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BOSTON -- It had been more than six weeks since Jed Lowrie had a major league at-bat. Nick Green had just two hits all month, and thought there wasn't the slightest chance he would be able to hit anything thrown at him. The Angels needed just one last strike, at Fenway Park, with an October chill in the air, against a team that had only three game-winning hits all season. And then it happened again.

Somehow, the Red Sox were again able to inflict damage on their West Coast foes, coming from behind three times after the fifth inning Wednesday night to beat the Angels 9-8 on a game-winning hit by No. 9 hitter Alex Gonzalez. It was Boston's seventh straight win overall and its 10th in a row at Fenway.

"I was holding my breath the last two innings," said manager Terry Francona, "just hoping for a break or for something good to happen. And we got it." The Red Sox still have only won three of their last eight games at Fenway against the Angels, but that's only during the regular season. The last time the Angels had seen Lowrie, he was hitting the game-winning single in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, sending the Angels home and to their 12th loss in 13 postseason games against Boston. This time, Lowrie hit a sharp single to third base, right at Chone Figgins, for a two-out, infield hit in the ninth inning. That loaded the bases and set up the at-bat for Green, and later Gonzalez.

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BOSTON -- Whether it's real or imagined, there's a belief among some players that umpires simply will not make certain calls that go against the home team at places like Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.

Put four-time All-Star reliever Brian Fuentes in that category. Fuentes suffered his fifth loss of the season after he gave up a fly-ball single to Alex Gonzalez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. But it was while facing the previous batter, pinch hitter Nick Green, that Fuentes became frustrated with what he, and several other Angels, believe were non-called third strikes.

"You hear it from other guys,'' Fuentes said. "Especially here at Fenway. I don't know if it's human mistake or they're scared. But you definitely hear it around the league. They missed a call, a couple of calls. I don't think they meant to, but they're going to see it and they will realize it.''

First, Green appeared to go too far on a checked swing, but first-base umpire Jeff Kellogg didn't see it that way and ruled that Green didn't swing. A few pitches later, Green let a pitch at the knees go by that home plate umpire Rick Reed called a ball. Angels catcher Jeff Mathis immediately protested, as did manager Mike Scioscia.

"What was the count to Green, 3-and-4?" Scioscia mockingly said afterward. "I thought he had him a couple of times. I was surprised. That's usually a good umpiring crew. Our guys were upset, no doubt about it."

Asked if he saw replays of Green's at-bat afterward, Scioscia quickly snapped, "I did not need a replay. I did not need a replay.''

BOSTON -- With the Red Sox closing in on another postseason appearance -- if Boston were to finish 9-10, Texas would need to finish 15-3 in its final 18 games to surpass the Red Sox -- don't be surprised to see Boston give its starters an extra days rest before the end of the season, a club source said.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has already been penned into start Sunday's series finale at Baltimore, but with the Red Sox holding such a strong lead in the wild-card standings, the club is leaning toward giving its other starters an extra day of rest.

The likely scenario would be to insert Tim Wakefield, who is trying to come back from a strained back, or Junichi Tazawa into the rotation and allow every other starter to rest an additional day without skipping anyone.

Francona on the DH

The designated hitter became part of Major League Baseball's landscape on April 6, 1973. The debate on whether the DH should be a part of baseball began raging on the same date and hasn't dissipated since.

Terry Francona spent 62 games as a designated hitter during his playing career, but the Red Sox manager says he's all in favor of making the designated hitter a part of both leagues, not just the American League, as has been the case since its inception in 1973.

"It needs to happen,'' Francona said before Wednesday's game against the Angels. "There are so many great hitters."

Francona realizes that his DH, David Ortiz, may be part of a dying breed -- the full-time DH. He looks around the American League and doesn't see the full-time DH's like there were 10-to 20-years ago when players like Edgar Martinez, Harold Baines, Paul Molitor, Dave Parker and Reggie Jackson rarely, if ever, played defensively.

"I think fans come to see pitchers pitch and hitters hit,'' Francona said. "There's not a lot of good hitting pitchers."

BOSTON -- I just got back from the clubhouse and here are some notes to pass along. In particular injury updates on Tim Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon and Kevin Youkilis.

Papelbon slipped in the bullpen on Tuesday when he was warming up to go into the game. He said he had some tightness in his back and will not be available tonight.

"I'm not just going to push it tonight," he said. "I'll take the day off ... it's just tight."

Papelbon's back was wrapped in ice before Wednesday's game against the Angels. Daniel Bard would likely pitch tonight in a save situation.

