Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rookie relief pitcher Felix Doubront was sent down to Pawtucket for more seasoning and the veteran reliever Hideki Okajima was called up to take his place. 4 years ago Okajima was an integral part of the Red Sox bullpen, hopefully he can rediscover the magic again during this call-up.
As for the game, welcome to the party Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-2, 6.43 ERA). After Josh Beckett and Jon Lester pitched back to back good games, Dice K just outshined both of them. Matsuzaka was dominant against the Toronto Blue Jays, holding them to just 1 hit and 1 walk in 7 shutout innings in one of his best games ever pitched. The Red Sox bats also made sure this game would be easy by knocking Jays starter Ricky Romero out early and erupting for 9 runs off 13 hits. Jed Lowrie went 4 for 5 with a home run as both Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Sox. The Sox are starting to heat up and they won their third straight game with a 9-1 rout of the Jays on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.
Tori Black approves of the win
Dice K began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Yunel Escobar led off with a fly out to right. Corey Patterson also flied out to right but Jose Bautista hit a grounder up the middle for a base hit. Adam Lind grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Romero in the bottom of the first as JD Drew led off with a triple off the centerfield wall. Dustin Pedroia walked but Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging. Kevin Youkilis also struck out swinging but David Ortiz walked. Jed Lowrie stepped up with a base hit to right to score Drew and Pedroia. Ortiz took third on the play but Carl Crawford popped up to shallow left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
Aaron Hill led off the top of the second with a fly out to Crawford and JP Arencebia popped up to Jacoby Ellsbury. Travis Snider walked but Edwin Encarnacion flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Ellsbury lined out to short but Drew walked. Pedroia grounded a single into right but Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning.
Dice K cruised in the top of the third as Jayson Nix popped up to Youkilis to start. Escobar popped up to shallow center and Patterson struck out swinging on a fastball up to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third with Youkilis doubling off the top of the bullpen to start. Ortiz lined a base hit in the hole to right to score Youk and increase the lead. Lowrie lined another base hit to right but Crawford popped up to second to a chorus of boo's. Varitek forced Lowrie at second but Ortiz moved to third. Ellsbury popped up to shallow left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Dice K cruised in the top of the fourth as Bautista grounded out to third to start. Lind popped up to left and Hill flied out to center to end the inning. Drew beat out an infield single up the middle to start the bottom of the fourth but Pedroia flied out to center. Gonzalez earned the hat trick with a swinging strikeout and Youkilis flied out to right to end the inning.
Sox analyst Jerry Remy complained that play-by-play man Don Orsillo cut him out of pictures together in the top of the fifth inning. Dice K was so excited to hear the news that he struck out Arencebia swinging. Snider flied out to left and Encarnacion grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Ortiz walked and Lowrie obliterated his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Crawford flied out to left to another round of boo's but Varitek walked to chase Romero. Luiz Perez was brought in and Ellsbury struck out swinging. Drew grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 5-0.
Matsuzaka cruised in the top of the sixth as Nix struck out looking on three pitches to start. Escobar flied out to right on the first pitch and Patterson lined out to center on the first pitch to end the inning. Dice K threw just 5 pitches in that inning and the Sox scored again in the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia walked to start but Gonzalez forced him at second. Youkilis then belted his second home run of the year into the bullpen to increase the lead. Ortiz grounded into the shift but Lowrie poked a base hit to left for his fourth hit of the day. Crawford broke out of his slump with a double off the Monster to score Lowrie, earning a standing ovation. Perez was done and Octavio Dotel was brought in to strike out Varitek looking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.
Career homer 114 for Youkilis
Dice K returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Bautista flied out to center to start. Youkilis took a tumble to haul in a pop up from Lind and Hill grounded out to third to end the inning. Dice K retired the last 16 in a row, allowed one hit and one walk in 7 shutout innings, outstanding!
Dice K delivers
John McDonald took over at second for Hill to start the bottom of the seventh and Ellsbury clobbered his fourth home run of the year into the Sox bullpen to wrap up the scoring. Drew popped up to center and Pedroia struck out swinging, but Gonzalez fooled Patterson with a ground rule double into the centerfield seats. Youkilis flied out to left to end the inning but it was 9-0 Sox.
Ellsbury a power hitter?
Alfredo Aceves came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arencebia grounded out to short to start. Lowrie made a nice play to rob Snider of a hit and Encarnacion popped up to third to end the inning. That's 19 in a row retired by Sox pitching. Casey Janssen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ortiz popped up to Bautista to start. Lowrie struck out swinging and Crawford grounded out to second to end the inning.
Tim Wakefield had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Nix popped up to short. Escobar broke up the string of 20 in a row retired with a home run all the way to Boylston Street. Patterson popped up to Youkilis in foul territory and Bautista flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it on Patriots Day 9-1.
Hero of the Night is Daisuke Matsuzaka. He tossed 7 shutout innings allowing just 2 base runners in a masterpiece.
The Good:
JD Drew was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.
David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.
Jed Lowrie was 4 for 5 with 4 total rbis, 2 total runs scored and a 2 run home run.
Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Tim Wakefield allowed a run in the ninth inning.
The Ugly:
Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.
Carl Crawford was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.
Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 but walked.
Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.
Honorable Mention:
Darnell McDonald played right field in the final two innings.
Final Thoughts:
Looks like the Sox are starting to come out of their slump. Not only has the offense woke up but so has the pitching. Dice K, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have thrown 3 straight good games and Dice K in particular was outstanding today. If John Lackey and Clay Buchholz can pitch to their talent, this team is going to be very tough to beat, especially if the offense cooks like this. Lowrie when healthy is a difference maker and so is Ellsbury, those two could be the key to a good season if they can hold up. Crawford finally got an rbi double and if he gets hot, the AL is in big trouble. Its still early in the season but the signs of a great team are there if they can keep this up. The Sox spend the rest of the month playing AL West teams so now is the time to establish dominance over them and send a message that they're for real. The Sox now travel to Oakland to play a series with the A's. John Lackey (1-1, 15.28 ERA) looks to join the other starters in a resurgence against Brett Anderson of the A's. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.
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