Outfielder Mickey Hall is getting better in Portland. Hall, the 2003 second-round draft pick out of high school, has upped his average to .266 in Double-A, after a 2-for-4 day Monday.

Hall also hit his fifth home run, which turned out to be the game-winner in a 5-4 Sea Dogs victory over Reading at Hadlock Field.

Daniel Bard got the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief (2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K). But the Hadlock radar run was not working, so fans could not ooh at the 98 m.p.h. fastballs.

Bard pitched a clean seventh, but got in trouble in the eighth, walking in a run. Beau Vaughan bailed him out and finished the ninth for his 12th save.

And now, for your evening pleasure, here is the Red Sox lineup:

Jacoby Ellsbury, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Manny Ramirez, DH
Mike Lowell, 3B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Coco Crisp, CF
Jason Varitek, C
Julio Lugo, SS
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P)

E-mail this entry to a friend