Sox 5, Minnesota 2
WP: Matsuzaka (6-0)
LP: Perkins (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (11)
HRs: BOS-Youkilis (8), Lowell (3), Crisp (1), Lowrie (1); MIN- None
SUMMARY:
A tightly contested game highlighted by strong starting pitching and solid defensive play was decided by a longball barrage by Boston, which launched four solo homers including back-to-back jacks in the 7th by Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie that gave the Sox the lead for good.
SUPERSTAR: Lowrie 3-4, 2R, BI, HR
Not a bad time to get your first career home run - with the game tied and time running out. Lowrie also added a double and a single on the night, making it harder for the club to send him back to Pawtucket when Sean Casey and Alex Cora come off the DL next week.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Glen Perkins 6IP, 9H, 3ER, 0BB, 3K, 3HR
It wasn't a terrible performance for a kid making his first career start, but when you're 9 outs away from a win and you allow home runs to light hitting Coco Crisp and the first homer of a rookie's career, you're gonna earn the 'loser' tag.
RECAP:
A game that started out great for Boston suddenly turned sour, but things got better as the game went on, leading to a satisfying win.
Welcome to the Homerdome.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (7IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K) pitched himself into - and out of - a few jams on this evening, especially when he walked in the tying run after Youk had given the Sox a 1-0 lead with his 5th homer this week in the 2nd inning.
But despite falling behind on an RBI single by Justin Morneau in the 5th, Boston hung in there until they could finally get to the youngster Perkins, who was making his first start of his career, having just been called up from the minors to take the place of disabled Pat Neshack.
The comeback came quickly and from a couple of unexpected sources, but that's the way this team has been playing all year, by getting contributions from each and every part of the lineup.
Crisp, who hadn't homered since last September 6th, began the 7th with a deep drive into the left field seats to tie the game at two, and if that was an unlikely hit the next one was even more surprising.
That's because Jed Lowrie, for all the good he's done since his callup, hasn't showed much power. Until tonight.
After getting a reprieve when Matt Tolbert dove and slid but couldn't snag his foul pop up down the right field line, Lowrie swung at the next pitch, a breaking ball away, and somehow managed to pop it into the left field stands as well, giving the Sox a 3-2 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Mike Lowell added his third homer of the week, and the season, to lead off the 8th, and after Hideki Okijima pitched aa 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th, the Sox tacked on an insurance run in the 9th when Lowrie singled, went to second on a sacrifice, and scored on a base hit by Dustin Pedroia.
That was more than enough cushion for Jonathan Papelbon, who returned to his usual robo-closer self by striking out two of the three hitters to record the save.
So once again the Sox bounced back from a disheartening defeat to pull out a spirited win, preventing any losing streak from building up while riding the wave of having won 9 of its last 12 games.
Just think if the big boppers start hitting it out of the Homerdome.
RECORD: 24-15
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Sun @ MIN 8pm ESPN Wakefield vs. Blackburn
5.10.2008
Four home runs propel Sox to win vs. Twins
5.09.2008
Paps' 2nd straight blown save leads to another tough loss
Minnesota 7, Sox 6
WP: Crain (1-1)
LP: Papelbon (2-2)
SV: None
HRs: None
SUMMARY:
For the second time in three games Boston fell behind early thanks to shaky starting pitching then fought back to take a late lead, only to see it frittered away by the previously unhittable Jonathan Papelbon.
SUPERSTAR: Mike Lamb 1-2, 2BI
Inserted into the game in place of injured second baseman Brendan Harris the journeyman infielder, who was in the midst of a 3-20 skid, blooped a single to left field with two on in the bottom of the 9th to win the game for the ecstatic Twins.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Papelbon 2/3IP, 2H, 2ER, BB, BS, L
It seems as if the bullpen bug has finally bitten the closer, who had not blown a save since last September and now has two in the last three days.
And this time he didn't have Julio Lugo to blame for the loss.
RECAP:
Not much more to say about this game than I already have except HOLY SHIT THIS ONE SUCKED!
Another epic comeback by the never-say-die offense was thrown down the toilet after the closer couldn't finish the deal, turning what one minute appeared to be a sweet series-opening victory into a bitter defeat in the blink of an eye.
I know Papelbon is only human and not an indestructible, flame throwing dancing machine that is programmed to mow down hitters and follow each save with an eye bulging primal scream, but when you hand him a 6-5 lead and then he gets beat the way he got beat tonight, it's tough to keep the proper perspective like that.
The first batter to reach in the 9th, Delmon Young, has been a monumental bust since being dealt from the Rays in the off season for pitcher Matt Garza, batting just .264
with 4 extra base hits and 10 ribbies. Always known for his defense, he badly butchered a fly ball by Mike Lowell in the 5th that allowed the Sox to get right back in the game.
Yet he somehow sliced a single up the middle to start the 9th, and things went downhill from there.
After a sacrifice moved Young to second, Paps got Adam Everett to foul out to first for the second out of the game, and with young Carlos Gomez and retread Mike Lamb coming up, it looked like 'that's all she wrote time' then.
Except the fat lady wasn't done singing yet. In fact she was just getting warm.
When Young stole third base uncontested, no one cared because all Paps had to do was blow Gomez away and they were out of there.
But the kid who was acquired in the Johan Santana trade, who had walked only three times all season, somehow worked the count full and then watched as ball four went by him, and suddenly the Twins had new life.
When Gomez stole second uncontested, no one cared because all Paps had to do was blow Lamb away and they were out of there.
But Lamb missed the plan, and after fouling off a couple of 97 mph heaters, he stroked a soft single to left field just over the infield and too far in front of Manny, and both the uncontested runners came around to score in a moment that was both mesmerizing and agonizing for Sox fans Nationwide.
The fact that it had come to that point, that Boston held the lead after such a horrendous start to this game, was a testament to the unrelenting offensive attack the team has possessed the past 10 days or so.
Sox starter Jon Lester (5.1IP, 8H, 5R, 3ER, 1BB, 2K) got them in a hole early, allowing two runs in the 1st inning and two more in the 2nd after Boston had tied it at two in the top of the frame.
