G26: Blue Jays 9, Red Sox 7

Red Sox   - 000 211 300 - 7  9  0
Blue Jays - 103 020 21x - 9  9  1

Jon Lester / Brandon Morrow

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

Boston (18-7) starts a six-game road trip to Toronto and Texas. ... Lester pitched seven shutout innings against the Jays on April 7. ... The Red Sox have won 13 of their last 16 games.

Dustin Pedroia is 8th in the AL in batting average (.330) and 6th in OBP (.438); 25 of his 31 hits have been singles. ... David Ortiz (.516/.529/871) and Mike Carp (.455/.500/.864) continue to murderize the ball. Read a quick Q&A with Carp here.

The disappointing Jays are 9-17, a whopping 9.5 GB the Red Sox. It may still be April, but Dave Cameron (Fangraphs) says the Blue Jays are in trouble.

Jason Collins: "I'm A 34-Year-Old NBA Center. And I'm Gay."

Jason Collins:

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay. I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. ...

No one wants to live in fear. I've always been scared of saying the wrong thing. I don't sleep well. I never have. But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly. It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time. ...

Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start. It all comes down to education. I'll sit down with any player who's uneasy about my coming out. Being gay is not a choice. This is the tough road and at times the lonely road. ...

The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in. I'm much happier since coming out to my friends and family. Being genuine and honest makes me happy.

Guess The Count #1 - With Marvin Hudson

Good morning, and welcome to Guess The Count!, the umpiring game where we give you the pitches and you make the calls. Test your skills as an arbiter against those of a real Major League Baseball umpire.

Today's man behind the plate is Marvin Hudson and we will be looking at the Astros/Red Sox game from Saturday, April 27, 2013. Make your guess and then see how you matched up against our big-time ump. One explanation before we start: There are no tricks. All of the pitches were taken by the batter; he did not swing at any of them.

Ready? Let's begin! We'll start off with an easy one. The pitcher has made one pitch ... and it's time for you to ... guess the count!

Next:

How about this one?

Check the comments for how Hudson called the pitches. ... How did you do? Do you have what it takes to be a major league umpire? If not, better luck next time!

And that's all for today from ... Guess The Count!

G25: Red Sox 6, Astros 1

Astros  - 100 000 000 - 1  7  2
Red Sox - 100 220 10x - 6 11  1

John Lackey (6-5-1-2-4, 81) was strong in his return to the rotation, David (.516) Ortiz picked up two more hits, and Stephen Drew cracked a two-run, tie-breaking triple in the fourth inning as the Red Sox swept a four-game series from the Astros. Boston outscored Houston 28-10.

Lackey may have been a little rusty in the first inning, allowing two walks and a single after there were two outs. But after giving up a single to start the second, he retired 13 in a row. With one out in the sixth, Lackey gave up three singles to load the bases, but got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat. Clayton Mortensen, Koji Uehara, and Andrew Bailey each pitched one inning.

Ortiz, Daniel Nava and Mike Carp each contributed a single and a double. ... Nava scored three runs. ... Both Ortiz and Drew had two RBI.

Boston has won 13 of their last 16 games, and is 18-7 for the season. Today's win tied the franchise record for most wins in April. The team has a chance to set a new record on Tuesday night in Toronto.

Bud Norris / John Lackey

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

Lackey returns from the disabled list (right biceps strain) to make his second start of the season. On April 6, he went 4.1-5-2-1-8, 77.

Boston is 17-7. The club record for wins in April is 18 (1998 and 2003).

G24: Red Sox 8, Astros 4

Astros  - 200 000 100 - 4  5  1
Red Sox - 040 100 30x - 8 12  1

David Ortiz went 2-for-3 (he's batting .519) and drove in three runs as the Red Sox held off a couple of late rallies from the Astros. At 17-7, Boston - the experts' pre-season pick for the AL East cellar - has the best record in MLB.

Houston managed to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh and - after the Red Sox added three runs to their total - the potential tying run to the plate in the eighth, but Junichi Tazawa and Alex Wilson, respectively, doused the two fires. Andrew Miller picked a quick and perfect ninth, striking out the last two batters.

Doubront (6.2-4-3-4-8, 103) had a brutal beginning to his night, but after the first inning, he was dominant. Facing the first six Astros, he allowed a hit, three walks, a wild pitch, and an HBP - and two runs. From the second through the sixth, however, he allowed only one hit. Doubront struck out two batters in the second and fifth innings, and fanned the side in the third.

