But none of it would have been possible, Gonzalez said, if it weren’t for Pedroia’s hustle on his at-bat.
The Sox second baseman appeared to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, but sparked the rally when he beat the throw to first after Jacoby Ellsbury, who had walked, was forced out at second.
“That created that seventh inning,’’ Gonzalez said. “It was all about him, getting down the line and beating that ball out. If he doesn’t do that, my double doesn’t do anything.’’
It would not have cranked up an assembly line of 14 Sox who went to the plate, nine reaching in consecutive fashion, and the first eight scoring.
“It was a time in the game where his pure hustle gives our hitters a chance to keep hitting and extend an inning, and we took advantage of it,’’ said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “But that’s just the kind of player he is. He always gives you everything he has.’’
Gonzalez’s double chased Luebke (1-2), who was saddled with the loss, after entering the game in the fourth in relief of starter Wade LeBlanc and handcuffing the Sox by recording six strikeouts, the first five in a row.
Sox starter Andrew Miller performed marvelously in his Fenway debut after the lefthander was called up Sunday from Triple A Pawtucket.
“Any time you get a chance to pitch in Fenway it’s going to be fun, especially when you go out there with a Red Sox uniform on,’’ Miller said. “It’s a blast. Unfortunately, the last inning brought me down to reality a little bit, but all in all, it’s hard to beat that experience.’’
Miller got a no-decision after allowing seven hits in 5 ⅔ innings. He walked three and struck out six. His only mistake was a fastball left over the plate for Orlando Hudson, who crushed it to left for a three-run homer that erased a 3-0 Sox lead.
When Anthony Rizzo, one of the prospects the Sox traded away for Gonzalez, doubled to the triangle in center, Miller’s night was done.
“There’s a lot to be encouraged about,’’ said Francona, who announced afterward Josh Beckett was ill and would be scratched from tonight’s start and replaced by Alfredo Aceves. “He just made a bad pitch and they made him pay for it.’’
