BOSTONThe Red Sox offense had more hits in the first inning Saturday night, four, than it had in the entire game Friday night. The Sox knocked Braves starter Randall Delgado from the game after just 1 13 innings, on their way to an 8-4 win.
The Sox scored two runs in each of the first two innings.
With one out in the first Dustin Pedroia singled, taking third on Jarrod Saltalamacchias two-out single and scoring on Adrian Gonzalezs single.
In the second Mike Aviles singled with one out, and Delgado hit Daniel Nava with a pitch. Both runners scored on Dustin Pedroias double to center field.
After Fridays loss to the Braves, in which Pedroia went 0-for-4, manager Bobby Valentine predicted that Pedroia would soon get hotter than a firecracker. Pedroia had been 9-for-62 (.145) in his last 15 games after sitting out six games with a thumb injury.
He went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in Saturdays win.
Will Middlebrooks continues to stay hot at the plate. He went 3-for-4, falling a triple shy of the cycle, with a run scored and two RBI. He led off the third with his ninth home run of the season, giving the Sox a 5-1 lead.
Boston Red Sox
Early in the game it looked like Franklin Morales might be in for a struggle. He allowed the first three Braves batters to reach base, scoring one run. But he settled down, retiring the next three to get out of the inning with no further damage.
Morales went six innings giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. He improved his record to 1-1, with a 3.12 ERA.
Delgado took the loss for the Braves, falling to 4-3 with a 4.52 ERA.
Scott Atchison snapped a string of six scoreless appearances, spanning 6 23 innings, allowing a run on two hits in the seventh.
Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless ninth for his 19th save.