If I had told you that in the matchup tonight between John Lackey and Felix Hernandez at Fenway that one pitcher would go seven innings and allow one run, while the other would get tagged for six, who would you have guessed would have been the better pitcher?
It was Lackey, who allowed just a first inning run to Seattle, but scattered eight hits the entire game in the 7-4 Red Sox victory. This is just what the Sox need from Lackey: quality innings from him, with the two of their starting staff down with injuries.
Seattle had lost 12 straight going in, and that always scares me a little because you know a streak like that has to end soon. And with Lackey going, I thought it might end on Friday.
No such luck for the Mariners, as Jacoby Ellsbury blasted his 16th home run of the year, a bomb that landed in the right field bleachers. Ellsbury now has 7 HRs in his last 12 games. Dustin Pedroia continued his hot hitting too, as he had three hits and now has hit in 19 straight games.
Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis had RBI hits in the five-run seventh.
Jonathan Papelbon needed just seven pitches in getting the save.
New York's win over Oakland keeps the Red Sox lead at 2 games. The Sox have now won 11 of their last 13.
