Bottom 1st: Red Sox 0, Orioles 0

One thing Felix Doubront needs to learn is to avoid tedious innings. After a strikeout to Robert Andino to lead off the first inning, J.J. Hardy walked and Nick Markakis singled to center. But Doubront bounced back by striking out Adam Jones and retiring the tough Matt Wieters with a flyball out.

Top 1st: Red Sox 0, Orioles 0

Mike Aviles led off vs. lefty Brian Matusz with a fly ball out to right. Dustin Pedroia grounded out weakly to third base.David Ortiz struck out swinging.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — Cody Ross was placed on the 15-day disabled list. GM Ben Cherington, while not as optimistic as Bobby Valentine was earlier today, did say his fractured left foot may be less serious than initially feared.

Ross will remain in a walking boot for now.

Scott Podsednik was officially added to the roster. Kevin Youkilis was activated. Ryan Sweeney went on the seven-day concussion DL and Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the 60-day DL retroactive to the beginning of the season.

Also, Cherington said that Aaron Cook's left knee is not healing as quickly as hoped and his return is not close.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — In a surprising turn of events, Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross may not need to go on the disabled list.

Ross received a second opinion on the fracture in his left foot today and there's a chance it may be an old fracture. Beyond that, his foot felt good today and now the Red Sox are trying to determine what happens next.

According to Bobby Valentine, Ross could need two weeks on the DL, not two months. At worst, it's not nearly as bad was initially feared.

Kevin Youkilis has been activated and Ryan Sweeney was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list retroactive to Sunday.

Youkilis seemed almost angry when he spoke to reporters before batting practice, giving short answers to basic questions. He said he felt healthy and ready to play every day and felt fine about playing first base.

Scott Podsednik is here and may be activated regardless of what happens with Ross. The Sox could choose to send Che-Hsuan Lin down.

Here are the matchups:

RED SOX (21-21)
Aviles SS
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Gonzalez RF
Youkilis 1B
Middlebrooks 3B
Saltalamacchia C
Nava LF
Byrd CF
Pitching: LHP Felix Doubront (4-1, 4.09)

ORIOLES (27-16)
Andino 2B
Hardy SS
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Wieters C
Betemit 1B
Davis DH
Tolleson 3B
Avery LF
Pitching: LHP Brian Matusz (3-4, 5.36)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN / WEEI

Red Sox vs. Matusz: Ortiz 1-10, Shoppach 2-7, Sweeney 1-7, Pedroia 2-7, Gonzalez 3-3, Aviles 0-1, Byrd 1-2, Nava 0-1, Punto 2-2, Ross 0-3, Salty 0-3.

Orioles vs. Bard: Davis 1-3, Jones 1-2, Wieters 0-1, Andino 0-1, Markakis 1-1.

Stat of the Day: The Red Sox have yet to get over .500. This is the longest into a season they have not been over .500 since 1996, when it took until Aug. 25. That team finished 85-77.

Notes: The Red Sox have won nine of 11 (outscoring the opposition 64-31) and 17 of the last 28. ... The Sox are 5.5 games behind the Orioles and tied with the Yankees for fourth place. ... Doubront is 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA on three career relief appearances against the Orioles, a total of three innings. ... Matusz is 2-1, 4.02 in six career starts against the Red Sox. ... Pedroia has reached base safely in 21 of 22 games and 37 of the 42 games this season. He also has a 20 game hit streak against the Orioles. ... Aviles is 12 of 30 with seven extra-base hits and seven RBIs in the last seven games.

Song of the Day: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — Bobby Valentine joked after the game last night that he didn't know what his lineup would be today, but he knew it would be different.

Such is life with the ever-changing Red Sox. Because more moves are coming this afternoon.

Kevin Youkilis and Scott Podsednik have arrived in Baltimore from Norfolk, Va., where they were playing for Triple-A Pawtucket.

Youkilis, who has been on the disabled list with a strained lower back, needs only to pass a physical exam to be activated. If Ryan Sweeney goes on the seven-day concussion disabled list, Podsednik could potentially replace him on the roster.

Podsednik, 36, hasn't been in the majors since 2010 when he was with the Dodgers. He has hit .323/.371/.484 in nine games for Pawtucket since being acquired from the Phillies organization.

