The highlight of the inning came when John McDonald introduced himself to Red Sox fans. Prince Fielder hit a hard ground ball up the middle, and McDonald, who entered the game at second base before the inning, made a fantastic diving play. McDonald then fired to first base, where Mike Napoli made an excellent scoop to complete the out.

The Red Sox made a couple of changes in addition to McDonald entering for Dustin Pedroia. Quintin Berry, who pinch-ran for Shane Victorino in the sixth inning, remained in the game as the new right fielder. Ryan Lavarnway took over behind the plate for David Ross

End 6th, Red Sox 13-4: What an inning for the Red Sox.

Boston posted eight runs in the sixth, and the Sox now hold a commanding 13-4 lead.

The sixth inning was highlighted by Will Middlebrooks’ grand salami and David Ortiz’s 2,000th career hit.

Rick Porcello was charged with nine runs (eight earned) on seven hits and four walks in five innings of work. He surrendered three home runs.

Al Alburquerque, who gave up the grand slam to Middlebrooks, was charged with four runs (all earned) on three hits in two thirds of an inning.

9:41 p.m., Red Sox 13-4: Will Middlebrooks delivered a huge blow, and the Red Sox have since tacked on.

Middlebrooks smoked Al Alburquerque’s second pitch over everything in left field for a grand slam. It was Middlebrooks’ 12th home run of the season and his second career grand slam.

Daniel Nava started the sixth-inning damage with a walk. Mike Napoli doubled, and the Tigers then opted to intentionally walk Stephen Drew with David Ross coming up. Mike Carp pinch hit for Ross, and he worked a five-pitch walk that ended Rick Porcello’s night.

Alburquerque entered with Middlebrooks coming up, and the Red Sox third baseman greeted him in a big way. Middlebrooks crushed a 1-0 fastball onto Lansdowne Street to give Boston a commanding 10-4 edge.

The Red Sox weren’t quite done.

Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch for the second time in this game. He was hit with an offspeed offering near the shoulder this time around. Victorino was then lifted for a pinch runner in Quintin Berry, and it’s likely that John Farrell just wanted to get Victorino off his feet, especially since the veteran has been banged up of late.

David Ortiz knocked in Berry with a double into left-center field. The hit was the 2,000th of Ortiz’s major league career, and the Fenway Faithful showered him with a lengthy standing ovation that included a boisterous, “Papi!” chant.

Nava, who started the inning, added two more runs for good measure via a two-run blast over the Red Sox’ bullpen in right field.

Alburquerque is now exiting, and Jeremy Bonderman is entering.

9:23 p.m., Red Sox 6-4: Rick Porcello’s night is over.

Porcello just walked in Boston’s sixth run, and Al Alburquerque will take over with the bases still loaded and nobody out in the sixth inning.

Mid 6th, Red Sox 5-4: Now that’s a shutdown inning.

Ryan Dempster struck out the side in the sixth inning, giving him seven strikeouts for the game.

Don Kelly, Omar Infante and Alex Avila went down in order in the sixth. Kelly struck out looking, while Infante and Avila went down hacking.

It’s the second straight solid inning for Dempster after things really started to unravel in the third and fourth innings.

End 5th, Red Sox 5-4: Shane Victorino is once again contributing in all facets of the game.

Victorino ended the top of the fourth inning with an excellent defensive play that saw him land in the first row of seats along the right field line. In the fifth inning, he singled and scored the go-ahead run after some aggressive baserunning.

Victorino singled into left field with one out in the fifth. He then took off for second base with Dustin Pedroia at the plate. Catcher Alex Avila’s throw sailed into center field, and Victorino, who typically uses a popup slide, easily advanced to third base.

Pedroia ended up hitting a sinking line drive to left field. Andy Dirks made shoe-top grab, and Victorino took off for home despite the ball being hit relatively shallow and Dirks having his momentum carrying him toward the plate. Dirks’ throw was off the mark, and Victorino dived in safely with Boston’s fifth run.

8:52 p.m., 4-4: It was just announced in the press box that Jose Iglesias left the game with bilateral shin splints. He is day-to-day.

Mid 5th, 4-4: Ryan Dempster walked Prince Fielder with one out, but he otherwise gave the Red Sox the shutdown inning that they needed.

Torii Hunter began the fifth with a line drive to second base. Dustin Pedroia leaped a few inches off the ground while handling it.

Fielder then walked before Dempster took care of Victor Martinez and Andy Dirks. Martinez hit a liner to Daniel Nava in left field, and Dirks popped out to Pedroia at second base.

Jose Iglesias has just been replaced at shortstop by Ramon Santiago. It’s unclear at this point why Iglesias left the game, but he appeared to come up lame upon beating out a potential double play in his last at-bat.

