Sox Rally Past Tigers (5/31/99)

What a Memorial Day comeback for the Boston Red Sox. The Sox were getting their brains beat in by the Detroit Tigers as they took a 6-1 lead, knocking starter Mark Portugal out of the game after 3 innings. Then Brian Daubach hit a two run bomb off Detroit starter Bryce Florie. Creighton Gubanich drove in a run in the sixth but the damage came in the seventh. Jason Varitek hit a pinch hit two run home run off Matt Anderson and Troy O'Leary hit a two run bomb two batters later to put the Sox on top. The Tigers got a Dean Palmer home run off Derek Lowe and had the tying & winning runs in the ninth, but Tom Gordon shut the door for Boston's fourth straight win. The Sox had won the game 8-7 at Fenway Park.

                                              "My fellow Americans, the Red Sox win" - BC

Portugal got hammered immediately to start the top of the first as Luis Polonia hit a routine pop up that Nomar dropped for a "double" to start. Brad Ausmus grounded out to second but Damion Easley was plunked. Bobby Higginson got a base hit to left to score Polonia and Palmer hit a sac fly to left to score Easley with another run. Higginson was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Tigers up 2-0.

                                                            Tigers strike first

The Sox answered against Florie in the bottom of the first as Jose Offerman got a base hit to left to start. John Valentin took strike three but Florie threw a pickoff throw away allowing Jose to reach second. Brian Daubach took strike three but Nomar Garciaparra drilled a base hit to center to score Jose. Nomar swiped second but Troy O'Leary grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                            Offerman scores a run

The Tigers exploded in the top of the second as Gape Kapler hit a home run all the way to Saturn to start. Juan Encarnacion flied out to left but Frank Catalanotto singled to right. Deivi Cruz singled in the hole at short and Polonia doubled to right to score Catalanotto. Ausmus forced Polonia but Cruz scored to increase the lead. Easley hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Tigers up 5-1.

                                                   Home run Kapler

Mike Stanley grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second and Creighton Gubanich did the same. Darren Lewis got a base hit to left, Trot Nixon walked and Offerman singled in the hole at short to load the bases. Valentin lined out to left to end the inning.

The Tigers finished off Portugal in the top of the third as Higginson hit a home run all the way to Cuba to start. Palmer grounded out to short but Kapler popped up to second. Encarnacion flied out to center to end the inning and that was it for Portugal. He was rocked for 6 runs in just 3 innings.

                                                         Portugal gets wrecked

Daubach grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Nomar grounded out to short. O'Leary flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox got a spark in the top of the fourth with Pat Rapp now on the mound. Catalanotto grounded out to second to start. Cruz grounded out to short and Offerman made an unbelievable play to rob Polonia of a hit to end the inning.

                                                        Great play by Offerman

Stanley popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Grubanich grounded out to short. Lewis grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ausmus flied out to right to start the top of the fifth but Easley was hit with a pitch. Higginson lined out to second and Palmer flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon grounded out to first to start. Offerman doubled to right but Valentin grounded out to third. Daubach smashed his fourth home run of the season to cut the lead in half but Nomar grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                                   Daubach cuts the lead

Kapler flied out to right to start the top of the sixth but Encarnacion beat out a roller to third. Encarnacion was thrown out at second trying to steal and Catalanotto hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the sixth as O'Leary doubled to right to start. Stanley flied out to right to move Troy to third and O'Leary scored on a Gubanich single to right. Lewis dropped down a bunt to move Gubanich to second but Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 6-4.

                                                                     Gubanich drives in a run

John Wasdin came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Cruz popped up to third to start. Polonia caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line but Ausmus struck out swinging. Polonia stole second but Easley struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the seventh with CJ Nitkowski on the mound. Offerman walked but Valentin flied out to center. Tigers manager Larry Parrish brought in Matt Anderson to face Daubach. Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by bringing in Jason Varitek to pinch hit. The gamble worked as Varitek launched his 6th home run to tie the game. Nomar got a base hit to left and O'Leary belted his ninth home run of the season to suddenly give the Sox the lead.

                                                                  Sox take the lead

Tempers flared when Anderson then hit Stanley on a 3-2 pitch and was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Chuck Meriwether. Brad Ausmus shouted that it was a 3-2 count and he wasn't trying to hit him and he got tossed as well. Larry Parrish sprinted out and got in Meriwether's face, he too was ejected. Old pal Bill Haselman came in to catch and Masao Kida came in to pitch. Gubanich hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 8-6.