By the time Gomez singled home Matt Tolbert, who had doubled with one out in the 4th and moved to third on a wild pitch, it felt like it just wasn't meant to be after the team had to fly in to Minny in the wee hours of the morning following the Detroit series.
That theory was disproved shortly thereafter as the Sox struck for four runs in the top of the 5th inning as the first four Boston batters reached base against Twins starter Boof Bonser (4IP, 7H, 6ER, 3BB, 3K), the big blow being Lowell's booming 2-run double that could have been caught by Young if he didn't take a most circuitous route to the ball at the wall.
Staked to a 6-5 lead, Lester retired the next four batters until Young's single in the 6th led Francona to bring in David Aardsma to face Tolbert.
After Tolbert fanned, Everett hit a shot to the left center field gap that appeared to be headed for the wall until Jacoby Ellsbury cut it off,a nd a perfect relay throw from Ellsbury to Pedroia to Tek nailed Young at the plate and preserved the one run lead.
For the moment.
Two scoreless innings by Hideki Okajima left the Sox in perfect position for Papelbon to slam the door in the 9th, but alas the best laid plans...
It was a game filled with odd/bad plays, such as Youk reaching on a strikeout and then scoring Boston's first run, balls hitting base runners, wild pitches, missed cutoff men and another error by Julio Lugo, but it also featured many good things, like Boston swiping 3 more bases and the Sox stringing up another dozen base hits.
Unfortunately the bad far outweighed the good in this one.
It usually does when your robo-closer goes all HAL 9000 on you.
RECORD: 23-15
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Sat @ MIN 710 Matsuzaka vs. Parker
Series Preview: Sox at Minnesota
Minnesota Twins (17-16, 1st in AL Central)
4 game series @ the Metrodome
Game 1 Friday 810
Lester (2-2, 3.94) vs. Bonser (2-4, 4.29)
Game 2 Saturday 710
Matsuzaka (5-0, 2.43) vs. Perkins (NR)
Game 3 Sunday 800 ESPN
Wakefield (3-1, 3.33) vs. Blackburn (2-2, 3.65)
Game 4 Monday 705 ESPN
Buchholz (2-2, 4.50) vs. Hernandez (5-1, 3.83)
What to watch for: can the Twins keep it up?
Nobody, and I 'mean not even native Minnesotans, thought the Twinks would contend this season. Not after they traded the foundation of the pitching staff, Johan Santana, especially with the young phenom who could've replaced him, Francisco Liriano, recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Yet here they are 1/5th of the way into the season and sitting atop the AL Central. Sure their record is barely above .500, but given the other alternatives I think people are pretty happy in the Twin Cities.
Who to watch for: CF Carlos Gomez .279/19R/7 2B/11RBI /13SB/.302OBP
The speedy centerfielder was one of the key pieces in the Santana trade, and he is starting to pay dividends already. The 22-year-old became the first Twin to hit for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986 when he accomplished the rare feat Wednesday night against the Chisox.
Sure he has 31 strikeouts and just 3 walks, and he has a paltry .302 OBP, horrid numbers for the leadoff man. But he's in the midst of a 14-40 (.350)streak, and his hustle and enthusiasm have provided a spark for the notoriously stodgy club.
PREVIEW:
Thanks again, schedule makers.
Boston just played a four game series at Detroit with no off day between that one and the next one in Minny, and it has to play another 4-gamer with no off day before it heads to Baltimore for that series, which starts Tuesday.
Not only are there no off days in between, but they don't even get the customary afternoon game on getaway day to give them more time to get to the next city.
So the Sox might be a little tired this evening when they take on the Twins in the first game of the series, but they way they've been playing this past week, it might not matter.
Boston has won 8 of its last 10 games since dropping five straight at the end of April, and to say the offense is finally clicking on all cylinders would be putting it mildly.
Since that scoring drought that saw the team average a meager 1.3 runs per game over a six game stretch, the Boston bats have come alive, averaging almost 7 1/2 RPG in the seven games since.
And the best thing about it is almost everyone has been a contributor in some way or another, whether it be big home runs (Youk, Lowell), high average (Big Papi), clutch base hits (Pedroia) or just plain getting on, getting over and getting in (Ellsbury).
The best news of the latest surge, though, has been the resurgence of Ortiz. Since taking an 0-6 and subsequently sitting out two games with a sore knee sustained belly-flopping into first base in St. Pete, Papi has been on an absolute tear. He has 15 hits in his last 35 at bats (.429), raising his average 55 points, and he has been driving in runs like the Big Papi of old (8 in his last 8 games).
The other encouraging part about this streak is that the pitching has performed nearly as well as the hitting, save for that 10-run clunker Wednesday night in Motown.
Not counting that debacle, Boston has allowed just 20 runs in the last 11 games, or a little over 2 runs per game, and that combined with the awesome offense has added up to Boston owning the 2nd best record in the majors and being tied for the largest division lead as well.
Minnesota will present some problems for Boston, not the least of which is playing in that godawful Dome, but the Twins pitchers should not be one of them. Gone is the rotation of Santana, Liriano and Radke, replaced by guys like Boof Bonser, Nick Blackburn and unknown rookie Glenn Perkins.
The one Twin who is pitching well is the ageless Livian Hernandez. Picked up in the offseason, the former Marlin, Giant, Expo, National and Diamondback hurler has a stellar 5-1 record and a sweet sub-4.00 ERA, but he has surrendered 8 home runs, second most in the American League.
If the Sox can take care of business against those lesser-known hurlers, maybe Big Papi will make his return to Minnesota memorable with a big bomb off Hernandez in the series finale, and perhaps the Sox can take 3 of 4 again before they head to Baltimore to close out this brutal 10 game, no off-day roadie.
No thanks to the schedule makers. Read More......
5.08.2008
Beckett steers Boston back on winning track
Sox 5, Detroit 1
WP: Beckett (4-2)
LP: Verlander (1-6)
SV: None
HRs: BOS- Youk (7); DET-None
SUMMARY:
Josh Beckett did what aces do - stop a losing streak by shutting down the opposing team. Becks rode the strength of a 13-hit attack and an early 3-0 lead to stymie the Tigers on six hits and a single run in seven innings as Boston took three of four in Motown.