Wakefield update

The door to manager Terry Francona's office closed around 5:25 p.m., and roughly 20 minutes later Wakefield and Dr. Thomas Gill emerged. Pitching coach John Farrell and general manager Theo Epstein also were present. Wakefield has a disc problem in his back, and surgery will be the only option for curing the pain.

The strength in Wakefield's legs have lessened since the injury first started bothering him, and the meeting before Wednesday's game was to determine whether it would be safe for Wakefield to continue to pitch.

"As of today, I can pitch," Wakefield said. "I'm throwing on the side on Friday and we'll see how I feel from there. And as of now, I'm pitching either Sunday or Monday."

The Red Sox announced that Daisuke Matsuzaka is pitching on Sunday, so that would leave Monday for Wakefield.

Youkilis update

Youkilis was out of the lineup for the second straight day with lower back spasms. He spoke to the media for the first time since going to the hospital on Monday with pain near his kidneys. Francona had told the media that Youkilis thought it might have been kidney stones.

"There [were] no kidney stones," Youkilis said. "It was one of those things -- it was in the kidney area. I never personally [thought it was kidney stones]."

Youkilis said he usually gets spasms once a year, and that it takes a few days for the discomfort to subside. He said he has the most trouble with rotating his back, using motion from side to side.

"I don't classify it as pain as much as spasms," he said. "It's just an uncomfortable feeling at times. Back spasms [are] just tightness -- it doesn't allow you to move in certain directions."

He said that there was no way he could play in Tuesday's game, and that he hopes to feel better by Thursday, but it's still day to day.

BOSTON -- Here are the lineups for Wednesday's Angels-Red Sox game:

Red Sox

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

3. Jason Bay, LF

4. Mike Lowell, 3B

5. David Ortiz, DH

6. Rocco Baldelli, RF

7. Jason Varitek, C

8. Casey Kotchman, 1B

9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

SP -- Paul Byrd, RHP

Angels

1. Chone Figgins, 3B

2. Erick Aybar, SS

3. Bobby Abreu, RF

4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH

5. Torii Hunter, CF

6. Kendry Morales, 1B

7. Howie Kendrick, 2B

8. Juan Rivera, LF

9. Mike Napoli, 2B

SP -- Joe Saunders, LHP

BOSTON -- Paul Byrd may have missed most of the season waiting for the right opportunity, but even at home with his family he never stopped working out. While coaching his 11- and 13-year-old sons in Atlanta, Byrd would run wind sprints, stretch and even throw off the mound.

When the Red Sox called in early August and asked Byrd if he'd be willing to be "an insurance policy," Byrd told them, "Let me go throw off a mound and check." The session went well, Byrd signed a minor league deal and then took a few weeks building up his arm strength.

"I was kind of training without knowing it and I was in really good shape without knowing it," Byrd said. "That was the only reason I was able to come back.

"I'm glad I wasn't just watching TV."

Byrd, 38, said his arm feels great, even "phenomenal." He said physically he feels like his body is right about at the end of spring training. He'll take the mound on Wednesday night against the Angels, looking for his second win. In three starts this season, he's 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA. While the sample size is small, Byrd so far has had much more success in his two starts at Fenway, with a 1.64 ERA and a .225 batting average against.

"I've never had 10 months off without having major surgery," Byrd said. "I feel great, my arm feels great. So, it's OK getting older, right?"

Secret to his success

Joe Saunders, who will be starting for the Angels, is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his last three starts. According to Jeremy Lundblad of our research department, part of the reason for his success is his great numbers against righties. Saunders has held them to a .200 (10-for-50) batting average during the three-game stretch; prior to that they were hitting .296.

How did he get righties out? Jeremy explains ...

Down and away -- hitters are 2-for-15 (2-for-11 on fastballs down and away)

Out of strike zone -- hitters are 0-for-8

Middle-in (in strike zone) -- hitters are 0-for-4 (all fastballs)

Jeremy also adds that among qualifying starters, Saunders' 1.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the second-worst in the American League.

BOSTON -- Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez -- two key components of the Red Sox lineup -- each will miss a second straight game Wednesday night when the Red Sox face the Angels, manager Terry Francona said Wednesday on Boston sports radio station WEEI.

Youkilis is sidelined with back spasms, and Martinez left the team for personal reasons. Originally thought to be suffering from kidney stones, Youkilis on Monday went to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he received the back spasms diagnosis.

Casey Kotchman will take Youkilis' place at first base, and Jason Varitek will be behind the plate, Francona said.

Breaking down Daisuke Matsuzaka's surprising performance Tuesday night:

BOSTON -- Before Tuesday night's game, Boston manager Terry Francona joked that if Daisuke Matsuzaka threw a no-hitter he wouldn't pitch again on Wednesday. Well, four innings into Matsuzaka's return, he was throwing a no-hitter (it was broken up in the fifth).

