The Red Sox got their first win of the season and are now tasked with keeping the wins coming.
Red Sox starter Felix Doubront was solid in his season debut. Admit it: When the Red Sox game came to it's conclusion Monday night you felt far too much relief. It was only win No. 1, but it felt so darn difficult getting there.
Newly-anointed closer Alfredo Aceves got the save and also got the opportunity to watch his Blue Jay counterpart implode along the way. Rather than a Red Sox relief pitcher giving up the victory Monday night, Toronto's Sergio Santos played the role of goat. He was only a goat to Toronto fans. Red Sox fans would welcome him back to the mound with open arms.
This was the Red Sox first win since September 27, 2011. In that game, Aceves got the win rather than the save and the Sox hung on for an 8-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles to set up an all-important final game of the season. The following night wasn't as pleasant but that was 2011 and the 2012 Red Sox would very much like to finally put that behind them.
The Red Sox received a number of key contributions Monday night but none more key than that of Dustin Pedroia.
The "laser show" hit a sixth-inning home run off of Blue Jay starter Henderson Alvarez who was doing a very good imitation of an "ace" (Josh Beckett take notice). It was Pedroia's first hit of the night and only the fourth for the Red Sox. The home run was the first Sox run of the evening as well.
Pedroia didn't stop there. He must have been watching the Sox closers implode over the weekend with a discerning eye. Pedroia knew just how to get Santos started on the road to chaos. His leadoff double in the top of the ninth set the stage for a three-run rally that would carry the Sox back from a 2-1 deficit to their eventual 4-2 margin of victory.
Other winners from last night's winning Boston Red Sox?
Felix Doubront
Okay no one will mistake him for Pedro Martinez circa 1999 but Doubront was effective pitching under tremendous pressure on the road. Felix clearly enjoys pitching, in fact he might enjoy it too much since he had thrown over 100 pitches by the end of the fifth inning. That does nothing to change the fact that be weaved his way through a tough lineup and stayed out of big trouble to keep the game close.
Doubront also did an exceptional job handling Jose Bautista, who went 0-for-4 on the night. Doubront was able to retire him in some tough spots where one mistake could easily have put the game out of reach.
Scott Atchison
The Red Sox bullpen isn't that bad. In fact, it's actually very good if there isn't a save opportunity in sight. Atchison got the chance to channel his inner Vicente Padilla when he entered the game trailing 2-1. All Atchison did was pitch three innings of one-hit, no-walk ball which kept the score 2-1 and set the stage for the Boston's late-inning heroics.
It wasn't all good for Boston last night, though. There is still no sign of Kevin Youklis. The "Greek God of Walks" looks a lot more like Pedro Serrano of the movie "Major League." He's now 0-for-12 with five strikeouts in the young season. It's only been three games, but one would think that at some point he'll snap out of this slump and start hitting or at least start getting on base again.
Tuesday night the Red Sox will try to win back-to-back games for the first time since a day-night doubleheader sweep of the Oakland A's on August 27. Daniel Bard is on the mound and Red Sox Nation waits eagerly to see how the he adjusts to life as a starter.
It's the biggest appearance of Bard's career and the most eagerly anticipated debut on the mound of the young season for the Red Sox. Fairly or unfairly, there will be a lot of weight placed on this start. How Bard, the Red Sox and Valentine handle a good, bad or average start will impact the season for months to come.
It's only game five but when you're the Boston Red Sox they all feel big.