Sox chipping away

Grinding out hits. Grinding out runs. That's the way the Sox are trying to do it tonight.

It's 5-2 Angels heading into the bottom of the fifth. David Pauley has just come out after allowing a one-out single to Garret Anderson in the fifth. Julian Tavarez is in. Pauley threw 89 pitches, 56 for strikes. His line: 4-1/3 innings, seven hits, five runs, two walks, three Ks.

Pauley was 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA at Pawtucket in three starts. He was held back from his scheduled start on Sunday for possible personnel needs in Boston. Sure enough, he got in there tonight in place of the ailing Josh Beckett, who has a stiff neck.

Tavarez did his job, throwing a 5-4-3 double-play ball to Torii Hunter to end the fifth.