MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Darnell McDonald(notes) hit a two-run homer into the upper deck
in left field to help the Boston Red Sox defeat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 on
Tuesday night.

David Ortiz(notes) gave the Sox the lead for good on an infield single with the
bases loaded in the seventh inning and Jonathan Papelbon(notes) picked up his 26th
save.

Erik Bedard(notes) gave up two runs on three hits with six strikeouts in five
innings in his second start since coming to Boston in a trade with Seattle.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka(notes) had a double and an RBI for the Twins, who lost their
sixth straight game. Francisco Liriano(notes) walked a career-high seven and allowed
three runs on four hits with four strikeouts in six innings.

Matt Albers(notes) (4-3) gave up one run in one inning of relief for the win,
helping the Red Sox move to 2 1/2 games up on the Yankees in the AL East after New
York lost at home to the Angels.

Matt Capps(notes) (3-6) took the loss for the Twins after giving up one run on one
hit and walking two in one inning. Minnesota’s pitchers walked nine and its
hitters whiffed 10 times in the game.

In an odd twist of events, the game featured two unexpected power surges
from a pair of light hitters, and a nubber from the biggest man in the ballpark
that proved to be the biggest hits in the game.

McDonald, who entered the game hitting .165 with three homers on the season,
got a hanging slider from Liriano that he put into the upper deck in left field
to tie the game 2-2 in the fifth inning.

Nishioka was hitting just .215 with just four extra-base hits and 14 RBIs
this season when the day started. He struck out in his first two at-bats before
sending a pitch from Matt Albers high off the out-of-town scoreboard in
right-center field for an RBI double that tied the game 3-3 in the sixth.

The Red Sox reclaimed the lead in the seventh when they loaded the bases for
Ortiz. The big lefty hit a dribbler up the first baseline, but Twins lefty Phil
Dumatrait(notes) fell flat on his face as he bent down to pick up the ball, and
everyone was safe on a play that was ruled an infield single.

The free-swinging Twins had just one walk in their previous 182 plate
appearances when they stepped to the plate in the first inning against Bedard.
But they walked four times in their two-run first, including a bases loaded free
pass to Delmon Young(notes), who had walked 15 times in 314 plate appearances this
season.

Bedard settled down after that 37-pitch first inning, keeping the Twins off
the board with just two hits over his final four innings.

NOTES: Twins DH Jim Thome(notes) walked for the 1,708th time in his career in the
first inning, tying him with Mel Ott for eighth on baseball’s career list. …
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said reliever Bobby Jenks(notes), who is on the disabled
list with a back injury, was released from the hospital on Tuesday after
spending a few days there because of an illness. … Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia(notes)
walked three times. … The Twins placed RHP Scott Baker(notes) on the DL with a
strained right elbow. … Twins CF Denard Span(notes) got a rare day off after starting
the home stand 0-for-12. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Span was still
getting his timing down after being out with a concussion. … LHP Jon Lester(notes)
(11-5, 3.23) takes the mound for the Red Sox in the series finale on Wednesday
night against RHP Nick Blackburn(notes) (7-9, 4.58). Lester’s 6.61 ERA in three career
starts in Minnesota is his second-highest in a visiting AL city next to Kansas
City (7.20). … Had Baker not been placed on the disabled list, Blackburn may
have been pitching for his job. In his last eight starts, Blackburn is 3-5 with
an 8.15 ERA and 65 hits allowed in 38 2-3 innings.

Where: Fenway Park.

When: Monday through Thursday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio will do all four games, WKYC Ch. 3 Thursday; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: RHP Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.01) vs. RHP John Lackey (9-8, 6.20) Monday at 7:10; LHP David Huff (1-1, 0.71) vs. RHP Josh Beckett (9-4, 2.17) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Carlos Carrasco (8-9, 4.67) vs. RHP Tim Wakefield (6-4, 5.06) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. and RHP Justin Masterson (8-7, 2.57) vs. LHP Jon Lester (10-4, 3.23) Thursday at 7:10 p.m.

Season series: Indians lead Boston, 4-2. Indians lead, 1,019-956, overall.

Indians update: They just ended a 2-6 homestand in which they were no-hit, shut out twice and scored 15 total runs. They went 11-15 in July after a 10-17 June. They’re hitting .202 (47-for-201) against Boston, but still lead the season series. Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .318 (7-for-22) with two homers and 7 RBI against the Red Sox.

