Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Brian Daubach cleared waivers and returned to Pawtucket while Bobby Jones was sent to Pawtucket with him after a disastrous start to his season. 25 year old left handed pitcher Phil Seibel was called up to take his place. Seibel was claimed off waivers from the New York Mets back in November and could make his major league debut soon. Can't be any worse than Jones....right?
It was a bad day in Boston sports as the Boston Bruins lost Game 5 to the Montreal Canadiens in their first round NHL playoff series and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox in eleven innings. In the opposite of Saturday's game, Orioles ace Sidney Ponson and Sox ace Pedro Martinez were hammered for seven runs apiece. Brian Roberts set the tone with a leadoff home run but the Sox got a two run Johnny Damon single and a three run Bill Mueller home run to take a 5-2 lead. Trailing 7-4 in the fifth, David Segui hit a three run bomb off Pedro and the score would remain the same until the 11th inning. Miguel Tejada hit a leadoff blast off of Bronson Arroyo (0-1, 8.53) ERA and the floodgates opened. The O's got five runs off Arroyo, rookie Phil Seibel and the returning Frank Castillo. The Sox continued their mediocre start to the season with a 12-7 defeat at the hands of the Orioles at Fenway Park.
Four pitches into the game, Brian Roberts hit a home run all the way into the Potomac River to put the O's up instantly in the top of the first. Melvin Mora flied out to center but Miguel Tejada drew a walk. Rafael Palmeiro forced Tejada at second but Javy Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.
Ponson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon grounded out to third to start. Bill Mueller popped up to short but David Ortiz singled to right. Manny Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.
The O's struck again in the top of the second as Jay Gibbons walked to start. David Segui banged into a double play but Luis Matos walked. Matos scored all the way from first on a Larry Bigbie double to left but Roberts grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's up 2-0.
Bigbie drives in a run
The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Kevin Millar walked to start. Jason Varitek singled to right but Gabe Kapler popped up to short. Mark Bellhorn walked to load the bases but Pokey Reese popped up to first in foul territory. Damon singled to right to score Millar and Varitek then Mueller smacked his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox led 5-2.
Mora beat out a roller to short to start the top of the third but Tejada forced him at second. Palmeiro flied out to center and Lopez grounded out to second to end the inning. Mora heaved a ground ball by Ramirez into the stands to start the bottom of the third before Millar took strike three. Varitek forced Ramirez at second Kapler grounded out to second to end the inning.
The O's struck back in the top of the fourth as Gibbons beat out a roller to third to start. Segui singled to right to move Gibbons to third and he scored on the Matos force at second. Matos stole second and Bigbie singled to center to score him to cut the lead. Roberts took strike three and Mora forced Bigbie at second to end the inning with the O's down 5-4.
The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Bellhorn singled to left to start. Reese caught the O's asleep with a bunt single and Damon singled to left to score Bellhorn. Mueller beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Ortiz scored Reese with a grounder to third. Ramirez technically hit a single in the hole at short but Mueller was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-4.
The O's finished off Pedro in the top of the fifth as Tejada flied out to right to start. Palmeiro grounded out to first and Pedro was one out away from getting out of it unscathed. It didn't happen as Lopez doubled to left, Gibbons walked and Segui hit a home run all the way to Uranus to tie the game. Matos struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 7-7. That was it for Martinez who got rocked for 7 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 8 hits and 4 walks.
Rodrigo Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Millar started off with a double to center. Varitek struck out swinging and Millar moved to second on the grounder to short by Kapler. Bellhorn hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
Mark Malaska came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Bigbie flied out to left to start. Roberts grounded out to third but Mora walked. Tejada walked but Palmeiro took strike three to end the inning. Reese grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Damon walked. Mueller struck out swinging but Damon took second on the play, only for Ortiz to go down hacking to end the inning.