SUPERSTAR: Youk 1-5, R, 2BI, HR
Hitting in Manny's 4-spot, Youk made like Ramirez when he launched a 2-run homer in the 5th inning that gave the Sox a more comfortable cushion and provided the final margin of 5-1. It was Youk's 4th homer of the series and 8th lifetime at Comerica.
No word if Mike Illitch tried to sign him to a pizza-laden contract after the game.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Curtis Granderson 0-4, 4K
Detroit's sparkplug from the leadoff position had a series to forget - 2-18 with 8 strikeouts - capped by this Golden Sombrero stinker. No wonder the Tiggers had such a horrible offensive series.
RECAP:
Now that's more like it.
After a heart wrenching loss last night, the Sox needed to end this series on a positive note lest they head to play the first place Twins riding a two game losing streak that would have destroyed all the momentum they had built during their five game winning streak.
Have no fear, RSN, because Josh Beckett was here.
Looking more and more like the Cy Young winner he should have been last year, Beckett (7IP, 6H, 1ER, 0BB, 8K) stifled the same Detroit bats that had drubbed Sox pitchers for 18 hits and 10 runs last night, leading his team to a series win as they head into the first place showdown at the Metrodome this weekend.
And it's a good thing he was as solid as he was tonight because Boston had numerous opportunities to blow the game open but they could not capitalize, leaving 10 mean on base including the bases loaded in the 8th inning.
But when your starting pitcher only has one bad inning that results in just one run scored, and your relievers finally come in and don't allow any runs, five runs is enough to win, especially against the reeling Tigers.
Boston would get all the runs it would need in the 2nd inning when eight men came to the plate and three of them scored when the Tigers had a terrible inning that typified their season thus far.
Mike Lowell, who had two more hits tonight and went 8-19 in th series, led off with a single to center against struggling Detroit starter Justin Verlander (6IP, 9H, 4ER, 1BB, 5K, HR), and JD Drew followed with a single to right. A wild pitch moved both runner up a base, and the Jason Varitek lined a shot off third baseman Carlos Guillen that trickled into left field, allowing not only Lowell but Drew to score.
On the ensuing throw to the plate the ball hit Drew and scooted away, allowing Tek to take second base, and then Coco Crisp (3-4) poured gas on the fire when he beat out another bunt hit to set up a 1st & 3rd, no out situation.
Verlander then did what everyone in the Nation would love to do - hit Lugo with a pitch - and when Jacoby Ellsbury lofted a sac fly to make it 3-0, it looked like the rout was on.
But Verlander got Dustin Pedroia to fly out and then fanned David Ortiz to end the threat, and Boston had to settle for a three run lead.
As it turned out, that was plenty.
Beckett worked out of a mini jam in the 3rd when Detroit got two on with two outs, but in the 4th he wasn't so fortunate. After recording two quick outs the Tigers rapped three straight hits off Becks, the last an RBI single by seldom-used shortstop Ramon Santiago, and the Boston lead was sliced to 3-1.
Fortunately for Boston Kevin Youkilis, aka the Comerica Killer, was up in the next inning, and after Ellsbury (2-4, R, BI) led off with a single Youk took the first pitch he saw from Verlander over the left field wall and just out of the reach of rookie Matt Joyce for a 2-run bomb that pushed the lead to 5-1 and let the entire Nation breathe a little easier.
It was Youk's 8th homer at the cavernous ballpark, the most - by a half dozen - that he has hit in any road park.
The rest of the game was a mere formality as Beckett kept mowing down Tiger batters, setting down 10 in a row to end his evening, including a strikeout of Brandon Inge to start the 7th which was the 1,000th K of the young stud's career.
Craig Hansen came in to pitch a 1-2-3 8th in relief of Beckett, and Manny Delcarmen tossed an uneventful 9th (although he did allow a hit, of course), and Boston avenged last night's soul-crushing loss with a decisive win.
Now it's off to that glorious stadium known as the Metrodome for a date with the surprising Twins. I'm gonna have to do some research as to which Sox hits the Teflon cover off that dreary dome.
RECORD: 23-14
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 8-2
UP NEXT: Fri @ MIN 810 Lester vs. Bonser
5.07.2008
Atrocious pitching, horrible error lead to heartbreaking loss for Sox
Detroit 10, Sox 9
WP: Jones (1-0)
LP: Papelbon (2-1)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Youk, 2 (6), Lowell (2); DET-None
SUMMARY:
Boston came back from deficits of 5-1 and 8-4 to take a 9-8 lead in the 8th inning, only to see all that hard work thrown away. Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save of the year, allowing two runs in the bottom of the 9th, but it was another error by Julio Lugo that prolonged the inning and led to the loss.
SUPERSTAR: Placido Polanco 5-6, 2R, 3BI, GW RBI
The man with the cranium of a T3000 came through in the clutch all night, no more so than when he blooped a broken bat single over Lugo's head to drive in the game winning run in the 9th.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Lugo 1-2, 2B, BB, E
Let's just say there's a certain poetic irony to the fact that the ball Lugo booted for his major league-leading 10th error was hit by the last man who was a complete and unmitigated bust at the shortstop position for Boston - Edgar Rentanerror.
Welcome to the club, Julio.
RECAP:
Boston's five game winning streak and Detroit's five game losing streak both came to a stunning end in a wild game at Comerica Park that had more ups and downs than Robert Downey Jr's career.
If you like horrid pitching and video game-like hitting this game was for you, because it sure had plenty of both. The starting pitchers for both sides, Clay Buchholz and Armando Galarraga, did not pitch nearly up the the level they had been recently, and the relievers for both sides weren't much better.
The result? Detroit slammed a season-high 18 hits, the most Boston has allowed all season, although only two went for extra bases, and Boston clubbed a dozen base knocks, including three more homers and four doubles, in a game that was nearly delayed by rain but still took almost four hours to complete.
I guess the Tigers really are trying to be the new Stankees.