No word yet on what the corresponding move would be to add Youkilis to the roster. GM Ben Cherington is with the team and sorting through the various options.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

Major League Baseball has been trying to draw more attention to its annual amateur draft in recent years. The first round is now televised on MLB Network and each team sends a representative.

The great Dwight Evans will be on hand for the Red Sox this year. The draft starts on June 4 in scenic Secaucus, N.J.

The Sox are picking 24th, 31st and 37th in the first round.Then 87th, 118th, and 151st. The 31st and 37th picks are compensation for Jonathan Papelbon.

Perhaps the exposure will help Evans get included on the next veterans committee ballot for the Hall of Fame. As Patrick Languzzi details on his web site, Evans clearly belongs.

Have a question? Submit your question here to be considered for the next edition of Ask Nick.

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff

Our question of the week comes from Jonathan Lobel, who lives in Frydlant in the Czech Republic. Jonathan asks, "Adrian Gonzalez says he will play wherever the team needs him. Why not put him in the outfield, (Kevin) Youkilis at first base and keep Will Middlebrooks at third base? Seems like these guys are paid enough (and had been playing poorly enough) to be flexible."
This is an interesting topic. Maximizing your offense with this approach would be advantageous for the team. The issue may be whether you really want to take your Gold Glove first baseman, Gonzalez, and keep him in right field indefinitely. I think the answer to that is no. But to do it on occasion? Sure.

I think Gonzalez has no problem with it, and as long as he's enthusiastic about it, it would work. The easiest thing to do here is to send Middlebrooks down to Pawtucket, but I don't think that's fair to the kid, who looks like he's going to be a good player. This team is already down Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, and to have more firepower in the lineup would be a good thing, even if some people are playing out of position at times.

In a week, the mood of Sox Nation has certainly changed as the team comes together really for the first time in the Bobby Valentine era. While a players-only meeting seemed to help things, it's really the work of the pitching staff that has been the best cure for Red Sox ills.

This is a big three-game series in Baltimore. As I wrote in a recent On Baseball column, the Red Sox could begin to change the way people the AL East if they can sweep or take the series from the Orioles.

I think we need to cut Bobby V. some slack! He's coming back into MLB after a long hiatus. He only had a short time to get to know his new team. Watching the team the last couple of weeks, I see more smiles in the dugout, I see more enthusiasm, and I think they are starting to pull it together. It can only get better when Jacoby, CC, and Bailey come back. Am I wrong?
Dan, Ocala, Fla.
Good points, Dan. I think the fair-minded fans understand that about Valentine, plus he doesn't have complete say in matters. There are a lot of front-office "suggestions" that tend to get in the way of Valentine being able to be Valentine. But the team is getting used to him. Tough to go from the ultimate players manager in Terry Francona to a guy not known for that. But I think the less warm and fuzzy approach to players will pay off in the long run.

What do the Sox do with Alfredo Aceves when Bailey is ready to pitch? What about Bard?
Bob, Rochester, NY
My guess is if Aceves is doing a great job as a closer by then, he keeps the job and Bailey is eased into things. It'll be a while before Bailey is ready anyway. I doubt they would thrust him into the closer role. As for Bard, who knows? It all depends on what the team needs are when Daisuke Matsuzaka and Aaron Cook are ready to come back. That decision is at least two weeks away, if not more. A lot could change or happen in that time span.

It seems to me that the best outfielder the Sox have in the minors, and the one with the most MLB potential (excluding those not close to MLB readiness such as Bryce Brentz, Brandon Jacobs, Jackie Bradley, etc) is by far Juan Carlos Linares. Why has GM Ben Cherington repeatedly overlooked Linares, who looks like he could help the Sox now?
Paul, Boston
Not sure why Linares gets skipped over. I think he's coming off an injury-filled season after his Achilles tear, and they started him in Portland (AA) to build it back up. Sometimes guys just get typecast even by the people in charge and can't convince them otherwise. It happens a lot in baseball.

