| SEASON | CAREER |
| W8 | 43 |
| L2 | 26 |
| G14 | 92 |
| IP86.1 | 533.0 |
| BB34 | 219 |
| SO58 | 400 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W11 | 52 |
| L4 | 30 |
| G17 | 111 |
| IP111.2 | 687.0 |
| BB37 | 237 |
| SO105 | 625 |
Pedro Ciriaco may be the latest revelation for the Boston Red Sox, but David Ortiz isn't surprised.
David Price 's success on the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays isn't at all surprising.
Ciriaco and Ortiz look to continue their respective hot stretches at the plate as the Red Sox face Price and the Rays on Saturday.
Ciriaco is 10 for 16 with two doubles, six RBIs and three stolen bases in four games since being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket last week. His outstanding stretch has come after rookie Will Middlebrooks ' success allowed Boston (44-43) to trade Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox last month.
The All-Star break didn't cool off Ciriaco, either. He went 3 for 3, drove in three runs and stole another base to help Boston to a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay (45-42) on Friday to open this three-game set.
"He blooped a couple more in there, made a good bunt, stole a base," manager Bobby Valentine said. "He's playing a very high caliber baseball."
While Ciriaco's previous experience in the majors included 31 games over the last two seasons with Pittsburgh, Ortiz expected him to produce since Ciriaco hit .419 with 14 runs and eight steals in 26 games in spring training.
"He showed everybody what he could do in spring training," Ortiz said. "Having him here and doing what he's doing, I'm not surprised."
Ortiz is enjoying his own impressive stretch, hitting .380 with five homers over the last 15 games. He currently has an eight-game hitting streak, going 11 for 25 with two homers after connecting for a solo shot Friday.
Still, the All-Star designated hitter is 5 for 45 in his past 13 visits to Tropicana Field, and he's 4 for 22 versus Price (11-4, 2.82 ERA).
Price is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts, and he's yielded four runs in 21 innings over the last three. The All-Star left-hander was impressive again July 4, allowing one run and four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings while not getting a decision in a 4-3 loss to New York.
He's 6-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 12 career starts against the Red Sox, and seemed on his way to another victory May 26 before closer Fernando Rodney allowed a two-run walkoff homer to pinch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a 3-2 defeat.
Price allowed one run in seven innings in that meeting.
"It's always tough, it's always postseason baseball whenever you're playing a team like this," Price told the team's official website. "It's good for us to play a team like Boston coming out of the break. Everybody knows the importance of these games. I try and stay on the same page I was in that first half. Come out every five days and give us a chance to win and just take it like that."
The Red Sox counter with Clay Buchholz (8-2, 5.53), who is expected to come off the disabled list to make his first start since a win over Miami on June 19.
The right-hander has been out with a gastrointestinal illness, and he started for Pawtucket on Sunday, striking out three and yielding one hit in 2 1-3 innings.
"Not sure he could go 100-plus (pitches), but I think he could go a good, strong 90," Valentine said.
Buchholz was 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts before landing on the DL, and he's 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts at Tampa Bay.
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@
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPSERAQSSOBBSVBSAVGWHIPE
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Mike Aviles | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .143 | .429 | .286 |
| Marlon Byrd | 5 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .375 | .375 | .000 |
| Jacoby Ellsbury | 15 | .267 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .353 | 1.086 | .733 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 15 | .133 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | .278 | .478 | .200 |
| Darnell McDonald | 21 | .333 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | .462 | 1.224 | .762 |
| David Ortiz | 18 | .167 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | .318 | .596 | .278 |
| Dustin Pedroia | 20 | .300 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | .417 | .967 | .550 |
| Nick Punto | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jason Repko | 5 | .400 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .400 | 1.000 | .600 |
| Cody Ross | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .375 | .708 | .333 |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia | 8 | .125 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .300 | .550 | .250 |
| Kelly Shoppach | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
| Ryan Sweeney | 4 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
| Kevin Youkilis | 22 | .364 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .400 | .855 | .455 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Reid Brignac | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
| Chris Gimenez | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
| Desmond Jennings | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
| Matt Joyce | 7 | .286 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .400 | .686 | .286 |
| Jeff Keppinger | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Evan Longoria | 24 | .208 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | .296 | .588 | .292 |
| Jose Molina | 8 | .500 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 1.125 | .625 |
| Carlos Pena | 19 | .158 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | .238 | .606 | .368 |
| Will Rhymes | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
| Sean Rodriguez | 4 | .250 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | .500 | .250 |
| Luke Scott | 22 | .227 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | .320 | .911 | .591 |
| B.J. Upton | 11 | .455 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | .571 | 1.389 | .818 |
| Ben Zobrist | 17 | .176 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | .333 | .509 | .176 |
 Boston Red Sox |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| July 04, 2012 | Dustin Pedroia | Day-to-Day | Jammed right thumb |
| July 04, 2012 | Dustin Pedroia | 15-Day DL | Jammed right thumb |
| July 03, 2012 | Daisuke Matsuzaka | 15-Day DL | Neck injury |
| June 20, 2012 | Clay Buchholz | 15-Day DL | Gastro-intestinal illness |
| June 19, 2012 | Dustin Pedroia | Day-to-Day | Left game - right thumb |
| June 18, 2012 | Scott Podsednik | 15-Day DL | Left groin injury |
 Tampa Bay Rays |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| July 02, 2012 | Hideki Matsui | Day-to-Day | Left game - left hamstring tightness |
| June 30, 2012 | Jeremy Hellickson | Day-to-Day | Left game - bruised right shin |
| June 29, 2012 | David Price | Day-to-Day | Left game - lower back tightness |
| June 20, 2012 | Matt Joyce | 15-Day DL | Strained left oblique |
| June 17, 2012 | Matt Joyce | Day-to-Day | Flu |
| June 15, 2012 | Jeremy Hellickson | 15-Day DL | Right shoulder fatigue |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay's sputtering offense found a way to beat the Boston Red Sox and make David Price the first 12-game winner in the American League.