Boston took care of business against Peacock (3.1-6-5-5-3, 90) in the second. Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked with one out, and a double by Will Middlebrooks and a walk to Stephen Drew loaded the bases. Jacoby Ellsbury's single scored two runs and after Dustin Pedroia walked to re-load the sacks, Ortiz doubled home two more. ... Flo's sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 5-2. ... Drew, Daniel Nava and Pedroia had RBI hits in the seventh.

Pedroia reached base four times with two singles and two walks. ... Middlebrooks singled, doubled, and walked and Drew singled and walked twice. Both scored twice, as did Salty.

Brad Peacock / Felix Doubront

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

The Red Sox and Rangers are tied for the best record in baseball: 16-7. ... The Red Sox have the best team slugging and OPS in the American League.

G23: Red Sox 7, Astros 3

Astros  - 001 010 100 - 3  7  0
Red Sox - 111 210 01x - 7 17  2

The Red Sox hit four home runs, including two by David Ross (who had four hits for the first time in his career), and Ryan Dempster (6-4-2-3-10, 104) struck out 10 Astros in six innings. Boston is now 12-0 when they score first. They are 16-7 overall.

Only four Red Sox teams have had a better record after 23 games: 1946 (20-3), 1904 (18-5), 1940 (17-6), and 1998 (17-6).

The Red Sox scored in each of the first five innings:

1st: Jacoby Ellsbury lined a single off first baseman Brandon Laird's glove and scored on Dustin Pedroia's one-out double.

2nd: David Ross hit a two-out solo home run.

3rd: Pedroia doubled (a ground rule two-bagger to right) and scored on Mike Napoli's double into the left field corner.

4th: Will Middlebrooks and Ross began the inning with back-to-back home runs. Those dongs ended Erik Bedard's night: 3-8-5-0-5, 91.

5th: David Ortiz homered to dead center with one down - his second straight game with a tater.

The Red Sox added a run in the eighth. Singles by Middlebrooks, Ross, and Pedro Ciriaco loaded the bases with none out. Ellsbury lined to shortstop and Middlebrooks was doubled off third. Jonny Gomes's single scored Ross, giving Gomes his first RBI of the year.

Napoli set two team records for April: most doubles (13) and most extra-base hits (18). He has 27 RBI in the month, with three games remaining.

Extra-Base Hits18  Mike Napoli      2013
16  Jose Offerman    1999
15  David Ortiz      2012
15  David Ortiz      2007
15  David Ortiz      2006
15  David Ortiz      2004
15  Mo Vaughn        1998
  
Doubles13  Mike Napoli      2013
11  Ryan Sweeney     2012
11  Mike Lowell      2006
11  Jose Offerman    1999
10  Adrian Gonzalez  2011
10  Dustin Pedroia   2008
10  David Ortiz      2004
10  Mo Vaughn        1993
  
RBI
31  Manny Ramirez    2001
28  Mo Vaughn        1996
27  Mike Napoli      2013
26  Manny Ramirez    2002

Ellsbury stole second base in the sixth - the 200th of his career - breaking his own Sox record for steals in April. He now has 11, which also leads the major leagues.

Stolen Bases11  Jacoby Ellsbury  2013
10  Jacoby Ellsbury  2009
9   Johnny Damon     2002

Matt Dominguez (two doubles, HBP) scored all three of Houston's runs. Five of the Astros' seven hits were doubles.

Erik Bedard / Ryan Dempster

Ellsbury, CF
Gomes, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Nava, RF
Middlebrooks, 3B
Ross, C
Ciriaco, SS

Boston is tied with Texas and Atlanta for the most wins in the major leagues (15).

The Red Sox have been in first place for all 26 days of this season, which sets a new club record for the longest stretch in first to begin a season. The 1918 team was atop the American League for the first 25 days.

Mike Napoli's double in the seventh inning last night was his 16th extra-base hit of the month, tying Jose Offerman (1999) for the team record in April. He also tied Offerman (1999), Mike Lowell (2006), and Ryan Sweeney (2012) for the team record with 11 doubles in April.

The Red Sox are 11-0 when they score first. ... The Red Sox are 13-2 when scoring three or more runs.

