered by Rangers reliever Darren Oliver in the bottom of the eighth. He remained in the game for the rest of the inning, but was replaced in the top of the ninth. X-rays were taken at the ballpark and the results came back negative.

"It's sore," Reddick said. "Nothing too serious, just badly bruised. I'll keep icing it and we'll re-evaluate it tomorrow."

The pitch caught him on the tender part of the hand just above his wrist and it quickly swelled.

"Getting hit by a pitch really isn't that fun, especially in a vulnerable spot like that and with as tender as it gets there, but the good thing is we won and that's the main thing, " he said.

At the time the Red Sox needed an outfielder in mid-June due to an injury to left fielder Crawford, Reddick was in the midst of a slump at Triple-A Pawtucket, batting .206 (7-for-34). One has to wonder if fellow outfield prospect Ryan Kalish was healthy and producing, would he have been the player called up?

Once Reddick got here, he took full advantage of his opportunity and hit .412 with six extra-base hits in his first 13 games with the Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Kalish was on the DL and could only watch his friend succeed with the big club. He missed the majority of the season at Pawtucket after he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder while making a spectacular catch in center field for the PawSox on April 21. He was reinstated on Aug. 8 and played only a few games before he landed back on the DL with right trapezius inflammation. Then last week, the Red Sox announced he would have season-ending surgery for a bulging disk in his neck.

The news buckled Reddick.

"We're both , but we've been close friends since the day we signed," said Reddick. "We've kept in touch no matter when it's been. Once I found out the news, it sent me to the floor. All he can do is get better this offseason, put it behind him and come back next year. That's all you can do."

Kalish, 23, made his big-league debut with the Red Sox in 2010 and made significant contributions. He hit .252 with four homers and 24 RBIs in 53 games for Boston. Reddick, 24, made his major league debut in 2009 and played a total of 27 games. They shared the Boston outfield at times in 2010 and it should have been the same in 2011.

"It's great to have buddies like that, despite your competition with each other," said Reddick. "I think it makes it much more fun, being that me and him are kind of the same player. We play the game the way it should be played at 100 percent."

* CSNNE.com

Sox' turn for offensive explosion, 12-7

Maureen Mullen

After the Rangers delivered a shellacking Friday night at Fenway Park, the Red Sox returned the favor Saturday afternoon, beating Texas, 12-7.

Eric Bedard, who struggled early (62 pitches in three innings, trailing by three runs) was the beneficiary of the Sox' offensive uprising in the eight-run fourth. Bedard earned the win, his first with the Sox and first since June 15 with Seattle, going six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts. He threw 101 pitches, 59 for strikes. His record improves to 5-9 (1-2 with the Sox) with a 3.50 ERA.

The Sox scored four runs in the fourth inning, two short of their season-high for an inning, sending 13 batters to the plate, one short of their season high. Carl Crawford delivered the big blast in the inning with his first grand slam in a Sox uniform, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a two-run shot in the inning. Josh Reddick went 4-for-4 scoring three runs, setting career-highs in hits and runs scored.

Colby Lewis took the loss, going 3 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven this and three walks with three strikeouts. He threw 89 pitches. His record falls to 11-10 with a 4.32 ERA.

Every member of the Sox starting lineup had at least one hit except Kevin Youkilis.

The game ended when Franklin Morales picked Josh Hamilton off first base with Michael Young at the plate.

Player of the Game: Carl Crawford

Crawford went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI on his fourth-inning grand slam. The slam put the Sox ahead by five runs. Crawford‘s fourth career grand slam, his 11th home run of the season, was his first with the Sox.

―It feels good whenever you can contribute and help out and do anything to try and help the team win,‘ Crawford said. ―So, you do something like that, especially a grand slam, it feels good.‖

He has two games of at least four RBI this season, both against the Rangers. He had five RBI, tying a career high, against Texas on Aug. 24 in Arlington.

Honorable Mention: Josh Reddick

Reddick went 4-for-4 with three runs scored. Combined with getting hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth, he reached base five times. The five times on base, four hits, and three runs are all career highs for Reddick, who raised his average from .275 to .289.

