Franklin and Bashing
Franklin Morales returned to the starting rotation and reversed the Red Sox’s slide with a quality start: 6 innings, 1 earned run, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Morales became slightly unhinged in the fifth when he walked Alexi Casilla to start the inning and became fixated with trying to pick him off. Casilla swiped second, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly authored by Ben Revere. (I wonder how Revere feels being heckled by the folks in the bleachers? Has he ever heard his name pronounced non-rhotically in chorus?)
The Red Sox scored in dribs and drabs in the third with Jacoby Ellsbury’s double bookended with singles for two runs. Adrian Gonzalez added another two runs in the fifth with his four-bagger into the Monster seats with Carl Crawford on first. Crawford celebrated his 31st birthday with 3-for-5 showing.
Perhaps the Red Sox winning bodes well for the Curiosity rover’s landing on the red planet of Mars tonight.
| Game 109: August 5, 2012 | ||
| Minnesota Twins 47-61 |
4 |
L: Nick Blackburn (4-7) |
| 2B: Jamey Carroll (14) HR: Josh Willingham (28), Ryan Doumit (11) | ||
 Boston Red Sox54-55 |
6 |
W: Franklin Morales (3-2) H: Mark Melancon (2) S: Alfredo Aceves (23) |
| 2B: Jacoby Ellsbury (8), Ryan Kalish (3) HR: Adrian Gonzalez (11) | ||