Why are we keeping Nick Punto on the team? He can't hit and we have a shortstop in Pawtucket in Jose Iglesias who is hitting well and he can play SS and then we can move Mike Aviles to utility and we would at least have someone off the bench who can play the field and hit.
Bruce, Concord, NC
I'm a huge Jose Iglesias supporter, but Mike Aviles has really surprised me both with his offense and his defense. Are there balls Iglesias could have gotten to that Aviles hasn't? Absolutely. But right now there's no reason to make that move. We'll see if Aviles keeps it up or he suffers any wear and tear because he's playing so much. As for Punto, yes he seems overmatched at the plate. It's awfully tough for bench players to have any consistency hitting because of their lack of playing time. But I think he's a good defensive player and he's a great guy on a team.

For more Q&A, click the Full Entry button.

FULL ENTRY

The Red Sox are back at .500 after beating the Orioles on Monday night.

Nick Cafardo writes that the Red So have a lot of ground to cover in the outfield now that Cody Ross is injured.

The notebook has the details on what happened to Ross and the status of other injured players.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — The Red Sox were a few days away from starting the season when they learned their closer, Andrew Bailey, had torn a ligament in his thumb.

They replaced him with Alfredo Aceves, who had been a starter throughout spring training. He blew two saves in his first four chances.

The pitcher they acquired to be the primary set-up man, Marc Melancon, was hit so hard in four appearances to start the season that there was little choice but to send him to the minors. He faced 18 batters and 13 reached base.

Bobby Valentine surveyed the wreckage that was his bullpen and figured it out. He kept his faith in Aceves as the closer, made Vicente Padilla the set-up man, and picked the right spots for guys like Scott Atchison and Matt Albers.

Rich Hill got off the disabled list and became a lefty assassin. Bobby V even found a way to put Andrew Miller in a position to succeed in the majors, something Jim Leyland and Terry Francona never figured out.

Since April 23, the bullpen has a 1.59 ERA. Aceves has converted eight save chances in a row and Padilla has stranded all 15 runners he has inherited. You know the roles as well the pitchers do. Aceves closes. Padilla gets the eighth inning. Hill comes in for lefties. Miller protects leads in the seventh. Atchison is always ready for two innings.

The bullpen is a big reason the Sox have won nine of 11 and are finally back to .500 at 21-21. Tonight's 8-6 victory against the Orioles featured stellar work by Miller, Padilla and Aceves as the Sox salvaged a game after Clay "Should Be In Triple A" Buchholz put them in a hole.

Padilla saved the game tonight, leaving two runners stranded in the eighth inning. He pitched for the third straight day and did his job.

The Red Sox are Padilla’s fifth team in a 14-year career that has known success and failure in a variety of roles. Listed at 34, he looks 10 years older and has facial expressions best suited for a wanted poster or a Quentin Tarantino movie.

“I'm kind of scared of him a little bit,” Dustin Pedroia said.

Maybe opposing hitters are, too, given Padilla’s success in recent weeks.

“I concentrate on making pitches and I try and be more aggressive with the fastball with runners won,” said Padilla, who speaks English to teammates but uses an interpreter with the media. “The game is on the line right there.”

Said Valentine: “He takes it so personally when it’s somebody else’s run out there. It’s incredible. He said he’s been on the other end when his runs were given up. He really does take it as a personal situation, which is wonderful.”

A reliable bullpen can pull teams together as much as an erratic one can tear them apart. When the relievers do their job, games that look lost can be won.

"They're doing a great job," Pedroia said.

Valentine was a popular target early in the season. But he cobbled together a lineup that included an outfield of Daniel Nava, Marlon Byrd, and Che-Hsuan Lin tonight and beat a first-place team.

The Red Sox had 14 hits. Every starter had at least one hit including Lin, his first in the majors. David Ortiz sparked the rally in the sixth inning with a monstrous home run.

The Sox are 17-11 in their last 28 games without Bailey, Melancon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis for the last 17 games, and now Cody Ross.

It's impressive. There's really no other way to say it.

Meanwhile:

• Ryan Sweeney was not available tonight after failing his concussion test. Sounds like he's headed for the new seven-day concussion DL.

• Buchholz has allowed the most earned runs in the AL.

• No reliever in the AL has stranded more runners without allowing one to score than Padilla.