Matsuzaka reached a three-ball, two-strike count three times through four innings, walking only leadoff hitter Chone Figgins in the first inning after reaching a full count. Matsuzaka later walked Figgins again in the third inning. The Japanese right-hander, who won 18 games for Boston last season but is making his first appearance since a shoulder ailment sidelined him on June 19, has thrown a majority of fastballs among his 54 pitches through four innings.

Francona was looking for Matsuzaka to have more control of the strike zone and he has shown that ability so far. The Angels and Red Sox are scoreless entering the fifth inning, with Los Angeles starter John Lackey having allowed only two singles and two walks through four innings.

BOSTON -- We're under way here at Fenway tonight and so far Daisuke Matsuzaka is pitching well, allowing just one baserunner, and that was in the first inning. I'll pass along some interesting stats from our research department as we go along. As most know, it's Matsuzaka's first start since June 19.

According to Jeremy Lundblad in our research department, current Angels hitters are 17-for-65 (.262) against him in his career, but he's surrendered only one home run -- a Torii Hunter shot off a changeup on the middle of the plate following an inside heater that Hunter took for a ball.

The big news of the day today was that Kevin Youkilis was out of the lineup because of back spasms. Also, Victor Martinez flew back to Cleveland because of a personal issue. That takes two important bats out of the Red Sox's lineup. Here are a couple of notes on both players:

Youkilis is hitting .358 with runners in scoring position, which is fourth in the American League. When there are two outs and runners in scoring position, he's hitting .400 (also good for fourth in the AL).

As for Martinez, his success in important situations has been impressive. He's got 45 RBIs in the seventh inning or later, which is the most in the major leagues. And his 27 RBIs in "close and late" situations are the most in the majors.

Martinez will likely be out for the next few games, while Youkilis' availability is still unknown. Dr. Thomas Gill, the Red Sox's team doctor, was in the clubhouse after batting practice, though it's unknown whom he was treating. One team official told me that the Red Sox expect Youkilis back within the next few days, but that was before he had finished getting treatment.

Boston -- Count Red Sox slugger David Ortiz as someone who is ready to say, "I told you so,'' when it comes to the successful start Pedro Martinez is having with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"This is what I was telling anyone who was willing to listen to me," Ortiz said before the Red Sox began a three-game series against the Angels on Tuesday. "He's even better now than he was at the World Baseball Classic (In March). Maybe he can't throw 95 or 96 miles per hour any more, but I'll tell you what Pedro can do and that's pitch. The man knows how to pitch and that's sometimes better for a pitcher than throwing 100."

Martinez is 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA for the Phillies, who have won all seven of the games Martinez has started since he was placed into the rotation on Aug. 12. He even threw a season-high 130 pitches in his last start on Sunday.

"Can you imagine if he was able to reach 95 miles per hour like the old days?" Ortiz asked. "He might be around 90 or 91 (mph) but his arm looks better to me than it did during the World Baseball Classic. I know people were saying, 'but that's against The Netherlands,' but it doesn't matter. You could tell that he was on top of his game. Those hitters weren't touching him."

Martinez pitched twice in relief against The Netherlands during the WBC, allowing no runs and just one hit while walking none in six innings. He also struck out six batters.

BOSTON -- John Lackey was practically foaming at the mouth. Torii Hunter sat in his chair, with a stunned look on his face, arms crossed, needing a moment. The Angels had just lost to the Red Sox in last year's American League Division Series and had to answer the same question again: Why does Boston so handily defeat you once it's October?

"When we got on that plane ride going home," says starter Joe Saunders, "we were still in shock that we weren't going to the field."

For the Angels, it was a confounding, frustrating position to be in, but a familiar one. The loss dropped them to 1-12 in 13 playoff games against Boston since 1986. Last year's defeat was particularly stunning to the Angels, because they were a 100-win team filled with hope and confidence. They had Mark Teixeira, Francisco Rodriguez, Hunter and a host of reasons why it was their time. It seemed they had all the ingredients for a World Series run -- pitching, speed and defense -- which is why several players, especially Lackey, were livid after losing to Boston.

"We lost to a team that is not better than us," Lackey said at the time.

That may be true -- the Angels were 8-1 against Boston in the regular season and had the most wins in the majors -- but the Red Sox played better when it counted, scoring the winning or insurance run in the final inning of each win. That included Jed Lowrie's game-winning single in the ninth inning of Game 4, which sent the Angels back to Los Angeles, and left third baseman Chone Figgins frozen and unable to move on the field, as the Red Sox celebrated.