G22: Red Sox 7, Astros 2

Astros  - 011 000 000 - 2  7  1
Red Sox - 401 020 00x - 7 11  0

Clay Buchholz turned in his fifth consecutive strong start (7.2-6-2-2-10, 109) and David Ortiz collected three hits, including his first home run of the season, and scored three runs as the Red Sox cruised past the Astros in the first game of a four-game series.

The Red Sox have won all eight of their series-opening contests this season, a new franchise record. The 1917 team won the first game of its first seven series.

Boston battered Philip Humber (4.2-10-7-3-5, 88) in the first inning. With one out, Daniel Nava walked, took second on a passed ball, and scored on Dustin Pedroia's single. Pedroia then stole second without a throw and came home on Ortiz's single (an outfield error on Ortiz's hit allowed Flo to advance to second). After Mike Napoli struck out, Mike Carp doubled Ortiz home and Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled Carp in.

Ortiz led off the third with a home run to dead center. He also singled in the fifth, raced gingerly to third on Carp's single, and scored on Salty's second hit of the night. Will Middlebrooks followed with an RBI double that scored Carp.

Ortiz is now 11-for-20 (.550) in his five games. He has hit safely in 17 straight games, dating back to July 2, 2012.

Buchholz reached double digits in strikeouts for the second time in his last three games. He has pitched at least seven innings in all five starts this year, and his ERA is now 1.19. [For those who care about pitcher wins: Buchholz joins Babe Ruth (1917), Pedro Martinez (2000), and Josh Beckett (2007) as the only Red Sox pitchers to win five games in April.]

Daniel Bard pitched the ninth inning, allowing a two-out single and striking out one batter. His fastball was 93-95, but his control was slightly shaky.

Philip Humber / Clay Buchholz

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

Aceves Sent To Pawtucket

A day after a horrible pitching performance against Oakland, which he seemingly blamed on the home plate umpire, the weather, the mound conditions, and his teammates' cold bats, Alfredo Aceves has been optioned to Pawtucket.

The Globe is reporting that Ryan Lavarnway will be called up. Whoever is recalled may only be with the big club for a few days, as John Lackey is expected to be activated on Sunday.

In five games (three starts) this season, Aceves has a 8.66 ERA, having allowed 25 hits and 12 walks in only 17.2 innings. Opposing batters have a 1.047 OPS (.329/.416/.632). ... Since August 1, 2012, Aceves's ERA is 8.51 over 25 games.

G21: Red Sox 6, Athletics 5

Athletics - 000 300 110 - 5  9  0
Red Sox   - 000 330 00x - 6 10  0

Stephen Drew's two-run triple tied the game in the fourth, and the Red Sox batted around in the fifth, scoring three more times. That lead was whittled down to 6-5, but Andrew Bailey struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the victory. Boston is 14-7.

Bailey and the Red Sox may have received a little help in the ninth from the "human element". With two outs, Jed Lowrie smoked a 2-2 pitch down the right field line. It appeared to hit some chalk, but was called a foul ball by umpire Greg Gibson. Two pitches later, Lowrie fanned to end the game.

Earlier in the game, the umpires were not on Boston's side. Lester (5.2-6-3-6-5, 115) got squeezed so much in his innings - mostly on pitches in the lower portion of the strike zone - I could have sworn Mr. Whipple was behind the plate. (Actually, it was Jerry Layne and Mike Estabrook; Layne left the game in the top of the fourth after being hit on the left hand with a foul ball. Maybe that's what you get for disregarding the rule book and making up your own zone.)

Lester hung a curve to Chris Young in the fourth and Young blasted it over the Wall for a three-run dong. Boston came right back to tie the game in their half. With one out, David Ortiz and Mike Napoli hit back-to-back doubles (3-1). Jonny Gomes walked and was forced at second by Will Middlebrooks, and Drew tripled into the right field corner (3-3).

In the fifth, Jacoby Ellsbury singled and stole his MLB-leading 10th base of the year. Shane Victorino doubled him home (4-3). Pedroia singled and Ortiz singled (5-3). After a pitching change, Napoli was plunked and pinch-hitter Daniel Nava singled FY home (6-3).

Oakland chipped away. Facing Junichi Tazawa with two outs in the seventh, Lowrie doubled to left-center and scored on Josh Donaldson's right-field single. Young led off the eighth against Koji Uehara with a solo shot, his second home run of the afternoon, but Uehara got the next three A's, on two strikeouts and a fly ball to center.

