The Sox' newest slugger Manny Ramirez made an inauspicious debut by striking out looking to begin the top of the second inning. Carl Everett flied out to right and Troy O'Leary grounded right back to Hentgen to end the inning. David Segui led off the bottom of the second with a single but was erased on the Chris Richard double play. Cal Ripken Jr grounded out to second to end the inning.
Hentgen remained tough in the top of the third inning. Rookie Shea Hillenbrand made his MLB debut by flying out to right. Brian Daubach struck out swinging and Nomar Garciaparra's replacement Craig Grebeck grounded out to third to end the inning. Pedro hung tough in the bottom of the third. Melvin Mora lined out to left and Brook Fordyce struck out looking, but Jerry Hairston singled to right. Anderson grounded out first to end the inning.
The Sox drew first blood in the top of the fourth. Stynes grounded out to short but Nixon blasted a solo home run to right field to give the Sox the lead. Varitek flied out to center and Ramirez struck out looking again to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.
The O's threatened in the bottom of the fourth. Bordick struck out swinging but DeShields walked. Segui flied out to left but DeShields swiped second. Pedro struck out Richard swinging to end the inning.
Hentgen recovered in the top of the fifth inning. Everett popped up to third and O'Leary flied out to right, but Hillenbrand got his first major league hit on a single with a single to left. Daubach lined out to left to end the inning. Pedro remained hot in the bottom of the fifth. Ripken Jr grounded out to second but Mora was hit by a pitch. Fordyce then lined into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox could do nothing in the top of the sixth. Grebeck struck out swinging, Stynes popped up to third in foul territory and Nixon struck out swinging to end the frame. The O's finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth as Hairston doubled to left and took third on the Anderson strikeout. Bordick singled home Hairston to tie the game. Bordick was erased on the DeShields force play, then DeShields swiped second base. Segui struck out looking to end the inning but the game was now tied 1-1.
Hentgen matched Pedro in the top of the seventh. Varitek popped up to short but Ramirez got his first Red Sox hit with a single to right. Sox manager Jimy Williams then sacrificed Ramirez for the remainder of the game by inserting Darren Lewis as a pinch runner. The gamble backfired as Lewis was erased at second on the force by Everett. O'Leary grounded out to third to end the inning and now Ramirez was lost for the rest of the game. Pedro returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Richard to ground out to second. Ripken Jr grounded out to short and Mora flied out to left to end the inning. Martinez ended the game tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball. On a normal day, this would be enough to win
Hentgen returned for the top of the eighth and cruised. Hillenbrand struck out swinging as both Daubach and Grebeck grounded out to second to end the inning. Sox manager Jimy Williams decided to save Pedro for better days and Rod Beck took over for the bottom of the eighth inning. Fordyce grounded out to second, Hairston struck out swinging and Anderson flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox tried to rally in the top of the ninth. Stynes led off with a single to left and Nixon sacrifice bunted him to second. Varitek was intentionally walked and this is where the Sox missed Ramirez. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third but Lewis could only muster a grounder to Bordick, who fired home to tag out Stynes. A flyball by Manny would have probably iced the game. That was it for Hentgen who was brilliant with 8 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. Buddy Groom got Everett to ground into a force to end the inning. Beck walked Bordick to begin the bottom of the ninth but stranded him. DeShields struck out swinging, Segui grounded out to Beck (to advance Bordick to second) and Richard grounded out to first to end the inning. Good work by Beck.
Off to extra innings we went and Groom struck out O'Leary to begin the top of the tenth. Hillenbrand lined out to second and Daubach flied out to right to end the inning. Sox closer Derek Lowe took the mound in the bottom of the tenth and Ripken Jr struck out looking to start. Mora grounded out to short and Fordyce flied out to right to end the inning.
Ryan Kohlmeier replaced Groom for the top of the 11th. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Grebeck and popped up to third. Stynes flied out to left but Nixon walked. Varitek singled to left and once again the Sox could have used Manny. Instead, Lewis struck out swinging to end the inning. The O's put the game away in the bottom of the 11th with Mike Lansing now playing short. Hairston doubled to left and Anderson singled him home in short order to win the game 2-1 Baltimore.
The Good:
Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.
Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3.
Pedro Martinez was outstanding. He tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball while striking out six.
Rod Beck tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Darren Lewis was 0 for 2 at the plate.
Carl Everett was 0 for 4.
Troy O'Leary was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Craig Grebeck was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Chris Stynes was just 1 for 5.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 but walked.
Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 in his ML debut.
Honorable Mention:
Mike Lansing played short in the bottom of the 11th.
Mike Lansing played short in the bottom of the 11th.
Final Thoughts:
Not the start the Sox were looking for to start the 2001 season. With a revamped offense, the Sox should have enough to compete with the New York Yankees this year, but that was not a good performance today. How are they supposed to beat the Yankees if they can't beat the O's? Pat Hentgen pitched the game of his life to match Pedro Martinez, who saw that coming? Still it was just one game and there's an entire season to go. The Sox are back in action against the Orioles this Wednesday night when Hideo Nomo makes his Red Sox debut opposite Sidney Ponson of the O's. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Camden Yards.
Not the start the Sox were looking for to start the 2001 season. With a revamped offense, the Sox should have enough to compete with the New York Yankees this year, but that was not a good performance today. How are they supposed to beat the Yankees if they can't beat the O's? Pat Hentgen pitched the game of his life to match Pedro Martinez, who saw that coming? Still it was just one game and there's an entire season to go. The Sox are back in action against the Orioles this Wednesday night when Hideo Nomo makes his Red Sox debut opposite Sidney Ponson of the O's. The game begins at 7:30 PM at Camden Yards.
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