The Boston Red Sox batted around in two successive innings to back the superb pitching of Jon Lester in a 12-2 rout of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of their American League Division Series on Friday.
Boston sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run outburst in the fourth inning, and got everybody to the plate again in a three-run fifth in taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
It was an embarrassment of riches given the way Lester was throwing, as the left-hander limited Tampa Bay to three hits in 7-2/3 innings, striking out seven while walking three.
The fourth-inning surge against Rays starter Matt Moore erased a 2-0 deficit and was helped by a number of Rays misplays, including a lapse by rookie right-fielder Wil Myers that helped jump start the rally.
After a Dustin Pedroia single, David Ortiz lofted a deep fly to right that Myers was in position to haul in. But Myers pulled up short of the fly thinking centre fielder Desmond Jennings was getting it, and the ball dropped behind him for a double.
Later in the inning Stephen Drew beat out an infield hit when first baseman James Loney made a weak toss to pitcher Matt Moore covering first and Jonny Gomes scored all the way from second as Moore was late to look toward home.
Two batters later Jacoby Ellsbury reached first safely when catcher Jose Lobaton was charged with a passed ball on a strike three swing and miss. That allowed Boston to score another run on a single by Pedroia.
