Red Sox 4, Padres 1
BOSTON -- John Lackey continued his bounce-back season and Brandon Snyder delivered another big hit to carry the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Lackey, who missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery and went on the disabled list with a right biceps strain in his first start, threw eight shutout innings,
Snyder doubled home three runs in the fourth inning of the interleague victory.
Snyder, playing with Stephen Drew hurt, had a two-run double and a single on Sunday in his first Red Sox start.
Lackey, winning his third straight decision to go to 6-5, yielded only a home run to Jesus Guzman in the seventh inning. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out six.
Lackey, who pitched out of a tough jam in the fifth inning but was otherwise in control, even handled Carlos Quentin, who came in 8-for-13 with four homers against him and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Koji Uehara, who blew his first save on Sunday and ended up with the win, worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the season and his fourth since taking over for struggling Andrew Bailey.
Snyder's double chased rookie Robbie Erlin (1-1).
Jose Iglesias singled home the other Boston run in the sixth as the first-place Red Sox moved to a season-best 17 games above .500 with their sixth win in seven games on a nine-game homestand.
The Red Sox won despite having four players thrown out on the bases. The Padres lost their third straight.
The Red Sox came in 8-4 in games started by rookie pitchers, with the rookies 1-7 with an 8.19 ERA and none making it through six innings. That last stat holds and rookies now have an 8.13 ERA in 13 starts against Boston. Lefty rookies have an 8.22 ERA.
And it looked like things didn't start well for Erlin, who had allowed four earned runs in 13 innings in his first two big league starts. With two out, he walked Dustin Pedroia before David Ortiz ripped a double down the right field line. The relay home nailed Pedroia. Or did it? It looked like Pedroia missed the plate but that catcher Nick Hundley never tagged the runner. Umpire Paul Nauert called him out, even though Pedroia crawled back to touch the plate.
It was the third Boston player thrown out at home from the outfield in the last four games.
The double was the 500th of Ortiz's career, making him the 58th player to reach that plateau.
Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 12 games and then swiped his MLB-leading 33rd base.
NOTES: Celtics top draft pick Kelly Olynyk was at the game and on the field during pregame. ... The game marked the first managerial matchup of San Diego's Bud Black and John Farrell, ex-pitching staff mates with the Cleveland Indians. ... Injury update for Boston: Disabled RHP Clay Buchholz started a throwing program as he recovered from an inflamed bursa sac in his right shoulder and SS Stephen Drew continues to make progress with his strained right hamstring. ... San Diego's Edinson Volquez faces Jon Lester in Wednesday night's second game of the three-game series. ... Boston's 17-11 June record was the third best in baseball. Pittsburgh and Toronto both went 17-9. ... Padres first base coach Dave Roberts, a Red Sox hero for his 2004 playoff stolen base, received a nice ovation when introduced before the game. Ex-Soxers Glenn Hoffman (third base coach), Phil Plantier (hitting coach) and Mark Loretta (special assistant, baseball operations) are also with the Padres. Ciriaco was also well received.
