RED SOX 101

An ugly eight-run eighth inning cost the Boston Red Sox the middle game in their series with the Chicago Cubs, 9-3.  

Albers' poor performance, and that of the Sox' defense, who committed three errors that inning, cost the Sox their first shot at first place in the American League East. Albers loaded the bases with nobody out by giving up singles to Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro and walking Aramis Ramirez. Albers walked Carlos Pena for the first run of the inning, then gave up a double to Reed Johnson, scoring Barney and Castro and giving the Cubs the lead for the first time, one they would not relinquish.

The errors were as costly as they were egregious. Jed Lowry dropped a routine pop-up that allowed Pena to score. Later in the inning Kevin Youkilis' failed to catch a ball as part of a rundown, and a subsequent throwing error by Carl Crawford on the same play transformed a golden opportunity to erase a runner from third base into a two-run windfall for the Cubs, who by then had effectively run away with the game.

One bright spot to an otherwise ugly game, during which the Sox snapped their winning streak at eight games, was the fourth inning home run of David Ortiz, his ninth of the year and his 300th as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Another was the pitching of starter Alfredo Aceves, dragooned into service as a starter due to the recent run of injuries the staff has undergone. Aceves performed beyond expectations, giving up one earned over five innings (full line: 5.0ip,1r,1er,2bb, 2k). This bodes well for the immediate future as both John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka are facing longer-than-expected stretches on the DL.

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