Just when you thought the Boston Red Sox were going on a run to re-establish dominance in the AL East, they get beat in frustrating fashion by the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox handed starter Tim Wakefield a 3-0 lead after the third inning but not only did they get shutout the rest of the way, Wakefield coughed up the lead in tje bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the eighth, Brian Buchanan smashed a pinch hit home run off of Pete Schourek (0-2, 2.65 ERA) to put the Twins up for good. The Sox did get the tying run on in the top of the ninth against LaTroy Hawkins, but pinch hitter Troy O'Leary struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had beaten the Red Sox for the first time in Minnesota for the first time since August 1999 with a 4-3 win at the Metrodome.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Minnesota starter JC Romero in the top of the first inning as John Valentin led off with a ground out to third. Jose Offerman singled to right and Carl Everett hit a gap shot to left. Jacque Jones threw the ball away allowing Offerman to score and Manny Ramirez drove home Everett with a base hit to left. Dante Bichette struck out swinging and Shea Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
Wakefield got the ball in the bottom of the first and Christian Guzman led off with a ground out to first. Luis Rivas grounded back to the mound but Matt Lawton walked. Corey Koskie flied out to center to end the inning.
Jason Varitek struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Lou Merloni flied out to left. Darren Lewis tried to bunt his way on but Romero snuffed it out to end the inning. Doug Mientkiewicz led off the bottom of the second with a fly out to right and Chad Allen took strike three. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Valentin doubled to left to start. Offerman flied out to right but Valentin moved to third on the Everett grounder to second. Ramirez got a base hit to left to score Valentin with another run. Bichette lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Torii Hunter flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before AJ Pierzynski grounded out to second. Guzman walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.
Hillenbrand grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Lawton took strike three. Koskie grounded out to short to end the inning. Rivas grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fourth before Lawton took strike three. Koskie grounded out to short to end the inning.
Lewis singled to right to start the top of the fifth but Valentin banged into a double play. Offerman flied to center to end the inning. The Twins roared back in the bottom of the fifth although Mientkiewicz struck out swinging to start. Allen struck out swinging but Jones walked. Hunter singled to right and Pierzynski singled to left to score Jones to put the Twins on the board. Guzman tripled home both runners to tie the game but Rivas grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Guzman ties it up
Everett flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Ramirez struck out swinging. Bichette walked but Hillenbrand popped up to center to end the inning. Wakefield returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth as Lawton lined out to second to start. Koskie struck out swinging and Mientkiewicz flied out to left to end the inning. Wakefield had one bad inning but overall did well in 6 innings, allowing 3 runs.
Romero came back for the top of the seventh and Varitek struck out swinging to start. Merloni struck out swinging and Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox had Romero on the ropes early but he dominated after that. Hipolito Pichardo made his season debut in the bottom of the seventh and Allen grounded out to second to start. Jones lined out to left and Hunter struck out looking to end the inning.
Eddie Guardado came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Valentin hit the roof with a pop up and Guzman caught it off the carom. Offerman singled to right but Everett struck out swinging. Bob Wells was brought in to face Ramirez and Manny forced Offerman at second to end the inning. The Twins took command in the bottom of the eighth as Pete Schourek came in to pitch. Brian Buchanan pinch hit for Pierzynski and hit the first pitch thrown to him one million feet for a home run to put the Twins up for good. Guzman struck out looking and Rivas grounded out to short, but Lawton doubled to left. Koskie flied out to center to end the inning with the Twins ahead 4-3.
LaTroy Hawkins came in to close out the top of the ninth with Tom Prince taking over behind the plate. Bichette grounded out to third and Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Hillenbrand, flying out to center. Varitek singled up the middle to put the tying run on and Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Merloni. Trot Nixon pinch ran for Varitek but O'Leary struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 4-3.
Jackass of the Night is Pete Schourek. He served up the go-ahead home run to Buchanan in the eighth.
The Good:
Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.
Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.
Tim Wakefield tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Sox in the game.
Hipolito Pichardo tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.
Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Lou Merloni was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Troy O'Leary struck out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Dante Bichette was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Honorable Mention:
Trot Nixon pinch ran for Varitek in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
That was a frustrating loss considered the Sox offense took the night off after the third inning. They seem to have a problem of scoring early but can't get much done after that. Romero seemed to have gotten stronger as the game went along and the Boston bats went silent. Brian Daubach has been nursing a bad thumb since last Friday but he may play tomorrow, any offense he brings will be welcomed after an effort like that. Schourek giving up the jack sucked and its too bad the Sox couldn't bail him out offensively. Ramirez is trying to not only break Hack Wilson's rbi record but hit .400 as well and the Sox need to get him some help big time. Nomar Garciaparra won't be back for another 2 months but the bottom of the order is just not scary enough as currently constructed. There's plenty of time to make a move before the deadline but that's far down the road. The loss dropped the Sox to 23-16, 1.5 games in front of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when David Cone makes his Red Sox debut opposite Twins ace Brad Radke. The game begins at 1:09 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.
No comments:
Post a Comment