                                                             Meriwether gets trigger happy

The Tigers countered in the top of the eighth although Mark Guthrie was brought in just to strike out Higginson swinging. Derek Lowe came in....and Palmer hit a home run all the way to Texas to cut the lead. Kapler grounded out to short but Encarnacion beat out a roller to third. Encarnacion stole second but Catalanotto grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers down 8-7.

                                                                Home run Palmer

Lewis got a base hit to right to start the top of the ninth but Nixon flied out to center. Offerman walked but Valentin grounded into a double play to end the inning. Tom Gordon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Gregg Jefferies pinch hit for Cruz. Jefferies lined out to second but Polonia singled in the hole at second. Polonia stole second but Haselman struck out swinging. Easley got plunked but Higginson flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-7.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Troy O'Leary. His two run home run in the seventh inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Troy O'Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 3 for 3 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run.

Jason Varitek hit a pinch hit 2 run home run.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 a stolen base, rbi and a run scored.

Darren Lewis was 2 for 4.

Pat Rapp tossed 3 scoreless innings.

Josh Wasdin got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Mark Guthrie struck out the only man he faced.

Tom Gordon earned his 11th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Stanley was 0 for 3.

Mark Portugal got hammered for 6 runs in just 3 innings off 7 hits.

Derek Lowe allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Creighton Gubanich was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox keep rolling and this was a hell of a comeback win. Down 6 to 1 most teams would have given up but they kept chipping away. Kudos to Jimy Williams for having a hunch Varitek was due and O'Leary getting the two run homer was the icing on the cake. Portugal sucks but give credit to the bullpen for surrendering one run in 6 innings of work. The bats have picked it up lately and they're in first place as long as the pitching holds up. Expecting Brian Rose and Juan Pena to carry the load is unfair but if they keep up this pace, the Sox might be AL East champs and headed to a rematch with Cleveland when all is said and done. Obviously there's four months left in the season but the Sox are in good shape. The longer the win streak, the better. The win improved the Sox to 31-19, 1.5 games in front of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five consecutive wins and two in a row against the Tigers tomorrow night when Bret Saberhagen takes on Jeff Weaver of Detroit. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rose, Sox Sweep Indians (5/30/99)

How about those first place, red hot Boston Red Sox? The Sox went to Cleveland to face the same Indians team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year and swept them. Today it was rookie Brian Rose (3-0, 1.29 ERA) that tossed five perfect innings and holding the Indians to just two runs through six. Meanwhile Nomar Garciaparra hit his second 3 run bomb in 3 days off Dwight Gooden in the third inning. The Sox got some insurance in the eighth inning when Mike Stanley drove in Nomar as the suddenly hot Sox bullpen held the fort. Mark Guthrie, Jim Corsi, Rheal Cormier and Tom Gordon slammed the door as the Sox completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory over the Indians at Jacobs Field.

                                                          Olivia Hussey approves of the win

Gooden got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to right. John Valentin doubled to left but Reggie Jefferson watched strike three go by. Nomar Garciaparra flied out to right to end the inning. Rose got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kenny Lofton grounded out to first to start. Omar Vizquel struck out swinging and Roberto Alomar's bunt was snuffed out by Rose to end the inning.

Troy O'Leary doubled to left to start the top of the second and Mike Stanley was plunked. Jason Varitek struck out swinging and Darren Lewis grounded into a double play to end the inning. Manny Ramirez flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second and Jim Thome hit one up the elevator shaft. Richie Sexson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Trot Nixon doubled to right to start. Jose Offerman got a base hit to right to move Nixon to third, then promptly stole second. Both Valentin and Jefferson struck out swinging but Nomar pounded his 10th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. O'Leary walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                      Home run Garciaparra

David Justice led off the bottom of the third by popping up to short and Travis Fryman flied out to center. Einar Diaz popped up to third to end the inning.

Stanley flied out to center to start the top of the fourth and Varitek grounded out to first. Darren Lewis lined out to right to end the inning. Lofton popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Vizquel popped up to third. Alomar popped up to short to end the inning.

Nixon flied out to center to open the top of the fifth and Offerman grounded out to second. Valentin and Jefferson both got base hits to center but Nomar struck out swinging to end the inning. Ramirez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Thome swung at air as well and Sexson flied out to right to end the inning.

