Die Macht » It was something Strong stressed during Mondays

BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury walked to the plate thinking he had an advantage. One pitch later, he was running away from his celebrating teammates. Ellsbury hit a game-ending, two-run double on Joe Smiths first pitch, capping a four-run, ninth-inning rally that lifted the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Sunday. Cleveland led 5-2 entering the ninth, when Chris Perez (2-1) walked Dustin Pedroia leading off. David Ortiz doubled, and Mike Napoli and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit consecutive RBI groundouts. Walks to Jonny Gomes and Jose Iglesias around Stephen Drews single loaded the bases. Perez fell behind Ellsbury 2-1 in the count and left with a shoulder injury. Ellsbury then doubled to left-centre, and was chased down by teammates who ran from the dugout to celebrate Bostons ninth win in 12 games. "His mindset, I would think, is to attack the hitter," Ellsbury said in the middle of Bostons clubhouse. "The last thing I think hes wants to do is walk me and bring in the tying run. I just wanted to be aggressive in the zone and get a pitch I could drive. Fortunately, I got it." Boston won three of four against Cleveland, managed by Terry Francona in his first series back at Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox after the 2011 season. Francona led the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. It was Bostons ninth win in 12 games. "When you think back to the ninth inning, they key at-bat to me was Iglesias walk," Boston manager John Farrell said. "He fouls off a tough two-strike pitch, takes a close 3-2 pitch to walk. Unfortunately for them, Perez goes out with an injury. We felt like when Smith came in, that arm slot fit Jakes (Jacobys) swing pretty well, and we saw the reason for it." Perez said hes been dealing with some arm pain. "I felt a little something in the shoulder today out there. Obviously not the best timing there. So, its something I have to deal with," he said. "On that last pitch to Ellsbury. It kind of pinched on me and sent a little pain down my arm. Then I tried to throw another pitch, and it just wasnt happening." Francona knew what a tough spot it was for Smith. "Its very difficult. Thats tough duty," he said. "With a 2-1 count youve got to throw a strike, and he did. To Ellsburys credit, he put the wood on it and put the barrel on it and now weve got to go regroup." Craig Breslow (2-0) allowed one run and two hits in two innings. Red Sox starter Felix Doubront gave up four runs -- two earned -- and five hits in six innings with eight strikeouts. Boston trailed 4-3 in the eighth inning of Saturdays 7-4 win. "It shows the desire of this team the last two days," Gomes said. Clevelands Corey Kluber gave up one run and three hits in 6 2-3 innings. Nick Swisher and Jason Kipnis hit solo homers for the Indians. Carlos Santanas two-run single hit a two-run single in the first after Ellsbury dropped Kipnis fly to centre for an error. Daniel Nava had an RBI single in the third after Stephen Drew snapped an 0-for-17 slide with a double. Kipnis homered off the Pesky Pole in right in the fifth, and Swisher homered in the Green Monster seats in left leading off the sixth. Swishers sacrifice fly made it 5-1 in the eighth, and Iglesias had a sacrifice fly in the bottom half. NOTES: Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (7-0, 1.73 ERA) was scratched from his scheduled start against Philadelphia on Monday night because of inflammation in the collarbone area. Tyler Cloyd (1-0, 2.70 ERA) starts for the visiting Phillies in the opener of a two-game series. "The doctors said I could throw and it wouldnt affect my delivery. It was my call," Buchholz said. "If it was September, Id throw tomorrow." Alfredo Aceves (1-1, 8.20 ERA) will take his spot. ... The Indians open a home-and-home series with the first of two in Cincinnati on Monday. Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 6.04 ERA) is slated to face the Reds Mike Leake (4-2, 3.26 ERA). ... Clevelands Michael Bourn was called out by plate umpire Chris Guccione when his bunt attempt hit him while he appeared to be out of the batters box as he broke for first in the fifth inning. ... Farrell expects LHP Franklin Morales will be activated from the 15-day DL Tuesday. Morales strained his lower back in spring training. ... Cleveland 3B Mark Reynolds, moved over in a shifted infield, made a sliding play on Ortizs grounder behind the second-base bag in the fourth before getting up and throwing. ... Former Boston and Cleveland OF Trot Nixon was in the Monster seats. Steve Grogan Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Andre Tippett Patriots Jersey . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. https://www.patriotssportsgoods.com/Womens-Drew-Bledsoe-Inverted-Jersey/ . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Drew Bledsoe Jersey . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Drew Bledsoe Patriots Jersey . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Texas coach Charlie Strong said following the Longhorns 31-9,?season-ending loss to TCU on Friday night that he expects to meet with school athletic officials Saturday.The Longhorns (5-7, 3-6) finished with their third consecutive losing season under Strong, who is 16-21 in three seasons at the school and 12-15 in Big 12 Conference play.At his postgame news conference, Strong was asked if his Longhorns tenure is over.Ive not been told, he said. I just told our players that I look forward to coming back and make sure we get this thing on track.Strong made a nearly four-minute-long statement to open his news conference Friday night, urging his players never to quit on themselves and expressing frustration about the pressure theyve endured the past two seasons while he has been on the hot seat.I just felt like every year it turned into being all about me, and it should never have been all about me, Strong said. It should have been about those guys being given an opportunity to enjoy the game. It never happened for them. They felt it. Thats whats so disappointing, is they felt they had to defend me at every turn.DOnta Foreman, the nations leading rusher, was in tears as he walked off the field at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Friday night. He said Strong has meant a lot to him and that seeing his coach go through this really hurts me.Ive invested so much into this program, so much into the team, and to come up short like that and for him to have to go through the stuff hes going through is very emotional, Foreman said. Hes a great guy, and he doesnt deserve it, honestly.When Strong was asked how he would want fans to remember his legacyy at Texas, the coach said he hopes to not be judged solely on wins and losses.ddddddddddddI know thats the way we are all judged, Strong said, but its also about the impact that you make on young peoples lives.Strong said he intends to point out Texas potential to win big in 2017 when he meets with university president Greg Fenves and athletic director Mike Perrin. It was something Strong stressed during Mondays news conference when he defended the programs progress in his three seasons.I was told three years ago, when I came in here, to build a program, Strong said. Just look at the positives, look at where we are with this football team, how young we are. The wins and losses, they dont add up. But still, its more than just that. Its all about the total development, taking the program and moving it in the right direction.If Strong is fired, Texas is expected to pursue Houston coach Tom Herman.?LSU also had zeroed in on Herman, but the Tigers have removed the interim tag from Ed Orgeron and have hired him as their new coach, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.?Texas players, meanwhile, rallied behind Strong on Monday and expressed hope that a win over TCU would secure Strongs job for another year. After the 31-9 loss to the Horned Frogs, the players acknowledged the speculation and scrutiny that Strong and Texas faced this week was difficult to avoid.Everybody knows in the back of their head whats going on, said linebacker?Malik Jefferson.ESPNs Chris Low and Brett McMurphy contributed to this report. ' ' '