―It was fun,‖ Reddick said. ―Just trying to get on base any way I can to get us going and fortunately we did and… We have a tendency to put up that kind of run support so hopefully we can do it tomorrow night too.‖

―So many times he‘s given us such a lift, and that‘s hard for young players to do that,‖ manager Terry Francona said. ―We‘re in the middle of a pennant race and this kid comes in, like when Carl (Crawford) wasn‘t playing, and gave us a lift there. And now he‘s playing the majority of right field and he‘s had some pretty good days. He had a little time there when he kind of came back, they made some adjustments, but he still has that ability to put some sock in his bat, not just singles. There‘s some production in that bat.‖

The Goat: Colby Lewis

Given a 3-0 lead after three innings -- against a Red Sox team that was still exhibiting the lethargy that enveloped it in Friday‘s loss to the Rangers – Lewis, the Rangers starter, could not hold onto the lead and could not handle the Red Sox.

Lewis faced four batters in the fourth, when he was knocked out after Dustin Pedroia‘s RBI single. He went 3 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts and one home run.

Lewis threw a 89 pitches in his outing.

Turning Point: Terry's 13

Trailing by two runs in the fourth, and with Lewis struggling, the Sox sent 13 batters to the plate, one short of their season high in the seventh inning on June 20 against the Padres. The eight-run inning (two runs short of their season high, also in the 7th on June 20) was capped by Carl Crawford‘s first grand slam in a Sox uniform (and first since June 2, 2010 at Toronto while with the Rays) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s two- run homer.

Given a six-run leader Sox starter Erik Bedard cruised through the next two innings on his way to his first win with the Sox. The deficit was more than the Rangers offense could overcome.

By the Numbers: 5

The Sox tied a season-high with five consecutive hits in the eight-run fourth inning. With two outs, Mike Aviles, pinch-hitting for Jed Lowrie who left with left shoulder tightness, started the streak with a single to right off Yoshinori Tateyama. Carl Crawford followed that with a grand slam for his 11th home run of the season. Merkin Valdez replaced Tateyama, and Josh Reddick greeted him with his second single of the inning, followed by Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s single, his second hit of the inning, and Jacoby Ellsbury‘s RBI single.

Quote of Note

―No, I didn‘t know that was my first career. I thought I had one before that. But, yeah, like I said, I‘m trying to catch up to those guys, Jose Reyes with the triples and I‘ll catch up to Ellsbury soon in stolen bases I guess. Probably the last one right there. I‘ll wait to the playoffs.‖ -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia on his first career stolen base in 337 games, stealing second in the fourth inning.

Bedard picks up first Sox win

Jessica Camerato

Erik Bedard hadn‘t received much by way of run support this season.

He entered Saturday‘s game against the Texas Rangers with an average of just 3.30 runs of support in 21 outings with the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox.

His new teammates changed all that in one inning.

Down 3-0, the Red Sox scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth and sent 13 batters to the plate. Jarrod Saltalamacchia kicked off the offensive attack with a two-run homerun and Carl Crawford smacked a grand slam, locking in Bedard‗s first ‗W‗ with the team.

Bedard threw six innings (six strikeouts, five hits, three earned runs, four walks) for his first victory since June 15. His last start, in which he threw four scoreless innings against the , was cut short by a rain delay and resulted in a no decision.

The Red Sox were happy to go to bat -- literally -- for their starting pitcher. Five players had multi-hit games and the team had 16 collectively.

―You‘re not going to quiet this offense that long,‖ Bedard said, ―And it‘s a matter of time before they scored a lot of runs. And we did.‖

Terry Francona praised Bedard for halting the Rangers bats, which scored three runs through the first three innings.

―It starts out where they‘re scoring and it seems like they‘re tacking on, and he‘s able to stop it,‖ Francona said. ―He actually had a bunch of strikeouts there for a while. And then we have the big inning and the game gets completely turned around.‖

Francona also noted that he thought Bedard was still battling with soreness in his left knee, which he believed contributed to early control issues. Bedard said he felt ―a little sore‖ at the start of the game but loosened up as the game went on.