• Miller has retired 23 of the 28 batters he has faced.

• Daniel Nava has 10 RBIs in 12 games. Will Middlebrooks has 16 RBIs in 18 games.

Game over: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6: Alfredo Aceves earned his 10th save with a 1-2-3 inning. The real story was Vicente Padilla who got two critical outs with runners in scoring position in the 8th. There were only 16,392 on hand at Camden Yards. The game was played in 3:16 as the Red Sox moved to .500 at 21-21.

Top 9th: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6: Troy Patton strikes out Adrian Gonzalez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a 1-2-3 innings.

Bottom 8th: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6: Rich Hill eight-appearance hitless streak came to an end when Nick Markakis singled to left field. Adam Jones followed witha single right field and Hill found himself in the biggest jam he's been in in some time. Valentine allowed Hill to stay on to pitch to the switch-hitting Matt Wieters righthanded. Wieters battled Hill on 1-2 and finally won the battle with a single to left field, scoring the sixth Orioles run. Chris Davis tapped back to Hill, who made the play at first base while the runners advanced.

With one out, Valentine took Hill out and brought in Vicente Padilla to face the switch-hitting Wilson Betemit. Betemit flied to shallow left and the runner had to hold. Padilla then reared back and struck out Nick Johnson, with a high fastball. Johnson is now 0-for-8 with three strikeouts vs. Padilla who leads the majors with 15 inherited runners and none have scored.

Top 8th: Red Sox 8, Orioles 5: Che-Hsuan (Freddy) Lin roped his first major league hit with two outs, a sharp single to left. The Sox dugout applauded as the ball was retrieved as a keepsake for the Taiwan native. It was a proud moment for the kid. Mike Aviles struck out, but lefty Troy Patton uncorked a wild pitch which advanced Lin and Aviles reached safely on the strikeout. Pedroia singled to left on a hard hit bal, but Lin, who runs very well, came around to score a much-needed insurance run.

Bottom 7th: Red Sox 7, Orioles 5: Miller continues to be terrific, retiring the Orioles in order.

Top 7th: Red Sox 7, Orioles 5: By the way, here's Buchholz's very unimpressive line: 5.1 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts. Now back to the action. Che-Hsuan Lin tried to bunt his way on, but no dice. He eventually struck out. Mike Aviles dumped a single into left field and Pedroia doubled to right. The O's walked Big Papi intentionally and with the bases full, Adrian Gonzalez knocked in the go-ahead run with a sac fly to left field off reliever Kevin Gregg. Middlebrooks stroked his third hit with a lined single up the middle, scoring Pedroia with the second run of the inning. Salty K'd to end it.

Bottom 6th: Red Sox 5, Orioles 5: Hi gang, Nick Cafardo taking over while Pete does his newspaper work. The ugly Buchholz outing continued. Matt Wieters walked with one out. Chris Davis (please don't let him pitch), who homered earlier, singled to right. OK, Bobby V, I think we've seen enough of Bucky, eh? Yup, here he comes. Bobby agreed with me. Andrew Miller is on.

The Big Man, and happy birthday to him by the way, got Betemit to tap out to Gonzalez at first. The runners advanced to second and third with two outs.Nick Johnson then flew out to center to end the threat. Another good job by Miller, who has now retired 20 of the 24 batters he's faced.

Middle of the 6th: Red Sox 5, Orioles 5: No quit in these Red Sox. Ortiz hit a rocket that landed on Eutaw Street, way out the park. No. 10 for Papi.

Gonzo then doubled before Middlebrooks reached on an infield hit. Salty grounded out to first, moving the runners up. Nava drove in a run with a sac fly before Middlebrooks scored on a balk.

Hey, the Red Sox benefited from a balk for a change.

Brand new ballgame. Can Buchholz hang in there?

Top of the 6th: Orioles 5, Red Sox 2: Bucholz retired the Orioles in order.

Middle of the 5th: Orioles 5, Red Sox 2: 1-2-3 inning for Hunter, who pitches better with a lead than Buchholz did. Amazing how a lack of walks helps a pitcher.

