The Hit (And Run) Parade Continues

It was a little more than two weeks ago that the Red Sox went 31 innings without scoring a run and an amazing 23 innings without getting a runner past second base. Over the last seven days, however, the offense has returned with a vengeance (batting .314 and slugging .597).

Facing the Blue Jays, Yankees and White Sox, the Red Sox have averaged 9.3 runs per game. Thirty of their last 33 runs -- dating back to the ninth inning on Friday -- have scored with two outs. They have hit at least two home runs in 12 of the last 14 games.

Jason Bay:

I think everyone has kind of been waiting for this. It's kind of like we've been searching for the offensive identity all year.

Ozzie Guillen, on that third inning:

I thought I'd never see it all, but I did. Hit by pitch, walk, wild pitch, an error and a home run in two-thirds of an inning. ... It had to be a record. ... The [Lowell] home run came three hours later, after we should have been out of the inning.

John Farrell says Josh Beckett's troubles are mechanical:

We're not concerned ... there's no injury, there's no issue that isn't able to be adjusted. (Poor) location of his pitches ... missing with some fastballs up in the strike zone or a curveball that hasn't had the same finish. ... We're talking about fine adjustments that lead to night-and-day different results. There may be some times when maybe some added effort or an attempt to get some added velocity has caused him to get a little spread out (with his delivery) and caused him to throw the baseball on a little bit more of a flat plane rather than the downward angle that all pitchers need. ... It's a very fine line. With a power pitcher, you want to be careful not to overemphasize angle at the expense of velocity. It's being able to channel that drive on a downward trajectory.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched three innings in a live game last night in Fort Myers, throwing 37 pitches and allowing only one hit. Dice will start for Portland on Saturday, then for Pawtucket on September 3. He could be back with the Red Sox on September 8 or 9.

Any deal for Billy Wagner seems unlikely. ... Dustin Pedroia became the second Red Sox second baseman to have two 40-double seasons, joining Jody Reed (1990-91). ... Jacoby Ellsbury snapped an 0-for-14 skid with a double in the fourth.

Nice photo caption!