The Rays scored twice in the seventh inning without getting a hit to rally past their AL East rivals for a 5-3 victory that was especially satisfying because the team showed some of the resourcefulness that manager Joe Maddon says it'll take for the team to get back on track.
"We're not going to bludgeon people," Maddon said after Price outpitched Clay Buchholz and the Rays used three walks, a hit batter, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to overtake the stumbling Red Sox, who've dropped seven of their last nine games.
"We have been talking about it. We have to work better at-bats," Maddon added. "It's about moving the baseball. It's about accepting your walks. It's more than just about getting hits. Sometimes it's about not making an out."
The Rays hit a franchise-worst .232 before the All-Star break. They scored more than four runs for only the fourth time in the past 16 games.
"We did what we do. We get on base. We draw walks. We stand in there whenever the ball's coming at them and take our bases. We come up with the big hits when we need to," Price said.
"Sometimes a walk is just as good as a hit," the pitcher added. "It might even better sometimes because it's more pitches off that pitcher."
Price (12-4) allowed three runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings. The All-Star left-hander walked two and struck out eight to move ahead of Matt Harrison of the Texas Rangers for the AL wins lead.
Buchholz (8-3) pitched well in his first start in more than three weeks, taking a 3-2 lead into the seventh before walking the first batter of inning and hitting the next. Hideki Matsui was walked intentionally to load the bases with one out, and the Rays pulled even when pinch-hitter Jose Lobaton drew a walk from Matt Albers .
Elliot Johnson 's sacrifice fly gave Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead, and B.J. Upton's solo homer off Andrew Miller provided a two-run cushion in the eighth.
Joel Peralta got the final two outs of the eighth for the Rays. All-Star Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his 26th save in 27 opportunities.
"Kind of frustrating all the way around," Texas manager Bobby Valentine said. "We had a lead. Three walks and a hit batter, and a sac fly. It kind of hurts."
Will Middlebrooks hit a two-run homer off Price in the fourth. The Tampa Bay starter's errant pickoff throw to third base allowed the Red Sox to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth.
Buchholz was activated from the disabled list before the game and made his first start since working six innings in a 7-5 win over Miami on June 19. He was placed on the DL with what the Red Sox described as a stomach illness, and the team later announced that he had esophagitis, which led to the erosion of his esophagus and internal bleeding.
Price pitched one scoreless inning in last Tuesday's All-Star game in Kansas City, throwing seven pitches. He limited Boston to Mike Aviles ' second-inning single until David Ortiz singled with one out and scored ahead of Middlebrooks when the third baseman hit an 0-2, two-out pitch over the left-centerfield wall for his 11th homer of the season.
The Red Sox loaded the bases on a walk and two singles in the fifth, but didn't score when Pedro Ciriaco flied to right fielder Ben Zobrist , who made a perfect throw to the plate to catch Kelly Shoppach trying to score from third base.
Boston snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth without getting a hit. Cody Ross drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a passed ball and took third on Middlebrooks' grounder to second. Ross trotted home for a 3-2 lead when Price threw high over third baseman Jeff Keppinger 's head for an error on the attempted pickoff.
Buchholz allowed just three hits but wound up yielding four runs in 6 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
"Buchholz was really good," Valentine said. "Rally good until right at the end there."
NOTES: To make room on the roster for Buchholz, the Red Sox optioned INF Mauro Gomez to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Rays injured OF Matt Joyce (left oblique strain) will play for Class A Charlotte on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before being re-evaluated. Barring a setback, he may be ready to rejoin the Rays on Wednesday or Thursday against Cleveland. ... Jennings, Tampa Bay's usual leadoff hitter, batted seventh after hitting eighth on Friday night. Manager Joe Maddon reiterated that Jennings remains the team's leadoff man. He's temporarily dropped him in the order to remove some of the pressure on the left fielder and give him an opportunity to "work on certain things that are going to get him back to being the premier leadoff hitter that he is."
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Boston Red Sox