Anyway, I'm too worn out from coaching my son's third baseball game in three nights and then watching this maddening ballagame to write a coherent synopsis right now, so I'm going to head to bed with visions of Julio Lugo bobbling yet another routine ground ball dancing in my head.
Maybe when I wake up I'll read that he's been traded to Chicago for Orlando Cabrera.
Bring back the OC, please Theo!
Goodnight now.
------------------------------------
Well, just as I though, the light of day hasn't made the pain of last night's loss any easier to take. I don't believe Lugo was demoted, traded or castrated overnight either, making matters even worse.
It was a game that resembled one of my son's Little League games in many ways, filled with odd plays, miscues, crazy comebacks and final-inning drama. The only things missing were a pitch count and a "no leading" rule.
As I said both staters were less than impressive, especially Buchholz (4IP, 10H, 5ER, 1BB, 6K), who had his worst outing in almost a month. He was in trouble in every inning, none more so than the 3rd, when he allowed four runs on five hits and a walk.
After a leadoff double by Pudge Rodriguez, Polanco rapped a one-out double to left for the Tigers first run, then Carlos Guillen follwed with a single to center to score Polanco for a 2-0 lead.
Buchholz gave up a single to Magglio Ordonez and walked Miguel Cabrera to load the bases, and slumping Gary Sheffield, who had three hits on the night, singled to left to score Guillen. An RBI groundout by rookie Matt Joyce completed the scoring, and probably should have completed Buchholz' night, but he was allowed to come back for more abuse.
Boston sliced the lead in half when Kevin Youkilis hit a towering homer to left with Mike Lowell aboard with two outs in the 4th, but Buchholz gave one run right back when Detroit got three straight hits with two out in the bottom of the inning to run the score to 5-2.
Boston again cut the deficit in the nexct inning when they parlayed a walk, hit by ppitch, fielder's choice and a stolen base into a pair of runs, the first comeing home on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie and the second on an opposite field bleeder from Big Papi (2-5, BI), and suddenly the score was 5-4 and Boston had hope of winning a game that seemed unwinnable just a few innings earlier.
And then Julian tavarez relieved Buchholz to start the 5th and Julie immediately gave three runs right back as Detroit put together four more hits and a sacrifice, the big blow being a two-run double by Rodriguez that was followed by an RBI single by PPolanco, and with the score 8-4 it looked like it was lights out time for Boston.
Not so fast my friends.
Another longball from Youk cut the deficit to 8-5 in the 6th, and after Galarraga (5.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 1BB, 6K, 2HR) was removed in favor of Zach Miner to start the 7th, Botson got all the way back in the game with one swing of the bat.
Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, 2R) started the rally with a leadoff single and then he stole second for his 2nd steal of the game and 22nd straight to start his career, and after a couple of outs Manny walked, forcing Leyland to bring rookie righty Francisco Cruceta to face Mike Lowell with the game in the balance.
Lowell made the decision look foolish when he crushed a 2-1 offering from Cruceta deep into the left field seats for a game-tying, crowd-silencing 3-run homer, and just like that it was a new game, 8-8.
Who knew then that the best - and worst - was still yet to come.
The best part happened when Dustin Pedroia lined a clutch pinch hit single off Cruceta in the top of the 9th that scored JD Drew with the go-ahead run that gave the Sox a 9-8 lead with 6 outs to go. Knowing that Boston had Hideki Okajima lined up for the 8th and Papelbon raring to go in the 9th brought a sense of calm to the Nation, and a feeling that the comeback kids would aadd another notch to their belts.
Ah, no.
Oki, who has been shaky lately, barely survived the 8th after he allowed a one-out singles to Ordonez and Cabrera, but fortunatley he got Sheffield to strike out and Leyalnd made a boneheaded decison to send the runners, and Mags was easily gunned out at third to end the inning.
Whew!
Boston had a chance to pad the lead in the 9th when Lowell doubled and Drew walked, but ancient Todd jones escpaed the inning unscathed, setting up the 9th inning dramatics for Detroit.
Papelbon, who had been the only reliable member of the pen all season, had coverted saves in his last two appearances and hadn't allowed a run since April 17th against the Stanks, so there was no fear in the hearts of sox fans that this would be another routine save of a game that was anything but routine.
Turned out that was mere wishful thinking.
Things started ominously when Joyve beat out an infoeld dribbler to short for his first major league hit, and they got worse when one batter later Rentanerror hit a tough hoper to Lugo that might not have been a double play ball but should definitely resulted in an out somehwere.
Instead Lugo got caught up thinking two instead of getting the sure out (another Little League no-no), and after he lost the ball in the transfer, both runner were safe and the tension was suddenly ratcheted up to full peak.
Rodriguez' sacrifice moved the runners up and then Granderson's groundout tied the game, but Boston still had hopes for extra innings if Paps could just retire Bigheado Polanco.
Unfortunately after battling to a full count, Polanco chuncked a broken bat blooper over Lugo's head (appropraitely) and Rentanaerror came around to score the winning run (ditto), and Boston had snuck a loss out of the jaws of victory after fighting so hard to come back and take the lead.
But we just have to put this one behind us and hope Beckett comes out like the Beckett of old tomorrow night and the Sox can at least take the series from the Tigers, and pray that Detroit doesn't use this win as a springboard to a long winning streak that salvages their sinking season.
And pray that Lugo comes up with a sudden injury that will enable Boston to bury him on the DL until they can find a way to unload the latest incarnation of Edgar.
RECORD: 22-14
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Thu @ DET 705 Beckett vs. Verlander
Game Preview: Sox @ Detroit GM3
Buchholz (2-2, 3.71) vs. Galarraga (2-1, 1.88)
705 Comerica Park
So far manager Smokey Jim Leyland's ballyhooed shakeup of the struggling Detroit roster - moving slumping slugger Gary Sheffield from 3rd to 6th and making him play the field, switching positions for 3rd baseman Miguel Cabrera and 1st baseman Carlos Guillen - has produced a grand total of 3 runs and 8 hits in two games.
Maybe he should claim he's switching to Nicorette for his next great trick.