O'Leary grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth and Stanley flied out to right. Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Nomar blew the perfect game by throwing a grounder by Justice away for an error to start. Fryman struck out swinging but Diaz broke up the no-no with a double to left. Lofton then hit a routine grounder to Stanley....under his glove for another error to score Justice, moving Diaz to third. Vizquel forced Lofton at second but Diaz scored. Alomar grounded out to short to end the inning with the Indians down 3-2.

                                               Dammit Nomar

Steve Karsay came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Lewis popped up to second. Nixon singled to center but Offerman grounded out to second to move Trot over. Valentin struck out swinging to end the inning. Rose returned for one final batter in the bottom of the seventh but Ramirez got a base hit to center. He was outstanding, holding the Indians to 2 runs on 2 hits and might have had a perfect game bid of the Sox didn't boot the ball around. Mark Guthrie came in to pitch and Ramirez stole second. Thome struck out swinging, Sexson grounded out to short and Justice grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                    Rose stares down the Indians

The Sox got an insurance run in the top of the eighth as Jefferson grounded back to the mound to start. Nomar walked but O'Leary struck out swinging. Garciaparra stole second and Stanley got a base hit to center to score Nomar. Varitek walked but Lewis flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Stanley drives in a run

Jim Corsi came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Fryman greeted him with a double to center. Enrique Wilson pinch hit for Diaz and grounded out to third. Out came Jimy Williams as he wanted Rheal Cormier to face Lofton. Kenny walked but Vizquel flied out to left. Alomar grounded out to third to end the inning.

Chris Turner took over behind the plate with Mike Jackson now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Nixon flied out to center to start and Offerman struck out swinging. Valentin walked but Jefferson grounded out to second to end the inning. Tom Gordon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Ramirez walked to start. Thome flied out to center and Sexson struck out swinging. Justice also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Nomar Garciaparra. His three run home run was all the runs the Sox needed in this one.

                                                         Nomar Garcia-Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mike Stanley was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a hit by pitch

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Brian Rose got the win by tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball on just 2 hits.

Mark Guthrie tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Jim Corsi got the first out of the eighth inning.

Rheal Cormier got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Tom Gordon earned his 10th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Reggie Jefferson was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the youth movement has put the Sox in a good position moving forward. First Juan Pena dazzled in his two starts and now Rose not only won again, he was no-hitting last year's AL Central champions. Between Pedro being the best pitcher in baseball, the Sox bats doing what they can and a good bullpen, the Sox are in good shape so far this season. They can cut down on the errors because that almost ruined the day but at least Nomar and Stanley made up for them with big hits. The New York Yankees aren't going away and each win by the Sox is crucial in order to topple the world champions. Starts like this moving forward is how the Sox need to do it, especially when they face inferior opponents. The win improved the Sox to 30-19, a half game ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a three game set against the Detroit Tigers beginning tomorrow afternoon on Memorial Day Monday. Mark Portugal gets the start for the Sox against Bryce Florie of Detroit. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Indians (5/29/99)

For seven innings it looked like the Cleveland Indians had the Boston Red Sox licked. Bartolo Colon had outpitched Pedro Martinez (10-1, 2.01 ERA) and a Roberto Alomar sac fly had given the Indians a 1-0 lead. Then the Sox took advantage of the Indians one weakness, their bullpen. In the top of the eighth, a Jose Offerman rbi off Colon tied the game and a three run blast by Nomar Garciaparra off Paul Shuey gave the Sox a commanding lead. Pedro was chased in the ninth inning and Tom Gordon damn near blew it. Still, Gordon eventually slammed the door and the Sox had stole one from the Indians 4-1 at Jacobs Field.

                                                   Tishara Lee Cousino approves of the win

Colon got the ball in the top of the first and Jose Offerman flied out to left to start. John Valentin grounded out to short but Brian Daubach walked. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to third to end the inning. The Indians got to Martinez right away in the bottom of the first as Kenny Lofton got a base hit to center to start. Omar Vizquel got a base hit in the hole at short to move Lofton to third and Kenny scored on the sac fly to left by Alomar. Manny Ramirez flied out to right and Jim Thome hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians up 1-0.

                                                          Indians strike first

Troy O'Leary grounded out to short to begin the top of the second and Mike Stanley struck out swinging. Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Travis Fryman flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and David Justice lined out to short. Richie Sexson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Darren Lewis grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Trot Nixon walked. Offerman forced Trot at second and Valentin flied out to right to end the inning. Einar Diaz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Lofton got a base hit to right. Vizquel popped up to third and Alomar grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Daubach struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Nomar grounded out to third. Sexson tried to field a ball by O'Leary that should have been for Vizquel and Troy beat out the throw for a "single". Stanley forced Troy at second to end the inning. Ramirez took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Thome grounded out to first. Fryman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Varitek grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth and Lewis ate up Vizquel on a grounder for a "single". Nixon flied out to the centerfield wall and Offerman's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Colon to end the inning. Justice grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Sexson struck out swinging. Diaz flied out to left to end the inning.