Top of the 5th: Orioles 5, Red Sox 2: Davis homered for the O's as Buchholz continued to look like a ghost of the pitcher the Red Sox once thought was on the verge of stardom

Middle of the 4th: Orioles 4, Red Sox 2: The Sox had three singles and did not score run. Middlebrooks, who singled with one out, was thrown out stealing on what had to be a missed hit-and-run. Salty and Nava then singled before Byrd grounded back to the mound.

Top of the 4th: Orioles 4, Red Sox 2: Terrible inning for Buchholz, who threw 31 pitches.

Betemit singled before Johnson walked and Andino singled with a bunt to load the bases. Avery walked on a nine-pitch at-bat to force in a run. Buchholz thought he had him struck out twice including on the final pitch, a high curveball that appeared to be strike.

Hardy then singled in a run, hitting a ball up the middle that Aviles wanted to flip to second but tried to go to first with and was too late. Markakis walked to force in another. Jones grounded into a double play as Avery scored. Then Wieters grounded out to finally end the inning.

With a 2-0 lead, it's inexcusable to walk three batters in an inning.

Middle of the 3rd: Red Sox 2, Orioles 0: Nava singled and took third on a ground-rule double to the gap in right by Byrd. Lin grounded to third in his first MLB at-bat, failing to advance the runners. But Aviles whistled an RBI single over the head of Hunter. Pedroia then flied to right, just deep enough to score Byrd, who beat a good throw from Markakis.

Ortiz struck out to end the inning but the Sox have given Buchholz a lead to work with.

Top of the 3rd: Red Sox 0, Orioles 0: Three groundouts for Buchholz. He has thrown 20 pitches and Hunter 18. Both pitchers are perfect so far.

Middle of the 2nd: Red Sox 0 Orioles 0: Nine up and nine down so far between the two teams. Gonzalez actually tried to bunt against the shift but it was too close to the pitcher and he was easily thrown out. Ortiz needs to give him tips.

Top of the 2nd: Red Sox 0, Orioles 0: Easy 1-2-3 inning for Buchholz.

Middle of the 1st: Red Sox 0, Orioles 0: The Red Sox went in order against Hunter. Kind of a sparse crowd here.

Pre-game: Good evening from Camden Yards. There are some dark clouds overhead but the game will start on time. Clay Buchholz will be facing Tommy Hunter of the Orioles.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — Just for kicks, can the Red Sox get away with this lineup?

Aviles SS
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Gonzalez RF
Youkilis 1B
Middlebrooks 3B
Salty C
Nava LF
Byrd CF

Valentine said it's just theory at this point, but it has been discussed. That's asking a lot from Gonzalez and inviting trouble. But perhaps it can work 4-5 days a week.

How about using Aviles in the outfield and playing Jose Iglesias at shortstop? With six — yes, six — outfielders on the disabled list, creativity is going to be needed.

As for trades, do you really want to trade any legitimate prospects to bolster a last-place team?

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross will be placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with a fractured navicular bone in his left foot.

Ross was in Boston today for an MRI on his foot, which was injured on Friday when he fouled a ball off it in Philadelphia. Although an initial x-ray showed no breaks, a further examination showed the fracture.

Bobby Valentine did not offer a timetable on when Ross might be able to return other than it would be "less than a couple of months."

Dustin Pedroia fractured his navicular bone in June of 2010 and it cost him the remainder of the season, with the exception of two games when he attempted a comeback.

Indications are that Ross has a less extensive fracture than Pedroia.

Ryan Sweeney also is out of the lineup as the Red Sox wait for the results of a concussion test administered by Major League Baseball. There is a chance he could be available for the game.

Kevin Youkilis is expected to replace Ross on the roster on Tuesday.

Ross will join fellow outfielders Carl Crawford (March 26, left wrist); Ryan Kalish (April 4, left shoulder); Jacoby Ellsbury (April 14, right shoulder); Jason Repko (April 21, left shoulder) and Darnell McDonald (May 12, right oblique) on the disabled list.

UPDATE, 7:00 p.m.: “The MRI on Cody revealed a small fracture. It didn’t show up on the X-rays but was there on MRI," GM Ben Cherington said.

