ESPN

Gordon Edes joins Baseball Tonight to talk about the explosions at the Boston Marathon and give some background on the significance of Patriots Day in Boston.

He calls the combination of the daytime Red Sox game and the Boston Marathon "a sports festival unique to this area."

Edes, who covered the 11 a.m. Red Sox-Rays game for ESPNBoston.com at Fenway Park on Monday, noted that after enjoying a Sox win, many fans likely "walked down to Kenmore Square ... walked down to Copley Square, which is where the bombs went off about 50 minutes after the Red Sox game ended."

Curt Schilling talks about the explosions at the Boston Marathon and how the city of Boston will rebound after tragedy.

"I was in New York literally a month after 9/11 in 2001 and one of the things that I walked away from was a sense of pride -- A at being an American, and B at the steadfastness of New York. And I got a feel as I left Boston today that there is some of that there, as well. You don't mess with us. And it makes you feel good," he said.

Schilling predicts that the pro sports teams in Boston and their fans will all rally around this tragedy.

"One of the things that you can be certain of is that all of the local professional franchises are intimately involved, and have been, with Boston, with its citizens, with its charities. So at the events over the next couple of days, and probably over the next couple of months, locally you'll see an outpouring -- not just from the teams, but from the fans at those events. And again, kind of a way of putting your fist up and saying, 'Hey you know what, we're going to pick ourselves up.' "

BOSTON -- Patriots Day scenes from Fenway Park, where the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays in walk-off fashion, 3-2, just a few miles away from where 20,000 Boston Marathon runners were crossing the finish line.

BOSTON -- A day after standing self-accused of “dumb hitting,” which is the way Mike Napoli described hitting a ball to the deepest part of the ballpark Sunday and winding up with a double instead of a home run, the Red Sox first baseman hit one not quite as far but with better aim Monday.

Napoli launched a double off the Monster with one out in the ninth inning, scoring a hell-bent-for-home Dustin Pedroia from first base in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston’s second walk-off win in three days.

Pedroia, who had drawn a one-out walk from reliever Joel Peralta, had a great secondary lead and was off with the crack of the bat when Napoli, hitless in his previous three at-bats, lifted a line drive to left-center. Pedroia scored well ahead of the throw, triggering a celebration from a Sox team that swept three straight from the Rays and stands atop the AL East with an 8-4 record.

The Rays had tied the score in the ninth when Desmond Jennings singled, stole second and scored on a single by Ben Zobrist.

* Closer kerfuffle: Displaying the patience that is a hallmark of this town’s sporting media, several outlets already have conducted reader and viewer polls on who should close for the Boston Baseball Club Inc.

This after Joel Hanrahan blew a save on two home runs after converting his first three opportunities, then walked a couple of hitters in his next outing, prompting a hook by manager John Farrell.

With Hanrahan tending to a sore right hamstring, Farrell entrusted last call to Bailey, who had been unscored upon in his first five appearances. Bailey did a terrific job after the damage was done Monday, striking out Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce and retiring Ryan Roberts on a pop fly, but at this rate, Tom Gordon will soon be rising to the top in the polls.

* Dempster delivers: If you were paying attention, you noticed we mentioned that Clay Buchholz on Sunday came within six outs of becoming the first Red Sox pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters since the dead ball era, when ballparks were big, scores were small and pitchers roamed the earth like so many fastball-throwing pterodactyls.

Well, don’t look now, but the entire Sox rotation has taken us for a ride on the wayback machine. You had to get up earlier than usual to witness it, but in Monday’s Patriots Day matinee, Ryan Dempster made it eight straight games that a Sox starter has allowed two or fewer runs, and in all 12 games to date they have allowed three or fewer runs.

That has never happened in Sox history. The longest previous such streak came in 1916 during the height of, yes, the dead ball era, when it was unthinkable to throw a baseball out of a game for a mere scuff mark or smudge. Foul balls were returned from the stands and baseballs stayed in play until they were soft as tomatoes. And have you ever tried to hit a tomato 400 feet?

Dempster gave up a bunt single to Matt Joyce in the second, the Rays’ cleanup hitter taking advantage of an overshifted Sox infield. He also gave up a home run over the Monster to Evan Longoria, the Rays’ slugger ending the team’s streak of six straight games without a long ball. That was it.

