Sox Rally Falls Short Against Royals (5/31/00)

Before the game the Sox made two moves, one that made sense and one that didn't. John Valentin was placed on the 15 day disabled list after tearing his ACL last night, he was replaced by Andy Sheets. The surprising move was sending down hot lefty Tim Young to Pawtucket and bringing up veteran Hipolito Pichardo. Young had been lighting it up, they couldn't have sent away John Wasdin or Rheal Cormier?

OUT

IN

It turns out Pichardo poured gas on a fire that led to a 9-7 Kansas City Royals victory at Fenway Park. The 2 runs that Pichardo allowed could have been the difference in the game. You mean to tell me he's better than what Tim Young had been?

                                                              Billy hates shoddy relief pitching

Pete Schourek (2-5, 3.84 ERA) didn't have it although he had a good top of the first inning. Johnny Damon led the game off with a groundout to first. Carlos Febles grounded out to third but Mike Sweeney stroked a single. Jermaine Dye popped up to end the inning. Royals starter Mac Suzuki was outstanding in this one. Jeff Frye led off the bottom of the first by lining out to Damon. Trot Nixon singled but Brian Daubach flied out. Nomar Garciaparra singled but Carl Everett flied out to end the inning. More lack of clutch hitting from Everett.

Schourek promptly crapped himself in the top of the second. Carlos Beltran grounded out and Joe Randa flied out but David McCarty homered to put the Royals up 1-0. Gregg Zaun and Rey Sanchez worked back to back walks and Zaun swiped third to add insult to injury. Damon then doubled home both runners and took third on the throw home. Damon then took home when Schourek fired a pitch 700 feet over catcher Scott Hatteberg's head. Febles grounded out to end the inning but it was 4-0 Royals. Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the second? NO! Troy O'Leary grounded out and Mike Stanley flied out but Hatteberg doubled. Wilton Veras flied out to end the inning.

Schourek recovered in the top of the third inning. Sweeney whiffed and Dye grounded out but Beltran singled. Randa flied out to end the inning. The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the third. Frye walked and moved to second on the force by Nixon, but both Daubach and Nomar struck out to end the inning.

Once again Schourek kept pace in the top of the fourth inning. McCarty and Zaun flied out then Sanchez grounded out to end the frame. The Sox finally struck back in the bottom of the fourth when Everett crushed his 16th homer of the year. O'Leary singled and Stanley walked but both Hatteberg and Stanley whiffed. Frye came through with a single to score O'Leary to cut the deficit in half. Nixon walked to put the tying run on first but Daubach whiffed to end the inning. At least they showed some life.

Just as soon as the Sox scored to cut the lead in half, Schourek fell apart in the top of the fifth. Damon poked a single to right and stole second as Febles flied out. Sweeney doubled home Damon to make it 5-2 and chase Schourek from the game. Hipolito Pichardo made his season debut by allowing a single to Dye that scored Sweeney. Beltran singled and Randa walked to load the bases and chase the ineffective Pichardo. Tim Wakefield came in and Hatteberg immediately allowed a passed ball to score Dye and advance the runners. A ground out by McCarty scored Beltran and Zaun flied out to end the inning with the score now 8-2. What a disaster. The Sox needed to strike back but they failed in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nomar flied out and Everett struck out but O'Leary walked. Stanley grounded out to end the inning.

The Royals got another one in the top of the sixth inning. Sanchez grounded out but Damon tripled. Damon couldn't advance on the lineout by Febles but Dye singled him home. Beltran struck out to end the inning with the Royals up 9-2. Suzuki remained hot in the bottom of the sixth. Hatteberg grounded out and Veras lined out but Frye doubled. Nixon grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox ran into more trouble in the top of the 7th inning. Randa led off with a single but McCartly lined out.  Zaun walked but Sanchez beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Looking for the cycle, Damon whiffed to end the inning. Suzuki finished his night with a flourish in the bottom of the 7th.  Daubach and Nomar grounded out and Everett struck out to end the inning.

John Wasdin took the mound in the top of the 8th, Andy Sheets took over for Nomar at short and Donnie Sadler replaced Everett in center. Febles flied out but Sweeney singled and Dye doubled. Somehow Wasdin struck out Beltran and got Randa to ground out to end the inning. Ricky Bottalico took over for the bottom of the 8th and suddenly the Sox sprang to life. O'Leary struck out but Stanley doubled. Hatteberg singled him to third and Veras hit a little roller to Bottalico. He was already going to be safe but Bottalico decided to go for the out only to throw the ball away. Stanley scored and the Fenway crowd finally got into it. Frye walked to load the bases and Nixon got plunked to drive in Hatteberg. That was it for Bottalico as Jose Santiago came in to put out the fire with the Sox now down 9-4. Daubach then crushed a double that scored 2 and advanced Nixon to third. Sox manager Jimy Williams showed some sense by pinch hitting Andy Sheets with Jason Varitek. Varitek grounded out but scored Nixon and advanced Daubach to third. Suddenly Donnie Sadler became the tying run and he did his part by getting plunked. That was it for Santiago as Jerry Spradlin replaced Santiago with the tying runs on and the Sox trailing 9-7. Sadler swiped second to put the tying run in scoring position but O'Leary grounded out to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox were back in the game.

Sadler moved to short and Darren Lewis took over in center to replace Varitek. Derek Lowe came in to pitch and got McCarty to fly out. Zaunn struck out and Sanchez grounded out to end the inning. Could the Sox pull off the rally in the bottom of the ninth? Stanley whiffed but Hatteberg doubled. Representing the tying run, Veras flied out. Frye grounded out to end the game. The Royals had held on to win 9-7.

Jackass of the night is easy, Pete Schourek. Yes Pichardo pissed himself in his season debut but you can attribute that to rust. There was no excuse for Schourek to stink that bad against a lineup he should have handled.

                                                       Jackass of the night: Pete Schourek


The Good:

Jeff Frye was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, a run scored and an rbi.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk, was hit with a pitch, scored a run and drove in a run.

Donnie Sadler was hit in his only plate appearance and stole a base.

Scott Hatteberg was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

John Wasdin pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Hipolito Pichardo was a mess in his season debut. He didn't record an out, allowed all his inherited runners to score and allowed a run of his own.



The Ugly:

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a double that drove in two runs.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4

Jason Varitek grounded out in his only at bat but it drove in a run.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was his 16th home run of the year.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Stanley was also just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Wilton Vera was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Tim Wakfield tossed 2 2/3 innings of relief and allowed the 9th and final run to score.



Honorable Mention:

Andy Sheets played short in the top of the 8th.

Darren Lewis played center in the top of the 9th.



Final Thoughts:

Well that sucked. The Sox showed some life by trying to rally but just couldn't get it done. Hopefully Pichardo is going to work out down the road but tonight he didn't have it. Schourek not having it was disheartening as well. The Sox dropped to 29-19, still 1.5 ahead of the New York Yankees. Tomorrow Ramon Martinez takes on Chris Fussell in the finale.