Peavy Pays Off!

Well, if tonight's any guide, the Sox acquisition of Jake Peavy this week to bolster the rotation was a master stroke! Pitching seven plus innings, the veteran hurler allowed just four hits and a pair of freebies, while striking out seven. The last of those hits was the leadoff batter in the 7th. In fact, the only possible negative in the whole evening was the solo HR he allowed early in the game to a DB hitter. He left with a 3-1 lead, and got the W after the game was closed out first by Salty's 2 run shot into Koji Uehara's outstretched glove in the pen, followed by Uehara's one walk shutout tenth save. Final: Sox 5-2. During the game, the Hose also got a yard shot by Vic to tie the early Dback lead at 1. Later, Jake swiped his 40th base of the year, tying Sox Hall of Famer Tris Speaker as the only franchised members to ever have at least three seasons of 40 steals per year. Other items of note: with his hit tonight, Papi has now reached base in 17 straight games. Defensively, in the top of the 8th when the Dbacks were threatening to tie, having the sacks jammed and nobody out, the DB's Hill got a base hit to left and Gomes proved that he is not just dangerous with a bat in his hands, but that he also has a gun for an arm. One run scored from third on the hit, but with a perfect peg from left, Gomes had the ball waiting in Salty's mitt about two or three steps before the next Arizona base runner even arrived at home. What would have been the tying run at that point turned into the first out of the inning and the last gasp of the Dbacks.