G68: Red Sox 8, Diamondbacks 5

Diamondbacks - 101 110 001 - 5 12  2
Red Sox      - 102 012 02x - 8 10  1

David Ortiz belted a two-run home run in the third -- and reached base four times -- but Daniel Nava was the hero of the late innings.

Nava doubled to start the fifth and scored on Marco Scutaro's dobule. He singled in the middle of the sixth inning rally -- and a throwing error on the play increased Boston's lead from 5-4 to 6-4 -- and he had an RBI double in the eighth. Scutaro drove in three runs; and Beltre singled and walked twice.

Lackey hung on long enough to get a W (6-8-4-2-5, 112), but was not particularly sharp.

The Yankees lost 7-1 and the Rays lost 3-1 -- New York and Tampa Bay each managed only four hits each -- so they remained tied for first, with the Red Sox now only 2 GB. Boston has not been this close to first place since April 15 (after G8).

Dan Haren / John Lackey

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

At 7 PM:

Yankees/Phillies
Rays/Atlanta

June 17:

1880: John Montgomery Ward of the Providence Grays pitches a perfect game against the Buffalo Bisons (5-0). It is the second perfect game in National League history and the second in six days! Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs beat the Cleveland Blues 1-0 on June 12. It will be 84 years before another NL pitcher throws a perfect game (Jim Bunning, June 21, 1964).

1915: Zip Zabel comes out of the Cubs bullpen with two outs in the first inning against Brooklyn. He pitches 18.1 innings -- the longest relief appearance in major league history -- and wins 4-3. (Another likely unbreakable record.)

2005: The Arizona Diamondbacks give up 10 runs in the third inning of a 13-6 loss to Cleveland. In their previous game, June 15 against the White Sox, they had allowed 10 runs in the sixth inning. The last team to suffer 10-run innings in consecutive games was the 1969 Mets, who did it in both games of a doubleheader, July 30 against the Astros (11 runs in the ninth inning of G1 and 10 runs in the third inning of G2).