Pen Picks Up The Load, Stops KC Cold

A big win for the Red Sox last night against a very tough Kansas City Royals team.

All the teams behind the Sox had lost earlier in the day, so this was chance to gain a game on them all. KC had won the first two games of the four-game weekend set, and are proving to be a team on the rise in the AL Central.

The Sox jumped out with 4 runs in the 4th inning, but Felix Doubront struggled in the 5th inning, giving up two runs and having two on with no outs. John Farrell wisely pulled the plug, leaving Doubront without a chance to get the win. But Farrell did what was best for the team, and the pen responded.

Brandon Workman came on and gave up and RBI single, but that was all Kansas City would get. The pen pitched 5 innings, allowed just 4 hits and no runs (5K and 0 BB). Koji Uehara once again allowed nothing, a clean 1-2-3 inning for his 12th save. Workman got the win, and is now 3-1.

Will Middlebrooks returned from AAA and got two hits and two RBI. This is now his golden chance to reclaim third base. Jacoby Ellsbury dominated last night, going 4-for-5, with 2 RBI and a SB.

The Sox lead in the AL East is now 3 games over Tampa Bay, and 5 1/2 over Baltimore.