Dein erstes Forum » Karanka gives his post-match reaction after his sid

BOSTON -- With one ace already on the disabled list, the Boston Red Sox werent taking any chances when their other star pitcher landed awkwardly after a pitch late in the game. By that point, though, Jon Lester had more than done his job. Lester pitched into the eighth inning before jamming his right hip and leaving the game, and Dustin Pedroia homered during a seven-run second to help the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night. "I slipped a little bit. I guess the doctors were kind of calling it a little jammed hip, a type of zinging sensation down my leg." Lester said. "It just didnt feel normal and like I said, at that point in the game, especially with that offence -- they can score some runs in a hurry -- so theres no point in trying to be a hero. Weve got a long way to go the rest of the season." Toronto, which reeled off 11 straight wins this month, had won 12 of its past 14 games and 15 of 19 to close within 6 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox. Then the Blue Jays ran into Lester. The left-hander retired 10 straight to begin the game and didnt allow a hit until the fifth. But he exited the game with a 7-2 lead after giving up consecutive singles to start the eighth and running the count to 3-0 on Emilio Bonifacio. Farrell came darting out of the dugout as the infielders crowded around Lester. Moments later, Lester walked off the field and Junichi Tazawa came on in relief. "The final pitch that he threw, his landing foot kind of gave way and he jammed his hip," Farrell said. "Given where we were in the ballgame and the number of pitches he had thrown, he clearly had done his job and we werent going to take any chances." It was quite a scare for Red Sox Nation. Clay Buchholz, who is 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA, hasnt pitched since June 8 because of neck stiffness and a sore shoulder. Lester, however, isnt concerned about his leg. He has experienced this before and doesnt think he will miss any starts. "Im not too worried about it. The doctors didnt seem worried about it," he said. "I actually feel fine now. Walking off the field, it just kind of stays with you for a little while, and then after the docs looked at me, I feel normal. Hopefully that will carry over to tomorrow and we wont have to worry about it." The Blue Jays capitalized when Lester left the game, cutting the deficit to 7-4 on a sacrifice fly by Jose Reyes and a groundout by Jose Bautista. Koji Uehara preserved the lead with a perfect ninth for his third save. Lester (8-4) was charged with four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks in winning for just the second time in his last eight starts. "I feel that responsibility to go out there and save the bullpen and thats what we tried to do tonight," Lester said. "Obviously would have liked to give (Tazawa) a little better situation than what he came into, but he kept us with the lead and thats the main thing." After starting the season 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA through his first nine starts, Lester struggled over his past seven, going 1-4 with a 7.30 ERA. He returned to form just in time to face baseballs best team in June -- and Bostons bats provided him all the support he needed. The Red Sox jumped all over Chien-Ming Wang, tagging the right-hander for seven runs while batting around in the second. Wang (1-1) lasted just 1 2-3 innings, allowing all seven runs on six hits with two walks and no strikeouts. "They dropped seven on us," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "Against a good pitcher, you are never going to catch that. Too much to overcome." Lester needed only 30 pitches to get through three innings and didnt allow a baserunner until Bautista walked with one out in the fourth. Melky Cabrera singled for Torontos first hit with one out in the fifth and moved to second on a base hit by Rajai Davis. Maicer Izturis drove them both home with a double to left-centre. Yet it wasnt enough to make up for Bostons blistering start. Wang allowed the first seven batters to reach base during the drawn-out second. David Ortiz and Mike Carp walked, Daniel Nava delivered an RBI single off the Green Monster in left field and Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-0. Stephen Drews double to right scored Nava, and consecutive base hits by Jose Iglesias and Jacoby Ellsbury stretched the lead to 5-0 before Wang even managed an out. It got even worse. After inducing a double play, Wang served up Pedroias fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot that landed in the first row of Green Monster seats and ended Wangs evening after just 45 pitches. "We swung the bats well," Pedroia said. "A lot of guys strung together some quality at-bats. It was a huge inning for us." NOTES: The Red Sox played their 81st game, marking the 16th consecutive season Boston has owned a winning record halfway through the season. ... Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz, on the DL with a neck strain, has been shut down for two to three days with lingering soreness in his right shoulder, according to Farrell. Buchholz (9-0, 1.71 ERA) underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed inflammation in the bursa sac area, but no structural damage. Farrell said he hopes Buchholz will resume throwing this weekend. ... Ellsbury has hit safely in eight straight games and 22 of the past 25. ... Wang fell to 6-7 in 16 career appearances against the Red Sox. ... Toronto RHP Josh Johnson (1-2, 4.60 ERA) will face Allen Webster (0-2, 11.25) in the second game of the series Friday. ... Carp returned to the lineup after missing three games and eight of the past nine with right hamstring tightness.Dickie Moore Jersey . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Jonathan Drouin Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. http://www.canadienssale.com/authentic-noah-juulsen-canadiens-jersey/ . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. 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Howie Morenz Canadiens Jersey . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate.Middlesbroughs promotion hopes suffered a blow after they were denied victory at Birmingham.Boro drew 2-2 at St Andrews to move top of the Sky Bet Championship by a point, but they were left frustrated after Daniel Ayalas goal was ruled out for offside - video replays showing the defender in an onside position with the score locked at 2-2.Jordan Rhodes and Gaston Ramirez had given the visitors the lead after Stephen Gleesons opener, but David Davis fine strike earned Birmingham an entertaining draw. Middlesbrough thought they had scored a crucial winner against Birmingham Middlesbroughs future is still in their own hands as they face Brighton on the final day with the Seagulls a point behind in third and a win would end Boros seven-year exile from the Premier League.But they face an anxious wait until Monday when Brighton host Derby and Burnley, who sit second, welcome QPR. Both games are live Sky Sports.All three started the day on 87 points and Boro will count the cost of a host of missed chances. Reaction from Daniel Ayala and Grant Leadbitter after Birmingham and Middlesbrough drew 2-2 at St Andrews It took until the the 25th minute for them to carve out an opening - and it was a glorious one which Rhodes should have taken.Grant Leadbitter barged his way through in the middle and when the ball ricocheted to Rhodes, the Scotland international was left with just Adam Legzdins to beat but the goalkeeper made a superb sprawling save.Two minutes later the hosts almost took the lead when Dimi Konstantopoulos palmed Maikel Kieftenbelds drive away and then claimed Clayton Donaldsons tame follow-up. Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett praised his players after the 2-2 draw with promotion chasing Middlesbrough The game suddenly opened up and Legzdins raced off his line to deny Rhodes again before Birmingham struck first after 33 minutes.ddddddddddddLoanee Ritchie De Laet - who will earn a Premier League winners medal if Leicester win the title - could only clear as far as Gleeson and the midfielder was given too much time to steady himself and while Konstantopoulos got a hand to his 25-yard drive, he could not keep it out.Boro hit back almost immediately when Legzdins thwarted Albert Adomah but the keeper then undid all his fine work with a fumble five minutes before the break. Birmingham City keeper Adam Legzdins gifted Middlesbrough a first-half equaliser The visitors were awarded a free kick 25-yards out and Legzdins spilled Ramirezs strike straight to Rhodes who bundled in from four yards.The chances continued to flow after the break as Ryan Shottons header dropped just wide before Boro missed three golden chances in the space of 10 seconds. Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka gives his post-match reaction after his sides 2-2 draw against Birmingham First, Rhodes volleyed Leadbitters free-kick against the post, only to then block Adomahs follow-up and see Ramirez fire a third attempt over the bar, but Boro finally took the lead after 57 minutes with a goal of true simplicity.Adomahs deep cross found Rhodes peeling off at the far post and his header across goal was met by Ramirez to nod in from barely a yard. Birmingham Citys Jonathan Grounds and Middlesbroughs Albert Adomah battle for the ball Back came Birmingham, though, and Davis levelled 11 minutes later with a brilliant half-volley from the edge of the area after Ayala could only half clear.And an enthralling game continued to spark within 90 seconds when Ayala had a goal ruled out for offside having curled into the far corner from 12 yards.Boro then almost lost the game when Diego Fabbrini headed over and Konstanopoulos twice denied David Cotterill in the final 10 minutes.But Leadbitter nearly won it with two minutes left when Legzdins turned his rasping drive onto the bar. ' ' '