Red Sox update: They’ve won 11 of their last 15 games. They’ve outscored the Indians, 25-19. Beckett is 1-1 and Lester 1-0 against the Tribe this year. Carl Crawford is hitting .348 (8-for-23) with two homers and three RBI against the Indians.

Injuries: Indians — CF Grady Sizemore (right knee, hernia), RF Shin-Soo Choo (left thumb) and OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Red Sox — RHP Clay Buchholz (back), RHP Bobby Jenks (back), SS Jed Lowrie (left shoulder), OF J.D. Drew (left shoulder), LHP Rich Hill (left elbow), RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (right elbow) are on the disabled list.

Next: Indians open three-game series against Texas on Friday in Arlington, Texas.

CHICAGO — Jon Lester pitched eight strong innings Saturday night and the Boston Red Sox got homers from Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis and three RBIs from Marco Scutaro in a 10-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

It was Boston’s first win in its last eight games against the White Sox.

Lester (11-4), in his second start since coming off the disabled list (strained latissimus), allowed two runs and four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts to get his first victory since June 30. He lost the shutout in the seventh when Paul Konerko hit his 25th homer and also gave up a solo shot to Gordon Beckham in the eighth.

Boston put it away with five runs in the top of the ninth. The Red Sox finished with 15 hits.

Gonzalez hit his 18th homer in the ninth, a two-run shot off reliever Brian Bruney, and now has 89 RBIs this season. Youkilis then followed with his 15th homer to push the lead to six. Jarrod Saltalamacchia added an RBI double and Scutaro a run-scoring single.

Boston broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with four runs against Phil Humber (8-7) as Carl Crawford singled, stole second and reached third on catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s throwing error. Saltalamacchia hit an RBI double, moved to third on a bunt single by Josh Reddick and scored on Scutaro’s sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a single and stole second, putting runners at second and third before Dustin Pedroia hit another sacrifice fly for a three-run cushion. After Gonzalez was walked intentionally, Youkilis hit a broken-bat liner that went off third baseman Brent Morel’s glove for an RBI single that ended Humber’s night.

Scutaro added an RBI single to right center in the eighth as Reddick scored all the way from first when Beckham couldn’t handle a late throw from center fielder Alex Rios.

Humber, who was Chicago’s most consistent starter in the first half of the season, hadn’t pitched since July 17. He’d been assigned temporarily to the bullpen after a rainout forced the White Sox to rearrange their rotation and to give him some rest. He didn’t see any work as a reliever, and now has lost his last three starts, giving up 24 hits and 14 earned runs in 14 innings.

Humber surrendered six hits and the four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

NOTES: White Sox general manager Ken Williams said it’s unlikely the team will be making any more trades before today’s deadline. … The Red Sox announced they had signed catcher Jordan Weems, a third-round draft pick this year, and also third baseman Nick Moore, who was selected in the 30th round. … Konerko’s homer was the 390th of his career. It ties him with Graig Nettles for 53rd place on the all-time list. … Mike Aviles, acquired earlier in the day from Kansas City, played third for the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth. … Frasor earlier made his White Sox debut by pitching two-thirds of an inning.

Sox acquire Aviles

CHICAGO — The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Mike Aviles from the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, giving up infielder Yamaico Navarro and minor-league pitcher Kendal Volz in the trade.

Aviles was batting .222 with five home runs and 31 RBIs in 53 games with the Royals. He’s expected to fill a utility infielder’s role with the Red Sox. Aviles spent part of the season at Triple-A Omaha and had been unhappy with his lack of playing time since being recalled July 20.

He’ll give the Red Sox some insurance until Jed Lowrie comes off the disabled list. Lowrie, sidelined by a sore shoulder, will begin a rehab assignment Monday.

“A guy I think our organization has kinda liked from afar for a while,” Boston manager Terry Francona said of Aviles.

“He’s that guy who can really hit left-handers, actually both, but the ability to play short, second, third. … He can run, hit the ball out of the ballpark. How we would use him, I don’t know. Some of this is probably going to depend on Jed because Jed isn’t too far away,” Francona added. “But he seems excited to be here and we’re happy to have him. At some point, I think we’d like to get him to the outfield because I think we think he can do it. He hasn’t done that yet, but we’ll see.”

Navarro was hitting .216 in 16 games with the Red Sox.

Report: Sox get Harden

CHICAGO — The Red Sox may have found their pitcher.

