Last night it was J.D Drew who carried the Boston Red Sox ball club (40-21) on his back to a victory and in the previous game against the Oakland Athletics Curt Schilling accomplished the same hero-esque feat, tonight it was Jason Varitek’s turn.
The go-ahead run in the Red Sox 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks (36-27) came off the bat of Mike Lowell on a sacrifice-fly, but Jason Varitek was the won who spear-headed the comeback.
Varitek homered off of Diamonbacks starting pitcher Micah Owings bringing the game closer to a score of 3-2 in the top of the sixth and finished the come-back with an RBI double to deep center field tying the score at 3-3 in the toip of the eight inning.
Varitek had a chance to bring the game winning run home in the tenth, but failed to do so striking out against D-backs pitcher Juan Cruz. Lowell came in to pinch hit and pushed across the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored David Ortiz on a terrible throw from Carlos Quentin.
Julian Tavarez did not pick up the win for the Red Sox but kept them in the game going 6 innings, on six hits, three earned runs, one walk, five strikeouts, and one homerun.
Boston did not have the win wrapped up with a silver bow as closer Jonathan Papelbon came in to save the game in the bottom frame of the tenth and had some trouble doing so.
Papelbon struckout Eric Byrnes to lead-off the inning, hit Chris Young, and struckout Orlando Hudson giving the Sox two outs. Conor Jackson reached on an infield single putting the tying run in scoring position at second base, but Mark Reynolds lined out to second base ending the game and giving the Red Sox their third consecutive win.
Hideki Okajima picked up his second win of the season and Papelbon earned his 14 save.
Boston never lead in this game until the very last inning due in part to Miguel Montero’s RBI double in the second and Stephen Drew’s two RBI homer in the bottom of fourth inning.
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