"It’s a small, non-displaced fracture so it should heal without surgical intervention. He’ll get a second opinion and hopefully came back as soon as possible."

The break is in a slightly different spit than Pedroia had his and is smaller. "Our medical staff is confident surgery won’t be necessary," said Cherington, who hopes Ross will be out 6-8 weeks.

"We just have to let him heal and see how he does. Check in two weeks and see where he is then."

By Peter Abraham and Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross, who fouled a ball off his left foot on Friday, could need a stint on the disabled list because of a fracture.

Initial x-rays were negative but a further examination revealed the possibility of a fracture according to baseball sources.

Ross is hitting .271 with eight home run and 28 RBI.

More on this story as it become available.

Good afternoon. Here are the lineups.

RED SOX (20-21)
Aviles SS
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Gonzalez 1B
Middlebrooks 3B
Saltalamacchia C
Nava LF
Byrd CF
Lin RF
Pitching: RHP Clay Buchholz (4-2, 7.77)

ORIOLES (27-15)
Avery LF
Hardy SS
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Wieters C
Davis 1B
Betemit 3B
Johnson DH
Andino 2B
Pitching: RHP Tommy Hunter (2-2, 4.78)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN / WRKO

Red Sox vs Hunter: Ortiz 6-18, 2 HR; Pedroia 5-12, Sweeney 4-11, Gonzalez 3-9, Aviles 2-9, Ross 1-4, Salty 0-3, Nava 1-2, Byrd 1-2, Middlebrooks 1-2, Punto 0-2.

Orioles vs. Buchholz: Markakis 3-25, Jones 4-12, Wieters 6-15, Andino 1-9, Davis 0-4, Flaherty 1-3, Hardy 3-3, 2 HR; Johnson 1-2.

Stat of the Day: The Red Sox are 0-3 against the Orioles this season, getting swept at Fenway Park May 4-6. The Sox have won two of the last 10 games between the team.

Notes: The Red Sox have won eight of their last 10 games, outscoring the opposition 55-25. ... The Orioles have the best record in the American League despite having outscored the opposition by 14 runs. The Red Sox are +17 in run differential. The Orioles are 8-3 in games decided by one run and 6-2 in extra innings, which accounts for some of their good fortune. ... Buck Showalter is 130-131 as manager of the Orioles. ... Buchholz is 5-3, 3.79 in 11 career appearances against the Orioles, 3-2, 4.94 in six games at Camden Yards. ... After a horrid start, Buchholz has been better of late, giving up five earned runs over his last 11.1 innings. ... Hunter is 2-1, 7.02 in seven career starts against the Red Sox. He faced them on May 6 and allowed five runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings. ... Aviles has hit in six straight at 10 of 25 with four doubles, three homers and six RBIs. ... Scott Atchison has gone 12.1 innings without allowing a run. ... Rich Hill has thrown 6.0 hitless innings in his last eight appearances. ... Jones has hit in 12 straight for the Orioles. He has 14 homers and 29 RBIs on the season. ... The Sox have hit 11 home runs in their last four games.

Song of the Day: "Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Monday: RHP Clay Buchholz (4-2, 7.77) vs. RHP Tommy Hunter (2-2, 4.78), 7:05 p.m., NESN

Tuesday: LHP Felix Doubront (4-1, 4.09) vs. LHP Brian Matusz (3-4, 5.36), 7:05 p.m., NESN

Wednesday: RHP Daniel Bard (3-5, 4.85) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (2-4, 4.72), 12:35 p.m., NESN

Staff reports

Here is the cap with the camouflage logo that the Red Sox will be wearing on Memorial Day, July 4 and Sept. 11 to raise awareness for the Welcome Back Veterans Fund.

MLB will donate all net proceeds to the fund for each cap sold to the WBV Fund.

If you want one, go here.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

BALTIMORE — It's raining here in the Charm City, but the storm is moving out to sea, so we should have a baseball game tonight.

So what else is going on?

In the wake of Mike Aviles belting three home runs against the Phillies, let's review how he's doing compared to his predecessor at shortstop, Marco Scutaro.

