The Red Sox (20-21) have now won eight of their last 10 games since Rock Bottom Day II on May 10, in which Josh Beckett was thoroughly booed by Fenway Park fans after giving up seven runs in 2.1 innings against the Indians.
The reason for the recent hot streak may now just be coming to light. According to FOX Sports, David Ortiz called a players-only meeting the day after Beckett’s implosion and the discussions inside the clubhouse turned “heated,” according to one anonymous player.
Position players reportedly called out the team’s pitching staff, which has been blamed for much of the team’s woeful start to the 2012 season. The pitching staff was told to “step it up” by the hitters.
Shockingly enough, Beckett has been one of the catalysts of the team’s recent turnaround. He worked 7.2 innings against the Phillies in the Red Sox 5-1 win Sunday, allowing just one earned run on seven hits. He struck out five while walking just two.
Mike Aviles homered in the first inning and had an RBI single in the second. Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s three-run blast in the third gave the Red Sox the separation they needed to take two of three games in Philly.
Boston faces an important stretch this week with three road games at division-leading Baltimore (27-14) starting Monday (7 p.m., NESN). The Sox will also host Tampa Bay (25-17) this weekend.