End 4th, 4-4: The two offenses are delivering haymakers in the middle of the ring right now.

David Ortiz absolutely crushed a home run over the bullpens in right field to tie the game at four apiece in the fourth inning. The homer was Ortiz’s 25th of the season and 426th of his career. He tied Billy Williams for 47th on MLB’s all-time home run list.

Rick Porcello picked up back-to-back strikeouts against Daniel Nava and Mike Napoli before walking Stephen Drew. Nava went down looking at a fastball, and Nava was frozen by an offspeed pitch.

The Red Sox put on a hit-and-run with Drew at first base and David Ross hitting. It worked to perfection, as Ross dropped a single into center field that allowed Drew to go from first to third.

Porcello made sure that the Red Sox didn’t grab a lead, though. Will Middlebrooks grounded out with runners at the corners to end the inning.

Mid 4th, Tigers 4-3: The Tigers regained the lead in the fourth inning, as Ryan Dempster failed to settle down.

Don Kelly hit a slow roller out in front of the plate with one out. Dempster charged it, but he was forced to rush his throw, and Kelly reached with an infield single.

Omar Infante then doubled into the left field corner to set up two runners in scoring position for Alex Avila. Avila walked on five pitches to load the bases with one out.

The Red Sox almost escaped the major jam when Jose Iglesias hit a ground ball to third base. Will Middlebrooks attempted to start up an inning-ending double play, but Iglesias just beat out Dustin Pedroia’s throw to first base. Kelly scored from third base on the play.

The inning ended with another gritty play by Shane Victorino. Austin Jackson, batting with runners at the corners, hit a fly ball down the right field line. Victorino gave chase and leaped into the air to make the grab. When he came down, he did so in the first row of seats in foul territory.

Victorino was helped out by some fans in the first row after crashing over the wall. He returned the favor by picking up a fan’s cell phone that had crashed onto the warning track during the madness.

End 3rd, 3-3: Both teams are taking aim at Pesky’s Pole.

For the third straight half-inning, a home run landed down in the right field corner. In the bottom of the third, it was Jacoby Ellsbury who deposited a solo blast into the right field seats.

Ellsbury lifted a 2-1 changeup down the right field line, and Torii Hunter gave chase. Hunter ran out of real estate, though, and the ball landed in the first row for Ellsbury’s eighth homer of the season.

The inning ended with a very nifty double play that involved more defensive magic from Jose Iglesias. After Shane Victorino was plunked with one out, Dustin Pedroia smoked a comebacker. Rick Porcello made the play and tossed to second base, where Iglesias grabbed it and fired a rocket to first base while cutting across the bag. His transfer was flawless.

The Red Sox absolutely made the right decision in dealing away Iglesias to bring in Jake Peavy. But defensive plays like that make you realize that the Tigers got a special player in the trade.

Mid 3rd, Tigers 3-2: It didn’t take long for the Tigers to answer.

Prince Fielder — like Stephen Drew — peppered the right field seats, driving his 22nd home run of the season around Pesky’s Pole to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

Ryan Dempster started the third inning with his third strikeout of the night. Alex Avila went down swinging on a splitter that fell off the table. After that, the right-hander ran into trouble.

Jose Iglesias, as he did so often in Boston, dropped a bunt down the third base line that resulted in a single. Austin Jackson sent him from first to third with a line-drive single into right field.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard when Torii Hunter hit a chopper to second base. Dustin Pedroia fielded it, but it was hit softly, and Pedey’s only play was at first base. Iglesias crossed the plate to cut Detroit’s deficit in half.

Fielder then catapulted the Tigers ahead. He turned on a 2-0 slider from Dempster and ripped it right down the right field line. It ended up in the same vicinity of Drew’s second-inning homer, although Fielder’s was more of a line shot.

Victor Martinez put up an 11-pitch battle with two outs that ended with a groundout to second base.

End 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Stephen Drew has been one of the Red Sox’ most reliable players of late.

Drew, who scored the winning run Tuesday, gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the second inning by launching his 12th home run of the season. He hooked a 1-1 fastball from Rick Porcello right down the right field line and over Pesky’s Pole for a two-run dinger.

Drew has reached safely in 26 of his last 31 games and 10 of his last 11. He is now hitting .298 (37-for-124) with seven home runs and 24 RBIs over his last 35 contests.

Drew’s home run was of the two-run variety because Daniel Nava singled into left field with one out.

David Ortiz, Mike Napoli and David Ross were retired in the inning. Ortiz grounded out, Napoli flied out and Ross struck out.

Mid 2nd, 0-0: Ryan Dempster made it back-to-back scoreless innings to open his outing.

Dempster retired Andy Dirks, Don Kelly and Omar Infante in order in the second inning, although Infante almost gave the Tigers an early edge.

