G79: Red Sox 11, Rockies 4

Rockies - 010 100 200 -  4 11  1
Red Sox - 232 100 21x - 11 20  3

Boston pounded out a season-high of 20 hits, as four players - Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Daniel Nava, and Jose Iglesias -  each had three hits. Every batter in the starting lineup had at least one hit (seven of the nine players had multi-hit games), and everyone either scored or knocked in a run.

Pedroia had four RBI; Ellsbury scored three times. Ryan Dempster (6-6-2-2-4, 106) pitched six strong innings against the top OPSing team in the NL.

Ellsbury started the first with a double. With one out, Pedroia singled (1-0), Ortiz and Napoli both walked, and Nava singled (2-0). Boston had the bases loaded and only one out, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out and Stephen Drew fouled out.

With two outs in the second, Shane Victorino doubled, Pedroia doubled (3-1), Ortiz doubled (4-1), Napoli singled (5-1), and Nava singled. The first seven Red Sox hits were to the opposite field.

Four straight singles in the third - by Iglesias, Ellsbury, Victorino and Pedroia - brought in two more runs. Those hits ended the night for Nicasio (2.1-12-7-2-2, 79). Even with the seven runs in the first three innings, the Red Sox still stranded seven men on base.

In the fourth, Drew hit a two-out home run off the top of the wall in dead center field, but even after a lengthy review of the play, the three umpires still got it wrong, awarding Drew a triple. He was able to score a few minutes later, however, on Iglesias's double.

Both Baltimore and New York won, so Boston maintained its 2.5-game lead in the East.

Juan Nicasi / Ryan Dempster

Ellsbury, CF
Victorino, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Nava, LF
Saltalamacchia, C
Drew, SS
Iglesias, 3B

The Red Sox have sent Will Middlebrooks to Pawtucket and called up infielder Brandon Snyder.

The last game the Red Sox and Rockies played against each other was a bit of a wild affair.