The Sox did themselves no favors in the top of the first inning against starter Jesus Sanchez. Darren Lewis drew a walk but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Jeff Frye and AL Player of the Week Nomar Garciaparra both whiffed to end the inning. The Marlins wasted no time scoring against Sox starter Ramon Martinez (5-3, 5.61 ERA) in the bottom of the first inning. Luis Castillo grounded out to second to start before Mark Kotsay also grounded out to second. The red hot Cliff Floyd lined yet another first inning homer into the right field bleachers to give the Marlins the lead. Preston Wilson struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 1-0 Florida.
The Sox failed to answer in the top of the second inning when Mike Stanley flied out to left to start. Carl Everett grounded out to third and Jason Varitek flied out to right to end the inning. Ramon got in trouble in the bottom of the second although Mike Lowell grounded out to short to start. Derrek Lee walked but Dave Berg flied out to right. Paul Bako singled but Sanchez himself struck out to end the inning.
Manny Alexander singled to open the top of the third inning but Donnie Sadler grounded into a double play. Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning. The Marlins struck again in the bottom of the third inning. Castillo lined out to left and Kotsay grounded out to first, but Floyd walked. Floyd stole second and scored when Wilson tripled into the gap in right. Lowell flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 2-0.
The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth inning although Lewis flied out to center to start. Frye walked and Nomar pounded an opposite field home run to tie the game just like that. Stanley singled but Everett struck out. Varitek doubled Stanley to third and Alexander walked to load the bases. That was it as Sadler flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Ramon did his part in the bottom of the fourth inning as Lee lined out to short, Berg flied out to center and Bako whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth inning and the rally started when Martinez himself beat out an infield chopper to third for a hit. Lewis popped up to second but Frye singled to right, advancing Ramon to third. Nomar singled through the hole at short to score Martinez with the go-ahead run. Stanley singled home Frye but Everett struck out again. Varitek flied out to right to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.
Ramon came back for the bottom of the fifth and Mark Smith pinch hit for Sanchez....only to ground out to second. Castillo walked and Kotsay doubled him to third, but Everett made a great diving catch to rob Floyd of a hit. Kotsay was doubled off second to end the inning.
Joe Strong took over for the Marlins in the top of the sixth and Alexander singled to center. Sadler dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Trot Nixon pinch hit for Ramon. Nixon drew a walk but the rally ended as Lewis and Frye both grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Ramon as Hipolito Pichardo took over for the bottom of the sixth inning. Wilson whiffed and Lowell lined out to second, but Lee singled. Berg doubled in Lee to cut the lead to one run. Bako grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Nomar whiffed, Stanley popped up to right and Everett whiffed as well to end the inning. The bottom of the seventh became a pissing contest as Danny Bautista pinch hit for Strong and Pichardo got him to fly out to right. Sox manager Jimy Williams wanted the lefty Rheal Cormier in but Castillo singled. Kevin Millar pinch hit for Kotsay and Cormier got him to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Bautista took over in right with Ricky Bones now on the mound for the top of the eighth. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt as Varitek grounded out to short and Alexander grounded out to third. Berg booted a ground ball hit by Sadler and Brian Daubach pinch hit for Cormier only to ground out to second to end the inning. Tim Wakefield came in with a mission to do one thing and one thing only, retire Floyd. Wakefield came back to the dugout a hero after he got Cliff to pop up to short. Rich Garces took Wakefield's place and gave up a single to Wilson. The alert Varitek gunned Wilson down at second trying to steal and Lowell popped up to third to end the inning.
Bones returned for the top of the ninth and Lewis singled. Frye flied out to left and Nomar flied out to right, but Lewis swiped second. Stanley grounded out to short to end the inning. It was time for the Derek Lowe Show in the bottom of the ninth. It didn't start well as Lee singled but Lowe recovered to get Lee at second on a force by Berg. Berg was erased on a force by Bako and Alex Gonzalez pinch-ran for Paul. Bautista whiffed to end the game, the Sox had won it 4-3.
Hero of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. He drove in 3 of the team's four runs including a 2 run home run.
The Good:
Mike Stanley was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
Manny Alexander was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Ramon Martinez got the win by tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball, he also was 1 for 2 at the plate and scored the go-ahead run.
Trot Nixon walked as a pinch hitter.
Rheal Cormier retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.
Tim Wakefield got the only man he faced.
Rich Garces retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.
Derek Lowe earned his 12th save with a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Carl Everett was 0 for 4.
Donnie Sadler was 0 for 3.
Brian Daubach was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Hipolito Pichardo gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 but walked and stole a base.
Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Now that was a gutty win. It wasn't easy but the Sox managed to pull it out with some timely hitting and a near lights out bullpen. The only real negative apart from Hipolito Pichardo giving up a run is the starters need to start going deep into games. The bullpen has kept the Sox in a lot of games this year but their arms are going to fall off if guys other than Pedro Martinez can only go 5-6 innings a pop. Guys like Cormier, Garces and Lowe's arms are gonna fall off by September unless someone can step up. Maybe the Sox need to make a trade to get an innings eater. As for now, Nomar is lighting it up and was a big factor in the win. Preston Wilson was so disgusted by the predominantly Red Sox favoring crowd he was quoted after the game saying the Marlins may as well wear their road uniforms for the finale. he win puts the Sox at 31-23, tied for first place in the AL East with the New York Yankees. Tomorrow night the Sox wrap up this interleague series with the Marlins when Brian Rose (3-2, 5.21 ERA) takes on Brad Penny in the finale at 7:05 PM at Pro Player Stadium.
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