19-17

The cumulative score of the Red Sox' previous four games was 19-14. Last night, the final score was 19-17.

• 37 hits. 36 runs. 13 walks. 11 pitchers, combining to throw 401 pitches. Not what is typically referred to as a pitchers duel. Those pitchers might have been safer if they'd actually been dueling, flintlocks at 20 paces or something...



• Normally a 10-run lead should make a team comfortable. With a rookie pitcher making his debut, in Fenway Park, against the top run-scoring team in the Majors, Red Sox fans could be forgiven for not relaxing after the 10 run first. And they ended up losing a 10-run lead, as they led 10-0 and 12-2 before falling behind in the 6th.



• Of course, a team overcoming a 10 run lead to take a lead can generally expect to win. The Red Sox didn't stop hitting, overcoming a two-run deficit themselves.



• Charlie Zink made his Major League debut last night and didn't make it out of the fifth. He gave up 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings for an ERA of 16.6. While that's obviously a poor performance, his wasn't the worst pitching performance in the game. In fact, he was the better of the two starters (Scott Feldman gave up 12 runs [only six earned]) without getting out of the third. And he was better than the three relievers who followed him into the game.



• Terry Francona was definitely spelling relief "R-O-L-A-I-D-S..." Lopez, Aardsma and Delcarmen combined to face 16 batters. They recorded six outs, while allowing eight hits, one walk and seven earned runs. Lopez allowed one of two inherited runners to score, Aardsma allowed two of two inherited runners to score and Delcarmen allowed two of two inherited runners to score.



• According to NESN, Feldman was the first pitcher since 1918 to give up 12 runs and not take a loss. I'm curious as to how many starters have ever given up 12 runs in a start, period. Over the 7593 game history of the Rangers, Feldman was the third. No starter has ever given up 13 runs in a game, and the other two to give up 12 (Charlie Hough and John Burkett) lasted longer (5 1/3 and 4 innings respectively.)



• From May 27 through August 10, in 75 at-bats over 19 games, David Ortiz hit two HR. He hit two HR in the first inning. And had a third taken away on fan interference in the fifth.



• Kevin Youkilis started the evening by striking out twice in the same inning. He finished 2-5 with a walk and 2 HR.



• Ordinarily, a five-hit game is noteworthy. Pedroia went 5-6 and it's not only not the lead, it's just an afterthought.