Scott Williamson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Mueller heaved a grounder by Lopez into the stands for an error to start. Gibbons popped up to left but Segui walked. Matos struck out swinging and Bigbie flied out to center to end the inning. Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Millar popped up to short. Varitek forced Manny at second and Kapler struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mike Timlin came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Roberts got a base hit to left to start. Mora dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Roberts to second and Brian moved to third on the Tejada grounder to second. That was it for Timlin as Sox manager Terry Francona brought in Keith Foulke to face Palmeiro. Raffy hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. BJ Ryan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bellhorn struck out swinging to start. David McCarty pinch hit for Reese only to ground out to third. Damon took strike three to end the inning.
Cesar Crespo came in to play short in the top of the ninth and Lopez grounded back to the mound to start. Gibbons grounded out to second but Segui singled to left. Tim Raines Jr pinch ran for Segui and stole second, only for Matos to fly out to right to end the inning. Mueller struck out swinging to start the bottom of the ninth and Ortiz flied out to center. Manny got a base hit to center to put the winning run on but Millar flied out to right to end the inning.
Alan Embree came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Bigbie grounded out to short to start. Roberts struck out swinging and Mora flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to win in the bottom of the tenth with Mike DeJean on the mound. Varitek flied out to center to start but Kapler dumped a base hit to center. Bellhorn walked but Crespo popped up to third in foul territory. Buddy Groom was brought in to face the lefty Damon and ended up hitting him to load the bases. Unfortunately Muller flied out to center to end the inning.
Bronson Arroyo came in to pitch the top of the eleventh and immediately crapped his pants. Tejeda hit the fifth pitch he saw out of the galaxy to put the O's on top. Palmeiro singled to right but Lopez lined out to center. Gibbons tripled into the right field corner to score Palmeiro before Raines Jr walked. Matos hit a routine grounder to Mueller who booted it to load the bases and chase Arroyo. Phil Seibel made his major league debut by getting Bigbie to hit a grounder to Millar....also booted for an error to score Gibbons to ice the game. Roberts walked on four pitched not even close to score Raines and that was it for Seibel. Frank Castillo made his return to Fenway for the first time in two years and immediately allowed a base hit to center by Mora to score Matos with the final run. Tejada banged into a double play to end the inning but the Orioles scored five runs in the frame and led 12-7.
Jorge Julio came in to close out the bottom of the eleventh and Ortiz flied out to left to start. Ramirez went down hacking and Millar struck out swinging to end the game. The O's had won it 12-7 in 11 innings.
Jackass Arroyo
Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Jackass of the Night is Bronson Arroyo. He was charged with five runs in the top of the eleventh to take the loss.
The Good:
Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis, a hit by pitch and a run scored.
Manny Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a walk.
Mark Bellhorn was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.
Pokey Reese was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Mark Malaska pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Mike Timlin got the first two outs of the eighth inning.
Keith Foulke tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Alan Embree tossed a scoreless tenth inning.
The Bad:
David McCarty grounded out as a pinch hitter.
Cesar Crespo was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Pedro Martinez was awful. He allowed 7 runs off 8 hits and 4 walks.
Phil Seibel allowed two inherited runners to score without recording an out.
The Ugly:
Bill Mueller was just 1 for 6 with 2 strikeouts and 2 errors but hit a three run home run.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Kevin Millar was just 1 for 5 with an error and 2 strikeouts, but walked and scored a run.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Frank Castillo allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
What a way to lose. The Sox were 90 feet away from winning this thing in the tenth and it all fell apart in the 11th. Phil Seibel got thrown in the fire and its a shame to make your ML debut in a situation like that. It should have never come to any of that if the offense didn't fall asleep in the fourth inning and if Pedro Martinez didn't stink the joint out. Hats off to the Baltimore bullpen who ended up tossing 7 scoreless innings after Ponson left the game and the offense for fighting back to tie the game then take the lead in extras. The Sox defense failed them as well as the Mueller and Millar errors definitely hurt in that fateful inning. The Sox have only played eight games this season but they've looked like garbage in half of them. Still, missing two big bats and having to use your bullpen in all these extra inning games are tough to overcome. The schedule doesn't get any easier because the Sox now travel to the Bronx for an early season showdown with the New York Yankees. Tim Wakefield (0-0) gets the start for Boston against new acquisition Javier Vazquez of the Yankees. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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