―I would say a lot of it (control) is with his knee,‖ Francona said. ―I think there‘s still some soreness and some instability there. He ends up throwing with his arm more than his body. As much as you want pitchers to keep their legs under them, I think at times it‘s a little hard for him still. Probably going to have to fight that a little bit.‖

Soreness won‘t stop Bedard from continuing to fight on the mound. After earning his first win with the Red Sox, he emphasized his goals for the team.

―It‘s nice,‖ he said. ―At the end of the day, it‘s for the team. If we win the game at the end of the day and I pitch good and we play good, that‘s all that counts.‖

Crawford delivers grand performance

Maureen Mullen

It had been over a year since Carl Crawford last cleared the bases with a grand slam. The old feeling quickly came back on Saturday as he belted his first one as a member of the Red Sox in their eight-run fourth inning against the Texas Rangers.

―It‘s a good feeling when the stadium‘s cheering for you like that and everybody‘s happy,‖ he said following the Red Sox' 12-7 win.

Crawford missed Friday‘s game with a stomach illness but bounced back the following day, finishing the game with two hits (including a double) and four RBI.

His offensive performance was a turnaround from a recent three-game series against the New York Yankees in which he went 3-for-12 and a homestand where he had gone just 3-for-19 prior to Saturday‗s game.

―When you hit a grand slam, it definitely helps your confidence out a little bit, just hoping that‘s something that can get you going,‖ he said, adding, ―I‘ve been feeling all right. Unfortunately I can‘t go 5-for-5 or something like that but I‘ve been feeling better.‖

After a slow start and inconsistent production this season, solid performances like this are often contrasted with previous struggles. Crawford stays looking ahead to the remainder of the season -- and to the postseason -- while leaving the rest behind him.

―The games that passed, I don‘t really worry about them,― he said. ―I just try to take the approach try to do well the next day and the day after that. Everything that happened is pretty much behind me.‖

The Red Sox plan to do the same.

Said Terry Francona, ―If his batting average at the end of the year is a little short of what expectations were, that doesn‘t mean he can‘t be a force like he was today.‖

Josh Reddick had a career-high four hits (he also scored three runs) but his night was cut short when he was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Darren Oliver in the eighth inning. X-rays taken after the game came back negative and he will ice his hand for treatment.

―We didn‘t see anything too serious, so luckily missed the bone and just keep icing and covering it up and wrapping it up and reevaluate tomorrow,‖ he said. ―It‘s a lot better. The numbing went away about ten minutes after it happened. It‘s a good sign.‖

Reddick only recalls being hit in the majors once before, in 2009 -- a 95 mile-an-hour fastball off his ankle. While he does notice a difference in getting hit in the majors and minors, he tries to avoid it either way.

―A little bit [of a difference],‖ he said. ―They all hurt but I‘ve never been a guy who gets hit a lot so I like to get out of the way. But any time I get hit I don‘t really like it.‖

Francona, who expects Reddick to be sore on Sunday, offered plenty of praise for the outfielder.

―So many times he‘s given us such a lift, and that‘s hard for young players to do that,‖ he said. ―We‘re in the middle of a pennant race and this kid comes in, like when Carl [Crawford] wasn‘t playing, and gave us a lift there. And now he‘s playing the majority of right field and he‘s had some pretty good days. He had a little time there when he kind of came back, they made some adjustments, but he still has that ability to put some sock in his bat, not just singles. There‘s some production in that bat.‖

Jed Lowrie, who started at shortstop, also left the game in the fourth inning with left shoulder tightness. ―Jed [is] just stiff, I think probably from a little bit of fatigue. He‘s played a lot,‖ said Francona. ―I don‘t think we‘ll play him tomorrow. He‘ll certainly be available, so we‘re OK there. That might be me overreacting a little bit. Just don‘t want to lose guys.‖

Adrian Gonzalez turned two unassisted double plays which, according to Elias, makes him the first Red Sox first baseman in the Divisional Era to do so.

Dustin Pedroia hit his 200th career double in the sixth inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury (1-for-3) extended his hitting streak to eight games. He is batting .323 during that stretch.