Valentin grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth but Daubach got a base hit to center. Garciaparra grounded into a double play to end the inning. Lofton grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Vizquel got a base hit to center. Vizquel was thrown out at second trying to steal and Alomar flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                       Yerrrr out!

O'Leary grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Stanley struck out swinging. Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro turned up the heat in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Thome and Fryman both went down hacking to end the inning. 

Somehow the Sox exploded in the top of the eighth as Lewis ripped a base hit to right to start. Nixon doubled to right and Offerman grounded out to second to score Lewis. Valentin was intentionally walked to set up a double play with Nixon at third and Indians manager Mike Hargrove pulled Colon. Ricardo Rincon came in to face Daubach and Brian popped up to third. Paul Shuey was brought in to face Nomar and Garciaparra jacked a three run home run to put the Sox on top. O'Leary singled to right and Stanley walked, but Varitek took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Nomah with the homah

Martinez returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Justice grounded out to second to start. Sexson took strike three and Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro was brilliant, tossing 8 innings of 1 run ball allowing 5 hits while striking out 9 so far.

                                                             Martinez was dominant

Dave Stevens came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Lewis got a base hit to left to begin. Lewis swiped second but Nixon took strike three. Offerman flied out to left but Valentin walked. Paul Assenmacher was brought in to face Daubach and Brian grounded out to third to end the inning. Pedro returned to finish off the bottom of the ninth but was chased after a Lofton base hit to center. Tom Gordon came in to close out the game and Vizquel walked. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Alomar walked to load the bases with nobody out. Somehow Ramirez grounded into a double play, scoring Lofton but there were now two outs. Thome walked and Jolbert Cabrera ran for him. Alomar stole third but Fryman watched strike three go by to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

Hero of The Night is Nomar Garciaparra his 3 run bomb in the eighth inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                           Sox salute the Hero

The Good:

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4.

Darren Lewis was 3 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Trot Nixon wa 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Pedro Martinez held the Indians to 2 runs off 5 hits while striking out 9 in 8 innings.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drew a walk

Mike Stanley was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Tom Gordon allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own as he locked up his 9th save.

Final Thoughts:

That was snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, turning a 1-0 game into a 4-1 lead only for the tying runs to be on in the ninth. Martinez and Colon had a great duel but the Sox exposed the Indians one weakness, the bullpen. The Sox bullpen with Derek Lowe, Tom Gordon and Rheal Cormier might be better than Cleveland if these two were to meet come October. Nomar was 0 for 3 before that home run but great hitters find a way to get it done. Kudos to Gordon for having a bases loaded situation and settling things down to get the victory. The New York Yankees are breathing down the necks of the Red Sox and this win holds them off for now. Who would have thought THIS Red Sox team would still be in first place as the calendar heads toward June? Hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 29-19, 0.5 games in front of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Indians tomorrow afternoon when Brian Rose (2-0) takes on Dwight Gooden of Cleveland. The game begins at 2:05 PM eastern time at Jacobs Field.

Pena, Sox Blank Jays (5/14/99)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 4 of their second round NHL playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. Juan Pena (2-0, 0.69 ERA) once again dazzled in his second ML start, shutting out the Jays for 7 strong innings. Meanwhile the Boston bats scratched out four runs against David Wells, 3 of which coming courtesy of Jason Varitek. John Valentin drove in two runs while Derek Lowe and Rheal Cormier slammed the door. It all added up to a 5-0 victory over the Jays at the Skydome.'

                                                      Tiffany Towers approves of the win

Wells got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman grounded out to third to start. John Valentin took strike three and Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to end the inning. Pena got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Shannon Stewart grounded out to short to start. Craig Grebeck singled to right but Shawn Green struck out swinging. Carlos Delgado got a base hit to left but Tony Fernandez lined out to center to end the inning.

Mike Stanley grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Troy O'Leary struck out swinging. Damon Buford walked but Jeff Frye grounded out to third to end the inning. Willie Greene struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second and Jose Cruz took strike three. Pat Kelly grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jason Varitek led off the top of the third with a liner to short, but Darren Lewis drew a walk. Offerman grounded into a double play to end the inning. Mike Matheny grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Stewart singled in the hole at second. Stewart was thrown out at second trying to steal but Grebeck walked. Green flied out to right to end the inning.