Less than three weeks before his 36th birthday, Dempster struck out 10 Rays, one fewer than Buchholz the day before but in one less inning, Dempster yielding to Koji Uehara to start the eighth.

It was the 15th time in Dempster’s career that he has K’d 10 or more batters in a career that is in its 16th big-league season.

BOSTON -- It has been 10 days since Red Sox rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. had his last hit, a second-inning single in the Rogers Centre off Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson. The fanfare that greeted his promotion to the big leagues has quickly subsided.

Entering Monday’s game, Bradley has gone hitless in 17 at-bats since then, his average falling to .107 (3 for 28). Only four American League players (25 plate appearances or more) have a lower average, including fellow rookie Aaron Hicks of Minnesota, who won the Twins’ center-field job out of camp but is batting .047 (2 for 43), with a league-high 20 strikeouts.

Hicks, like Bradley, is 22 years old and making the jump from Double-A, although in his case the Twins had hoped he won the center-field job outright, whereas the Sox were always prepared for the likelihood that this was a provisional move, with Bradley headed back to the minors when David Ortiz was activated.

One of the reasons the Sox gave for their willingness to break camp with Bradley is their sense that he had the maturity to handle failure. The test, obviously, has come sooner than he would have liked.

“It’s difficult in the sense that you know you’re a far better player than your performance has shown," Bradley said Monday morning. “I guess that’s the difficult part about it. Knowing that, pushing and the willingness to work at it, I think that’s what makes me feel comfortable. I know adversity is going to happen and you’re not going to be happy about it. I feel like I can play so much better."

Bradley acknowledged that he has to fight the tendency to beat himself up.

“I’m a thinker, so I am going to beat myself up a little bit about it," he said. "In a way I’ve got to let up off it, too. I can focus on just beating myself up instead of pushing forward."

Better days, he advises, will come.

“I’m a baseball player," he said. “I’m a gamer. It’s all about your time. When it happens it’ll turn around."

Manager John Farrell was asked how he feels Bradley has handled his struggles.

“I think as well as can be expected," Farrell said. “He’s also human and there’s some frustration involved with maybe some of the at-bats he’s gone through over the past week.

“Again, we knew those challenges would likely emerge. If we didn’t feel he had the capacity to respond or handle those in a stable way, we wouldn’t have taken the gamble to bring him with us north. I can’t say anything he has gone through or his reaction has been different than we anticipated."

BOSTON -- Good morning from the Fens, where it never gets old on Patriots Day, seeing a couple sharing a breakfast of beer, hotdogs and onion rings before Mike and Mike have signed off on ESPN.

Ryan Dempster, the former Cub, has had a lot of practice at day ball, but this will be his first experience with an 11:05 wakeup call. Dempster will be facing Jeremy Hellickson of the Rays, who are becoming regulars at these affairs. The Rays played the morning matinee last season, and this will make three of the last four, and four overall.

The Sox, who are 67-50 all-time on Patriots Day, will be going for their first series sweep at home since last June 19-21, when they took three from the Miami Marlins. A sweep against the Rays would be their first against Tampa Bay since taking three in the Trop in 2010 (May 24-26).

The Rays have scored just one run in two games against Sox aces Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and have scored a total of eight runs in their last six games, five of which have resulted in losses. They’re trying to avoid tying their club record for most consecutive games without a home run, seven. They’re at six and counting, and are running out a lineup Monday that has hit a cumulative three home runs this season.

While his Sox teammates rolled out of bed early, David Ortiz had the luxury of sleeping in. Ortiz, who was ill Sunday and was a late scratch from the Pawsox lineup, is scheduled to play Monday night in Pawtucket.

Closer Joel Hanrahan, meanwhile, is not available to pitch Monday, as he takes another day to treat lingering soreness in his right hamstring.

Jonny Gomes is drawing the start at DH againt Hellickson, even though he is a right-hander. Gomes has a home run in three career at-bats against Hellickson.

Curt Schilling breaks down Clay Buchholz's stellar start against the Rays and what he has to do to become an ace.

BOSTON -- When Clay Buchholz threw a no-hitter in his second major-league start, just two weeks past his 23rd birthday, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer said he was reminded of a young Jim Palmer.

