Sox prevail in long, messy game at Fenway

Sox 12, Tigers 6
WP: Wakefield (1-0)
LP: Robertson (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (3)
HRs: BOS-None; DET: Ordonez (1)

SUMMARY:
The Sox survived what was an interminable and nearly unwatchable debacle of a game tonight when they strung together three 4-run innings to hold off the Tigers. The contest featured 18 runs, 23 hits, 16 walks, a wild pitch, 2 hit batters, an error and a passed ball. And it took 3:45 to complete.

But at least they won.

Superstar: JD Drew 3-3, 2R, 2BI, BB
The hottest hitter on the team is none other than the man who Sox fans were lambasting for being too brittle when he had to miss the first three games of the season due to back issues. After this 3-hit effort, Drew is now batting .440 (11-25) and has hit safely in all 7 games he's played in.

The Biggest Loser(s): 8 of the 9 pitchers who threw in this game
Of the nine hurlers who tossed baseballs tonight, only one, Hideki Okajima, did not allow a hit, walk or a run. Only three did not allow a walk and only two did not allow a run.

Absolutely putrid.

RECAP:
After witnessing the second straight four hour debacle against the steaming mess that is this Detroit Tiger team, on top of a Little League game last night and tossing an hour of BP at practice tonight, I think I am at a loss for words to describe this game.

Let's just say that my kid's game last night was by far more crisp, entertaining and watchable than these last two against Detroit.

Anyway, I'm completely spent from all this baseball, so I'm gonna hit the sack and try to get a better handle on this in the morning.

And whatever you do, don't watch the NESN replay of this game if you want to keep your sanity.
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Okay, I'm back. And it's amazing how in the light of day this game doesn't seem as bad as it did watching it last night. I guess the combination of me being dog tired and the fact that no pitcher on either team could retire the side in order just made the game seem like one long, bad George Clooney sports movie.

Actually there were a couple of 1-2-3 innings, but only thanks to a pair of double plays turned by Detroit; at least one batter reached base in every inning for each team.

What it all added up to was a near 4-hour marathon with 386 pitches thrown, and when the dust settled Boston had to be content with coming out of their first home series with a 5-5 record while the Tigers are left scratching their heads, wondering how a potential World Series squad can already be out of it at 1-8.

Detroit did manage to take an early 2-0 lead when Tim Wakefield (5IP, 3H, 1ER, 5BB, 5K) got wild and allowed a walk, a single, a wild pitch, a sac fly and an RBI single to Placido Polanco in the 4th, but Boston answered with in the bottom of the frame when they roughed up Tiger starter Nate Robertson (5.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 6K) for four runs on three hits and two walks.

After Papi (0-3, 2BB), the only Sox player who didn't register a hit, struck out to open the inning, Manny and Youk both walked and Drew followed with an RBI single to right. Hot-hitting Coco Crisp (2-3, R, 2BI, 2BB) then sliced a ball off Pesky's Pole for a double that scored Youk, and a groundout by Sean Casey and single by Kevin Cash each resulted in runs.

The game stayed at 4-2 for a few innings despite the numerous baserunners allowed by each starter, and in the 6th inning both managers called on their pens to keep the score as is. Evidently neither pen got the message.

After pitching scoreless sixths both Zack Miner and Manny Delcarmen came unglued in the 7th. Manny D, who continues to regress from promising set-up man to future Paw Sox mop up man with every outing, gave up a monster shot to the previously homer and RBI-less Magglio Ordonez with one out in the 7th, pulling the Tigers to 4-3, which then prompted Tito to pull him one out later. Okajima got the final out of the inning to keep the lead at one.

Fortunately Miner (1IP, 1H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K) was worse than Delcarmen. After walking Pedroia and Manny with one out in the bottom of the inning, ManRam (1-3, R, 2BI, BB) delivered a booming double to deep left center that scored both runners and gave the team some breathing room at 6-3. Righty Francis Beltran fared no better as he walked Drew and Coco then surrendered a single to Casey (2-5, 3BI) that scored pinch runner Ellsbury and Drew for what seemed like a commanding 8-3 lead.

Long story short Julian Tavarez came on in the 8th (why Tito took Oki out nobody knows) and couldn't get anybody out; he gave up two walks and three hits before a double play grounder killed what could have been an even bigger inning for Detroit, and before we knew what happened the score was 8-6 and Francona had to bring in Papelbon to end the inning, which he did with just two pitches.

Boston put the game away for good in the 8th by scoring four more times, highlighted by a 2-run double by Youk, and by the time Paps got Marcus Thames to ground into a fielders choice to end the game everyone that had witnessed this ugly affair was just glad the Sox came out on top.

And speaking of long, ugly affairs, the Stanks come to town tomorrow night.

Rest up, Nation.

RECORD: 5-5
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: W1
UP NEXT: Fri vs. NYY 705 Wang vs. Buchholz