With the trade deadline looming at 4 p.m. today, the Sox reportedly acquired Rich Harden from the Oakland Athletics in a deal involving first baseman Lars Anderson, according to a report on NESN Saturday night. The trade is pending a physical. Anderson was removed from Saturday night’s game at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Harden, 29, is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in five starts for the Athletics since coming off the disabled list. In his last three starts, he has been sharp, allowing seven runs on 12 hits and striking out 22 in 18 1/3 innings against the Angels, Yankees and Rays.

Injuries have long been an issue for Harden, who has made 25 or more starts in a season only twice since 2005. But he worked with Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young in Oakland, and the club likely feels confident that he can stay healthy for the season’s final two months.

— Boston Herald

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox have placed right-handed pitcher Bobby Jenks on the disabled list with back tightness and have recalled left-handed reliever Randy Williams from Triple-A Pawtucket.

This is Jenks’ third trip to the DL this season, all due to the same injury.

“Bobby experienced pain in his left mid-back area when he was warming up (Friday night), similar to the past injury,” explained manager Terry Francona. “He’s going to fly back to Boston today and we’re going to get him checked over the weekend.”

Since the club signed Jenks as a free agent last December, the Red Sox have yet to see him be as effective as they were hoping.

“Not yet,” Francona said. “That’s an important part of our bullpen, that complement to (Daniel) Bard, or in the seventh inning, or however you want to put it. Fortunately, (Matt) Albers has been tremendous and (Alfredo) Aceves, too. But that other arm is a huge arm.

“His ability to pitch, and he’s not just a thrower. He can manipulate the ball, he spins it and has a good feel for the game, but we haven’t had him out there healthy. We miss that.”

Jenks is 2-2 with a 6.32 ERA in 19 games this season.

Williams, 35, is in his 12th pro season and his first in the Red Sox organization after signing as a minor league free agent last December. He’s been on the disabled list twice this season with a shoulder injury.

“He’s been dominating left-hand hitters,” Francona said. “His velocity has been tremendous and it gives us that second lefty where we can match up. His true calling is matching up against lefties and we’ve wanted to get a look at him anyway. He’s that guy who you send to Triple A and say, ‘Do your job and you never know.’ And here it is.”

Lefties were 3 for 22 off Williams, as he’s allowed only three hits, two earned runs, three walks and six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched. At the time of his call-up, Williams had pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his last three appearances with three saves and four strikeouts for the PawSox.

“I’m very excited. I was a little bit surprised when I got the call,” he said.

He has 90 games of major league experience with Seattle (2004), San Diego (2005), Colorado (2005) and the Chicago White Sox (2009-10) for a career 3-3 record with a 5.74 ERA.

“I was hoping I would get a chance,” Williams said. “When the season started and you’ve got (Hideki) Okajima and (Rich) Hill on your team, and when Tommy Hottovy comes up and does what he did, I couldn’t be upset, especially the way I started the year on the DL. When I got the call, with the guys I was playing with, I was probably as shocked as all of y’all.”

In other injury news, there is not yet a timetable on a possible return for Clay Buchholz.

“Inch by inch,” Buchholz said. “It’s taking longer than I thought it would. This sucks. Obviously I want to be pitching and I want to help the team in any way I can. But going out there not 100 percent, or 80 percent, isn’t going to help the team.”

He received a cortisone injection on July 5 and he admits that it’s helped, but he can still feel the discomfort in the muscle.

“There is no schedule. It’s all how he feels. (Friday) he felt better than he thought he was going to after the layoff and the plane ride and everything,” said Francona. “It’s all dependent on how he feels because if there’s a schedule that has a chance to mess him up.”

Joe McDonald covers the Red Sox for ESPNBoston.com.

Follow Joe McDonald on Twitter: @espnJoeyMac

Now that we have looked at what each American League team has done in the first half, we can start to take a look at what some of the contenders should do at the trade deadline. I came across an interesting article like this over at Hardballtalk.com, and they focused in on what the BoSox should do between now and the July 31st MLB trade deadline.

The good folks over at HBT and I agree that the number one concern on this team is starting pitching. Not because it has been horrible, but because of the loss of Daisuke to Tommy John surgery. On top of that, two of their other starting pitches are on the disabled list, and that is a problem. The folks over there think they should target Matt Garza, and that would be great but I don’t see the Tampa Bay Rays letting him go. HBT goes as far as to predict a deal that could land them Garza. I am not going to go that far.

