Going into his sixth-inning at-bat against Cardinals reliever Seth Maness, Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes was 0-for-10. He had reached base just once on a walk in the fifth inning. Fans complained that he had started Games 1 and 2 in lieu of Daniel Nava. He wasn’t even supposed to start Game 4, but Shane Victorino was a late scratch due to back tightness. It all seems to have worked out for the Red Sox.
Lance Lynn appeared to have calmed down after a shaky fifth inning in which he allowed the Sox to tie the game at 1-1. He got Jacoby Ellsbury to pop out and Daniel Nava to ground out, but a line drive single by Dustin Pedroia and a walk to David Ortiz ended his night. Manager Mike Matheny brought right-handed ground ball machine Seth Maness to pitch to Gomes. Maness left a 2-2 sinker up and Gomes crushed it into the bullpen in left field for a three-run home run to put the Red Sox on top 4-1.
Xander Bogaerts singled but Stephen Drew grounded out to end the inning. Felix Doubront, who pitched a perfect bottom of the fifth, is out for his second inning of work.