That was almost six years ago. Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park, the 29-year-old Buchholz reminded one and all of a young Clay Buchholz, striking out a career-high 11 while flirting with another no-no against the Tampa Bay Rays in Boston’s 5-0 win.

Buchholz, who struck out two batters in each of the first four innings, held the Rays hitless until he shattered Kelly Johnson’s bat with an 0-and-1 curveball to start the eighth. While splinters flew in all directions, the ball found a safe landing place in right field for the Rays’ first hit of the afternoon.

Johnson, who came into the game batting .182, was 0-for-9 lifetime against Buchholz and had been called out on strikes twice Sunday before that single.

A crowd of 35,198 arose as one to salute Buchholz, who on his next pitch induced Sam Fuld to hit into a double play started by first baseman Mike Napoli. Desmond Jennings then lined a double off the Monster in left before Ben Zobrist flied out to rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. just inside the foul line in shallow left, ending Buchholz’s afternoon.

Buchholz, who has pitched 17 consecutive scoreless innings, has won each of his first three starts, posting an 0.41 ERA in that span. He yielded to Andrew Miller to start the ninth after giving up two singles and walking four, throwing 109 pitches, 69 for strikes.

The right-hander was bidding to become the first Red Sox pitcher since the deadball era (pre-1920) to throw multiple no-hitters. Dutch Leonard (1916, 1918) and Cy Young (1904, 1908) are the only pitchers to throw two no-hitters in a Sox uniform.

The last Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter was Jon Lester on May 19, 2008 against the Kansas City Royals.

The Rays came into the game last in the league in runs scored. They have lost five of their past six games, scoring just eight runs in that span with no home runs and seven extra-base hits.

They have considerable practice in this no-no business: In the past five seasons, they have been no-hit by Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, Edwin Jackson and Felix Hernandez.

The Sox scored four times in the third inning off Rays starter Alex Cobb, the big hit a two-run double by Mike Napoli. A bunt single by Shane Victorino also figured prominently in the rally.

BOSTON -- David Ortiz, who was scheduled to bat third and serve as DH for Pawtucket Sunday afternoon, was a late scratch due to illness.

Ortiz, who is 3-for-7 in two games with the PawSox, was rained out of a game Friday and played just one of two games in Saturday's doubleheader.

PawSox publicist Bill Wanless said Ortiz was still in the clubhouse after the game started.

BOSTON -- Good morning from the Fens, where among our Sunday morning musings is whether former ESPNBoston.com intern Darren Hartwell, the record-setting Williams College wide receiver who ran a 4.4 40 at the Harvard pro day recently, will get a free agent offer from an NFL team.

In the meantime, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior has posted a .367/.410/.388 batting line while playing outfield for the Ephs’ baseball team and has worked PR internships with the Ravens and Patriots. I don’t know what my ESPN Boston colleague Joe McDonald hit during his college baseball career, but I suspect he would tell you Darren could play on his team any day.

But enough on the Ephs.

There were a couple of pertinent pregame updates from manager John Farrell, who said closer Joel Hanrahan, who has a had rough go of it early, is day-to-day because of a sore right hamstring that may be contributing to throwing off his mechanics on the hill.

In the interim, Farrell said, Andrew Bailey will be the closer, and why not? Bailey has been terrific early, allowing just one hit while striking out seven in five appearances (4 1/3 innings). That’s the kind of performance GM Ben Cherington anticipated when he acquired Bailey from Oakland in the Josh Reddick deal, which tilted lopsidedly in Oakland’s favor when Reddick hit 32 home runs last season and Bailey was hurt most of the year and pitched poorly upon his return (7.04 ERA in 19 appearances).

As is often the case, history’s verdict on that deal could undergo some major revisions. It’s already trending that way, with Bailey’s dominant start and Reddick struggling out of the chute (4-for-21, .133).

Farrell said Hanrahan tweaked the hamstring in his second appearance of the season, when he pitched a scoreless inning against the Yankees in New York on April 3. He has been receiving treatment on it the past week but thought he could pitch through it, Farrell said, which appeared to be the case, given that his velocity was in the high-90s.

“It’s a manageable situation,’’ Farrell said, “but it’s clearly had an effect on his ability to repeat his delivery.

