On Sunday May 13, the Boston Red Sox made sure it was a happy Mother’s Day for all the mothers of Red Sox Nation, by pounding the Cleveland Indians in a 12-1 blowout victory. Red Sox starter Daniel Bard pitched well, allowing only 1 run in 6 innings of work on his way to a win, before giving way to the bullpen, which shut down the Tribe for the remainder of the game.
Cleveland starter, former Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson, did not fare as well, allowing 6 earned runs in 6 innings of work, resulting in his first career loss to his former team. Prior to Sunday’s game, Masterson had dominated Boston, posting a 3-0 record along with an ERA under 2. However, he simply did not have his best game on Sunday, and Boston’s bats were able to take advantage. Following Masterson out of the bullpen was another former Red Sox pitcher, Dan Wheeler. Wheeler, who spent 2010 in Boston, was no better then his predecessor, allowing 6 earned runs in only 1 inning of work. Jairo Asencio was able to quiet the Sox’s bats in the final inning, but it was far too late as Boston rolled to a comfortable victory.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston’s catcher, had a big day of his own, compiling 3 hits, including a homerun and 5 RBI. Aiding Saltalamacchia and Boston’s offensive outburst was rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks, who hit his 4th career homerun in the third inning off of Masterson.
With the win, Boston took three out of four from Cleveland, winning their first series at Fenway Park since April 13th through April 16th against the Tampa Bay Rays. On Monday, the Red Sox will welcome the Mariners to town, looking to build off of their performance against Cleveland. Perhaps the Red Sox have finally turned the corner, and are ready to once again win ballgames.
