It was a double edged
sword for the Boston Red Sox bullpen. When starter Brian Rose was gone after just 1 2/3
inning, the bullpen was summoned to pitch the next 10 innings. They did their
best but it simply wasn't enough as the Detroit Tigers came away with the hard fought
7-6 victory at Fenway.
Juan Gonzalez wasted
no time in swatting his 4th homer of the year to lead off the top of the second to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead. Bobby Higginson
tripled and scored on a double by Damion Easley. Damion moved to
third on the ground out by Robert Fick. Tony Clark singled home Easley to make
the score 3-0 and Devi Cruz also singled. Luis Polonia flied out but Gregg
Jefferies singled to score Clark and chase Rose from the game. John Wasdin came
on and got Juan Encarnarcion to ground out but the damage was done and the
starter was gone, Tigers leading 4-0. Now it was Boston's
turn to rally. Nomar Garciaparra and Troy O'Leary hit back to back singles as
Carl Everett walked to load the bases just like that. Stanley then hit a rocket
but second basemen Damion Easley snared it for the first out. Jason Varitek
stepped in and singled which scored Nomar easily as a throw by center fielder Juan
Encarnarcion sailed away scoring O'Leary and Everett, also advancing Jason to
third. Wilton Veras scored Tek with a sac fly to tie the game then the Tigers
committed another error when Tony Clark bobbled a ball hit by Jeff Frye. Trot
Nixon flied out to center and it looked like the slugfest was on.
Gonzalez whiffed to lead off the top of the third inning. Higginson worked a walk but was erased on the Easley force. Easley then swiped second as Fick walked. Clark walked to load the bases. Cruz grounded out to end the inning. Mark
Johnson settled down in the bottom of the third inning. Daubach grounded out and Nomar flied out. O'Leary flied out to end the inning.
In the top of the 4th, Polonia hit a ball deep in the hole at second to chase Wasdin from the game. In came Rob Stanifer who induced a double play
from Jefferies. Encarnarcion singled but Gonzalez flied out to end the inning
without any damage. Everett and Stanley both whiffed to start the bottom of the fourth. Varitek doubled and Veras grounded out to end the inning.
Stanifer returned for the top of the fifth inning. Higginson popped up and Easley grounded out, but Fick singled. Clark grounded out to end the inning. Johnson came back for the bottom of the fifth. Frye grounded out but Nixon flied out. Daubach flied out to end the inning.
The Sox bullpen
just couldn't hold the fort anymore in the top of the sixth. Cruz doubled to open the inning and Rheal
Cormier relieved Stanifer. Polonia and Jefferies both flied out but a single
from Encarnarcion scored Cruz to break the tie. Gonzalez singled but Higginson
grounded out to end the inning with the Tigers leading 5-4. Shane Halter replaced Gregg Jefferies at third
and Nomar led off the bottom of the 6th with a double, chasing Mark Johnson
from the game. Jim Poole was brought in and Troy O'Leary met him with his 4th
longball of the year to give the Sox the lead back. Everett grounded out and
Matt Anderson relieved Poole. Stanley grounded out but Varitek worked a walk
and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Veras then grounded out to end the
inning but the Sox now led 6-5.
The lead wouldn't
last, Cormier managed to get Easley to pop out to begin the top of the 7th but
Fick singled. Tony Clark followed with a double as Devi Cruz was intentionally
walked to load the bases. Wendell Magee pinch hit for Polonia and beat out a
double play ball which scored Fick to re-tie the game. Tim Wakefield (1-2, 2.38
ERA) relieved Cormier and struck out Halter to end the inning. Doug Brocail relieved Anderson in the bottom of the 7th as Brad
Ausmus replaced Robert Fick behind the plate. Frye grounded out but Nixon doubled. Daubach flied out but Nixon moved to third. Nomar was intentionally
walked and with the go-ahead run at third, O'Leary flied out to end the inning.
Wakefield came back
for the top of the 8th and got Encarnarcion to ground out. Gonzalez flied out but Higginson singled. Easley walked but Ausmus popped up to end the inning. Everett grounded out to open the bottom of the eighth. Stanley grounded out and Varitek flied out to end the inning.
Wakefield returned for the top of the ninth. Clark and Cruz grounded out to third and MaGee struck out to end the inning. The Sox needed just one more run to win the game. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Veras and grounded out to begin the bottom of the ninth and Jeff
Frye struck out. Nixon doubled to put the winning run on second but Daubach
watched strike 3 go by to end the threat.
Manny Alexander
replaced Hatteberg/Veras at third as the game plunged into extra innings.Halter lashed a single to begin the top of the 10th. Encarnarcion flied out and Gonzalez whiffed. Higginson grounded out to end the inning. Willie Blair took over in the bottom of the 10th. Nomar flied out as both O'Leary and Everett grounded out to end the inning.
Wakefield returned for the 11th inning and got Easley to line out to Alexander. Ausmus flied out and Clark popped up to end the inning. Stanley singled to lead off the bottom of the 11th and Darren Lewis pinch ran for him. The gamble backfired as Varitek banged into a double play. Alexander grounded out to end the inning.
The tiring Wakefield returned for the top of the 12th. Cruz grounded out but MaGee broke the tie with a solo blast to put the Tigers up 7-6. Halter doubled but Encarnarcion grounded out.Gonzalez popped up to end the inning but the damage was done. Tigers closer Todd Jones came on to pitch the bottom of the 12th. Frye whiffed but Nixon singled. Daubach banged into another double play to end the game. The Tigers had won it 7-6.
Jackass of the night is a tough one. I have to go with Rheal Cormier. He allowed an inherited runner to score and the tying run to score which plunged the game into extras.
The Good:
Trot Nixon was 3 for 6. Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Troy O'Leary was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 rbi's off his 4th home run of the year. Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and 2 rbi's. John Wasdin tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
The Bad:
Jeff Frye was 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts. Brain Daubach was 0 for 6 with a strikeout. Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter. Manny Alexander was 0 for 1. Brian Rose strunk again, lasting only 1 2/3 innings while giving up 4 runs on 6 hits.
The Ugly:
Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Mike Stanley was 1 for 5. Wilton Veras was 0 for 2 but drove in a run. Tim Wakefield took the loss but had thrown 5 1/3 innings to clean up the mess left behind. His ERA lowered to 2.38. Rob Stanifer tossed 2 innings but gave up a crucial run.
Honorable Mention:
Darren Lewis pinch ran in the bottom of the 11th.
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