"We've come to realize that if we want to make it far, the road goes through Boston," Saunders adds.

Saunders and his teammates will have a warm-up for October starting Tuesday night at Fenway, when they play the first of three games. Daisuke Matsuzaka will be starting for the first time since June 19, while Anaheim will counter with Lackey, the team's ace who is a free agent after this year.

Red Sox first baseman Casey Kotchman wasn't with the Angels last fall -- he'd been traded to Atlanta last year in a deadline deal that sent Teixeira to Anaheim -- but Kotchman had spent his entire career with the organization. He was there in 2004 and 2007 when the Red Sox swept the Angels, both times moving on to win the World Series.

Kotchman was sitting on his couch last October, watching the familiar outcome.

"It was kind of status quo," he says. "We would play here in September, and when October rolled around, who knows what happened? There was probably no rhyme or reason -- you just get into a series and anything can happen."

There are myriad reasons why the Angels lost, but one of them was the offense. Second baseman Howie Kendrick hit just .117 in the series, while shortstop Erick Aybar managed a .111 on-base percentage in four games. The Angels hit .200 with runners in scoring position and stranded 43 runners on base.

"I think it was a number of factors," manager Mike Scioscia says. "From really being outplayed, to not being at the level we needed to be. I don't think it's any mystery when teams beat you in the playoffs."

While the team couldn't retain Teixeira this offseason, its offense has improved significantly. Kendry Morales, Teixeira's replacement, leads the AL with 49 RBIs in the second half, and his 15 homers since the All-Star break are tied with Carlos Pena for the most in the AL. Overall, the Angels' offense in the second half has been one of the best in the league, ranking second in average, runs per game, on-base percentage and RBIs.

The Angels have the second-best record in the big leagues in spite of major pitching issues. They've had 14 different starting pitchers this season -- tied for the most in the majors -- including 12 rookies. Nick Adenhart was one of those rookies, and his death in a car crash in early April inflicted deep grief. Somehow, Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher found a way to help the players through their pain while still getting production out of them, including Jered Weaver, who had planned on moving in with Adenhart just days after the crash. Weaver is 15-6 with a 3.85 ERA this year.

The Angels have added starter Scott Kazmir and their bullpen has rebounded from a horrible early start and has been one of the best in the second half.

"We have Kazmir now, and Lackey looks healthy," says outfielder Juan Rivera. "We have as good a pitching staff as we've had when I've been here."

All of that, it seems, will make for a good series at Fenway this week, but as the past has shown, it won't mean anything come October.

Amy K. Nelson is a staff writer for ESPN.com and ESPNBoston.com You can reach her at amy.k.nelson@espn3.com or at twitter.com/amyknelson.

BOSTON -- Just as the Texas Rangers were taking the field for the first time late Sunday afternoon, Jon Lester was already twirling his way through the Rays' lineup, making hitters flail at his fastball en route to an 11th straight loss.

Lester threw eight innings, gave up two hits and no runs and, remarkably, had a better pitching line than teammate Clay Buchholz, who gave up a run over seven innings against Tampa Bay in a 3-1 win in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader. The two combined for 15 innings, holding the Rays to seven hits and one run, and along with Josh Beckett on Saturday night, helped the Red Sox sweep Tampa Bay this weekend.

The domination in Sunday's doubleheader by Lester and Buchholz showed why they are both the future of this organization and also why they are vitally important to its present success. While at different stages of their careers -- Lester has 88 career starts, Buchholz has 30 -- both are 25 and have already thrown no-hitters.

"Clay came up right away and throws a no-hitter, so after his second start he's already got expectations," Lester said. "It took me a while to build those expectations. That's got to be tough. ... I think he learned that kind of the hard way, but I think it's going to make him a better pitcher as you've seen. I think he's grown up quite a bit and he's done unbelievably well."

Lester got the win in Boston's 4-0 victory over Tampa Bay, something Buchholz did not do in Game 1 (he left with the game tied), but it hardly mattered. The Red Sox have won six of their past seven, and in their weekend sweep of the Rays, their top three starters -- Beckett, Lester and Buchholz -- all pitched well.

"That's what you need at this time of year," said David Ortiz. "You need those guys to step up."

At the plate, Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to 15 games, while the team has gotten consistently better offensively. It has been a far cry from six weeks ago, when the Red Sox lost six straight in early August, dropping the first two in Tampa Bay, then suffering a four-game sweep at Yankee Stadium. In the six losses, Boston scored just 14 runs.

