G41: Red Sox 3, Twins 2

Twins   - 000 100 001 - 2  6  0
Red Sox - 000 201 00x - 3 10  1

Buchholz, armed with a terrific changeup and slider, pitched eight strong innings (8-5-2-1-7, 104), David Ortiz hit a two-run home run that survived the umpires' review, Bill Hall added a key insurance run by lining the third of three two-out singles in the sixth, and a slightly-shaky Daniel Bard recorded his first save of the year.

Only three of Buchholz's 24 outs were recorded outside of the infield (the last out in the second and the first two batters in the third). Victor Martinez singled twice and was on base when Flo launched his 8th dong. Adrian Beltre also had two hits and scored a run.

Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 10-6 and now lead the East by 4 games. The Red Sox remain 8.5 GB. The Blue Jays are in Seattle.

Scott Baker / Clay Buchholz

Drew, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Martinez, C
Youkilis, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Beltre, 3B
Hermida, LF
Hall, SS
McDonald, CF

Jeremy Hermida has the best RBI% on the team. Note to media and various fans: See who is #2?

The Red Sox are hitting much better than their opponents, yet have scored eight fewer runs and are 20-20.

            AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS   RUNS
Red Sox    .270  .350  .454  .804    210
Opponents  .260  .338  .426  .764    218

With runners on base, the Red Sox and their opponents have similar OBP and SLG, but Boston is batting only .269 to its opponents' .281.

OBP from Batting Order Spot

      BOS    OPP
#2   .377   .282
#3   .289   .359

Also at 7: Rays at Yankees. Tampa Bay (who might not get J.P. Howell back this season, not that his absence has slowed them down so far) is 3 GA of the MFY and 8.5 GA of the Sox. I don't want to fall any further behind, so I guess that means I'd like the Rays to lose both of their games in the Bronx.

Dan Graziano writes that the Rays-Yankees series might be "between the best two teams in baseball", but the Red Sox and Yankees "still have the market cornered on crazy, as they proved by packing a week's worth of eventful baseball insanity into the past two nights".

On this date in 2008, Jon Lester pitched a no-hitter against the Royals. (JoS)