Erik Bedard made the start on Saturday, following Jon Lester on Thursday and Andrew Miller on Friday. That marks the first time since May 18-20, 1995, the Sox have started three lefties in a row. The Sox went 1-2 in those games.

Entering August, Matt Albers had an ERA of 2.09. In 12 games since Aug. 1, spanning 12 2/3 innings, he has allowed 19 earned runs with eight walks, 11 strikeouts, and four home runs, for a 13.50 ERA. He has allowed runs in eight of the 12 outings. He is not hurt, though, Francona said.

―No, he‘s had a tough time,‖ Francona said. ―His velocity‘s good. Sometimes his velocity‘s real good. There‘s been times when he‘s been behind the count and paid the price and there‘s been times when he‘s made mistakes over the middle of the plate. When he‘s good he‘s working ahead and he‘s allowing that two-seamer to just come through the zone with some life, an occasional breaking ball and right now it‘s elevating a little bit.‖

Francona is not considering giving Albers a mental of physical break. ―No, actually he wants to pitch more,‖ Francona said. ―Physically he‘s fine so . . . sometimes for whatever reason he goes through ruts or things don‘t go well. If you look up at the end of the year and his ERA‘s a little higher because he had that one stretch, that doesn‘t necessarily mean he can't be that guy again that he‘s been for most of the year. Just his ERA might pay the price a little bit."

With the Sox getting pummeled by the Rangers Friday night, Albers entered with the Sox trailing by seven runs, a lower pressure situation than he has pitched earlier in the season. He gave up three runs.

―Things kind of go hand-in-hand,‖ Francona said. ―When your starter goes an inning and a third, somebody‘s got to pitch. We‘re just trying to line it up where last night we had it mapped out where Wake was going to come in and hopefully finish the game. So we had right-handers coming up for the most part before Wake and it seemed like a good time to just limit Albers to one inning and then we could bring in [Tim Wakefield].‖

Francona said he is not yet ready to line up his starting rotation in preparation for the postseason.

―When we know we‘re supposed to,‖ he said. ―Not until. We certainly look at things like we always do but we also don‘t want to get ahead of ourselves. We‘re trying to do what we do.‖

* NESN.com

Bottom of Red Sox Order Comes to the Rescue in Rout of Rangers

Tony Lee

There are times when a slumping offense might just sit back and wait for its big bats to get going, or for one of its sluggers to connect with runners on base.

That's never a sure thing, though. Despite its individual actions, baseball is a team sport, and sometimes the "little guys" have to pick up the slack.

They did so in a major way Saturday at Fenway Park, where the bottom portion of the Red Sox order pasted the Texas Rangers en route to a 12-7 victory.

And it's not like they did it in unspectacular dribs and drabs. There were rockets, milestones and superlatives achieved all along the way.

The trio of Carl Crawford, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia combined to go 8-for-14 with six RBIs and six runs scored.

Crawford crushed his fourth career grand slam. Saltalamacchia had a two-run bomb and even stole the first base of his 337-game career. Reddick produced career highs with four hits, three runs and five times reaching base. Above them, in the sixth spot, Jed Lowrie had an RBI single to start the scoring for the Red Sox and his replacement, Mike Aviles, went 2-for-3 and had the tie-breaking RBI with a base hit in the eight-run fourth.

"That's what you need," Saltalamacchia said. "You need one through nine to participate in all the hitting. That's something we're capable of doing. I think we've shown it all year long."

They have, but perhaps not to degrees such as those we saw Saturday, especially in that explosive fourth, which turned a two-run deficit into a six-run lead that kept growing as the game went on into the night.

It began innocently enough with a Josh Reddick single. Saltalamacchia then crushed a two-run homer off Rangers starter Colby Lewis, which tied the game 3-3. The star-studded top portion of the lineup loaded the bases with two out before Aviles, who entered when Lowrie had a stiff left shoulder, smacked a single to right to give Boston a lead it would not lose.

Crawford followed with his bomb beyond the Red Sox bullpen and the Sox never looked back. "It's a five-run swing with two outs, which is huge in the game," manager Terry Francona said of the hits by Aviles and Crawford.

