Game 45: Cubbies 9 Sox 3

Boy, that was a tough game. Sox felt like they had this one in the bag before the Cubs put up 8 runs (8!) in the 8th inning. Aceves did a stand up job in the spot start going 5 innings with only 1 run. He did hit Marlon Byrd in the face in the 2nd inning, a scary sight to see. Sox got the runs on a two-run shot by Ortiz in the 4th and an RBI single by Jacoby in the 6th.

That seemed like it would be all the offense needed as Wheeler and Hill held the line through the 7th. But in the 8th with Albers pitching, the Cubs turned 5 hits, 3 BBs, and 3 errors into 8 runs. Albers certainly didn't look sharp tonight especially walking in a run but the errors were the hardest to take. Lowrie dropped an easy pop up with nobody out and the bases loaded, Varitek threw the ball away in a run down between home and third (but the error was given to Youkilis who got a glove on it), and Crawford missed the cutoff man trying to get Varitek's errant throw back into the infield.

Fortunately it's only one loss and the Sox will get a chance to win the series in the rubber game.