As for the game, even the New York Yankees had stinkeroo's on their way to the world series title last season. Sports Illustrated picked the Boston Red Sox to win it all this season, but they won't with games like this one. The Sox had as many errors (3) as they had hits off red hot Chicago starter James Baldwin, losing 6-0 at Fenway Park to the White Sox.
Things went bad right from the start as Pete Schourek (1-4, 3.38) ERA got literally no offense or defense in this one. Ray Durham whiffed top open the game but Craig Wilson and Frank Thomas hit back to back singles. Magglio Ordonez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Baldwin began his outstanding start by getting Jose Offerman to fly out. Trot Nixon singled but Brian Daubach popped up and Nomar Garciaparra fanned to end the inning. Sadly the Bosox would have just 2 hits the rest of the game.
Schourek hung tough in the top of the second. Paul Konerko grounded out but Carlos Lee walked. Jeff Abbot popped up but Carlos Lee stole second with Herbert Perry batting, Perry lined out to end the inning. Troy O'Leary, Carl Everett and Mike Stanley all grounded out in short order in the bottom of the second.
Pete did the best he could to keep the Sox in the game in the top of the third. Josh Paul struck out, Durham grounded out and Wilson struck out to end the inning. Scott Hatteberg flied out to begin the bottom of the third inning. Wilton Veras popped up and Offerman whiffed to end the inning.
Schourek continued to toss shut-out ball in the top of the fourth. Thomas grounded out, Ordonez flied out and Konerko lined out to end the inning. Nixon flied out, Daubach grounded out and Nomar grounded out to quickly end the bottom of the fourth.
The Sox committed the first of their errors in the top of the fifth. Lee grounded out and Abbot lashed one to Offerman who should have ate it, instead he chucked the ball away, allowing Abbot to reach second. Perry struck out and Paul flied out but the blunders were about to begin. The Sox got their only real scoring chance in the bottom of the fifth. O'Leary singled but Everett struck out. Baldwin made his only mistake of the game on a swinging bunt by Stanley, throwing the ball away and allowing Mike to reach first. Hatteberg grounded out to advance both runners to second and third. With a chance to give the Sox the lead, Veras grounded out to end the inning.
Right on cue the White Sox struck in the top of the 6th. Durham singled and Wilson sacrificed him to second. Thomas was intentionally walked and Ordonez flied out. All Schourek needed was one more out and the shut-out was intact but he lost it. Konerko singled home Durham and advanced Thomas to third. A wild pitch by Schourek moved Konerko to second and both runners scored on the single by Lee. Abbot grounded out but the Chisox now led 3-0. The Bosox could muster nothing against Baldwin in the bottom of the 6th. Offerman and Nixon grounded out then Daubach whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox fell apart amidst a comedy of errors in the top of the seventh. Perry singled and Schourek maimed a few fans in the stands with a bad throw, allowing Paul to reach first. Durham sacrificed both runners with a bunt and Nomar went "OLE!" on a ground ball, scoring Perry and advancing Paul to third. Bosox manager Jimy Williams pulled Pete after 95 pitches and replaced him with John "Way Back" Wasdin. The gamble failed as Paul and Wilson executed a double steal, so Thomas was intentionally walked to load the bases. Ordonez singled home Perry and Paul to make it 6-0. Konerko singled to load the bases but Wasdin whiffed Lee and got Abbot to pop up to end the inning. Bad luck and bad defense had put the game away. Chris Singleton took over for Abbot in center for the bottom of the seventh. Nomar popped up and O'Leary struck out, but Everett walked. Stanley whiffed to end the inning.
Andy Sheets replaced the ailing Nomar for the top of the eighth. Perry flied out, Paul struck out and Durham grounded out to end the inning. Baldwin returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Hatteberg and Veras to ground out. Offerman whiffed to end the inning.
Andy Sheets moved to first base as Manny Alexander came in to play short, giving Stanley the rest of the night off. Lefty Tim Young made his season debut in the top of the ninth by getting Wilson to ground out although Thomas singled. Ordonez grounded out and Konerko flied out to end the inning. Baldwin returned to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth. Nixon greeted him with a single, but Daubach struck out and Sheets banged into a double play to end the game. The Chisox had won it 6-0
Jackass of the Night is Pete Schourek. The hard luck loser allowed all 6 runs, 3 of them unearned and made an error.
The Good:
Trot Nixon was the only one who gave Baldwin trouble by going 2 for 4. Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3. Tim Young pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Jose Offerman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error. The leadoff hitter is hitting .204, wonderful. Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. Andy Sheets grounded into the game ending double play. Mike Stanley was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. Scott Hatteberg and Wilton Veras were both 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Carl Everett was 0 for 2 but walked. John Wasdin pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings but allowed two inherited runners to score.
Honorable Mention:
Manny Alexander played shortstop in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Good grief that was bad. The defense was just as bad as the offense and they couldn't do anything right. James Baldwin (6-0, 2.34 ERA) is having a great start to his season so not much the Bosox could do when someone is on his game like that. Still, the continuing slumps of O'Leary and Offerman are killing them right now. They're getting decent pitching but if they can't score, what good is it? Still, it was just one game and the two teams meet again tomorrow as Ramon Martinez takes on Cal Eldred in the rubber game of the series. The loss dropped the Sox to 17-12, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place.
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