In the ninth, Bailey - working in his fourth game in the last five days - struck out John Jaso, Seth Smith, and Lowrie for the save.

Ortiz is 8-for-16 in four games. ... Napoli leads MLB with 26 RBI. ... Ellsbury is 10-for-10 in steals.

Brett Anderson / Jon Lester

Ellsbury, CF
Victorino, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Gomes, LF
Middlebrooks, 3B
Drew, SS
Ross, C

Daniel Bard is returning to the Red Sox. He will be recalled from Portland today, with Steven Wright going down to Pawtucket. Bard has pitched six scoreless innings in his last five appearances for the Sea Dogs, allowing five hits and three walks.

NESN: Aceves's "Hobey" Is Cooking

In yet another of NESN's useless sideshows that constantly interfere with its ability to show every pitch of Red Sox games, here we have a glaring error. How could such a blatant misspelling get all the way to on-air without anyone noticing? It boggles the mind.

This, of course, is part and parcel of NESN's production. During the current Oakland series, camera angles in the first game were brutal. NESN showed the crowd in the bleachers on a routine fly to center - making viewers believe the ball was headed over the fence - then closing up on an outfielder when another well-hit ball actually did go over the fence. NESN continues to miss pitches  - it's been a problem for more than a decade - because of replays that run too long or commercially-sponsored bits of nonsense like the Quote Of The Day. And now we learn that the people in charge of on-screen graphics cannot spell.

Jere has long noted NESN's chronic unprofessionalism. Just this year, he has pointed out that NESN misspelled Lou Piniella's name on Opening Day, posted the score as 6-1 en route to a 13-0 Red Sox win, and misspelled "Buchholz". (Maybe I should give NESN a pass on that one, since Clay has been part of the team for only seven years.) Last season, they continually misspelled Vicente Padilla's first name.

G20: Athletics 13, Red Sox 0 (7)

Athletics - 006 241 0 - 13 13  0
Red Sox   - 000 000 0 -  0  3  2

Aceves's start was as foul as the weather - a 42 degree night with constant drizzle and strong winds blowing in from center field. The tarp was dragged out after the seventh inning, and the game was called after a 37-minute delay.

This is what Aceves (3.1-7-8-4-3, 80) did in the third inning: He threw 42 pitches to 11 batters, and allowed three hits, three walks, and six runs. He also balked twice, was late covering first base on a grounder to Mike Napoli, and made a throwing error.

Steven Wright (3.2-6-5-4-4, 82) made his debut, relieving Aceves in the fourth.

Boston could do absolutely nothing with Colon (7-3-0-1-7, 94). He allowed only one hit through the first four innings, and he struck out the side in the seventh.

Red Sox baserunners: Dustin Pedroia had an infield single in the first, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jonny Gomes hit back-to-back singles in the fifth. Jacoby Ellsbury drew a walk in the sixth and was stranded at third base - the closest Boston came to scoring a run.

Bartolo Colon / Alfredo Aceves

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

Mike Napoli has an MLB-best 25 RBI in 19 games. That is the most by a Red Sox player in the first 19 games of a season since 1940. Here is a list, courtesy of Elias:

Red Sox RBI In First 19 Games Of Season, And Season Total

1938 Jimmie Foxx  29  (175) 
1940 Jimmie Foxx  27  (119) 
2013 Mike Napoli  25  ( ? ) 
1995 Mo Vaughn    25  (126) 
1941 Bobby Doerr  20  ( 93)

Napoli's teammates are impressed. Also, he has been doing most of his hitting with men on base.

              AVG    OBP    SLG
Bases Empty  .194   .242   .419 
Men on Base  .333   .373   .667 
With RATS    .370   .414   .630

Manny Ramirez holds the Red Sox record for April RBIs with 31 (2001). Boston has seven games remaining in the month. (That Elias list is wrong, I think. I counted 21 RBI for Manny in the first 19 games of 2001, but he is not on the list.)

Finally, Napoli has 14 extra-base hits to go along with his 25 RBI. No Red Sox batter in at least 98 years (since 1916) has had those totals in a season's first 19 games.

David Ortiz walked into a restaurant on Saturday night and got a fucking standing ovation.

