Scoot over, Seattle by Jared Carrabis
10 K's from Lackey, 4 RBI night from Scutaro combine for win


With rumors of perhaps a new lead-off hitter on his way to Boston, Marco Scutaro says, Not so fast.

John Lackey took to the mound on a rainy Monday night at Fenway with success against the Mariners in the past. In his most recent outing against Seattle, Lackey tossed eight shutout innings against the M’s almost a month to the day of Monday’s start.

Throughout Lackey’s night, the right-hander was striking out batters at an alarming rate, for Lackey’s standards anyway.

Striking out the first batter of the game, Lackey went on to punch out a total of ten Mariners, a new season high. Lackey commanded all of his pitches in his 119-pitch effort in yet another eight-inning effort. The right-hander kept the ball low, which resulted in nine groundball outs, and just three outs being recorded in the air.

Lackey allowed just two earned runs, three in all, while scattering six hits – all singles.

In the bottom of the fifth, Scutaro came to the dish with the bases loaded, a situation that Boston’s shortstop has thrived in all season. Behind in the count 1-2, Scutaro shot a tailing slider through the hole on the right side of the infield and into right field for a two-run single.

After the two-run base knock, Scutaro improved to 6-for-11 with the bases loaded this season.

J.D. Drew added to the Red Sox’ lead on the very next pitch, driving a base hit back up the middle to up Boston’s lead to 3-1.

The lead provided for Lackey was short-lived, as the Texan allowed a pair in the next half-inning, but Scutaro was back at it again in the seventh. After a pair of singles by Jed Lowrie and Daniel Nava, Scutaro roped a liner into center to drive in two more runs, giving Boston the 5-3 lead.

Boston added their sixth run on a sacrifice fly by Victor Martinez, and that would be all Lackey would need.

Jonathan Papelbon was called upon in the top of the ninth, retiring the side with ease, striking out two to grab the save.



Final score: Mariners 3, Red Sox 6
WP: John Lackey (12-7)
LP: Doug Fister (4-9)
SV: Jonathan Papelbon (31)

Game notes: With a 4 RBI night, Marco Scutaro tied a season, and career, high. Scutaro, as you probably remember, drove in four runs on one swing with a grand slam in Anaheim earlier this season. John Lackey has pitched his way to a 5-0 record versus A.L. West opponents to go along with a 2.75 ERA in seven starts. The last time Lackey struck out ten batters was way back on June 15, 2009. Between the Red Sox and the Mariners, the two teams totaled seventeen hits in the ballgame, all singles.

Eye on the scoreboard: Behind two homers from the majors’ home run-leader, Jose Bautista, the Blue Jays edged out the Yankees in a 3-2 contest. The Rays are currently playing the Angels out in Anaheim.

Tweet of the Night: @ScottLauber: VMart on Lackey: "Today was the best I've seen him the whole season." #RedSox

-Jared Carrabis

Published on August 24, 2010

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