Reddick singled again, as did Saltalamacchia, giving them both a 2-for-2 showing in the inning. Reddick would eventually score the final run of the frame on an infield hit by Jacoby Ellsbury, but only after Saltalamacchia sped into second with the very first theft of his career.

"That's probably the last one right there," Saltalamacchia joked. "I'll wait until the playoffs."

Six of the eight hits in the inning came from the final four hitters in the lineup. Aviles, Crawford, Reddick, Saltalamacchia and Ellsbury produced five straight hits at one point, tied for the team season high.

It was a collective barrage, but Crawford's shot stood out when it was all said and done.

"If the batting average at the end of the season is not where people expected, that doesn't mean he can't be a force, like he was today," Francona said.

Fans in Boston are pretty used to offensive outbursts from this team, but it had been mired in a bit of a funk before the bottom of the order broke out. In fact, Lowrie's RBI single snapped a 16-inning scoreless streak for the team with the most runs in the majors.

Those spells can occur, even for a lineup loaded with muscle. Sometimes it takes the lesser names to turn it around, something the Red Sox accomplished Saturday afternoon at Fenway.

"Everybody did a little bit of something for us today," Reddick said.

X-Rays Negative on Josh Reddick's Left Hand, Jed Lowrie Likely Out Sunday

Tony Lee

In the midst of a 12-run, 16-hit barrage Saturday at Fenway Park, the Red Sox had two players depart due to injury. The hope is that both will be just fine.

Jed Lowrie was the first to go. He departed in the fourth inning due to left shoulder tightness. Lowrie spent almost two months on the disabled list earlier in the year with a left shoulder injury, so Terry Francona did not want to take any chances.

"He's just stiff, probably from a little bit of fatigue. He's been playing a lot," Francona said. "I don't think we'll play him tomorrow, but he'll certainly be available. Just don't want to lose any players."

Josh Reddick, who went 4-for-4 in the 12-7 win, was hit in his left hand by a pitch in the bottom of eighth. He took his base but did not play defense in the ninth.

X-rays were negative, Francona said, and Reddick is day-to-day. With a left-hander on the mound Sunday for Texas, he probably was not going to play anyway.

Reddick said that the pitch got the meaty portion of his hand.

*

Crawford's slam helps Red Sox beat Rangers 12-7

The Red Sox had managed all of two runs during a brief two-game skid.

The offensive drought ended with flurry, though, as Boston scored eight times in the fourth inning Saturday, including a grand slam by Carl Crawford , in a 12-7 win over the Texas Rangers .

"That was our inning to hit and luckily nobody missed pitches," said Josh Reddick , who had two of his career-high four hits in the fourth.

Reddick led off with a single and scored right away when Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with a home run. The Red Sox added six more hits in 13 at-bats, highlighted by Crawford's two-out slam to right.

The big inning gave Erik Bedard (5-9) more than enough run support to get his first win as a member of the Red Sox.

After the left-hander came over in a trade with Seattle, the Red Sox averaged just 3.3 runs in his first three starts, but they gave him plenty of help this time. By the time the fourth inning was over, Boston had a 9-3 cushion.

"Bedard came out and gave us a strong start," Reddick said. "He got roughed up a little bit early, but luckily this lineup doesn't give up and came back there and pounded the ball."

Bedard went six innings, allowing three runs and five hits. He walked four and struck out six.

Dustin Pedroia barely missed a grand slam, hitting a shot high off the center-field wall with the bases loaded in the sixth as the Red Sox tagged six Texas pitchers for 16 hits.

Adrian Beltre drove in two runs and Esteban German hit a solo homer, his first of the season, to open the ninth for Texas.

Colby Lewis (11-10) lasted only 3 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. He was pulled shortly after Saltalamacchia's homer to left tied it 3-all in the fourth.

"The man couldn't get the ball down. If you keep giving these guys an opportunity with runners in scoring position, sooner or later they'll come through and they really did," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "In the fourth inning we just couldn't stop the bleeding. He just couldn't get the ball down."