“Yesterday, when we spoke about, ‘Is this mechanical?’, clearly the right hamstring soreness is in the back of his mind and looking at some video again this morning, it looks like his right leg has collapsed a little bit in his delivery, it’s caused him to work a little bit more uphill or a little bit more side to side, and not have that same effectiveness.’’

Starter’s gun: Through 10 games last season, Red Sox starters were 2-4 with a 5.37 ERA, and were averaging 7 whiffs per nine and 3.6 walks per nine.

Through 10 games this season, the starters are 4-2 with a league-best 2.35 ERA, and are averaging 9.9 K’s/per nine and an even 3 walks per nine.

Clay Buchholz, who is 2-0 with an 0.64 ERA in his first two starts and has not allowed a run in his last 10 innings, draws the start Sunday afternoon against 25-year-old right-hander Alex Cobb, who went 7 1/3 scoreless innings in his only start this season.

Stingless Rays: The Rays won 90 games last season despite being one of four AL teams to score fewer than 700 runs, and the offense has been even worse so far. They’ve scored just 33 runs in their first 10 games, fewest in the AL, and their .221 team batting average is third lowest in club history after 10 games. The Rays have not hit a home run since Kelly Johnson took Trevor Bauer of the Indians deep on April 6; they have gone 49 innings and 180 at-bats since.

Overall, the Rays have hit just four home runs, none on the road. Seven players have more home runs than the Rays have hit collectively.

Papi preparations: David Ortiz was scheduled to get another four at-bats Sunday for Pawtucket. Farrell said he has not gotten any indication that Ortiz will lobby to join the club in time for its three-game set in Cleveland, but stay tuned.

Here's today's lineup for Red Sox-Rays at Fenway (Clay Buchholz vs. Alex Cobb):

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, DH
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., LF

This is the first time this season that Nava has hit in the 5-hole, with manager John Farrell saying he wanted to slide a left-handed bat between the two righties. He also acknowledged that he wanted to break up a 4-5-6 (Napoli, Middlebrooks, Saltalamacchia) that had combined to whiff 36 times in 107 at-bats.

Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks is keeping a diary for ESPNBoston.com. In his third entry, he talks about an interesting trip to Toronto, why Red Sox fans should come out to Fenway, and life on the road. (As told to Louise K. Cornetta)

We may have gotten rained out on Friday, but a lot happened in sports. While I sat home on my couch watching everything after a nice dinner at home, we had people thinking Tiger Woods might get disqualified from the Masters because of a bad drop [he ended up with a 2-shot penalty], Kobe Bryant is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and the Blue Jays' Jose Reyes hurts his ankle and could be out 1-3 months. All not good things to happen. But the worst probably would be what happened to Kobe because it ended his season just as they were making a run for the playoffs, which will hurt them.

The season started for us on the road. We had a successful road trip, going 4-2. The highlight for me would be the three-homer game in Toronto. The words I would use to describe that game are easy and fun. It's one of those times like in a basketball game when everything you throw up goes in. I felt like everything I swung at, I put good wood on and hit it hard. I've yet to experience what people say sometimes how the ball looks as big as a beach ball when the pitcher is throwing it. It looked the same. I just felt like I got good pitches to hit every at-bat. When I am not swinging the bat well, it feels like everything is on the corners and you're not getting good calls. This time it felt like everything was in the middle.

What will stand out from that trip to Toronto, which was John Farrell's return, is my three home runs, paper airplanes being thrown by fans and a couple of streakers. The paper airlines were coming from the upper decks. They'd be in the air for like 15-20 seconds. So ones that made it all the way down, you would hear the crowd going nuts. You'd look up and see one coming that would take a couple of pitches to get all the way down. They were taking pages out of programs to make them. Though some used their ticket stubs, which wasn't the best move since security would then know who did it. It's a rare breed up there. They are very passionate about their team. It was a fun atmosphere. I was definitely glad we could put together a good couple of games to win them for John.

The winning was the good part of Toronto. The bad part was seeing John Lackey get hurt. We got really lucky that it wasn't as serious as we first thought. Initially it scared all of us. His arm was just kind of hanging. We all thought it was his elbow all over again. It was a big scare. But to find out it is just a biceps strain is a huge relief for us.