I'm telling you, people stopped eating dinner and were like, "Yeah!" My Twitter account went up like 50,000 people. It had happened to me once when we won the World Series the first time. But this was different. ... I haven't heard anything negative from nobody. Nobody. Not one person.

Sports Illustrated: Strong: Triumph After Tragedy

G19: Red Sox 9, Athletics 6

Athletics - 020 010 030 - 6  5  2
Red Sox   - 010 350 00x - 9  9  0

Mike Napoli's grand slam in the fifth inning helped Boston take a 9-3 lead. It was a laugher into the eighth inning, and rookie Steven Wright was warming up, getting set to make his debut in the ninth. But Clayton Mortensen allowed the A's to get back in the game, and John Farrell needed Junichi Tazawa and Andrew Bailey to put out the fire.

Napoli - named today as co-AL Player of the Week, with teammate Bailey - finished with five RBI, on a double and the dong. Will Middlebrooks hit a three-run homer in the fourth, a line drive into the Monster Seats. David Ortiz doubled, walked, and scored twice. Middlebrooks and Napoli also scored two times.

Doubront (6.2-3-3-5-8, 113) was managing his pitch count nicely until he needed 31 pitches to get through the fifth, a frame in which he walked three batters and threw a wild pitch.

Mortensen finished the seventh and he walked Brandon Moss to start the eighth. After striking out Jed Lowrie, he hit Derek Norris and gave up back-to-back doubles that brought in three runs. Alex Wilson came in and walked pinch-hitter Seth Smith. That brought the potential tying run to the plate - and it brought Tazawa in from the pen. Eric Sogard, another pinch-hitter, crushed a long drive to right that sliced towards the corner, but Shane Victorino ran and ran and tracked it down. Then Tazawa got Coco Crisp to ground out to first.

In the ninth, Bailey walked the leadoff man, but retired the next three hitters, two by strikeout.

A.J. Griffin / Felix Doubront

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

Also:

Tuesday: Bartolo Colon / Alfredo Aceves, 6:30 PM
Wednesday: Brett Anderson / Jon Lester, 4:00 PM

Oakland is 12-7, in second place in the AL West. They have the 4th-best team OPS in the American League; the Red Sox are 7th.

Boston has a 2.83 team ERA, second in the AL behind the Rangers. ... Doubront has pitched only five innings in each of his two starts this year.

John Lackey will make a rehab start for Portland tonight, pitching about four innings or 65 pitches. John Farrell said Lackey may need only one rehab start before rejoining the Red Sox rotation.

G18: Royals 5, Red Sox 4 (10)

Royals  - 100 020 010 1 - 5  9  1
Red Sox - 021 010 000 0 - 4  9  1

Andrew Miller walked in the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth as the Royals swept the Red Sox in Sunday's doubleheader. (I thought Andrew Bailey, who threw only 10 pitches in the ninth, might get another inning.)

With one out, Alex Gordon singled and Miller walked Alcides Escobar on four pitches. Miller fanned Billy Butler (whose solo shot had tried the game in the eighth), but he gave up an infield single to Hosmer. Pedro Ciriaco had saved a run by keeping Hosmer hit in the infield, but it didn't matter as Miller then threw four balls to Lorenzo Cain to give KC a 5-4 lead.

Kansas City hit three home runs, including two off Webster (6-5-3-1-5, 84), who showed off a nice fastball and curve and an absolutely sick changeup. He looked calm and collected on the mound - and I look forward to seeing more of him very soon.

The Red Sox were done in by a lack of clutch hitting and a bit of overly aggressive baserunning that short-circuited a promising rally in the third. After Dustin Pedroia singled in Jacoby Ellsbury to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead, he was thrown out trying to steal second. Mike Napoli followed that with a double. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a hot smash that bounced away from Eric Hosmer at first base and was tracked down by second baseman Elliot Johnson; Napoli was caught off third base and run down 4-2-5-2-6.

In the fifth, Boston had taken a 4-3 lead and had runners at first and third and only one out, but Salty struck out and Will Middlebrooks (now 4 for his last 43) grounded to short.

Napoli singled, doubled, and homered, but he came up empty in the bottom of the ninth - after the Royals had walked Pedroia intentionally - with the potential winning run at second. Pedroia singled twice, walked twice, and stole a base. Ellsbury singled, doubled, walked, and stole a base.