Dirks grounded out to Dustin Pedroia, and Kelly followed with a popout to the Boston second baseman. Infante then smoked a fly ball deep down the left field line that sailed just foul.

Dempster ended up striking out Infante to end the inning.

End 1st, 0-0: Rick Porcello pitched a scoreless first inning as well. He retired the side in order.

Jacoby Ellsbury, who missed Tuesday’s game while battling a hand issue, lifted a line drive to deep left field. It looked like it had a chance to reach the wall, but Andy Dirks retreated and made the grab on the warning track.

Shane Victorino struck out for the second out. Porcello dropped in a curveball to pick up the K, and Victorino didn’t exactly agree with the call.

Dustin Pedroia grounded out to Jose Iglesias to end the inning.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Ryan Dempster lasted into the seventh inning his last time out. He’s through one scoreless frame in this one.

Dempster started the night off in style. He threw just three pitches while striking out Austin Jackson. The Tigers leadoff man went down swinging on a fastball up in the zone.

Torii Hunter then forced Dempster to field his position. He hit a little dribbler in front of the mound that Dempster easily handled before tossing a strong throw to first base for the second out.

Prince Fielder was the only hitter to reach in the inning. He hit a ground ball off the end of his bat to the left side. With the Red Sox’ defense playing in a shift, Fielder easily reached without a throw.

Victor Martinez grounded back up the middle to Dustin Pedroia to end the inning.

7:10 p.m.: Ryan Dempster’s first pitch is a strike. We’re underway at Fenway Park.

6:50 p.m.: Congratulations, Xander Bogaerts.

Bogaerts was named USA Today Sports’ Minor League Player of the Year.

6:36 p.m.: The Red Sox (83-57) have already won 14 more games than last season, when they finished 69-93.

With its next victory, Boston will have its largest increase in wins since the 1967 “Impossible Dream” Red Sox (92-70) won 20 more games than the 1966 squad (72-90).

6:03 p.m.: The Cubs claimed Daniel Bard off waivers from the Red Sox on Wednesday, ending Bard’s up-and-down Boston tenure.

Bard was designated for assignment Sunday to make room for outfielder Quintin Berry on the 40-man roster. The move meant that any team could claim Bard, and Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and the rest of the Cubs’ front office ultimately decided to roll the dice.

John Farrell said before Wednesday’s game that he wasn’t surprised that the Cubs claimed Bard given the familiarity. He also said that the Red Sox wish the pitcher well as he continues his attempt to get back on track.

5:23 p.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury will return to the Red Sox’ lineup Wednesday.

Ellsbury was out of the lineup Tuesday, as he’s dealing with a hand issue. John Farrell said before Wednesday’s game that Ellsbury isn’t completely over the ailment, but it’s something that the outfielder will continue to manage.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia will not be in the Red Sox’ lineup Wednesday. Saltalamacchia also missed Tuesday’s game, as he is dealing with a back issue. Farrell said Wednesday that Saltalamacchia’s status has improved, but the catcher figures to be out of the lineup through at least Thursday.

Wednesday’s complete lineups are below.

Red Sox (83-57)

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

Shane Victorino, RF

Dustin Pedroia, 2B

David Ortiz, DH

Daniel Nava, LF

Mike Napoli, 1B

Stephen Drew, SS

David Ross, C

Will Middlebrooks, 3B

Ryan Dempster, RHP (7-9, 4.75 ERA)

Tigers (81-58)

Austin Jackson, CF

Torii Hunter, RF

Prince Fielder, 1B

Victor Martinez, DH

Andy Dirks, LF

Don Kelly, 3B

Omar Infante, 2B

Alex Avila, C

Jose Iglesias, SS

Rick Porcello, RHP (11-7, 4.44 ERA)

8 a.m. ET: The Red Sox made a statement Tuesday.

Jon Lester once again pitched like an ace, Will Middlebrooks provided a big hit, Boston’s bullpen nailed down a victory and the Red Sox handed Max Scherzer just his second loss in 28 starts. The Red Sox, owners of the American League’s best record, looked like a team that’s ready for playoff baseball.

The Red Sox still have 22 games remaining on the regular season schedule, though. Game No. 141 will be a rubber match against Detroit at Fenway Park. Wednesday’s matchup in Beantown will mark the end of a nine-game homestand for the Red Sox, who will start an eight-day, seven-game road trip in New York on Thursday.

Ryan Dempster will face Rick Porcello in Wednesday’s series finale. Dempster pitched well his last time out, and each start he makes is important because of his unclear future. Clay Buchholz figures to return soon, at which point Dempster could be moved to the bullpen.

Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Tune in on NESN, and follow along with the live blog.