Will Middlebrooks News

John Lackey allowed one hit over six innings before a three-hour rain delay, Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks homered and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 Sunday for their fifth straight win.

John Lackey allowed one hit over six innings before a three-hour rain delay, Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks homered and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 Sunday for their fifth straight win.

Less than a week ago it seemed as if the Red Sox's 20-8 start was a fluke. Their bats were stagnant, their bullpen was hobbled and their starting pitching was only reliable three out of five days.

May 4, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks bats in the 4th inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

There are any number of reasons why a team wins a baseball game, and Thursday's series finale at Tropicana Field was no different.

The Baltimore Orioles look to turn things around at Camden Yards on Friday, as they host the Tampa Bay Rays for the opener of a three- game series.

For the second time in two weeks, the Minnesota Twins scored enough to win against Boston's unbeaten ace, Clay Buchholz.

Struggling RHP Fernando Rodney doesn't need to make any adjustments to his setup or delivery, or to change his repertoire or sequencing of pitches to get back to being successful, Rays manager Joe Maddon said Friday.

Boston's struggles with runners in scoring position over the last two weeks -- two big innings at Tropicana Field notwithstanding -- have been well-documented. In extra innings on Friday night, the Sox pushed across the game's eventual winning run by executing some small ball, eliminating the need for a clutch hit.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In the absence of a proven closer, go ahead and credit the save for the Red Sox' come-from-behind 4-3 victory last night to right fielder Shane Victorino .

The game had come apart. Three runs had scored after Fernando Rodney had allowed a two-out, bases clearing double to Will Middlebrooks to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead in the game.

THE CONTENTS: The Red Sox continue their nine-game road trip with their only visit of the season to Minneapolis for three more with the Twins.

Fernando Rodney was so close to getting out of it unscathed. Rodney had walked three of the first four batters he had faced in the inning, but he was one strike away from escaping the self-inflicted jam and sealing the Rays' victory.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Red Sox starter Felix Doubront had a wildly inconsistent five innings.

The highly anticipated pitching duel between Justin Verlander and Yu Darvish failed to materialize as the Japanese ace's Texas Rangers eased to a 10-4 triumph over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

Will Middlebrooks had a three-run double off closer Fernando Rodney with two outs in the ninth inning that lifted the Boston Red Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Thursday night.

See the Red Sox erase a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in 2004 and win the World Series.

But Farrell isn't so sure the bruised rib cage Will Middlebrooks suffered in a collision with David Ross and the wall along the third-base side more than a week ago didn't help him get his swing going.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- As the June amateur draft approaches, the Red Sox have what they hope will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the course of the history of the franchise.

Game over The Red Sox had one outstanding inning - an 8-run 3rd - and that propelled to an easy win over the Rays who lost David Price to triceps tightness in the third inning.