Then we came home and I got to experience my first Fenway Opening Day. It was unbelievable and on top of everything we got the win with Daniel Nava's three-run homer. It was probably one of the loudest games I've ever been a part of with a packed house here. Our sellout streak did end on Wednesday. Why should you come out to see the Red Sox? As people are getting to know, we are a different group who is fun to watch. We play hard and we are here to win every game.

Something else that fans can look for when they watch is we've been implementing the infield shift more this season. The shift is probably the biggest change from what we were doing last year. We're just playing to guys' tendencies. If a guy is more likely to, say, hit a ball hard to the right side then we're going to play that. We're not going to shift for like a broken bat or flares or soft-hit balls because we'll probably be able to make a play on those anyway. So we're going to play to guys' tendencies. If the Orioles' Chris Davis is up there, he's obviously a big pull guy, a power guy who is not going to hit a lot to the left side. So we'll put an extra guy on the right side to take away a hit.

Someone who knows about having the shift used on him is David Ortiz. David will hopefully be back soon as he is doing a rehab stint right now. It will mean a lot to have him back. On and off the field he is a leader for us. He is a guy who has taught a lot of us the ins and outs of the big leagues as we've come up. It is always nice to have him around. On top of everything else, he's a good bat in the lineup.

We have started off the season facing three of our AL division opponents. I actually like facing them so soon in the season. You get a preview of what you are going to get all season and what to expect. Our division is really good. It helps to see those pitchers and lineups right away. As I said, it lets us know what to expect.

We have a lot of home games in April. I see it as an advantage because we are playing at Fenway. Just the way the ballpark is built, this is a place that if you aren't used to playing here, it would be tough. We know how to play the balls off the Monster. We know how to play the right-field corner. A lot of teams aren't used to that. We use knowing this park to our advantage. I have my first Patriots' Day game on Monday. I have played in the morning hours before. In the minor leagues, we'd have 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. games for kids' days.

If you see some camera shots of our locker rooms you may see some giant-size heads of us in here. These were left around town for Red Sox fans to try to find. We put a bunch up. Nap [Mike Napoli] had his in here and Jonny [Gomes] got his. So I got mine and we put ours up. Salty [Jarrod Saltalamacchia] has his in here, too.

This team is really a close group. We have team dinners and things like that off the field, but that's not really why you hear us saying we are close. Baseball-wise, I just feel that if someone falls or someone fails that someone is always there to pick them up. There is no ragging really going on. Everyone does have each other's back. It's nice to come in and have your teammates cheering and pulling for you. They want you to do well.

Something I am looking forward to is having my sister Lacey here. She is about to graduate from the University of Tulsa in May. She will be coming to Boston and will be a Red Sox PR intern. She will be the ball girl from time to time. She was in Pawtucket last year. She'll live with me. We were more competitive when we were growing up. Now it's not really like that anymore. She pulls for me and I pull for her. She's finishing up her last year of college softball, which has been fun to watch.

I thought I'd end with some questions about life on the road since we travel so much:

(Read full post)

BOSTON -- Jon Lester once flirted with a Cy Young Award. He was mildly in the mix in 2010 and certainly addressed a few questions about his chances at winning 20 games and factoring in the voting for postseason awards late that season. Ever so humbly, he brushed aside the inquiries and then had a miserable outing in his season finale in Chicago, thereby sinking his chance at 20 wins and destroying his opportunity to take home the top pitching prize (he finished fourth in the voting).

Thus far in 2013, Lester is again mixing it up with Cy Young, only this time in another way. And each time he has come out on top.

Lester, who has already outdueled former Cy Young Award winners CC Sabathia and R.A. Dickey, outlasted 2012 American League winner David Price on Saturday in a scintillating duel at Fenway Park, which was treated to a 2-1 Red Sox win in 10 innings. Boston's ace lowered his ERA to 1.42, which is more than seven runs lower than it was after three starts in that 2010 run.

Of course, nobody needs to talk postseason awards in April, but it is clear that Lester is getting the better of those who know what it takes to win such honors. He and Price both got no-decisions Saturday, but Lester he is absolutely carrying the Sox, who are 3-0 in his starts and 3-4 in all other games.

Manager John Farrell insists he sees no difference in Lester based on the opposing pitcher, but the southpaw allowed himself to admit to a slightly altered mindset when someone like Sabathia, Dickey or Price is on the other side.