Valentin flied out to center to open the top of the fourth and Nomar did the same. Stanley grounded out to third to end the inning. Delgado struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Fernandez got a base hit to right. Greene struck out looking but Fernandez swiped second. Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                          Almost had him

The Sox broke through in the top of the fifth as O'Leary singled in the hole at short to start. Buford grounded back to the mound to move Troy to second and Frye flied out to right to move O'Leary to third. Varitek doubled to left to score O'Leary and Lewis tripled into the centerfield gap to score Jason. Offerman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                              Varitek drives in a run

Kelly caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line to start the bottom of the fifth and Matheny beat out a roller to short. Stewart hit a bullet.....right to Frye who doubled off Kelly at second. Grebeck forced Matheny at second to end the inning.

Valentin got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth and and Nomar followed with a single to center. Stanley struck out swinging, O'Leary flied out to center and Buford popped up to first to end the inning. Green grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth but Delgado walked. Fernandez grounded back to the mound to move Carlos to second but Greene lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Frye beat out a roller to third to start. Varitek launched his first home run of the year to ice the game but Lewis struck out swinging. Offerman doubled to center but Valentin flied out to center. Nomar took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Varitek with his first of 99

Cruz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Kelly popped up to first in foul territory. Matheny struck out swinging to end the inning and that was it for Pena. He was masterful, tossing 7 shutout innings allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

                                                          Great effort by Pena

Stanley got a base hit to left to start the top of the eighth but O'Leary forced him at second. Buford took strike three and Frye popped up to first to end the inning. Derek Lowe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Stewart grounded out to third to start. Grebeck walked and that was it for Lowe just like that. Green forced Grebeck at second and Delgado lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth with Tom Davey now on the mound. Varitek beat out a roller to second and took second on a wild pitch. Lewis walked and Varitek was thrown out at third trying to steal on the swinging strikeout by Offerman. Valentin doubled to center to score Lewis and took third on a wild pitch. Garciaparra flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                           Valentin drives in a run

Cormier returned for the bottom of the ninth and Fernandez flied out to center to start. Jacob Brumfield pinch hit for Greene and grounded out to third. Cruz flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won the game 5-0.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Juan Pena. He tossed 7 shutout innings allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7

                                                             Juan The Hero

The Good:

John Valentin was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 4 with a 2 run home run, 3 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Derek Lowe got the first out of the eighth inning

Rheal Cormier tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Mike Stanley was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Damon Buford was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the Sox might have something with Pena. The 21 year old as looked unhittable in both starts this season and the sky is the limit for sure. The Sox desperately need young pitching to compliment Pedro Martinez and Juan might be the guy to do it. It would be unfair to expect this kind of dominance every game but the Sox also need arms to match the New York Yankees. A 1-2 punch of Pedro and Pena might be enough to take out Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte....but that's just wishful thinking. As for this game, good work by Varitek to drive in 3 runs and Valentin for driving in another. Don't know why Jimy Williams yanked Lowe so quickly but Cormier got the job done. Between Pena and Martinez going deep into games, the bullpen can save their bullets for games that matter. Hopefully the momentum continues moving forward. The win improved the Sox to 19-15, 1 game behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Toronto and three wins in a row total tomorrow afternoon when Mark Portugal of the Sox takes on Roy Halliday of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 4:05 PM at the Skydome.

Martinez Dazzles, Blanks Angels (5/7/99)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rheal Cormier decided to serve his three game suspension for beating the crap out of Jim Thome. Rookie Juan Pena might be called up to get the start in Game 2 of the upcoming series against the Anaheim Angels.

                                                            Pena to the rescue

As for the game, how bout that Pedro Martinez (6-1, 1.74 ERA). He was absolutely dominant in tonight's win over the Anaheim Angels and old friend Mo Vaughn. Pedro shut out the Angels for eight innings and struck out a career high 15 batters, surrendering just 6 hits. Meanwhile put 4 runs on the board against Anaheim starter Omar Olivares and another two against relief pitcher Mike Magnante. Mike Stanley drove in 3 runs with John Valentin getting two more. Tim Wakefield slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox had won the game 6-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Racquel Darrian approves of the win

Martinez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Darrin Erstad doubled down the right field line to start. Matt Walbeck grounded out to third and old pal Mo Vaughn got a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful in his first game back. Vaughn struck out swinging and Garret Anderson took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.

