Out
After the city of Boston being on lockdown last night as the Watertown Police was trying to catch or kill the idiots responsible for bombing the Boston Marathon cancelled last night's game, today marked the Boston Red Sox' first home game at Fenway Park since the Marathon bombing. With one of the prime suspects in custody and the other taking a long dirt nap where he belongs, the city can now heal and move on as best they can. David Ortiz helped provide the emotional lift at the beginning of the game and Daniel Nava provided the emotional lift at the end. Ortiz grabbed the microphone, thanked our first responders, police and fire departments, Mumbles Menino and a hosts of others. Then he bellowed "This is our fucking city! And nobodies gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong!" The crowd roared as some cranky old New York Yankee fans put down Ortiz for cursing on national television....please. If Derek Jeter said "This is our fucking city!" the first game in New York following 9/11 every Red Sox fan in the country would have stood and cheered.
As for the game, it didn't look good until the very end when Daniel Nava's late blast sealed a 4-3, emotional win over the Kansas City Royals.
Clay Buchholz (4-0, 0.90 ERA) got the start for the home team and he navigated the first inning without a struggle. Alex Gordon struck out but Alcides Escobar singled. The slow footed Billy Butler grounded into a double play to end the inning. "Big Game" James Shields got the ball in the bottom of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury struck out and Shane Victorino popped up but Dustin Pedroia walked. David Ortiz flied out to end the inning.
Buchholz got annoyed in the top of the second inning. Eric Hosmer struck out but Lorenzo Cain singled. Mike Moustakas flied out as Cain swiped second. Jeff Francoeur struck out to end the inning. Shields stepped it up in the bottom of the second. Mike Napoli walked but Daniel Nava banged into a double play. Will Middlebrooks struck out to end the inning.
Buchholz cruised in the top of the third as well. Salvador Perez and Chris Getz grounded out before Gordon struck out to end the inning. Shields matched Clay in the bottom of the third. Stephen "PU" Drew and David Ross struck out before Ellsbury grounded out to end the inning.
Clay cruised in the top of the fourth with three straight groundouts from Escobar, Butler and Hosmer in short order to retired the side. The Sox didn't generate much offense in the bottom of the fourth either. Victorino struck out and Pedroia grounded out, but Ortiz singled. Napoli whiffed to end the inning.
The Royals struck first in the top of the fifth. Cain doubled and moved to third on the fly out by Moustakas. Francoeur singled home Cain to make it 1-0. Francoeur stole second as Perez struck out. Getz struck out as well to end the inning with the Royals on top. The Sox couldn't answer in the bottom of the fifth. Nava walked but Middlebrooks banged into a double play. Drew singled but Ross struck out to end the inning.
The Royals threatened in the top of the sixth. Gordon doubled and moved to third on the sacrifice bunt by Escobar. Buchholz got out of it by getting Butler to line out to short and Hosmer grounded out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth. Ellsbury singled and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Victorino. Pedroia grounded out but moved Ellsbury to third who scored to tie the game on the base hit by Ortiz. Napoli struck out but it was now tied 1-1.
Just as soon as the Sox tied it up, the Royals re-took the lead in the top of the seventh. Cain doubled but Moustakas flied out. Francoeur grounded out but Perez tripled home Cain to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. Getz tried to get on with a bunt but was thrown out to end the inning. The Sox almost rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning. Aaron Crow replaced James Shields and Nava was hit with a pitch to open the frame. Middlebrooks singled but Nava got picked off second. Drew smacked a ground ball that was booted by Moustakas, allowing Drew to reach. Instead of bases loaded and nobody out, it was 2 on with one out. Tim Collins relieved Crow as Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for David Ross. Unfortunately Jarrod popped up and Ellsbury to fly out to end the inning.
Buchholz returned for the top of the eighth with Saltalamacchia behind the plate. Gordon grounded out but Escobar singled. Butler walked but Saltalamacchia tried to throw Escobar out, the throw sailed into center allowing Escobar to reach third. Disaster was avoided when Hosmer bounced into a double play to end the innings. Buchholz pitched 8 innings of 2 run ball, 9 times out of 10 that would be good enough to win. He deserved more run support.
The Sox then pulled off a rally for the ages in the bottom of the 8th. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Victorino and doubled, posing for the cameras after reaching second.
Pedroia walked to put the go-ahead run on but Ortiz bounced into a double play, moving Gomes to third. Kelvin Herrera was brought in to pitch to Napoli and walked him. That set the stage for the dramatic finish. Nava blasted a 3 run home run to right as Sox announcer Don Orsillo said "Boston this is for you." Middlebrooks grounded out but the Sox had taken a 4-2 lead in an emotional game.
"Boston this is for you" - Don Orsillo
Unfortunately the ninth inning was a bit of a struggle for closer Andrew Bailey. Nava moved to right and Gomes stayed in left field. Cain immediately greeted Bailey with a solo blast to cut the lead 4-3. Moustakas flied out but Francoeur singled to put the tying run on. Perez struck out and old pal George Kottaras pinch hit for Getz. Kottaras walked to put the go-ahead run on but Gordon grounded out to end the game. The Sox held on to win the emotional contest 4-3.
Hero of the Night is an easy one. Daniel Nava's 3 run blast put the Sox in front for good for a city that needed an emotional lift.
The Good:
Jonny Gomes doubled and scored in his only plate appearance. Dustin Pedroia walked twice in 4 plate appearances. David Ortiz made his season debut by going 2 for 4 with an rbi single. Mike Napoli walked twice in 4 plate appearances and scored a run. Stephen Drew was 1 for 3. Clay Buchholz pitched a gem, lasting 8 innings while scattering 8 hits and a walk, allowing 2 runs and striking out 6 to earn the win.
The Bad:
Shane Victorino was 0 for 2 with a strikeout before being lifted. David Ross was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts before being lifted. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Will Middlebrooks was just 1 for 4. Andrew Bailey served up a home run to Lorenzo Cain but earned his 3rd save of the season.
Final Thoughts:
Much like the New York Yankees and New York City needed an emotional lift after 9/11, the Red Sox and Boston in general needed a game like this. Not only was it a great game, the home team won in dramatic fashion. Everything seems to be going right with the Red Sox as they earned their 12th win in 16 games and got David Ortiz back in the lineup. The Red Sox play a day night double-header tomorrow with the Royals with Ryan Dempster going in Game 1 and "The Chosen One" Allen Webster going in Game 2. Hopefully the Sox can keep the momentum going.
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