Projo Sox Blog

If the Sox needed any reminder as to who is truly the straw that stirs the on-field drink for the Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia provided it this afternoon in Anaheim.

Pedroia sparked the Sox offense from the very start. The Sox second baseman, playing his first game since pulling a groin muscle on his left side Sunday, went 4-for-6 with a walk, two doubles, a run, and an RBI.

He gave a clear energy boost to a lineup that needed one.

"He just jumped right back in. The good thing is that he looked healthy. That's good to see," manager Terry Francona said. "He's got that - swagger's not the right word -- but when he goes out there, he goes out to win. And he helps to energize everybody."

He nearly drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th, as well, but Torii Hunter made an amazing running grab on Pedroia's line-drive to the warning track.

"Shoot, that's why he's the best in the game. There's no surprise about that. He made a great game, and saved the game for them. Unbelievable play," Pedroia said.

Pedroia made his own defensive highlight - a leaping catch to rob Maicer Izturis of a line-drive base hit in the 11th -- clearly, his groin injury wasn't restricting his vertical leap.

"I felt fine, I felt good. Nothing holding me back out there. Running was fine, everything was fine," he said.

Pedroia's first double came in the third inning, and consecutive fly-ball outs by David Ortiz and Jason Bay moved him to third, and then brought him home.

Pedroia doubled again in the sixth, and then drove home the tying run in the eighth with a single to bring in Julio Lugo, knotting the game 4-4.

 Tags  Boston Red Sox Dan Barbarisi Dustin Pedroia Terry Francona Torii Hunter

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