                                                                 Mo salutes the fans

Omar Olivares got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to center to start. John Valentin flied out to left and Reggie Jefferson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Troy Glaus led off the top of the second by striking out swinging and Todd Greene did the same. Orlando Palmeiro grounded out to first to end the inning. Nomar Garciaparra got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second but Troy O'Leary flied out to center. Mike Stanley got a base hit to left but Jason Varitek grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Andy Sheets struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Jeff Huson lined a ball off Pedro that Offerman gobbled up to make the out. Sox manager Jimy Williams and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan sprinted to the mound to check on Pedro but he told them he was alright. Erstad popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Damon Buford singled to center to start. Trot Nixon singled off the glove of Olivares & the hand of Huson for a "single" and Offerman walked to load the bases. Valentin hit a sac fly to right to score Buford and move Nixon to third. Offerman got picked off first but Nixon managed to score to increase the lead. Jefferson got a base hit to center but Nomar forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                    Offerman's gaffe turns into a run

Walbeck got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth with Buford cutting off the ball and Stanley threw wide at second on a grounder by Vaughn for an error. Anderson struck out swinging but Glaus got a base hit to center. Walbeck came around to score....but wait! Walbeck beat the throw but apparently he missed the plate, getting tagged out by Varitek. Greene struck out swinging to end the inning. Good defense in that inning.

                                                     You're out you dummy!

O'Leary popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Stanley popped up to right. Varitek walked but Buford flied out to center to end the inning.

Palmeiro got a base hit to center to open the top of the fifth but Sheets struck out swinging. Huson got a base hit to right and both runners moved over on the Erstad grounder to first. Walbeck grounded out to first to end the inning. Nixon grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth as Sox analyst Sean McDonough joked that he and Jerry Remy bought the Boston Bruins. Jerry "Oh we did?" Offerman walked but Valentin struck out swinging. Jefferson forced Offerman at second to end the inning.

Vaughn struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth and Anderson did the same. Glaus went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox broke it open in the bottom of the sixth as Nomar reached on an error by Glaus to start. O'Leary got a base hit to center and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Stanley ripped a base hit to the Monster to score both runners. That was it for Olivares as Mike Magnante came in to pitch and Varitek flied out to center. A wild pitch moved Stanley to second but Buford flied out to right. Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                             Good work Stanley

Greene doubled off the ladder of the Green Monster to start the top of the seventh but Palmeiro popped up to right. Sheets and Huson both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Offerman doubled to center to start. Valentin doubled to right to score Offerman but Jefferson struck out swinging. Al Levine came in to face Nomar and Garciaparra flied out to center. O'Leary walked but Stanley doubled to left. Valentin scored easily but O'Leary was thrown out at home after crashing into Walbeck to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                      Hell of a play by Walbeck

Erstad struck out swinging to begin the top of the eighth and Charlie O'Brien pinch hit for the dazed Walbeck. O'Brien struck out swinging and Vaughn flied out to center to end the inning. Martinez was outstanding, striking out 15 batters in 8 shutout innings while allowing just 6 hits.

                                                           Great performance by Pedro

Varitek struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth and Buford grounded out to short. Nixon also grounded out to short to end the inning.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Anderson flied out to center to start. Nomar booted a grounder by Glaus for an error but Greene struck out swinging. Palmeiro struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-0.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Pedro Martinez. He tossed eight shutout innings allowing just 6 hits while striking out 15 batters.

                                                              Hero Pedro

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

John Valentin was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Stanley was 3 for 4 with 3 rbis.

Tim Wakefield tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Reggie Jefferson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Damon Buford was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox may be mediocre but Pedro Martinez is anything but. He was once again outstanding by setting a career high in strikeouts. The Sox bats have been sputtering lately but this time they delivered by pushing six runs across the plate. Pedro threw 126 pitches and you have to wonder if that was too many this early in the season but Sox manager Jimy Williams made the right decision to take him out after eight. Don't want him blowing his arm out just for a complete game with the game already in hand. It was good to see Mo Vaughn again and he got a well deserved ovation from the crowd. Sox analyst Sean McDonough pointed out the Sox may be a .500 team right now but so is everyone that's not the New York Yankees. Now's a perfect time to go on a run to nab the wild card spot early. The win improved the Sox to 14-14, 5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three wins in a row and their second straight against Anaheim when Juan Pena makes his Major League debut for the Sox against Tim Belcher of the Angels tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.