I think they need to pick up one or two back of the rotation starters to shore up what they have until players return from injury. I do not have a specific target in mind, just an idea of a guy who can give them a quality start every fifth day. Like every other team in contention they could use some bullpen help, and that is something of an old bit as contending teams always look to stock up bullpen help for their stretch runs.

I think with the Carl Crawford injuries, the looks to already be retired struggles of JD Drew, and the struggles of Josh Reddick to pick up the slack for each of them that this team should look to bring in some OF help as well.

Related Links:

The Red Sox loaded up on offense. They had a strong rotation. Their rebuilt bullpen looked promising.

Then they started playing. Six games, all losses.

The season that many thought would end with a World Series berth began with Boston’s longest season-opening losing streak since they went 0-8 in 1945. And after 12 games this year, the Red Sox were 2-10.

Then they got on a roll. After 51 games, they already were tied for first in the AL East. Now, coming out of the All-Star break, their 55-35 record is second in the majors behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It was a very difficult start. There’s no getting around that,” manager

Terry Francona said after Boston entered the break with a six-game winning streak. “We were taking some pretty good shots. We probably deserved them, but there were some things that were being written or said that I don’t think I believe.

“I think we went out and proved that we can be a good team. We’re not done yet, not even close, but we’re playing better baseball.”

Boston’s 55-29 record starting with its first win — 9-6 over the New York Yankees in the home opener — is the best in the majors since then.
The reality, though, is this: Through good and bad times, the only record that matters is the one at the end of the regular season.

“We just had a nice first half after a real rough start,” general manager Theo Epstein said, “and I’m proud of the guys, but it won’t mean anything if we don’t come out and play good baseball (in) the second half. What matters is where you finish and then what you do in October.”

Despite leading the New York Yankees by one game in the AL East and having baseball’s best offense, the Red Sox have some concerns.

Three of their original five starters are on the disabled list. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are expected to return soon from back problems, but Daisuke Matsuzaka is out for the year following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Carl Crawford also should be back shortly after nearly a month on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

The speedy left-fielder the Red Sox gave a $142 million, seven-year contract as a free agent has been a disappointment. He’s batting just .243 with only eight steals. But since hitting .155 in April, he’s batting .295.

If he can continue that surge, a potent lineup becomes even stronger.
Going into a three-game road series against Tampa Bay starting Friday, the Red Sox lead the majors in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. With all that, they have the 10th fewest strikeouts.

Adrian Gonzalez is the best hitter in baseball’s best lineup — tied for the major-league lead with a .354 batting average and first with 77 RBIs, 128 hits and 29 doubles. He’s thriving since moving from pitcher-friendly Petco Park in San Diego to Fenway Park.

He’s only walked 35 times in 89 games, but he doesn’t lack patience. Instead, pitchers are reluctant to pitch around him with Kevin Youkilis (. 285, 63 RBIs) and David Ortiz (. 304, 19 homers) following him in the batting order.

The first two batters — Jacoby Ellsbury (.316) and Dustin Pedroia (.284) — are just as dangerous.

“Hitting is contagious,” captain Jason Varitek said. “It gets the ball rolling and a huge part is the job that (Ellsbury’s) done day in and day out.”

One worry is the health of the pitchers, The top three starters, Lester, Buchholz and Josh Beckett (back), are ailing. In the bullpen, Bobby Jenks had two stints on the disabled list with a strained biceps and tight back and has a 6.32 ERA.

But the relief corps is deep. Setup man Daniel Bard has thrown 19 1-3 straight scoreless innings in his last 18 appearances, Jonathan Papelbon has 20 saves in 21 opportunities, Matt Albers hasn’t allowed a run in 14 of his last 16 outings and Dan Wheeler has held opponents scoreless in 14 of his last 17.

Tim Wakefield, Andrew Miller and Alfredo Aceves have done a good job filling in for injured starters.

“I think we have room for improvement,” Francona said. “I’d like to get our bullpen a little more in order. … There’s some things that we need to certainly take care of, but I think there’s room for optimism.”

Still, the Red Sox are in a tough division. The Yankees have kept pace despite Derek Jeter’s recent 20-day stint on the disabled list. Tampa Bay is six games behind after losing several key players, including Crawford, in the offseason.

“It’s nice to be where we are given where we started,” Epstein said. “We haven’t really proven anything yet although, hopefully, we’ve answered some questions about how we bounce back from adversity.”