Jeremy Guthrie / Allen Webster

Ellsbury, CF
Nava, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Napoli, 1B
Saltalamacchia, DH
Middlebrooks, 3B
Carp, LF
Ross, C
Ciriaco, SS

Webster will make his major league debut in the nightcap of today's day-night doubleheader.

Webster, 23, has made three starts for Pawtucket this month. In 12 innings, he has allowed 10 hits, three walks, and one run, while striking out 16.

Alex Speier wrote an excellent article this spring about Webster, who came over in the Punto Trade.

No corresponding roster move needs to be made, as teams can expand their rosters to 26 players for doubleheaders.

G17: Royals 4, Red Sox 2

Royals  - 100 300 000 - 4  8  0
Red Sox - 200 000 000 - 2  8  0

The winning streak was snapped at seven.

I did not watch this one, so you will have to check out the box score (above) and the recaps at MLB and Extra Bases.

Ervin Santana / Ryan Dempster

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

This is the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Friday's postponed game will be played tonight at 7 PM. Pitcher Allen Webster will make his Red Sox debut in the second game.

Boston is 12-4, their best start to a season since a similar beginning to 2002. The only Red Sox teams to win at least 13 of their first 17 games are the 1904 and 1946 clubs (they were both 14-3). Both of those teams won the American League pennant.

The FCC will not punish David Ortiz for his profanity during yesterday's pre-game ceremony: "This is our fucking city!"

Ortiz:

It just came out. It just came out, man. It just came out. If I offended anybody, I apologize, but I feel like this town needs to be pumped. It seems like that was it.

More Press Notes:

Red Sox starters have allowed three runs or fewer in all 16 games this month. According to Elias, only two other teams in American League history have streaks as long as 16 games to begin a season: the 1978 A's and the 1981 A's. No AL team has begun a season with a 17-game streak.

This is the Red Sox's longest such streak at any point in a season since an 18-game stretch from July 4-21, 1966.

The Red Sox are 10-0 when scoring first this season. Since at least 1918, this marks the first time the Sox have ever won their first 10 games when scoring first.

G16: Red Sox 4, Royals 3

Royals  - 000 010 101 - 3 10  1
Red Sox - 000 001 03x - 4  7  1

Daniel Nava atoned for getting picked off second base (as the potential tying run) in the seventh inning by crushing a three-run homer in the eighth. The #BostonStrDong gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead, and allowed them to withstand a Royals rally against Andrew Bailey in the ninth.

It was the Red Sox's first home game since the Marathon bombings on Monday afternoon. The win was Boston's seventh straight and gave them a 12-4 record. In 16 games, the starting pitchers have yet to allow more than three runs in a game.

Buchholz (8-8-2-1-6, 104) had no trouble with the Kansas City lineup, except for Lorenzo Cain, who finished the day 4-for-4, with a single, two doubles, and a home run. Cain doubled to begin the fifth and scored the day's first run on Jeff Francoeur's single. Boston tied the game in the sixth when Jacoby Ellsbury singled, was bunted to second, took third on a grounder, and scored on David Ortiz's second single of the afternoon. Cain also doubled in the seventh and scored on Salvador Perez's triple into the right field corner.

In the bottom of the seventh, Nava was hit by a pitch and Will Middlebrooks singled (snapping an 0-for-15 skid). On the first pitch to Stephen Drew, Perez caught Nava way off second base and threw down, picking him off. Drew then reached on an infield fielding error that might have scored Nava, if he had still been on second. Jarrod Saltalamacchia fouled out to third and Ellsbury flied to right.

In the eighth, facing Tim Collins, Jonny Gomes, pinch-hitting for Shane Victorino, doubled to left-center. Dustin Pedroia walked, but was erased when Ortiz grounded into a double play. Gomes - the potential tying run - went to third on the GIDP. The Royals brought in Kelvin Herrera, who walked Mike Napoli on four pitches. Nava then pounded a 1-1 pitch into the Red Sox bullpen to give the home team a 4-2 lead.

Bailey seemed amped and overthrowing in the ninth. Cain greeted him with a solo homer. Then Mike Moustakas crushed a fly ball that Ellsbury ran down near the triangle. After Francouer lined a single to left-center, Perez nearly wrapped one around the Pesky Pole. That rocket would have given KC the lead, but it was simply "strike two". Bailey struck out Perez on the next pitch for the second out, but he still had trouble getting the ball in the strike zone and walked George Kottaras. He ran the count full on Alex Gordon before getting a routine grounder to second, which ended the game.

