Sox take 1st game of DH thanks to Julie's gem

Sox 2, Detroit 1
WP: Tavarez (2-4)
LP: Miner (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (11)
HRs: none

RECAP:
Boston's 5th starter, Julian Tavarez, outpitched Detroit's 9th starter, emergency fill-in Zach Miner, and Manny Ramirez & Kevin Youkilis had RBI singles to help Boston take the first game of today's series-ending doubleheader.

HERO: Tavarez 7IP, 4H, 1ER, 4BB, 3K
In what was by far Julie's best start of 2007 he bested his season highs in innings and pitches (107), but allowed a season low in runs and hits.

So who cares if he doesn't know who Ernie Banks is!?

GOAT: Tiger's lineup 4H, 1R, 4BBs, 6Ks
Did these guys spend too much time down in Fanueil Hall last night or something? How the hell can a group of quality hitters like Detroit's manage just four measly singles and one stinking run off a guy who had been allowing more than six hits and nearly six runs per start coming in?

I'm sure Smokey Jim Leyland's asking (barking) that same, expletive-embellished question in the Detroit clubhouse right now.

SUMMARY:
I'm going to have to stop calling Tavarez the Human Gascan and start calling him something more appropriate, like say, Forrest Gump...

...because this year with Julie on the mound as a starter, you never know what you're gonna get.

His outings have run the gamut from the outrageous (6 runs in 4.2IP, 10 hits in 5IP) to the spectacular (see above). And like that faggy faux-hero Spiderman or another Britney Spears meltdown, just when we needed him most, Tavarez came through big time.

Perhaps he felt a surge of confidence when he learned that Detroit's scheduled starter, Mike Maroth, was a late scratch due to a "stomach virus" (checking the rumor that he was seen sipping Mai Tais at Hong Kong last night), or maybe he just wants to make his final starts count knowing that Jon Lester's return to the rotation is a looming certainty.

Zach Miner, a 25-year-old righty just recalled from Toledo after the Tigers were forced to put starter Jeremy Bonderman on the DL with a blister on his middle pitching finger, got the call and pitched a damn decent game considering the circumstances.

Regardless, Tavarez gave the Sox rotation a much-needed shot in the arm coming on the heels of Wakefield's loss on Tuesday, the rainout last night, and the news that Josh Beckett will not make his start tomorrow night and might have to go on the DL.

In other words it was a perfect time to pull a caramel-filled surprise out of Julie's box of candies.

It certainly helped his cause that the Sox got out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first thanks to the heads-up base running of Coco Crisp. Coco (1-4, R) singled with one out and looked to be a goner when Papi grounded to second as he was running by. But Crisp dove to the ground to avoid being tagged out by Placido Polanco, then he scooted to third when he noticed no one was manning the bag there.

Manny (2-4, RBI) immediately singled him in for a 1-0 Boston lead, and the Sox would tack on another run thanks to a gaffe by Detroit and another clutch hit from Kevin Youkilis in the third.

Julio Lugo led off the inning with a routine grounder to short, but the ball went right through the wickets of shortstop Carlos Guillen for what would turn out to be a costly error. Coco moved him to second on a groundout, and after Manny K'd, Youk (2-4, RBI) hit a sharp single to right to score Lugo with the unearned run to make it a 2-0 Boston lead.

Tavarez had run into a bit of trouble in the third (2-on & 2-out) but escaped any damage, but in the 5th the Tigers would finally scratch a run off of him. With one out Craig Monroe walked and Brandon Inge singled, and after Julie got Curtis Granderson (0-4) to strike out, Polanco ripped a single to center to score Monroe for Detroit's first-and turns out only-run.

Although Miner pitched admirably-5.1, 6H, 2R, 1ER, BB, 3Ks- and his replacement, Tim Byrdak more than held the fort with an awesome appearance, it just wasn't enough to compete with the force that was Julian Tavarez on this day.

Julie's day was done after a season-high seven innings, and after he sprinted off the field to a standing "O", the Dynamic Duo of Hideki Okajima (1IP, 1K) and Jonathan Papelbon (1IP, 2K) slammed the door on any potential Tigers comeback and the Sox secured at least a split of the doubleheader and this series.

So it's on to Game 2o f the day, the last of the series, which is set to tip off about 3 1/2 hours from now.

I hope Julie enjoys a couple of cervezas in the clubhouse in between games as a reward for his herculean effort.

NOTES:

-J.D.Drew (back), as expected, was not in the lineup. In fact with the twinbill Tito started most of his "B" team- Hinske, Cora and Mirabelli; the trio combined to go 0-8

-Okajima's scoreless 8th extended his streak to 18.2 innings without giving up a run; he struck out Gary Sheffield on his filty favorite pitch, the Oki-Doke, which made Sheffield look like a joke (sorry, got carried away)

-Papelbon hadn't pitched in five days and has only pitched five innings this month, yet he was as sharp as ever; he needed on 13 pitches-11 strikes- to get through the 9th, he struck out two on 94-mph heaters and had his slider and split-finger working to perfection

-The Sox only tallied six hits one game after registering just seven, and Manny & Youk had four of the six (Coco & Lowell had the others)

-That's B-Y-R-D-A-K with a K: the Tiger relivever struck out five of the six batters he faced today, and when you throw in the one he fanned two nights ago, he has struck out six of the 12 Boston batters he has faced since his callup from Toledo on Sunday

-Some dickbag with a glove in the 3rd base box seats interfered with Lowell's shot down the line in the 6th inning; the umps ruled it a single which kept Manny at second, and Tito argued briefly but vehemently, but to no avail

-Magglio Ordonez, noted Red Sox killer, was 0-4, as were Ivan Rodruguez and thorn-in-the-side Granderson

QUOTES:

-"For goodness sake, don't interfere with the balls in play."- Remy to the aforementioned dickbag

RECORD: 27-12

AL EAST: *Up 8 1/2 (*NY game not final)

UP NEXT: vs. DET in 3 1/2 hours!