G40: Red Sox 7, Phillies 5

Red Sox  - 120 220 000 - 7 11  1
Phillies - 001 300 010 - 5 15  2

The Red Sox hit four home runs and the bullpen - the best in MLB over the last two months - held the lead as they won the second game of the three-game series. The Phillies left six men on base over the final three innings, including the bases loaded in the eighth.

Mike Aviles began the game with a home run (#7) to left-center. In the second, Jarrod Saltalamacchia (3-for-4) singled and Ryan Sweeney doubled; Salty then scored on an error by pitcher Joe Blanton and Sweeney came home on a double play.

Will Middlebrooks (#5) and Saltalamacchia (#6) hit back-to-back home runs to kick off the fourth, and give Boston a 5-1 lead. Lester quickly gave back three runs, however, allowing an RBI single to Hector Luna and a two-run dong to Freddy Galvis.

David Ortiz hit a two-run bomb to center (#9) in the fifth to make it 7-4. That's how the score stood until the eighth, but the Phillies threatened in every inning.

5th: John Mayberry and Shane Victorino both singled with no outs, but Pence hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Ruiz struck out.

6th: With one out, Lester gave up two singles, but pinch-hitter Placido Polanco hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

7th: Vicente Padilla relieved Lester (6-8-4-1-3, 90) and allowed two singles with one out (Mayberry and Victorino, again). He fanned Pence on a nasty curve for the second out and caught a break when Sweeney made a highlight-reel catch, diving flat out towards the wall in deep right-center and hauling in Ruiz's bid for extra bases.

8th: Padilla allowed two singles and a fly ball to deep center advanced the runners to second and third with one out. Rich Hill came in and retired Juan Pierre on a weak grounder to first, and the runners had to hold. Bobby Valentine then called on Alfredo Aceves. Jimmy Rollins beat out an infield hit to shortstop and a run scored, making it 7-5. Aceves walked Mayberry on four pitches to load the bases, but Victorino was hacking, and popped up the first pitch to Aviles.

9th: Pence singled, but Ruiz lined out to shortstop and Aviles turned it into a huge double play. Ty Wigginton singled to center. Aceves struck out Luna to save the win.

Jon Lester / Joe Blanton

Aviles, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, 1B
Gonzalez, RF
Middlebrooks, 3B
Saltalamacchia, C
Sweeney, CF
Nava, LF
Lester, P