GAME RECAP HERE. 

PAUL BYRD – allowed four runs in five innings and did not receive a decision

ON HIS NIGHT: When my team spots me with a four-run lead in the first off a pretty good pitcher, that game’s got to be over. I have to take command and take control and not let them back in it. So that’s what is very frustrating.

ON THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING THE PLAYOFF ROTATION: Whatever Terry (Francona) decides with me is fine with me. I’m glad that someone took a chance on me. I was having a tough year. 

J.D. DREW – in his first game since August 17, went 1-for-2 with an infield single, left the game for a pinch-runner in the third inning

ON THE GAME: It went pretty well. I got a little stiff and my legs got a little wobbly after not running around like that for a while…I was on base, had to sprint a few times. I could tell it had been a while. 

ON HIS BACK: Not bad. A little stiff. But no worse for the wear, I don’t think. I’m still fighting off that injury a little bit. I felt it before the game started. I felt it yesterday. But I felt like I could start trying to play through it a little bit. Hopefully it won’t get any worse, and we’ll kind of continue to bounce back day after day so I can get out there and play.

EXPECT TO PLAY TOMORROW? Yeah, I think so, as long as everything goes well overnight. I’ll talk to Tito in the morning. 

DUSTIN PEDROIA – stole his 20th base, hit his 54th double

ON STEALING 20 BASES: Something I tried to work on in the offseason was getting faster, trying to get into scoring position more often…Scoring runs is my biggest thing. That’s my job. If I’m not scoring runs, I’m not helping the team. Any time I go up to the plate, I just try to find a way to get back there. 

ON WHETHER HE HAD A GREEN LIGHT LAST YEAR: Not really. I’m playing with a little more freedom this year. But I think I had to prove that a little bit. Luis Alicea helped me out a ton. He’s done a great job preparing me. We go over pitchers and their times to home plate, stuff like that. 

JEFF BAILEY – scored the winning run after a pinch-hit triple in the eighth

ON THE TRIPLE: I almost wiped out. That would have been embarrassing…As I rounded second, I actually almost fell down because I was watching the ball too long. But then it took a high hop and I knew I could get third. 

ON APPROACH AS PINCH-HITTER: I’m in the cage from the sixth inning until whenever they need me. I’m always loose. The approach is ‘swing the bat.’ When you’re pinch-hitting, you can’t stand up there and work counts. You need to look for a pitch in a certain spot and go. It’s hard. It’s hard. I’m still getting used to it. I don’t want to go up there swinging at stuff in the dirt, but you’ve got to zone it down and hack. That’s what I’ve learned so far. I’m not going up there to walk. 

ON THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING THE POSTSEASON ROSTER: I’ve thought about it, just because of the injuries and stuff like that. It’s whatever they want it to be. 

ON HIS 9 TRIPLES IN THREE YEARS WITH TRIPLE-A PAWTUCKET: Really? I have nine? No way. They must have all come in Scranton. The measurements there say 375 in the gap, 410 to center. They lasered it. It’s 390 and 420. [NOTE: All nine of Bailey's triples for the PawSox have come on the road.]