The Tigers, who had shown signs of improving recently when they ripped off an 11-5 streak to get back to within one game of .500 and shouting distance of the top of the Central division, have quickly crashed back to Earth thanks to a 5 game losing streak in which they have scored a mere 11 runs and allowed 33.
Hey, at least the futility has been well balanced; their pitching has been as shitty as their hitting.
But tonight the most reliable starter in the rotation takes the mound for Leyland, and it speaks volumes that that title goes to a 26-year-old rookie who has made 5 career starts, four of them coming in the past three weeks.
Armando Galarraga is a spindly righthander who was called up from AAA to take free agent bust Dontrelle Willis' spot in the rotation when the erratic former phenom went down with a knee injury on April 12th.
Since the promotion Galarraga, who was with the Rangers last year, won his first two starts, allowing two runs and 4 hits over 12 innings against Cleveland and Toronto. Although he's cooled down since then, recording a no decision and a loss in his last two starts, he still has as many wins as anyone else on the club and has the lowest ERA among all Detroit starters.
Who'd have thunk this kid would've been the savior of a rotation that included playoff vets Robertson, Verlander and Kenny Rogers plus prized pick up Willis when the season started?
Boston will try to extend its 5-game winning streak when it sends it's own superb rookie Clay Buchholz to the Comerica hill.
After a shaky start to the season, Buchholz has been nails lately, posting a 2-1 record while allowing just 3 earned runs and 13 hits in 19.1 innings over his last three starts. He's also fanned 21 while walking just 8 in that span.
One of the main reasons behind Boston's latest hot streak has been the resurgence of David Ortiz. In his last 10 games Bi Papi is hitting .317 (.13-41) with 5 homers and 11 RBI, raising his average from .188 to .226. It's no coincidence that the rest of the team has followed Papi's lead.
As long as Boston's offense, which has averaged 8 runs and 12 hits per game during the streak, keeps mashing like it has, and Detroit keeps playing like the latest version of the overhyped, overpaid Stankees, this should be another win for Boston.
And if Galarraga should pitch a gem and pick up his team-leading 3rd win? Well they might just put a statue of the kid up there with the big cats in centerfield, as badly as this team needs a win right now.
5.06.2008
Sox streak hits five as Wake handcuffs Tigers
Sox 5, Tigers 0
WP: Wakefield (3-1)
LP: Robertson (1-4)
SV: None
HRs: BOS- Ortiz (7), Manny (7); DET- None (obviously)
SUMMARY:
Tim Wakefield had one of the best outings by a Boston starter this year, holding Detroit to 2 hits over 8 innings while retiring 17 straight batters at one point, and Papi & Manny went back-to-back as the Sox won its second straight game in Motown and 5th straight overall.
SUPERSTAR: Wakefield 8IP, 2H, 0ER, 0BB, 6K, 98P
The best part about wake's performance tonight? NO WALKS!
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Gary Sheffield 0-3, 2K
The surly, slumping slugger, who was dropped from 3rd to 6th in the lineup yesterday, fanned twice tonight, dropping his average to a paltry .178. He has 2 homers and 5RBI this season, well worth the $13 mil he's making, dontcha think?
RECAP:
I missed most of this one due to a LL game (my son pitched a complete game in a must-win contest, BTW) and I DVR'd the Celts game instead, thinking it would only be in the third inning by the time I got home anyway.
Who knew Wakefield would decide to mix in a fastball and curve with his slower than snowfall knuckler, the combination of which baffled the Detroit hitters and helped bring this game in at an NL-like 2 hours and 21 minutes.
By the time I got home at around 8:20 the game was in the top of the 6th inning - at 8:20! - and Boston had already jumped out to yet another early (3-0) lead.
That's what I get for assuming again.
From what I gathered though exhaustive research (i.e. GameCast & SportsCenter), the Sox scored all three runs in the 2nd inning off Detroit starter Nate Robertson (6.1IP, 10H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K, 2HR) when the first four batters of the inning reached base, a nice trend the team brought with them from the Rays series.
After Mike Lowell walked to lead off the frame, Kevin Youkilis doubled him over to third, and then JD Drew followed with an RBI single and Kevin Cash (3-4, BI) drove in Youk with another double to make it 2-0 before an out was recorded in the inning.
Julio Lugo killed the big inning with a flyout, and the only other run they managed to score came in on a groundout by Coco Crisp, but as it turned out three runs would be more than enough for Wake.
It's a good thing, too, because Boston blew a few more scoring opportunities after that. The Sox got two men on in both the 3rd and 4th innings and the leadoff man on in the 5th but couldn't get another run home off bend-but-don't-break Robertson, but with Wakefield mowing down the Tigers like a brand new John Deere, it hardly mattered.
Fast forward to the 6th inning, when I came in, and the Sox again got the leadoff man aboard when Cash, who had his second 3-hit game in his last three starts, got a single past Rentanerror at short, but good old Lugo K'd and Coco grounded into a DP to squelch another potential threat.
But in the 7th inning the big boppers struck, and boy was I glad I got home in time to see it live.
First Ortiz, who is finally coming out of his slump despite the gimpy knee, sledgehammered a Robertson pitch high and deep into the right field seats for a titanic blast that pushed Boston's lead to 4-0 and got the Tigers starter removed from the game.
No matter, because Smoky Jim Leyland foolishly brought in a kid named Freddy Dolsi to make his major league debut against Manny Ramirez; I could almost smell how he felt about that decision from my living room.
ManRam promptly welcomed Freddy to the big leagues the only way he knows how, by turning on his first ever MLB pitch and depositing it into the foliage some 420+ feet away from home plate for a demoralizing back-to-back jack that was the final nail in the Tigers coffin on the evening.
It was the 47th time Papi & Manny have homered in the same game.
From there it was merely a formality that Boston would take the win, and not even Wakefield allowing his 2nd hit of the night, a double by Pudge Rodriguez in the 8th, not the return of Tired Arm Timlin to the mound could derail that train.
