G54: Phillies 4, Red Sox 3

Red Sox  - 100 001 001 - 3  7  0
Phillies - 010 200 01x - 4  8  1

With the potential tying run at third and go-ahead run at second, Daniel Nava, batting against Jonathan Papelbon with two outs, grounded sharply to first - and the Red Sox lost another nail-biter to Philadelphia.

Stephen Drew had begun the ninth by working a one-out walk against the former Boston closer. Pinch-hitter David Ortiz just got under a 1-0 pitch and skied a fly ball to right for the second out. Jonny Gomes came through with a single to right and Jacoby Ellsbury blooped an RBI double to left. Nava - who had hit a solo home run off the right field pole in the sixth - had a chance to be the hero, but could not deliver.

Lackey (6-6-3-3-5, 98) allowed three solo home runs for the first time since September 16, 2005. Andrew Miller got into some trouble in the seventh, loading the bases on a single and two walks, but Koji Uehara came in to douse the fire. Uehara also pitched the eighth, and allowed a key insurance run for the Phillies: Domonic Brown's second home run of the game.

Ellsbury began the game with a triple and scored on Dustin Pedroia's sacrifice fly.

Boston missed a golden chance to score in the seventh, thanks in part to a blown call by home plate umpire Dale Scott. Trailing 3-2, Jose Iglesias doubled with one out and Gomes was hit by a pitch. Ellsbury drew a walk, but Scott called ball four "strike three" and what should have been a bases-loaded-one-out situation was 1st-and-2nd with two outs. Nava ended the inning by grounding into a fielder's choice.

To be fair, another blown call by Scott helped the Red Sox in the sixth. After getting a gift call on what should have been a walk to Freddy Galvis, loading the bases with one out, Lackey had another chance to retire the Philadelphia third baseman. And he made the most of that opportunity, inducing a double play grounder.

Also: The Mets scored five times in the top of the first en route to a 9-4 drubbing of the Yankees, their third consecutive win over their cross-town rivals.

John Lackey / Kyle Kendrick

Ellsbury, CF
Nava, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Napoli, 1B
Saltalamacchia, C
Carp, LF
Drew, SS
Iglesias, 3B
Lackey, P

The Red Sox recalled outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. and sent pitcher Alex Wilson to Pawtucket. Yesterday, Franklin Morales was activated from the disabled list and Alfredo Aceves was optioned to AAA.

Dustin Pedroia has been playing with a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb since the first game of the season - and has been ripping shit up in the process: .332/.422/.444, 132 OPS+. FY has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games (30-for-78, .385). ... John Henry talks about the injury.