James Shields / Clay Buchholz

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

David Ortiz returns!

Last night's postponed game will be made up tomorrow as part of a day-night doubleheader.

Boston's starting pitchers have allowed no more than three runs in each of this season's 15 games, the longest such streak to begin a season since the 1981 Oakland A's.

G16: Royals at Red Sox, PPD

Red Sox:

OFFICIAL: Tonight's Red Sox game at Fenway Park scheduled for 7:10 pm has been postponed to support efforts of law enforcement officers.

Royals  -
Red Sox - 

James Shields / Clay Buchholz

David Ortiz has been activated for tonight's game.

My idea [during the rehab assignment] was to put the ball in play so I could run and see how it felt. I got the chance to taste that. It feels good. I think I'll go back to the big team [Friday] and try to keep [my swing] compact. I'm old enough to know to keep it compact. But my main key was to make sure that my foot was fine.

As expected, Jackie Bradley (.097/.263/.129) was optioned to Pawtucket.

John Lackey (right bicep strain) will make a rehab start for Portland on Monday.

G15: Red Sox 6, Cleveland 3

Red Sox   - 010 110 300 - 6  9  0
Cleveland - 010 010 010 - 3  6  1

The Red Sox extended their winning streak to six games behind the pitching of Lester (7-4-2-1-5, 115).

Boston is 11-4 and leads the AL East by 2.5 games. In each of the Red Sox's 15 games this season, the starting pitcher has allowed three runs or fewer.

Mike Napoli tripled and singled and scored two runs. ... Jacoby Ellsbury also had two hits and two runs scored. ... Daniel Nava drove in two runs. ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his third homer. ... Andrew Bailey got his second save in two nights.

Game story from MLB.com.

Jon Lester / Zach McAllister

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

From Gordon Edes's lengthy notes article:

The Sox are 10-4, a record eclipsed only by Oakland (12-4) in the AL. Six games over .500 may appear a modest achievement, but it's a level never reached last season by the Sons of Bobby Valentine, whose high-water mark came on July 1, when they were 42-37, then went 27-56 the rest of the way.

The team's pitching staff has carried the club so far, a staff ERA of 2.66 is best in the AL. As a staff, Sox pitchers have struck out 141 batters in 125 innings, a league-best ratio of 10.2 K's per nine. ...

Sox starters have an AL-best 2.30 ERA ...

The Sox are winning even though five batters are hitting .200 or less, and leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury has an on-base percentage of .299. They've held their own in low-scoring games, going 3-3 in games in which they've scored three runs or fewer.

G14: Red Sox 6, Cleveland 3

Red Sox   - 300 011 010 - 6 15  0
Cleveland - 000 003 000 - 3  7  1

Justin Masterson came into this game having allowed only one run in 22 innings. So what do the Red Sox do in the first inning? Pin a three-spot on him.

Jacoby Ellsbury singled. Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch. Dustin Pedroia singled. Mike Napoli singled (2-0). Daniel Nava singled (3-0). All this - and all four hits were to the opposite field - before Masterson (5-11-4-1-5, 101) could record an out.

Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning - Mike Carp doubled, and Ellsbury and Victorino singled - and failed to score. (Carp had to stay at second when Ellsbury's hit snaked through the shortstop hole and he could not score on Victorino's hard grounder to right.) The Red Sox also had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth and could not score.

Carp made his first start of the season and went 3-for-3 (two doubles and a triple). Stephen Drew walked with two outs in the fifth and scored on Carp's three-bagger. In the sixth, Victorino (who reached base five times) singled, went to third on Napoli's double and scored on Nava's single.

It felt like Boston's missed chances to score earlier in the game would come back to haunt them when Cleveland scored three times in the sixth off a presumably tired Aceves (5-7-3-3-2, 106). Aceves had never thrown more than 98 pitches in a game in his career - and he was at 87 when he finished the fifth, an inning in which he allowed a single, double and walk with two outs before escaping trouble when Victorino hauled in Asdrubal Cabrera's rocket to the gap in right-center.

John Farrell did not have anyone warming up when Aceves began the sixth. That was a mistake for which he got burned. Aceves walked Carlos Santana and gave up a two-run home run to Nick Swisher. As Junichi Tazawa and Andrew Miller began warming up, Jason Giambi crushed a solo shot to right-center, cutting Boston's lead to 5-3. After Juan Nieves made a visit to the mound, Aceves allowed a double to Mark Reynolds.