Indeed the Sox did nail this one down and have now ripped off another five game winning streak, and with two more to play against the clueless Tigers, that number could reach seven by the time they head to Minneapolis to play the surprising Twins this weekend.
I'll be sure to set the DVR for those games.
RECORD: 22-13
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: W5
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Wed @ DET Buchholz vs. Galarraga
5.05.2008
Sox survive a dicey Matsuzaka outing to beat Tigers
Sox 6, Detroit 3
WP: Matsuzaka (5-0)
LP: Bonderman (2-3)
SV: Papelbon (10)
HRs: BOS-Lowell (1), Youk (4), Ortiz (6); DET-None
SUMMARY:
Boston won despite its pitchers issuing 10 walks thanks to the resurgent offense, which racked up 11 hits, six for extra bases including three long balls, and Daisuke Matsuzaka extended his perfect record, even though his outing was far from perfect.
SUPERSTAR: Lowell 3-5, 2R, 2BI, 2B, HR
How nice was it to see the World Series MVP back in vintage Mike Lowell form tonight?
His 2nd inning homer got the Sox on the board, he doubled in the 4th and came home on Youk's blast, and he narrowly missed a second homer when his 7th inning drive was caught at the wall in left.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Matsuzaka 5IP, 2H, 1ER, 8BB, 1K, 109P
I know it's tough to hang this honor on a guy who actually won the game, but with a linescore as odd as this one I thought it was appropriate. If not for the fact that the Tigers are an absolute trainwreck right now, Matsuzaka easily could've come away with a loss tonight.
RECAP:
I was trying to think of a theme for tonight's post, and it took me about 2.3 seconds to come up with not one but a few:
-Walk on the Wild Side
-Walk This Way
-Walk Like an Egyptian
-Walking in Motown
-I'm Walkin'
-Walk it Out
-Dice-K Walks
-Walking on Sunshine
I nixed those 8 ideas because they were a bit too obvious. But then I came up with a couple more:
-Walk the Line (up)
-Walk Right In
By the 10th "walk" I was tad burned out, though, so I decided to write a normal post, sans theme.
But you get the drift, right?
Somehow the Sox managed to win this game tonight even though its starting pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, surrendered an astounding 8 free passes and threw 109 pitches in five innings. By comparison, Cleveland starter Cliff Lee, who is also 5-0, has walked only 2 batters ALL YEAR.
Dice-K matched that total in the first inning this evening.
That the Sox managed to win in spite of the erratic effort of Dice-K, who had men on base in each of his five innings yet he didn't surrender a hit until Curtis Granderson laced an RBI single to center in the 4th, is a testament to how well the offense has been playing since that week-long scoring slump led to five game losing streak.
And the offense was led by a few familiar faces.
Manny got the ball rolling when he doubled off Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman (6IP, 7H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K, 2HR) to start the 2nd inning, and two pitches later Boston had a 2-0 lead when Lowell homered to left, his first four bagger since last September.
After escaping a 2-on, 1-out jam in the bottom of the 3rd when Matsuzaka got Magglio Ordonez to strike out and Miguel Cabrera to fly out to center, Boston added another pair of runs in the top of the 4th when Lowell led off with a double and Kevin Youkilis brought him home with aa 2-run blast to left field.
Staked to a 4-0 lead, not even the walking wonder could mess this up, although he sure as hell tried.
In the bottom of the 4th the Tigers finally got on the board when Gary Sheffield led off with a walk and Pudge Rodriguez walked two outs later. That's when Granderson, who has been smacking the ball all over the yard since coming off the DL two weeks ago, ripped a single to center to score Sheffield and give the Tigers hope that they could finally capitalize on all the freebies they had been handed.
But Matsuzaka ended those ideas when he got Placido 'Mr Potato Head' Polanco to pop out to short, ending the threat and keeping the Sox lead at a shaky three runs, 4-1.
It would remain that way until David Ortiz (2-4, R, 2BI), back after sitting out yesterday's game with a sore knee, lined an opposite field single off reliever Clay Rapada after Pedroia had doubled in the 7th to make it 5-1, but Detroit got right back in it in the bottom of the inning thanks to more shaky Boston bullpen work.
Craig Hansen, called up yesterday to take Brandon Moss' roster spot, had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the 6th in relief of Matsuzaka, but he ran into trouble in the 7th when he began the inning giving up a leadoff single to Polanco and then botched a slow roller to the mound by Carlos Guillen for a questionable infield single.
A double play by Ordonez looked like Hansen would escape the jam, but two out walks to Cabrera and Sheffield brought Tito to the mound and Okajima into the game, and he promptly surrendered a 2-run single to pinch hitter Marcus Thames to slice the lead to 5-3, and suddenly it was a game again.
Following a scoreless 8th, Ortiz provided a huge insurance run when he homered off Todd Jones with one out in the 9th, and then it was up to Papelbon to bring it home.
Thankfully the Boston closer has been the one reliable reliever in the pen all year, and he threw another 1-2-3 9th onto his stat sheet to sew this one up, but not before a few "whew"s were uttered in the Nation.
It wasn't pretty in many respects, but as they say, it was effective. Still, Boston has won four in a row, while the reeling Tiggers have dropped four straight.
I guess with the hometown Celts in the midst of the NBA playoffs, it looks like the Sox took a page out of their playbook: survive and advance.
RECORD: 21-13
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: W4
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Tue @ DET 705 Wakefield vs. Robertson
Series Preview: Sox at Tigers
Red Sox (20-13, 1st in AL East) at
Detroit Tigers (14-18, 5th in AL Central)
4 game series @ Comerica Park
Game 1 Monday 705 ESPN
Matsuzaka (4-0, 2.52) vs. Bonderman (2-2, 3.86)
Game 2 Tuesday 705
Wakefield (2-1, 4.03) vs. Robertson (1-3, 6.82)
Game 3 Wednesday
Buchholz (2-2, 3.71) vs. Galarraga (2-1, 1.88)
Game 4 Thursday 705
Beckett (3-2, 4.19) vs. Verlander (1-5, 6.28)
What to watch for: can the improved Tigers avenge Boston's early April beatdown?