Rangers reliever Yoshinori Tateyama didn't fare any better. He threw three straight balls to Adrian Gonzalez , the last of which got past catcher Yorvit Torrealba and allowed Pedroia to move to second. The Rangers intentionally walked Gonzalez with the next pitch.

Kevin Youkilis lined out to right, but Tateyama had more control problems and threw a wild pitch that allowed Pedroia to go to third. Texas went ahead and walked David Ortiz intentionally, loading the bases with two outs.

Pinch-hitter Mike Aviles singled to right and Boston took a 4-3 lead.

"That was the one we needed right there," Washington said. "Aviles fought off a few pitches and got it into right field."

That left the bases loaded for Crawford, who drove a 1-0 pitch deep into the seats in right.

Reddick followed with his second single of the inning. Saltalamacchia singled and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in Reddick with an infield single for Boston's eighth run of the fourth.

Reddick's chance at a fifth hit ended when he was hit by a pitch on his wrist in the eighth.

Boston manager Terry Francona said X-rays didn't show any break, but he expected Reddick to be a little sore on Sunday.

"So many times he's given us such a lift," Francona said. "That's hard for young players to do that." Bedard looked to be in trouble early when Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton hit back-to-back singles, putting runners at first and third with one out. Michael Young followed with a hard line drive, but it was right to Gonzalez at first. He made the catch and trotted to the bag to complete a double play.

Gonzalez had his second unassisted double play in the fourth when Texas tried a suicide squeeze. Craig Gentry popped up the bunt and Gonzalez caught it on the run, then just had to tag Torrealba at the plate.

Young and David Murphy had RBI singles for the Rangers. Beltre added a fielder's choice that put Texas up 3-0 in the third.

Hamilton hit an RBI single in the eighth and Texas scored three times, cutting the margin to 12-6.

NOTES: RHP John Lackey pitches for Boston on Sunday in his first start since his three-game winning streak ended with a 5-2 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday. LHP Matt Harrison is scheduled to pitch for Texas, 10 days since his last start. He did pitch two innings of relief against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. ... Ortiz hit Boston's other grand slam this season on July 27 against Kansas City. ... Saltalamacchia was credited with his first major league steal when he took second during Boston's big fourth inning. ... Youkilis hit a foul ball into the stands, where a vendor used an empty tub to bounce it to a fan in the fourth. ... Hamilton struck out swinging and lost his grip on the bat, launching it several rows up into the seats. The fan who caught the bat appeared to be OK. ... A fan delayed the game in the seventh when he jumped from the stands and ran from left field all the way to the warning track in right-center, where he was tackled by a security guard and then escorted from the field in handcuffs.

* The

Baseball games, especially Yankees-Red Sox games, have become stupidly long, and it needs fixing

Mike Lupica

The great Red Holzman was talking once about what pro basketball was like in the old days, before the 24- second clock, for guards like him and his old City College teammate, Sonny Hertzberg.

Holzman ended up in the pros with the Rochester Royals in the '40s and '50s and Hertzberg was an original Knick, there when they played their first game in 1946, a court over the ice at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, when the league was still called the Basketball Association of America.

"Sonny and I would dribble around and pass the ball on the outside," Red said, "and pretty soon everybody would leave the arena."

That hasn't happened yet in baseball, where attendance is holding, where a hot young team like the Brewers in a small market like Milwaukee is drawing three million fans this season, where the Phillies and Red Sox and Yankees still draw huge crowds, even if the Yankees aren't drawing the way they used to this season, a season when their television ratings have gone down from last season, too.

But baseball games, particularly baseball games between the Red Sox and Yankees have become stupidly long.

Anybody who thinks this is good for the sport in a right-now world, in a world where a sport of constant action like pro football is bigger than ever, is nuts. We are way past the point where the timelessness of baseball, the fact that it doesn't have a clock, is part of its charm.

When Sonny Hertzberg died a few years ago, it was pointed out in his obituary in the Times that while he averaged just over eight points a game, pro basketball was a "rough, slow game" in his time. That is what baseball has too often become. And you know we are moving up on midweek playoff games, with more commercial time between innings, especially in the American League that will end 'round midnight.

