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Third baseman Luis Valbuena made a diving stop on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's hard smash to rob him of a hit leading off. But after Ryan Sweeney singled, he misplayed Mike Aviles' grounder, putting runners on first and second.
Marmol, back in the closer's job after losing it, then struck out pinch hitter Daniel Nava but walked Scott Podsednik to load the bases, drawing a visit from manager Dale Sveum. He fell behind 2-0 to Pedroia before getting him to bounce to third on a 2-2 pitch to end the game, giving Marmol his first save since May 2 against Cincinnati.
"I feel great up there now," Marmol said. "I feel confidence. I think I'm going to keep my job. I'm going to continue to work hard."
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was confident, too -- that Pedroia would come through.
"I thought Dustin was gonna get him," Valentine said. "I'll take my chances any time, even though you'd rather not be down three in the ninth any time, but that's the guy to break him, the ball just hit off the end of the bat."
Much of the focus before the game centered on Epstein. After all, the Cubs were meeting the Red Sox for the first time since he became Chicago's president of baseball operations in the offseason.
The Cubs brought him in hoping he could lead them to their first championship since 1908, after he helped build two title winners and end a long drought in Boston as the Red Sox's general manager.
Clearly, he's facing a difficult task.
The Cubs have the majors' worst record. The Red Sox have had their issues, too, and the losses are adding up.
NOTES: Red Sox RHP Josh Beckett will miss Sunday's start because of inflammation in his right shoulder, Valentine said. Lefty Franklin Morales will start in Beckett's place. ... Sveum said he'll probably stick with Valbuena, who was promoted from Triple-A Thursday with Ian Stewart (left wrist) going on the 15-day DL. "He was swinging the bat real well down there, so you try to keep that left-handed bat in the lineup," Sveum said. ... Jeff Samardzija starts Saturday for Chicago, with Jon Lester going for Boston.
[Associated Press;
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