When Detroit came to Fenway for a three game set April 8th, they brought an 0-6 record and a ginourmous gorilla-like payroll to town. Boston took 2 of 3 in that series, scoring 19 runs, but since then Detroit has gone 13-10 to get right back into the race in the AL Central.
Who to watch for: Curtis Granderson .317/13R/5HR/.440OBP in 11 gms
The speedy center fielder is the offensive catalyst for the Tigers, and the fact that Detroit got off to such a horrible (2-10) start can be directly attributed to Grandy's beginning the season on the DL.
With him back, and mashing the ball better than ever, it's safe to say that the Tiger's recent resurgence can be tied to Granderson's return to the top of the lineup.
PREVIEW:
The Sox embark on their first extended road trip since the season-opening trip from hell, and the three teams they face - Detroit, Minnesota, and Baltimore - all are within striking distance of the lead in their respective divisions. Or in the Twins case, leading its division.
So it would not be a stretch to say this is an important early season trip for the beat up boys from Boston after spending the better part of the past three weeks playing in the cozy (and cold and drizzly) confines of Fenway Park.
And this series against the Tigers should be as good a test as any to see where the club stands right now.
Sure the Sox just got done tearing upstart Tampa Bay a new rayhole, and they did handle the Tigers pretty easily back in early April when Detroit was the laughingstock of the league. But Detroit has been hitting the cover off the ball since then, and even its current three game losing streak might play a factor in why the Sox should be wary of a letdown heading into spacious Comerica Park.
On the heels of this recent skid, Tigers manager Smoky Jim Leyland had promised significant changes to the lineup, and the first of those alterations came this afternoon when Detroit designated outfielder Jacque Jones for assignment.
Jones, picked up in the off season after he spent the past two year with the Cubs, was batting .165 with 1 homer and 5 RBI and a putrid .244 OBP in 24 games when Leyland finally decided he had enough.
The last time the Marlboro Man went on a rampage, during the Tigers dismal start, Detroit went on a run that took them from the worst record in the major leagues to within three games of the Central lead as of today.
Luckily for Boston it will have its top starter on the mound for the opener of this 4-gamer, and this year every time Daisuke Matsuzaka has taken the ball to start his team haas come away with a win.
Dice-K, who skipped a start two weeks ago due to the flu, has jumped out to a 4-0 record, and Boston is 6-0 when he pitches, thanks to Top 10 figures in wins, ERA, strikeouts and WHIP. he has not been overpowering in most of his starts, but he has learned how to minimize his mistakes and keep damage to a minimum when he does get into a jam.
His opponent tonight, Jeremy Bonderman, has had an okay season so far but has probably been their most consistent starter out of the big 3 of him, Justin Verlander and Nate Robertson.
Bonderman did produce the only win of the previous series with the Sox, and he's coming off a victory at Stankee Stadium in which he allowed 2 earned runs and 5 hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 6-2 Detroit win.
Boston will be shorthanded in the outfield tonight as well thanks to Brandon Moss being disabled after having his appendix removed, meaning that Julio Lugo is the emergency outfielder should one of the other three four go down.
Gulp.
So set the DVR for 7PM on ESPN and get ready to see which Tigers team shows up. The one that looked like the second coming of the 119 loss disaster of 2003, or the one that was 4 games from winning the World Series in 2006.
Another week, another Sox player on the DL
Sox lose Moss to DL due to emergency appendectomy, but recall a pitcher, not an outfielder, to replace him
Already this season Boston has had to deal with disabled list trips by its top starter, Josh Beckett, starting third baseman Mike Lowell, backup infielders Alex Cora and Sean Casey as well as lengthy illnesses to Jason Varitek and Daisuke Matsuzaka and nagging injuries to David Ortiz, Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury and JD Drew.
Now they can add backup outfielder Brandon Moss to the list.
In an odd twist of fate the solid 24-year-old had a terrific game at the plate and in the field on Friday, but said he was feeling funny and was not 100% during that game.
By Saturday evening his condition had worsened, causing team doctors to send him to the hospital to find out what was wrong.
Hours later Moss had his appendix removed, sending him to the shelf for at least a month, and suddenly the Sox had another key piece of the roster removed as well.
But in a move that will cause considerable head scratching, especially if an emergency situation arises or one of Drew's myriad maladies flares up, team management decided to bring up reliever Craig Hansen to takes Moss' spot on the roster, leaving the club with just four outfielders.
Supposedly Julio Lugo is the emergency outfielder, even though he hasn't played the position but a handful of times in his career and acted like someone asked him to drink arsenic when he was interviewed about the prospect of manning the outfield turf.
But hey, after making his league-leading 9th error at short yesterday, maybe a BJ Upton-esque shift might be the best thing for him.
Seriously, though, with Drew spending more time in the trainer's room than on the field in his career and Coco and Ellsbury already nursing nagging ailments, is it really wise to go with four OFs for this vital road trip to Detroit, Minnesota and B'More?
I guess it has something to do with there not being any real viable candidates ready to make the jump down at Pawtucket, with Bobby Kielty on the DL, but this situation has the potential to blow up in their face should Drew come up lame again.
All I know is if I see Lugo out there, I'm closing my eyes and saying a prayer that the ball is never hit his way.
5.04.2008
How sweep it is! Sox broom Rays out of town
Sox 7, Tampa Bay 3
WP: Lester (2-2)
LP: Kazmir (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (9)
HRs: BOS-Youk (3); TB-Pena (7)
SUMMARY:
The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Scott Kazmir, who was making his season debut, before Tampa Bay closed to within one run. But Kevin Youkilis drove in the final three runs to put the game away, and Boston completed the payback sweep against the Rays.
SUPERSTAR: Youk 3-4, 2R, 4BI, 2-2B, HR
He drove in the first run of the game with a sac fly, the 5th run with a homer to straightaway center, and the 6th & 7th runs with his second double of the day in the 8th, single handedly collecting more RBI than the entire Rays team.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Carlos Pena 1-4, R, BI,HR, 3Ks
He did provide the Rays first run of the game with a homer in the 6th inning, but he also fanned three times, including twice with men on base and twice to end innings.