"It's in the back of my mind that I've got to keep these guys close," he said.

That's just what he did Saturday after a somewhat auspicious beginning. Lester walked the second batter of the game, allowed two hits in the second and gave up a base hit and an RBI double to begin the third. From then on he was virtually unhittable, retiring 12 straight after the Rays' only run. Of Lester's last 10 outs, seven came on the ground, two were strikeouts and one was a weak pop to second. The only man to reach in that span was Yunel Escobar, who singled to start the seventh. Lester needed just four more pitches to end that inning, getting a quick double play and an inning-ending groundout on the first pitch to Jose Molina. One hundred pitches, a handshake in the dugout and Lester was done.

"An outstanding effort," Farrell said.

After a year in which innings often went from bad to worse for Lester, he impressed his new manager by composing himself after the early run, making an alteration and then beginning to dominate.

"I thought Jon Lester made a very good adjustment about the fourth inning, and he did an excellent job today for us," Farrell said.

The explanation of that adjustment entailed a lot of pitcher speak from Farrell, who discussed Lester's ability to "use his arm side" and "get back downhill." When the man who served as Lester's pitching coach in 2010 discusses such matters, and Lester produces such results, it is easy to see how Farrell's presence -- which many thought would elevate Lester back to an elite level -- is making an impact.

In 19 innings, Lester has struck out 18 and walked just three. He has yet to give up a home run after serving up a career-high 25 last year, and has allowed opponents to score in just two of those 19 frames.

Maintaining such a pace is not likely. If he did it, Lester certainly would field a few late-season questions about his Cy Young Award candidacy. For now, he's happy just beating up on the other contenders.

BOSTON -- There wasn't a lot of offense Saturday at Fenway Park. A perfect game for Red Sox manager John Farrell to push the envelope the moment he had the opportunity.

A contest that saw both Farrell and Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon make their fair share of maneuvers came down to a situation perfectly designed for Farrell to uphold his insistence on aggressive baseball.

A litany of options opened up the moment Jacoby Ellsbury reached on a single with one out in the bottom of the 10th and the score tied 1-1. With Shane Victorino at the plate, Ellsbury stole second and easily raced to third when the throw by catcher Jose Lobaton sailed into center field. Lobaton had replaced starting catcher Jose Molina that inning and is not known to have the arm of his elder, which prompted Farrell to salivate over the possibilities.

Ellsbury figured even without the error the Sox were set up nicely.

"I knew if we got to second we had a pretty good shot at winning that game," he said.

And from third? Even with Maddon electing to utilize his drawn-in, five-man infield, the next move was a no-brainer for Farrell.

"The contact play is something we use consistently," he said of instructing Ellsbury to take off on contact.

Having hit second behind Jimmy Rollins hundreds of times in Philadelphia, Victorino knew how to manage the situation. The Sox right fielder waited for the speedster to move up and then focused on avoiding, at all costs, a strikeout. Victorino admitted he had no clue what Ellsbury had been instructed to do at third base, but understood his only role.

"That's the game right there," Victorino said. "Just trying not to strike out, put the ball in play."

Once Victorino grounded one to a spot that ruled out any play at home, the Sox poured from the dugout with their first walk-off win of the year.

"That's the type of game we want to play. Force the defense to make a play," Farrell said.

Ellsbury knew that his speed severely impacts that play-making capability.

"It almost has to be hit right at them and they have to execute a perfect throw home," he said.

They didn't, and the Sox had justification for pushing the envelope.

David Ortiz went 1-for-4 in his second rehab game with Triple-A Pawtucket and had plenty of opportunity to test his recovering right heel.

In a 7-1 win over Rochester at McCoy Stadium, Ortiz lined to first in the bottom of the first, struck out swinging in the third, popped out in the fifth and singled in a pair of runs in the sixth. He then advanced to second on a fly to center off the bat of Ryan Lavarnway and scored on Drew Sutton's base hit to right.

According to ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald, Ortiz struggled a bit rounding third and did not speak with reporters after the game.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said the report he got was a good one.

"Yeah, 1-for-4, ran the bases well, slid into second base," said Farrell, who indicated that Ortiz is still scheduled to play again Sunday.