Sox win series, 3 games to 1
Game Results:
GM1: BOS, 7-1
GM2: DET, 7-2
GM3: BOS, 2-1
GM4: BOS, 4-2
STATS: DET/BOS
RUNS: 11/15
HITS: 31/35
AVG: .228/.259
HRs: 4/2
ERA: 3.55/ 2.75
Hitting Composite Box Score:
- Lugo: 2-12, 3B, 2R, 3RBI-had a big GM1, then regressed after that
- Youk: 7-18, 2B, HR, 3R, 4RBI- team's most consistent hitter last 2 wks
- Papi: 3-12, 2-2Bs, 2BBs, R, RBI-rough series; sat out GM4 with a virus
- Manny: 4-19, 2RBI-not sure where he's at, coming on or falling back
- Lowell: 5-14- only two ribbies in his last six games, none this series
- Tek: 3-7, 2B, 3R- actually got two games off this series due to rain out
- Drew: 1-7, RBI- as if the slump isn't bad enough, now he's banged up
- Coco:5-12, 3R, RBI-decent series but still hitting just .233
- Pedroia: 2-6, R- another guy who sat two of the four games
- Cora: 1-10, RBI- average has "plummeted" to .362
- Hinske: 2-7, 2B, HR, 2R, 2RBI- all that plus an awesome catch
- Belli: 0-7- didn't take advantage of first back-to-back starts
- WMP: 0-2, 3BBs- never thought I'd see him with a linescore like that
Pitching Composite Box:
- Dice-K: 9IP, 6H, ER, 0BB, 5Ks, HR, W-had his coming out game Monday
- Wakefield: 7IP, 9H, 5ER, BB, 4Ks, 2HRs, L- he's allowed one bad outing
- Tavarez: 7IP, 4H, ER, 4BBs, 3Ks, W- came through with a monster GM3
- Schill: 6IP, 8H, 2ER, 4BBs, 6Ks, HR- must step it up with Beckett out
- Donnelly: 2IP, 4H, 2ER, OBBs, 2Ks, W- shaky GM2, win in GM4
- Okajima: 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K, SV- 18.1 consecutive scoreless IP
- Papelbon: 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2Ks, SV- sparingly used, yet still deadly
- Snyder: 1.1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 3Ks- might get a spot start in Beckett's absence
- Lopez: 2/3IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K- has yet to allow a run in 8 apps
Although the numbers from this series don't exactly jump off the page at you, the Sox had a very positive series against Detroit, the team that was breathing down its neck for the best record in the AL when the series began.
If you look strictly at batting average, homers and runs scored, then no way was this series on par with say, the Baltimore or Toronto series. But as far as quality wins over a playoff-tested club, the end results more than make up for any sudden power outage (but seriously, two homers in four games against some of those pitchers really sucks).
The rain out in the middle of the week certainly didn't help matters, and neither did the news that Josh Beckett would have to go on the DL, but yet the Sox took any perceived negatives and turned them into positives, not only distancing themselves from the Tigers, who no longer own the second-best AL mark (that distinction now belongs to Cleveland), but opening up a ginourmous 9 1/2 game lead over the second place Stankees in the East in the process.
Mission accomplished.
Oh, by the way, yours truly predicted a 3-of-4 result, thank you very much.
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