Classic case of all or nothing.
RECAP:
If payback's a bitch, then Boston just sicced one nasty, rabid, Cujo on the Chihuahua's known as the Tampa Bay Rays.
Upset and embarrassed over the three game sweep Tampa Bay inflicted on them last weekend at the Trop, the Sox wasted no time making sure any thoughts of a repeat performance were quickly dispatched from the minds of the Rays and all the Nation haters out there.
Beginning with a solid 7-3 victory on Friday night, Boston proceeded to trounce the Rays, 12-4, on Saturday, and they completed the sweep today on a dismal afternoon at Fenway when the majority of the Commonwealth was watching the Celtics defeat the Hawks in Game 7 of their first round playoff series at the new Garden.
But it didn't matter to the Red Sox that Fenway was not quite filled to capacity, or that most Boston sports fans had the Cs on the main screen while the beloved Sox were relegated to the PIP window.
All that mattered to them was showing the Rays and the rest of the division that last weekend's sweep was a result of combination of them facing tough pitching while their offense was struggling, and now after scoring 26 runs and rapping 39 hits in three games, it's safe to say that things are back to normal.
For the second game in a row, Boston set the tone early by scoring in the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with an infield single to second, and Dustin Pedroia, the hero of last night's game drew aa walk off the rusty and erratic Kazmir (4IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 5K).
But despite a rare double steal that put runners on second & third with no outs, Boston could only manage to plate one run in the inning, on a sac fly to center by Youk, batting in the three hole in place of David Ortiz, who got the day off due to his balky knee (plus the fact that it was a shitty day and he is only 7-37 career against Kazmir.
The missed opportunities didn't hurt Boston though as they quickly added to their lead when they plated two more runs in the third inning. Once again the first two batters reached base (Pedroia single, Youk double), and then Kaz hurt his cause by tossing a wild pitch that allowed Pedroia to scoot home with the second run of the game.
On the next pitch Manny Ramirez, who had rough series (2-13, 5Ks), doubled down the left field line to score Youk, and for the third straight game Boston had jumped out in front by a score of at least 3-0.
After adding another run on an RBI groundout by Pedroia (1-4, R, BI, BB) in the fourth, the new and improved Rays did what they've done all year long - fought back to make a potential blowout game interesting.
Through five innings Jon Lester (6IP, 4H, 1ER, 3BB, 5K, HR) had been cruising along, allowing the occasional base runner here and there but not having to face any real threat or jam.
But in the 6th Carlos Pena touched him for a solo shot to right that put the Rays on the board and gave them the opening they needed to get back into the game.
And get right back in it they would, against none other than Manny the anti closer Delcarmen.
Delcarmen, who has allowed 21 base runners and 10 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings of work this season, retired the first batter of the inning before surrendering a single to slpa hitter Jason Bartlett and then a triple to Sox killer Aki Iwamura, slicing the Boston lead to 4-2.
That disgusting display brought Hideki Okajima into the game, and even though he allowed an RBI single to Carl Crawford, he then struck out BJ Upton and Pena to end the inning and the threat.
Suddenly faced with a 1-run game Boston responded immediately in the bottom of the 7th when Youk took reliever Kent Birkins deep to the tarp in straightaway center to push the lead to 5-3, and in the 8th Youk extinguished any thought of a Rays comeback when he doubled in Lugo and Ellsbury for the final 7-3 margin.
Just to be sure none of his crappy relievers blew this one, and because he was already warming when the margin was just two runs, Francona brought in Papelbon to close it out. And the closer did just that, retiring the final three batters on three consecutive groundouts, and the re-sweep was complete.
So the Celts knocked off the pesky hawks and the Sox swept the pesky Rays on the same miserable day in the Hub.
I'd say order has been officially restored to the sports world.
RECORD: 20-13
AL EAST: Up 3 gms
STREAK: W3
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Mon @ Detroit 705 Matsuzaka vs. Bonderman
Game Preview: Rays @ Sox GM3
Game 3 of 3 1:35 at Fenway Park
While the majority of the Hub will be tuned in to the NBA Playoffs as the hometown Cs try to expunge the pesky Hawks in Game 7 of their first round series, the Sox will be attempting to return the favor for the three game sweep the Rays gave them last weekend in St. Petersburg.
The last time a Celtics playoff game overshadowed a Red Sox game it was a misty, damp night in April of 1986.
History was made at Fenway while the rest of the city was watching the Celtics (Globe photo)
You know, back before he was a 'roided up philanderer.
Coincidentally the forecast calls for rain today in Boston, and that combined with the win-or-go-home urgency of Game 7 could make for similar circumstances today at Fenway.
Of course there will be more than 10,000 fans on hand, and another sellout is already assured due to advance sales, but don't be surprised if the stands are a little more sparsely populated today than usual.
Which is too bad because this could be another memorable game for the Sox.
Scott Kazmir makes his 2008 season debut for Tampa Bay, and since the 07 strikeout king owns the best ERA (2.73) at Fenway of any opposing starter, who knows if he could provide a Clemens-like outing this afternoon.
Kazmir has not played in a game this season after being diagnosed with an elbow strain early in spring training. The injury was initially thought to be minor, but here it is almost two months later and the young lefty is just taking the mound for the first time.
Needless to say it remains to be seen how long he will be able to go, or how effective he will be.
For the Sox Jon Lester will look to build on his impressive last outing, when he limited Toronto to one hit in 8 innings of a 1-0 Boston win. The lefty has been inconsistent at times this season, but has showed signs of finally realizing the potential the team believed he had before he was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago.
Boston will be without the services of rookie right fielder Brandon Moss, who had to be rushed to the hospital before last night's game for an emergency appendectomy. That means JD Drew will have to make it through this game healthy, a tall task considering the condition the field will be in as well as the condition of his brittle body.
So if the game doesn't get postponed, Boston will look to sweep the Rays and repay them for last weeks' embarrassing sweep.
We'll have to wait and see whether or not history is made again on the diamond while the Mean Green are trying to avoid another kind of history across town.
Go Sox and Celts! Read More......
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