"I don't think there's been an epiphany and all of the sudden we're a way better team," said Jason Bay, who hit his 32nd homer in the second game. "We're playing with more confidence; we've kind of gone on a little bit of a roll, we were kind of scuffling trying to find … not an identity, but something to hold on to. We were pitching well, not hitting, it was just one of those situations where it seemed like it kind of spiraled."

Not anymore. The team has an off day on Monday, and then Tuesday the Angels will be here for three games.

"It will be a good challenge," said manager Terry Francona. "It seems like it's been a long time and we've played some good baseball in the meantime."

Notes ...

• Jonathan Papelbon struck out the side in Game 1 for his 36th save this season. After the game, he stressed the importance of having consistency with his delivery.

  "It's coming down to that part of the season it's going to be key for me to go out there day in and day out and repeat my delivery," he said.

  He said he was unavailable for Game 2; Billy Wagner pitched the ninth with a four-run lead and preserved the shutout.

• When John Stockton threw the first pitch out for Game 2 to fellow Gonzaga alum Jason Bay, he fired "a frickin' bullet," Bay said.

  Stockton, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night, lives near Bay's offseason home, just outside of Seattle. Bay's old college coach is now a basketball liaison for the Zags and made the trip with Stockton. As Bay was leaving the Red Sox clubhouse on Sunday night, he carried two plastic bags filled with Gonzaga swag.

BOSTON -- Red Sox management has dubbed Fenway Park "America's Most Beloved Ballpark.''

It's a fitting -- and probably accurate -- tribute to one of the grand dames of Major League Baseball. Some consider this sacred ground and speak of it in reverential terms, using phrases like "the game's ultimate cathedral."

But for all the grandeur and worthiness bestowed upon Fenway Park, this place is ruthless when it comes to the way it treats opposing clubs. When it's all said and done, Fenway Park may very well be one of the Red Sox's most lethal weapons. At least, that's how many of the players view it.

"I know that when I came here with Cleveland, you could see some of our players get affected by the crowd,'' said Victor Martinez, who was traded by the Indians to Boston on July 31. "The fans are always on top of you and yelling. You could see some guys would get affected by it. They would swing at pitches they normally wouldn't. The adrenaline from the fans makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. It's a tough place to play if you're not wearing a Red Sox uniform.''

Sunday was no different for the Sox, who continued their torrid ways at Fenway Park, sweeping a doubleheader from the free-falling Tampa Bay Rays and sweeping the three-game series in the process. The doubleheader sweep ended halfway through the first game of the Seattle-Texas doubleheader, meaning the Rangers surely looked up at the scoreboard and had to swallow and know that even if they swept the Mariners, they would gain zero ground in the wild-card race.

That's the type of day that could break any contender's spirit for the stretch run, especially a young team like Texas, with so few players who have experience in September pressure games.

The Sox have now won eight in a row at home. Break it out a little further back, and Boston has won 11 of its past 12 and 22 of its past 29 at Fenway. It almost feels like it doesn't matter what Texas does these last three weeks, the Red Sox just won't let the Rangers get any closer.

Fenway definitely has its quirks. In the bottom of the eighth of the second game Sunday night, it was in full splendor when Jason Bay blooped a fly down the right field line that would have been an easy out in every other major league stadium. But at Fenway, the ball gently dropped into the first row of seats just inches inside the right field foul pole, which stands 302 feet from home plate. Bay's home run went no more than 303 feet for a Fenway Park special.

Boston's 50-21 home record is the best in all of baseball this season. The Sox have averaged nearly 53 home wins a season since 2003, a figure that should be surpassed this year with 10 regular-season games remaining at Fenway, where all 540 games since May 15, 2003, have been sold out.

"When you come here as a visitor, there's no doubt it's definitely an intimidating place,'' said the well-traveled Paul Byrd, who is in his second tour of duty with the Red Sox. "The place is always full. They're always screaming. They make you love pressure if you play for the Red Sox."

The place has been spruced up in recent years. While there was once talk of the Red Sox moving to a new Fenway Park, those talks have all but disappeared. No, the place that opened just five days after the Titanic sunk in 1912 looks like it will be around for quite some time. And that's all right with just about anyone who wears a Red Sox uniform.

"The energy and the atmosphere are like nowhere else,'' said hitting coach Dave Magadan. "When we're on defense I can put my head down and I can tell what the result of the pitch is just by listening to the crowd. I'll know if it's a ball, a strike, a great play. Anything. At [San Diego's] Petco Park, I could hear a vendor selling beer in the upper deck.''

Fenway Park. It'll never be a free agent and it will never go away. It may just be the game's ultimate home-field advantage.