G102: Red Sox 14, Cleveland 9

The bats come alive!

Boston:    011 250 320 - 14 17 1
Cleveland: 001 040 400 -  9  6 1
  
Manny:   3-for-4, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 RS
Wily Mo: 4-for-5, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 RS
Lowell:  3-for-5, 2 RBI
Varitek: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
Crisp:   2-for-5, 2 RS, RBI
Ortiz:   1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 RS

Manny's first home run to dead center was measured at 481 feet -- the third-longest home run in the 13-year history of Jacobs Field.

Schilling in AAA: 5-2-0-0-8, 66 pitches, 44 strikes, retired the first 14 batters.

The Royals beat the Yankees 7-0, so Boston's East lead is back up to 7.5.

***

Kason Gabbard (2.97, 152 ERA+) / Cliff Lee (5.95, 73 ERA+)

Continuing the Ramones theme: one night after "Carmona Not Glue" we have "Gabbard Gabbard Hey". 1, 2, 3, 4 ...

Gabbard is the third pitcher in Red Sox history to win his first five home starts, joining George Winter (1901) and Boo Ferriss (1945). In July, Gabbard is 3-0 with a 1.92 ERA, with 11 hits allowed in his past 28 innings.

RedSox.com:

Lee was hit hard again on Saturday in Texas, giving up seven runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings to lose his third consecutive start. In going 0-3 since July 6, he has allowed 19 earned runs in his past 16 innings (10.69 ERA). Lee already lost to Boston once this year, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings of a 5-3 defeat on May 28 at Fenway Park.