Boston Red Sox News

After deftly navigating his way out of jams in his first four starts, Felix Doubront was roughed up as the Red Sox suffered a 7-0 loss to the Rangers on Friday night.

Carrying the third and fifth best ERAs, respectively, this season, the Rangers and Red Sox continue their three-game series in Texas on Saturday night.

Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey felt significant improvement with his recently ailing right biceps on Friday, but he's likely to be held out until Saturday's game against the Rangers.

For the first time since April 24, Shane Victorino was able to play for the Red Sox.

A day later, the Red Sox remained unfazed by allegations from by Blue Jays analysts Dirk Hayhurst and Jack Morris that Clay Buchholz was doctoring the baseball in his Wednesday start.

Every lineup, every day, as they are made public by the clubs.

Ryan Dempster tossed six innings of one-run ball to earn his second victory of the season and guide the Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays in front of 25,851 at Rogers Centre on Thursday.

On the radio and TV home of the Blue Jays, color commentators Dirk Hayhurst and Jack Morris accused Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz of applying something illegal on his forearm and doctoring the ball in his start Wednesday, then the same critical comments were made about reliever Junichi Tazawa on Thursday.

Boasting a Major League-leading 20 wins, the Red Sox will have Felix Doubront on the mound opposite the Rangers' Derek Holland in Friday night's series opener.

Closer Andrew Bailey sat idle in the Red Sox's bullpen during a save situation at Rogers Centre on Thursday because of discomfort in his right biceps.

David Ortiz was out of the Red Sox's starting lineup in Thursday's series finale against the Blue Jays, as manager John Farrell wanted to give the designated hitter a rest on Toronto's AstroTurf.

Shane Victorino missed his seventh consecutive game Thursday, but he should be ready to return to the Red Sox's lineup vs. the Rangers on Friday in a clash featuring two first-place teams.

Clay Buchholz's perfect record in the season's first month helped the Red Sox right-hander earn American League Pitcher of the Month honors for April. Buchholz went 5-0 with a 1.19 ERA in five April starts.

Every lineup, every day, as they are made public by the clubs.

Clay Buchholz continued his hot start to the season, throwing seven innings of two-hit scoreless ball to improve to 6-0, while Mike Napoli crushed two of the Red Sox's five homers to dispose of the Blue Jays, 10-1, in front of 21,094 at Rogers Centre on Wednesday night.

After cruising over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, the Red Sox will look to take their seventh win in nine series this season as the clubs finish their three-game series on Thursday. Righty Ryan Dempster gets the nod for Boston, opposing Toronto lefty J.A. Happ at Rogers Centre.

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz extended his career-high hitting streak to 22 games, which dates back to July 2 of last season, with a double off Blue Jays starter Mark Buehrle to lead off the sixth inning of Wednesday's 10-1 Boston victory.

Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino had an MRI that revealed inflammation in his lower back near a disk, but the results were otherwise positive as he continues to progress from the back injury that has sidelined him since Thursday.

On Tuesday, Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia attempted to pick off Jose Bautista at first, but threw the ball into right field, which allowed two runs to score. After the game, Saltalamacchia told reporters the reason the throw was so off line was because he made contact with home-plate umpire Clint Fagan's mask on the throw.

A weighted ball program that reliever Steve Delabar introduced to the Blue Jays last year has caught the eye of Red Sox manager John Farrell.