Indians starter Mitch Talbot faced Jacoby Ellsbury to open the game and struck him out swinging. Carl Crawford stepped in and singled off of Talbot's glove. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging bringing up Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford stole second cleanly but it didn't matter because Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Dice K took the mound and promptly gave up a leadoff single to right by Michael Brantley. Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to left bringing up Sin Soo Choo. The Sox pitching staff continued to give up long balls as Choo blasted a homer to centerfield to give the Indians the lead just like that. Carlos Santana flied out to center but Travis Haffner worked a 10 pitch walk. Orlando Cabrera was then hit by a pitch as Red Sox Nation groaned. Dice K Disease was striking early but it ended when Travis Buck flied out to left to end the ining with the Indians up 2-0.
The Sox rallied in the top of the second although Kevin Youkilis grounded out to short to start. David Ortiz and JD Drew stroked back to back singles before Jason Varitek walked to load the bases. Marco Scutaro hit a Texas Leaguer to score Ortiz and Ellsbury scored Drew with a groundout to first to tie the game. Crawford lined out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Ortiz scores a run
Unfortunately, Dice K couldn't keep the Indians at bay in the bottom of the second. Matt Laporta led off with a single to center but Jack Hannahan flied out to center. Brantley walked and Asdrubal Cabrera singled home Laporta to give Cleveland the lead back. Choo grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Indians re-took the lead 3-2.
Unfortunately, Dice K couldn't keep the Indians at bay in the bottom of the second. Matt Laporta led off with a single to center but Jack Hannahan flied out to center. Brantley walked and Asdrubal Cabrera singled home Laporta to give Cleveland the lead back. Choo grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Indians re-took the lead 3-2.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Pedroia was hit by a pitch to start. Gonzalez doubled him to third and it looked like the Sox would tie the game. Then the Sox inability to hit in the clutch struck again as Youkilis whiffed and Ortiz lined out softly to short. Drew watched strike three go by to end the inning but Talbot was now up to 72 pitches after 3 innings. Dice K made short work of the Indians in the bottom of the third by striking out Santana looking on 3 pitches to start. He struck out Hafner swinging in 4 and getting Orlando Cabrera to fly out to left in 3 to end the inning.
Varitek led off the top of the fourth by flying out to center then Scutaro struck out on swinging on 9 pitches. Ellsbury took strike three to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Buck led off with a fly out to center and Laporta hit one up the elevator shaft. Hannahan walked but Brantley grounded out to first to end the inning as Dice K looked to be cruising.
Crawford led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second. Pedroia moved him over to third with a ground out and Gonzalez was intentionally walked. That was it for Talbot as Chad Durbin came in to pitch to Youkilis. Youk's slump continued as he struck out swinging. Indians manager Manny Acta replaced Durbin with Rafael Perez and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Dice K got Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo to ground out to Pedroia then the wheels almost fell off. Santana and Haffner stroked back to back singles after it looked to have been a strike 3 call on Santana. Luckily Orlando Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning but that was it for Dice K. He threw 96 pitches
Perez cruised in the top of the sixth as Drew struck out swinging to start. Varitek flied out to right and Scutaro took strike three to end the inning. The Indians put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning thanks to some boneheaded baseball by the Sox. Dennys Reyes relieved Dice K and plunked Buck and Laporta to start. Hannahan walked to load the bases with nobody out. Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough and sent for Dan Wheeler. Dan got Brantley to hit a grounder to Youkilis who stepped on third and fired home. Varitek touched the plate but had forgotten its not a force play and Buck was safe with another run. Asdrubal Cabrera cleared the bases with a towering shot to right field to put the game out of reach. Choo grounded out to second to end the inning but the game was decided 7-2.
Frank Hermann came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Sox tried to come back. Ellsbury took strike three but Crawford singled in the hole at short. Pedroia flied out to right but Gonzalez smashed his first home run of the season to cut the lead. How important was the home run by Cabrera now? Youkilis popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.
Tim Wakefield held the fort in the bottom of the seventh as Hafner struck out swinging to start. Orlando Cabrera popped up to first and Buck grounded out to second to end the inning.
Tony Sipp came in for the top of the eighth and Ortiz hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Mike Cameron pinch hit for Drew and flied out to center. Jed Lowrie pinch hit for Varitek and flied out to left to end the inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and Laporta settled matters with a home run to Jupiter to wrap up the scoring. Hannahan grounded out to second, Brantley struck out swinging and Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to left to end the inning with the Indians up 8-4.
Vinnie Pestano came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Scutaro flied out to right, Ellsbury grounded out to second and Crawford lined out to left to end the game. The Sox dropped to 0-5 with an 8-4 loss.
Sox lose again
Jackass Wheeler
In the first five games, the Red Sox as a pitching staff had given up 15 home runs while the offense were even worse with runners on base. All 5 starters have been defeated and none of them looked particularly good. Its only April but after last year's injury plagued year left a bad taste in the fans' collective mouths, this was NOT the way to win rapport. Especially since this was touted by radio jocks as the "best team evah". That Varitek blunder was little league, you'd think he'd know better to tag the damn runner. Not that it mattered since Cabrera was going to hit a home run to Sri Lanka anyway but at least it would have been a more interesting game. The losses are piling up and the Sox have to win eventually...right? The Sox look to avoid their second straight sweep when Jon Lester (0-1) looks to improve on his Opening Day outing when he takes on Fausto Carmona of the Indians tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 1:05 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.
Jackass of the Night is Dan Wheeler. Yes, Reyes loaded the bases and Varitek's mental error didn't help but the three run homer by Cabrera was the difference in the game.
The Good:
Carl Crawford was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and a run scored.
Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.
JD Drew was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Mike Cameron was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Jed Lowrie was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Dennis Reyes was charged with 3 runs after hitting 2 batters and walking one.
The Ugly:
Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Jason Varitek was 0 for 2 with a boneheaded play at home but walked.
Marco Scutaro was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.
Daisuke Matsuzaka took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in 5 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks.
Tim Wakefield allowed a run in two innings of work.
Honorable Mention:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia caught the bottom of the eighth.
Final Thoughts:
In the first five games, the Red Sox as a pitching staff had given up 15 home runs while the offense were even worse with runners on base. All 5 starters have been defeated and none of them looked particularly good. Its only April but after last year's injury plagued year left a bad taste in the fans' collective mouths, this was NOT the way to win rapport. Especially since this was touted by radio jocks as the "best team evah". That Varitek blunder was little league, you'd think he'd know better to tag the damn runner. Not that it mattered since Cabrera was going to hit a home run to Sri Lanka anyway but at least it would have been a more interesting game. The losses are piling up and the Sox have to win eventually...right? The Sox look to avoid their second straight sweep when Jon Lester (0-1) looks to improve on his Opening Day outing when he takes on Fausto Carmona of the Indians tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 1:05 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.
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