Tazawa finally came in - and retired the next three batters; he also struck out the side in the seventh. Koji Uehara pitched a perfect eighth, with two strikeouts, and Andrew Bailey struck out two more in a perfect ninth.

Victorino, Ellsbury, and Carp each had three hits. ... Will Middlebrooks (0-for-5) is 2-for-30 since his three-homer game in Toronto. ... Boston has won five in a row and is now 10-4 - and its starting pitchers have allowed three runs or fewer in all 14 games this season.

Alfredo Aceves / Justin Masterson

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

Masterson has allowed only one run in 22 innings (0.41). ... Aceves makes his second start of the season. He pitched five innings against Baltimore on April 11.

John Farrell said there is "a chance" David Ortiz could be in the Red Sox lineup on Friday against Kansas City. ... Dustin Pedroia has reached base in each of Boston's 13 games this season.

G13: Red Sox 7, Cleveland 2

Red Sox   - 070 000 000 - 7  6  0
Cleveland - 010 010 000 - 2  6  0

Boston sent 11 men to the plate in the second inning, scoring seven times on three hits and five walks. That was more than enough offense for Doubront (5-4-2-4-7, 104) and relievers Clayton Mortensen and Alex Wilson.

Jiminez (1.2-2-7-5-1, 59) had a quick first inning, but did not make it out of the second despite throwing 44 pitches. Mike Napoli doubled to right-center and Will Middlebrooks walked. After Daniel Nava struck out, Jonny Gomes walked to load the bases and David Ross walked to force in a run. Pedro Ciriaco made it 2-0 with a line drive sacrifice fly to right.

Jacoby Ellsbury followed with an RBI single. Ellsbury stole second base on the first pitch to Shane Victorino, who walked, reloading the bases. Dustin Pedroia walked, bringing in another run - and ending Jiminez's night. Napoli then tagged reliever Cody Allen for his second double of the inning, clearing the bases, and giving Boston a 7-0 lead.

The Red Sox could do nothing with Cleveland's bullpen, as a quarter of relievers struck out 15 batters in 7.1 innings. Boston batters struck out 16 times and drew nine walks - totals they have never had together in a game since (at least) 1916.

Doubront's outing was cut short because of a high pitch count (13-23-23 15-30 in his five innings). But Boston's streak of starting pitchers allowing three runs or fewer remained intact - covering all 13 games this season. Red Sox starters have allowed two earned runs or fewer in the last nine games.

Gomes reached base four times, with a single and three walks. Nava struck out in all four of his plate appearances; he was pinch-hit for in the ninth by Mike Carp, who struck out.

Home plate Laz Diaz showed why he is one of the worst umpires in major league baseball. In the first two innings, his pathetic attempts to correctly call balls and strikes were essentially a coin flip. High pitches out of the zone were called strikes, and then pitches that came in lower than those were called balls. He judged numerous pitches well outside the zone as strikes. Is Diaz Exhibit A in the fans' demand for robot umps? I don't know (he might be), but he is mentioned prominently in the brief.

I could show many different examples of Diaz's incompetence, but I'll limit it to one - and an instance where Doubront and the Red Sox received two gifts. Five pitches clearly out of the strike zone (3 and 5 overlap) to Drew Stubbs in the bottom of the first inning, and the count is 3-2.

Felix Doubront / Ubaldo Jimenez

Ellsbury, CF
Victorino, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Napoli, 1B
Middlebrooks, 3B
Nava, LF
Gomes, DH
Ross, C
Ciriaco, SS

Joel Hanrahan (right hamstring strain) has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. Knuckleballer Steven Wright has been called up.

Hanrahan hurt himself during the second game of the season, against the Yankees.

It's kind of been there every game. It's just progressively gotten a little worse. It's something if I keep running out there and trying to do it I'll hurt myself more and hurt the rest of the team.

The rest of this series:

Wednesday: Alfredo Aceves / Justin Masterson
Thursday: Jon Lester / Zach McAllister

The Globe's Peter Abraham notes that this will be the first game the Red Sox have played against a Terry Francona-managed team since the Phillies beat Boston 6-5 in 12 innings on June 4, 2000. (Curt Schilling started that game for Philadelphia.)