Sox complete sweep in HR derby finale at Fenway

Sox 11, Milwaukee 7
WP: Beckett (5-3)
LP: Villanueva (2-5)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Ortiz, 2 (10), Pedroia (2), Youk (9); MIL-Braun, 2 (13), Hardy (2), Fielder (6)

SUMMARY:
The Sox winning ways continued in another sloppy contest as the teams combined to blast 8 home runs, the most longballs hit in a game at Fenway in six years. Josh Beckett, who gave up four dingers, got the win, and coupled with a Rays loss Boston reclaimed sole possession of first place in the East.

SUPERSTAR(S): Papi, Pedroia & Youk 9-14, 7R, 8BI, 2B, 4HRs
We always talk about the dynamic duo of Manny & Papi, but how about the eye-popping stats from this terrific trio. The threesome single handedly had as many runs and hits as the entire Brewer's team, and every time Boston needed a big hit one of these guys provided it.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Beckett 7IP, 6H, 6ER, 1BB, 9K, 4HRs
I know he got the win and fanned nine batters, but he also allowed four homers to a slumping Milwaukee club and raised his ERA by nearly a half a run. As a result the Nation is still waiting for the 2007 version of Beckett to emerge.

RECAP:
It wasn't easy, it wasn't pretty and it wasn't a game you'd want to use as a primer for a pitching clinic.

Today's series finale with the Brewers at Fenway was entertaining, exciting, and ultimately fulfilling, mainly because the Sox hung on for the win and jumped back into first place in the AL East for the first time in about a week.

But with bad weather looming on the horizon, the Celtics Game 7 with the Cavaliers getting ready to start across town, and baseballs flying out of the park at an average rate of about 1 per inning, it's safe to say everyone was just happy to close this series out and get this friggin game over with.

No one on the Red Sox was probably more glad to see this one end than starter Josh Beckett, who had a forgettable performance on a day where all the signs pointed to a potential vintage Beckett outing, despite his shaky (0-2/9.53) career record vs. Milwaukee.

It was vintage Beckett alright. Unfortunately the vintage was mid-2006.

Things began badly for Beckett and Boston when he allowed a pair of runs to score in the first inning on a 1-0 out double by Mike Cameron followed by a 2-run Monster shot by Ryan Braun five pitches later.

It was the first time in five games Boston failed to score at least the first three runs of the game, although they did extend their streak of scoring in the first inning to six straight games.

After Dustin Pedroia (3-4, 3R, 2BI) drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first off Milwaukee starter Carlos Villanueva (4IP, 5H, 6R, 5ER, 3BB, 3K, 2HRs), Ortiz sliced a double to deep right center field to score Pedroia all the way from first -thanks to Francona having the hit and run on - and the Brewers lead was cut in half, 2-1.

Beckett faced the minimum six batters over the next two innings before the blazing Boston bats struck for two quick runs with two outs in the bottom of the third when Pedroia and Papi went back to back off Villanueva to give Boston and Beckett a 3-2 lead.

Time for Beckett to plow through this Brewers lineup like Brett Michaels through groupies and bring this baby home in time to catch the second half of the Cs game, right?

Uh, not quite.

No sooner did Boston retake the lead then Beckett gave it right back when he surrendered a two-run bomb to JJ Hardy with two outs in the 4th, and just as we were about to put this one on the PIP the Brews had to make sure no one in the Nation could afford to switch this one off.

Like an MLB version of pong, Boston grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the 4th when the Brewers fell apart in the field and on the mound.

Portly Prince Fielder started the Sox rally when he dropped a simple throw on a routine grounder by Mike Lowell to lead off the inning, and Villanueva collapsed from there. He allowed a single to Youk, a walk to Tek to load the bases, and after Coco Crisp struck out in a 10-pitch at bat, he walked Julio Lugo to tie the game at four and then surrendered a two-run single by Jacoby Ellsbury that gave Boston a 6-4lead.

The inning did end on a sour note, though, as Lugo was picked off second on Ellsbury's hit and then stolen bases streak Jacoby had compiled came to a screeching halt when Milwaukee pitched out and catcher Jason Kendall caught the rookie red handed, ending the run at 25 straight thefts.

Boston appeared to put the game away when Ortiz homered again to right field off 31-year-old Milwaukee rookie Mark DeFelice, who was making his major league debut and had the misfortune of doing so against the likes of this lineup, and the Boston lead was now a healthy four, 8-4.

Okay, so now it was time for Beckett to take it to the house, right?

Well, ummm, ahhh, not exactly.

In the 6th the Brew crew evoked unpleasant memories of Harvey's Wallbangers when Braun and Fielder went back-to-back with one out in the inning, and suddenly the lead was 8-6 and no one in the building nor the national TBS audience quite knew what to make of this awkward Sunday afternoon contest.

Was the focus of the game the sheer relentless determination of the potent Boston offense, or the grave inability for Beckett to close an inferior team out when his teammates gave him plenty of chances to do so?

Granted a couple of the homers were off breaking balls, so it wasn't quite like '06 when he was throwing strictly fastballs and daring batters to hit them out, which they did, 36 times. But he has allowed 8 homers in his last 37.2 innings, so something ain't quite kosher there.

The point became moot when Boston tacked on three more runs in the next two innings, the final two coming on a Monster shot by Youk (3-5, 2R, 2BI) that made the score 11-6, and after Manny Delcarmen gave up a run (as usual) to keep the game somewhat close, Francona went straight for his horse, Jonathan Papelbon, to put this game to rest with a scoreless 9th.

So a sweep is a sweep is a sweep, even if these games were ugly enough make baseball purists gag on their sacred stats, and now the team is back where it belongs, in first place, with a four game series with the Royals on tap before they head out on another 10 game road trip on Friday.

Maybe that series will be a little more aesthetically pleasing for the purists.

RECORD: 27-19
AL EAST: Up 1gm
STREAK: W3
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Mon vs. Royals 705 Hochevar vs. Lester