Aviles: Has played in 40 of 41 games, making 39 starts at shortstop. Hitting .275/.303/.497 with an OPS+ of 112. Has 13 doubles, 0 triples, 8 home runs, 27 RBIs, 26 runs scored and five stolen bases in eight attempts.

Scutaro: Has played in 37 of 40 games for the Rockies, making 33 starts at second base and two at shortstop. Hitting .253/.311/.325 with an OPS+ of 64. Has six doubles, one triple and one home run with four RBIs, 22 runs scored and three stolen bases in five attempts.

There's not much point in comparing their defensive numbers for two reasons: they play different positions and the metrics over 40 games aren't particularly indicative of much.

Obviously Aviles is having a far superior season offensively and even the most critical observer would have to concede that he's at worst an average shortstop in the field.

The Scutaro deal in January, one of the few salary dumps in Red Sox history, was oddly timed. But Aviles has proven worthy of the job and apparently some of the money saved was invested in Cody Ross.

If dumping Scutaro led to Aviles playing every day and helped land Ross, Ben Cherington deserves a lot credit.

A few other notes:

• If first baseman Lance Berkman has a torn knee ligament and is out for the season, add the Cardinals to the list of teams who could be interested in Kevin Youkilis.

• To answer a few questions, it doesn't seem very plausible to play Adrian Gonzalez in right field, Youkilis at first base and Will Middlebrooks at third base. Why would you take a Gold Glove first baseman and put him in right field?

If it's unfair for an accomplished veteran player to lose his job to injury, which it is, then its also unfair to take an accomplished veteran player and stick him in an unfamiliar position because of an injury to somebody else.

The solution is to play Youkilis and try and trade him. If after three weeks he's still not hitting, then he loses his job. But he is owed a chance.

• Daisuke Matsuzaka is back in limbo, his usual address. But there will come a time in July and August when he will be needed. The same is true of Aaron Cook. Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard will not be physically capable of making 30+ starts. One way or another, the Red Sox will need extra starters.

• The Red Sox are 20-21 and moving up while the Yankees are 21-20 and heading down with losses in four of their last five games. Hosting three against the Royals should help that, however.

• Terry Francona, the guy who once said he didn't see himself being on television, is quite excellent on ESPN. Dodgers rookie Scott Van Slyke had a 3-and-0 count in the seventh inning last night and Tito predicted he would be swinging. Boom, three-run homer to left field.

Francona's chemistry with Orel Hershiser and Dan Shulman is great, too. Whether you have a rooting interest in the game they're doing or not, you'll learn plenty.

After the final game of the Red Sox-Phillies series on Sunday, Nick Cafardo of the Globe and Dave Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News teamed up to provide their insight in where both teams are headed.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

PHILADELPHIA — Josh Beckett may not be the most popular player on the roster. But you can't deny the results lately.

The righthander carried a shutout into the eighth inning on Sunday as the Red Sox stopped the Phillies again, 5-1, to take the series.

That’s eight wins in the last 10 games for the Red Sox, now 20-21 and headed to Baltimore on a train for a three-game series against the first-place Orioles.

Beckett allowed seven hits, four of them infield singles. He walked two and struck out five to beat the usually imposing Cliff Lee, who gave up five runs over seven innings.

“Josh was tremendous,” said Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who has suddenly become Beckett's catcher. “That’s one of the best performances we’ve had.”

Beckett (4-4) has given up one run on 11 hits over his last 14 2/3 innings with four walks and 14 strikeouts. The two stellar starts came in the wake of controversy earlier this month when Beckett was criticized for playing golf while recovering from a strained muscle behind his right shoulder.

The Indians hit Beckett hard at Fenway Park a day after the golf outing became news and he was booed off the mound. Beckett also became the villain du jour on the sports pages, talk radio, and the internet.

Beckett has been dominant since. Not that he feels that is unusual.

“I felt like I’ve had some other good starts this year,” said Beckett, who has recorded six quality starts in eight appearances. “You guys don’t see that. But I feel like I have.”

Said Bobby Valentine: “I can’t speak to emotions or thoughts or anything like that. I just see a guy who everyday is coming in here, seems like he’s excited about being here. … What’s there not to like right now?"