You know who is happy about that? Television networks, whatever lip service they pay to wanting the best possible product. They like the late-game ratings, you bet, and mostly worry about the ratings they get late, and the product they can push.

Dustin Pedroia talked about how "ridiculous" the length of Red Sox-Yankees games is at Fenway the other day, even as he was praising his own teammates for the way they grind out at-bats. And here is what Mark Teixeira said to Tyler Kepner, in case you missed it:

"It's not baseball. I don't even know how to describe it. If I was a fan, why would I want to come watch people sitting around and talking back and forth, going to the mound, 2-0 sliders in the dirt? Four-hour games can't be fun for a fan, either."

Buck Showalter, whose opinions about baseball I respect as much as anybody's, told me the other day that the only people he hears consistently complaining about pace of play and length of games are the media and umpires.

"People who are there every day," he said. "Is (pace of play) an issue? Of course it is. I just don't think it's as big an issue with a family of three or four who has to pay what they had to pay to go to a game."

Except.

Except that on Tuesday night, in a 5-2 nine-inning baseball game that came up a minute short of four hours, the Red Sox brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth against . High drama, right? Except that at Fenway Park, where they sell out every game and where baseball is celebrated every day and night of the season, there were so many empty seats for the moment some thought the ballpark might be only half full.

Believe me, the people hadn't left because they had given up on their team.

The games are too long, for so many reasons you lose count, starting with the fact that the nerds and hitting instructors have turned pitch-taking into a sacrament in this sport. The pitchers take too long to pitch and the batters take too long to hit, and the result is a series like this, that takes 12 hours over three nine-inning games, two of which finished with scores of 5-2 and 4-2.

Certainly the games produce drama, and moments of high drama, at the plate and in the field and all the way to another bottom-of-the-ninth moment with Mo and Adrian Gonzalez on Thursday night. But the rest of it has become a stagnant unwatchable mess.

The games mean so much! That is what I hear. What, games only mean a lot to the Yankees and Red Sox?

Baseball takes great pride in holding its place with attendance, and maybe it can continue with a game that is too often like Sonny Hertzberg's NBA, too rough and too slow.

But I doubt it.

Einhorn and the art of the deal, the Giants and Cheney...

-- David Einhorn made a calculated play to short the Mets with what was going to be an investment of $200 million, and if you had that kind of disposable income, you would have done the same thing with all that blood in the water.

Einhorn saw a chance to parlay that original investment into becoming the controlling partner of the team, and reached for that chance with both hands.

It was a smart, aggressive play by a hedge-fund guy, and if the financial circumstances with the Wilpons and Saul Katz hadn't improved, Einhorn might have pulled it off, in the short run.

Then the forecast in the courts seemed to change and so, clearly, did the relationship between Mr. Einhorn and Fred Wilpon in particular.

Einhorn has his version of things, Wilpon and Katz have theirs, and we will see down the road if the current owners of the team can hold on to it.

And Major League Baseball has its own version of David Einhorn, who acts as if he had been preapproved to become the primary owner of the Mets someday even if nothing close to that ever happened.

This was never about love of the Mets or love of baseball with David Einhorn, it was just about the art of a deal he tried to make.

It was absolutely a short that could have turned into a nice, long-range plan, and didn't, because in the end the Mets decided they didn't need Einhorn as much as they thought they did.

We're going to find out before the year is out how things play out between the Mets and Madoff trustee Irving Picard - even though the case was once again declared over last month - and then we'll know if the Wilpons and Katz can hold on to the team.

Just not now.

-- The football season around here will be a lot more fun if the Giants are better than they have looked in the preseason, better than they have played when they have their best players in there.

It really is fun these days to look at the Red Sox and Yankees and have old-fashioned Red Sox-Yankee debates about center fielders, and first basemen, and second basemen.

Often you can have these debates between pitches, of course.

The Packers start out with the best offensive player in the game, Aaron Rodgers, and the best defensive player, Clay Matthews, and it is another reason why you favor them to win another Super Bowl this season.

No matter how much Rick Perry moves around on the issues, you have to say that the guy's hair stays in place.

People are a lot sweeter on A.J. now than they were on Thursday morning, right?

