Bad Breaks Help Rockies Take Down Sox

For the most part, interleague play has been overwhelmingly kind to the Boston Red Sox in recent history. During this stretch, the Sox have taken a number of games and stormed back to the top of the division. Tonight, though, several things worked against them in mile-high Colorado to deal them just their third loss in their last 11 games.

Jon Lester was on the hill and, per usual, dealt a strong outing. The Sox co-ace went 6 innings, yielding just 1 earned run on 6 hits. Lester had only thrown 90 pitches and would normally have gone out for the 7th (maybe even 8th) inning. However, in the top of the 7th inning, the Sox loaded the bases trailing the game 1-0. With Jon Lester due up and two outs in the inning, Terry Francona justifiably made the move to pinch-hit David Ortiz. Ortiz grounded out to second, and Lester was then ineligible to return to the mound. NL rules, man -- they can be tough.

Even still, the Sox found themselves in a 1-0 game through 7 1/2 innings. In the Rockies' at bat in the bottom half of the 8th frame, they added a little insurance. With runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out, a routine grounder went Marco Scutaro's way. Perfect double-play ball -- or so we thought. The ball took an unreal bounce, going completely over the head of Scutaro and into left-center. One runner scored and bumped the Colorado lead to 2-0.

In the 9th, though, Boston refused to say die. A red-hot Adrian Beltre roped a double to the track, and he would score two batters later on a Mike Cameron single. After a pinch-hit fly out by Bill Hall, former World Series MVP Mike Lowell stepped up to hit for the pitcher's spot. In the same venue that he earned his 2007 series MVP accolade, Lowell couldn't work the heroics tonight. He hit a grounder into the hole that he was unable to beat out, despite a very long transaction from the shortstop to first base. Long story short, the Sox came out on the wrong end tonight. Jon Lester suffers an undeserving loss, dropping him to 8-3 on the season.

Boston goes right back at it tomorrow night, and they will be up against the horse of the Rockies' rotation. Are you excited to see the Sox face Ubaldo Jimenez? Ready or not, here he comes.