Sox win again as Masterson remains undefeated

Sox 2, Seattle 1
WP: Masterson (3-0)
LP: Green (1-2)
SV: Papelbon (18)
HRs: BOS-Drew (8); SEA-None

SUMMARY:
JD Drew remained hot at the plate, homering for the second straight game and extending his hitting streak to 8 games, and Justin Masterson continued to pitch like a seasoned vet rather than a real rookie as the Sox took the series from Seattle despite netting just five base hits.

#1 STUNNER: Drew 1-3, 1R, 2BI, HR
Not only is the right fielder blazing with the bat, homering for the fourth time in the last eight games, but he is providing spectacular defense in the field, too, as his highlight reel catch of a Richie Sexon blast in the second inning proved.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Sean Green 2.1IP, 3H, 1ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
The league leader in appearances came on in relief of starter Erik Bedard an had just one mission to accomplish: keep the score tied. Instead he allowed a homer to Drew on his 5th pitch which turned out to be the difference in the game.

RECAP:
At the rate these guys are going who needs Ellsbury, Papi and Dice-K?

I know I've joked about this before but it's starting to appear to be true because no matter what lineup combo or starting pitcher Francona runs out there the Sox still have an excellent chance to win every time out.

Especially with Manny, Drew and Masterson as hot as the suddenly summer-like Boston weather.

Drew extended his torrid hitting streak to eight games, in which he's batting an even .500 (15-30) with 6 walks, 4 homers and 12 RBI, while Manny's 6th inning single prolonged his streak to 13 games, raising his average from .280 to .302 in that time.

And Masterson, as corny and cliched and overused as this phrase is, has truly been masterful as he has yet to lose in his young career and continues to astound and impress everyone in baseball every time he takes the mound.

Think the Stankees wish they had someone like this coming up from their farm system to bail them out?

But as well as the 23-year-old Jamaican born phenom has been he still hasn't even secured a spot in this tough-to-crack Red Sox rotation.

With Dice-K due back soon and Buchholz too experienced to leave in the minors for very long, Masterson, who still has plenty of options and minor league seasoning left, would appear to be the odd man out.

Unless he keeps pitching like this. Then there's no way they can keep him at Pawtucket, age and experience level non withstanding.

For the third time in four career starts Masterson (6IP, 3H, 1ER, 3BB, 4K, 88P) allowed just 1 earned run. He went at least six innings for the fourth straight time, and has yet to throw more than 95 pitches in any of his starts.

His ERA is 2.59, his WHIP is 1.07 and batters are hitting less than .200 off of him.

Like I said, gonna be hard to send this kid back down with numbers like that.

Today he got touched for a run early, but the situation could have been a lot worse if not for a superb catch by J.D. Drew. After walking the first two batters of the second inning, slumping Richie Sexson sliced a screaming liner to right center field that looked like it was going to go for a sure bases-clearing double.

But out of nowhere Drew raced over and snared the sinking liner with an awesome over-the-shoulder catch, saving two runs, and even though one runner advanced and came home on a groundout the potential for a big inning for Seattle was snuffed out with that catch.

That was the entire offense on the day as Boston held the M's to a mere three base hits, and once the Sox tied the game in the third you got the feeling that it was just a matter of time before they took control of this one.

Boston finally got to Bedard (5IP, 2H, 1ER, 3BB, 5K, 99P), who had handcuffed them last month in Seattle, in the third when they tied the game on only one base hit.

Coco Crisp started the rally with a one out single to right, then Bedard walked Brandon Moss and Dustin Pedroia to set up a bases loaded, tow out situation for Drew, and the slugger came through with an RBI once again, although this time he didn't get a hit but got hit with a Bedard pitch, tying the game at one.

After both teams traded a couple of scoreless innings Mariner manager John McLaren for some reason removed Bedard after the fifth, despite the fact that he had only allowed the one run and three hits, and Drew immediately jumped at the opportunity to face a new pitcher.

Sean Green came in as the leader in appearances in the American League with 32 and had only allowed one home run all season, April 24th against the Orioles.

Until today.

Green jumped ahead of Drew 0-2 before the rightfielder took a ball and fouled one off, then he blasted a bomb to the black seats in centerfield for his 8th home run and second in two days, and with the score 2-1 it was up to the Sox bullpen to bring the series win home.

Craig Hansen came in to relieve Masterson to start the seventh and after surrendering a leadoff walk the rejuvenated righty, who hasn't allowed an earned run in his last six appearances, set the next three Mariners down in order, the last two by strikeout.

Hideki Okajima, who has also settled down since his meltdown in Baltimore, tossed a 1-2-3 eighth, and then Jonathan Papelbon, who was victimized for an unearned run thanks to a rare Kevin Youkilis error yesterday, needed all of five pitches to dispatch what was left of the Mariners in the 9th for his 17th save and close out the win.

Tomorrow the Sox will enjoy a rare off day at home before taking on the O's on Tuesday, and if all goes well Jacoby Ellsbury should be back for that game, with Matsuzaka and Buchholz soon to follow him back to the big club.

If there's room for those guys.

RECORD: 40-26
AL EAST: Up 1 1/2 gms
STREAK: W2
LAST 10: 8-2
UP NEXT: Mon-Off; Tue vs. BAL @ Fenway 7:05