Beckett even produced at the plate, hammering a Lee pitch off the wall in center field. The ball struck just above the 409-foot sign. Beckett, who has homered twice at Citizens Bank Park, just missed a third.

It should have been a double, but Beckett strolled to first, his foot sore after he was stepped on covering first base earlier in the game.

“No way. Station to station,” Beckett said of his lack of base-running acumen while breaking into a little smile. “I can’t do anything else. That’s it.”

His teammates handled the offense against Lee.

Mike Aviles hit the third pitch of the game into the left field stands for his third homer in as many games. Aviles is the first Red Sox player to hit leadoff homers in consecutive games since Harry Hooper in a doubleheader at Washington on May 30, 1913.

Aviles added an RBI single in the second inning. He has driven in 27 runs, third-most on the team.

The third inning saw Adrian Gonzalez single and take third on a double by Will Middlebrooks. Saltalamacchia then hit a changeup onto the concourse above the bleacher seats just to the left of center field.

The shot was estimated at close to 450 feet and one of the longest in the majors this season.

“I honestly was just trying to hit a fly ball and get the runner in,” Saltalamacchia said. “That was it.”

Saltalamacchia left Friday’s game in the fifth after being struck in the ear and suffering a gash that required 12 stitches to close. He is 4 for 8 since with two home runs, a double and four RBIs.

“Might as well ride that horse when he’s feeling good,” Valentine said.

Daniel Bard, who threw the pitch that deflected off a hitter and nailed Saltalamacchia, joked that he would do it again if his catcher fell into a slump.

“Maybe somebody can just smack me a little instead,” Saltalamacchia said.

Though still in last place, the Red Sox are a changed team.

“The mood is good,” Aviles said. “We’re having fun, we’re playing ball, we’re playing the way we should play. Playing good defense, pitching well and our offense is rolling pretty good.

“When you’re doing all three of those you have a good chance to win every night and that’s here we’re at. We think we can win every game.”

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

PHILADELPHIA — Daisuke Matsuzaka will not be returning to the Red Sox any time soon.

The righthander, whose minor league rehabilitation assignment was due to end on Wednesday, has been shut down because of pain in his right trapezius muscle. Matsuzaka received an injection in the area.

“That’s been nagging him for quite a while and we’ve got to make sure that that’s 100 percent before he’s going out there again,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “I talked to him [Saturday] about it being sore. He said he would maybe pitch through it. They examined him and didn’t think it was wise.”

Matsuzaka has pitched in five minor league games with mixed results, giving up 13 earned runs on 25 hits over 25 1/3 innings. He had walked six and struck out 22.

Matsuzaka had Tommy John elbow surgery last June and appeared to be progressing well before his latest setback. He will remain with the team to receive treatment and it is unclear when he will start pitching again.

The development, coincidentally or not, saves the Red Sox from having to find a spot for Matsuzaka in their rotation.

Matsuzaka started 61 games in the first two seasons of his contract with the Red Sox and was one of the better starters in the American League. But he has appeared in only 45 games over the four seasons since and has a 5.03 ERA

In other injury news:

• The Red Sox did not have outfielders Cody Ross or Ryan Sweeney available in Sunday’s 5-1 victory against the Phillies.

Ross is out with a sore left foot, the result of a foul ball that struck him on Friday night. Sweeney wrenched his neck and suffered a mild concussion when he made a spectacular diving catch in the seventh inning on Saturday night.

Ross was walking normally on Sunday and is hopeful of playing against the Orioles on Monday. “Oh yeah, absolutely. My main goal is to be in there tomorrow,” he said.

Sweeney tested positive for concussion symptoms on Saturday but was close to normal on Sunday.

“I’ll be all right,” he said. “It’s getting better and I want to play tomorrow. I should be able to.”

• The Red Sox are being cautious with Kevin Youkilis on his minor league rehabilitation assignment. He had a day off on Sunday after playing seven innings on Saturday. Youkilis has been with the PawSox for four games and played in two of them.

He is scheduled to play for Pawtucket on Monday at Norfolk, Va., and could join the Red Sox as soon as Tuesday.

“If he feels good after the game, I don’t see any reason why not,” Valentine said. “It’s on him. If he wants another couple of at-bats, or needs anything.”