Sometimes you don't need a week or so to have the narrative change in baseball, you just need one game.

-- One of the reasons I always thought that the Braves weren't as dominant in the postseason as they often were during the regular season was that they didn't have enough strikeout guys, even when their guys were Glavine, , Smoltz.

There would always be a moment in a big October game when they needed a strikeout and didn't get one and, well, you saw how that came out.

A.J. might still have numbers that remind you somewhat of the national debt.

But you know what?

On nights when he doesn't pitch like a scrub, he can strike people out.

I am thinking that the general manager of the Yankees, at least for now, has warmer feelings for Rafael Soriano than he did the day the Yankees introduced him.

But these things are always fluid.

-- ' Mets just can't seem to get it through their heads that they should have stopped playing hard long ago.

When you don't get in 's face, he is still like a basketball player who looks like he can drop 40 on you at any time.

It was nice to see this week that the Wall Street Journal is still a real soft place for Dick Cheney to land.

Cheney never changes and that never changes.

Here is something else that never changes:

Cheney acted as if the economy fell when somebody else besides him and W were running the country.

* The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Red Sox roll past Rangers after eight-run fourth

Jeff Wilson

Up early and feeling good about themselves, the Texas Rangers didn't see a disastrous fourth inning coming toward them Saturday afternoon.

Colby Lewis said he was getting better after laboring some early.

The offense was clicking against Erik Bedard.

But the game took a sharp U-turn after a squeeze bunt turned into a double play to end the Rangers' fourth. Boston's impressive lineup broke through for eight runs in its half of the inning, and the Red Sox rolled to a 12-7 victory.

"It wasn't coincidence," manager Ron Washington said. "It turned the momentum."

Carl Crawford's grand slam highlighted the rally, but his at-bat was made possible when pinch-hitter Mike Aviles singled with two outs off Yoshinori Tateyama to break a 3-3 tie.

It was the key mound sequence for the Rangers, who got only 3 1/3 innings out of Colby Lewis (11-10) before poor pitch location and a high pitch count caught up to him.

The Rangers had given him a 3-0 lead. David Murphy drove in the first run, in the second inning, with a two-out single to score Adrian Beltre. Michael Young and Beltre brought in two more in the third.

Boston finally punched through in the third with a Jed Lowrie RBI single with two outs, but the Rangers had Bedard in trouble again in the fourth.

Craig Gentry, though, popped up a bunt with Yorvit Torrealba coming hard from third. Instead of leading 4-1, the Rangers were about to get run over.

Reddick singled to start the Red Sox's fourth, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with a two-run shot to tie the game.

After Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to left field, Dustin Pedroia hit a sharp single to left on Lewis' 89th and final pitch.

The early hook didn't sit well with Lewis, who thought that he had turned the corner. He also wasn't pleased with a call by plate Gary Darling on the pitch that preceded Saltalamacchia's 14th homer of the season.

"I had Salty punched out on the 2-2 pitch, and he didn't call it," Lewis said. "It was a 3-3 game. I felt like my stuff was coming in more as it went on, but not everyone felt that way."

In came the right-handed Tateyama, who worked carefully around left-handed sluggers Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz and tried to attack the right-handed-hitting Youkilis and Aviles.

Tateyama retired Youkilis between intentional walks to Gonzalez and Ortiz but fell behind Aviles, who was hitting because Lowrie had to leave the game with a sore shoulder.

Aviles lined a 3-1 pitch into right field to give the Red Sox their first lead at 4-3 and to extend the inning. Crawford followed and put the game out of reach with his fourth career grand slam.

It was the seventh homer allowed by Tateyama, all to left-handed hitters. But he was in the game to get Youkilis and Aviles.

"I should get outs against right-handed hitters, and I could not do that," Tateyama said. "That led to the results."

Boston added three runs in the sixth against Mark Hamburger, but Lewis has allowed 16 earned runs in his past three starts covering 151/3 innings.

"I don't get concerned," Washington said. "He had another bad outing. He's healthy. He just needs to get the ball down. ... If you keep giving these guys opportunities with runners in scoring position, they're going to come through."