2013 Boston Red Sox season


The 2013 Boston Red Sox season was the 113th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Under new manager John Farrell, the Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. In the postseason, the Red Sox first defeated the AL wild card Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. In the ALCS, the Red Sox defeated the American League Central champion Detroit Tigers in six games. Advancing to the World Series, the Red Sox defeated the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in six games, to capture the franchise's eighth championship overall and third in ten years. The Red Sox became the second team to win the World Series the season after finishing last in their division; the first had been the 1991 Minnesota Twins.
The Red Sox led the major leagues in runs scored, extra-base hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Offseason

October

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day

The 2013 Red Sox season opened on April 1, with an afternoon road game against the New York Yankees. Jon Lester went five innings, leading to an 8–2 win for the Red Sox. This was Boston's first Opening Day victory since 2010.

Opening Day lineup

April

Following their Opening Day triumph, the Red Sox improved to 2–0 on Wednesday, April 3, in the second tilt of the three-game series, in a game that saw offseason acquisition Joel Hanrahan rack up his first save as a Red Sox. Boston failed to complete the sweep, however, with starting pitcher Ryan Dempster relinquishing a 4–2 defeat in his Red Sox debut the following evening. In Toronto, the Sox split the first two games of a series against the Blue Jays on April 5 and 6, winning 6–4 in the first game and falling 5–0 in the second. Boston was then victorious in the rubber game, shutting out the Jays 13–0.
The Red Sox won their fourth straight against the Cleveland Indians on April 16. The Red Sox and Indians wore black armbands to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. A giant American flag flew at half-mast before the series opener with a moment of silence prior to the first pitch. A young Indians fan presented the Red Sox with a sign he wrote in red ink and ornamented with hearts. The note, which was hung in Boston's dugout, read: "From our city to your city: Our hearts and prayers go out to you, Boston. Love, Cleveland." For the entire game, a jersey with No. 617, displaying "Boston" above the numerals and "Strong" below them, hung in the Sox' dugout. Additionally, to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day, both teams wore No. 42 jerseys. The Red Sox also placed closer Joel Hanrahan on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.
The Red Sox swept two consecutive series between April 13–18. One at home against the Tampa Bay Rays and another on the road against the Cleveland Indians, resulting in a six-game winning streak which improved their record to 11–4, and put them in first place in the American League East.
The Red Sox had a scheduled weekend series against the Kansas City Royals during April 19–21. The immediate Greater Boston area went on a citywide lockdown in search of a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing on the morning of April 19 and the first game of the weekend was postponed. The Red Sox reported the decision was made "to support efforts of law enforcement officers." A make-up date for the game was not immediately announced.
However, with the second suspect captured that same evening and Fenway Park under tight security, play resumed Saturday, April 20 with a win of 4–3 by Boston over the Royals. Both teams honored the victims of the bombing tragedy by wearing special uniforms/logos. The Red Sox wore white home jerseys with "Boston" on the front instead of the customary "Red Sox" while Kansas City players and staff wore a "B Strong" patch on the front of their jerseys, with the shirts being auctioned off for funds to support victims of the bombing. Following a pregame ceremony, the Red Sox won their sixth straight game, their best start in 11 years with the win against Kansas City. David Ortiz was bothered by inflammation in both heels during spring training and didn't play in any exhibition games, but he was 2 for 4 in his return, tying the score 1-all with a sixth-inning RBI single off James Shields. The Red Sox later announced Friday's game would be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sunday. The regularly scheduled game took place at 1:35 p.m., and a nightcap at 7 p.m.
On April 21, Kansas City ended Boston's seven-game winning streak with a 4–2 win over the Red Sox in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. The Royals ended a season-opening streak of 16 games by Red Sox starters allowing three runs or less, tying an AL record achieved by the Oakland Athletics in 1978 and 1981. Red Sox RF Shane Victorino missed his first game of the season after leaving the game on April 20 with back spasms.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas City narrowly beat Boston 5–4 in 10 innings to win the weekend series, as a result of Lorenzo Cain walking with two outs and bases loaded in the 10th inning. Even with both wins against the Red Sox on April 21, Boston remained in first place in the AL East as did Kansas City in the AL Central. Dustin Pedroia reached base in all their first 18 games, the most consecutive games to start a season by a Red Sox 2B. Koji Uehara went 18 1/3 scoreless innings before allowing Billy Butler's homer in the eighth inning of the night game. In his first two at bats on the day game, Jonny Gomes used a bat with the words "Boston Strong" on it as well as the names of the four people killed in the bombing and its aftermath. He popped out and grounded out, then said he planned to auction off the bats for charity.
Opening a new series against Oakland, the Red Sox came out victorious in the first game on April 22. They were defeated in a rain-shortened 7-inning game on April 23. Boston proceeded to win the rubber game of the series on April 24 by a score of 6–5.
The Red Sox swept a four-game home stand on April 25–28 against the Astros, their first series against Houston since the Astros moved to the American League West. The sweep improved Boston's record to 18–7.
The Red Sox closed April by falling, 9–7, on the road to the Blue Jays.

May

Boston opened the month of May in the middle of a three-game road series against Toronto. Having lost the first game on April 30, the Red Sox won the next two games 10–1 and 3–1 on May 1 and 2. Traveling to Texas to take on the Rangers, the team was shut out for the third time of the season, relinquishing 7 runs and 18 hits to Texas on May 3. The Rangers took the next two games, on May 4 and 5, by respective scores of 5–1 and 4–3. This marked the first time Boston was swept in the 2013 season. The Red Sox' May slide continued when they lost three of four games at home against Minnesota from May 6–9. They closed out their weeklong homestand by losing 2 of 3 to the Blue Jays from May 10–12. On Sunday, May 12, the Red Sox' new 2013 starting pitcher, Ryan Dempster, fell to 2–4 in a game in which Boston relinquished 12 runs.
Traveling to Tampa Bay, the Red Sox recovered by taking two of three games from the Rays from May 14–16. Boston scored three runs in the top of the 9th inning on May 16. Opening a weekend series in Minnesota against the Twins, the Red Sox posted another come-from-behind victory on May 17, tying the game in the 7th inning and scoring the winning run in the 10th. Boston swept the series with 12–5 and 5–1 triumphs on May 18 and 19, improving their winning streak to five games and their record to 27–17. Boston then closed out their road trip with a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox lost the first two games on May 20 and 21, but avoided the sweep in a 6–2 victory on May 22 that brought starting pitcher Clay Buchholz's record to 7–0. The Red Sox welcomed 2004–11 manager and two-time World Series champion manager Terry Francona back to Fenway Park on May 23 as they hosted Francona's new team, the Cleveland Indians. Francona received a standing ovation in the first game of the four-game series. Boston fell to Cleveland in a lopsided 12–3 loss on May 23, but proceeded to triumph in the following three matches on May 24, 25 and 26 to win the four-game series. On Memorial Day, May 27, the Red Sox opened a four-game home-and-home series against Philadelphia, the team's first interleague series of 2013. The Phillies are considered Boston's interleague "rival", playing the Red Sox every season. The first two games of the series were held at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox winning on May 27 but then losing, 3–1, on May 28, in a game in which former Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon was awarded a save. Papelbon repeated the feat again on May 29 as the series shifted to Philadelphia. These were Papelbon's second and third saves against the Red Sox since leaving the team; he recorded the other on May 18, 2012. Boston evened the four-game series with a 9–2 victory on Thursday, May 30. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury set a Red Sox record with five stolen bases in the game. The Red Sox closed out the month of May with a road loss against the archrival Yankees.