Pete Schourek got the start for the home team and the Tigers quickly pounced on him. Shane Halter doubled and Brad Ausmus grounded him over to third. Juan Encarnarcion singled home Halter to make it 1-0 already. Juan Gonzalez banged into a double play to end the inning. Tigers starter Jeff Weaver was tough all game. In the bottom of the first, Jose Offerman lined out and Trot Nixon grounded out. Brian Daubach singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch into a double.
Bobby Higginson struck out to begin the top of the second inning. Damion Easley lined out but Wendell MaGee singled. Tony Clark grounded out to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Nomar Garciaparra walked but Troy O'Leary bounced into a double play. Carl Everett walked and Mike Stanley belted his 5th home run of the year to put the Sox up 2-1. Scott Hatteberg struck out to end the inning.
Schourek protected the lead in the top of the third. Devi Cruz grounded out and Halter struck out. Ausmus walked but Encarnarcion grounded out to end the inning. Wilton Veras popped up to begin the bottom of the third. Offerman walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Nixon grounded out to end the inning.
Schourek remained hot in the top of the fourth. Gonzalez grounded out, Higginson struck out and Easley flied out to end the inning. Daubach flied out to start the bottom of the fourth. Nomar grounded out but O'Leary walked. Everett singled but Stanley popped up to end the inning.
The Tigers tied the game in the top of the fifth. MaGee grounded out but Clark smashed a home run to tie the game. Cruz flied out and Halter struck out to end the inning. Weaver hung tough in the bottom of the fifth. Hatteberg grounded out, Veras flied out and Offerman grounded out to end the inning.
Schourek returned for the top of the sixth inning. Ausmus singled but Encarnarcion flied out. Gonzalez grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox mustered little in the bottom of the sixth. Nixon flied out and Daubach struck out but Nomar doubled. O'Leary grounded out to end the inning.
Schourek had one last inning in him and it was the top of the seventh. Higginson singled but Easley struck out and MaGee banged into a double play to end the inning. Could the Sox pick up the starter? NO! Everett grounded out, Stanley flied out and Hatteberg looked at strike 3 to end the inning.
Sox closer Derek Lowe (2-0, 1.13 ERA) was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth. Clark grounded out, Cruz lined out and Halter grounded out to end the inning. Tigers manager Bob Melvin brought back Weaver for the bottom of the eighth and wished he hadn't. Veras flied out but Offerman and Nixon hit back to back doubles to give the Sox the 3-2 lead and chase Weaver from the game. Danny Patterson was brought in and got Daubach to ground out, but Nomar knocked in Nixon with a base hit for the insurance run. O'Leary grounded out but the Sox had the 4-2 lead.
Could Lowe finish off the Tigers in the ninth? Ausmus looked at strike 3, Encarnarcion grounded out and Gonzalez flied out to end the game. The Sox had won it.
Hero of the night is Trot Nixon. His double in the bottom of the eighth broke the tie and gave the Sox the lead they would not relinquish.
The Good:
Jose Offerman was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi. Carl Everett was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. Mike Stanley was 1 for 3 including a 2 run bomb, his 5th of the year. Pete Schourek pitched great, going 7 innings and allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Derek Lowe got the win by tossing 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. Wilton Veras was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4. Troy O'Leary was 0 for 3 but walked.
No comments:
Post a Comment