Burkett, Sox Crush Royals in Game 1 (4/21/02)

It was good news this afternoon all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics won Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series with the Philadelphia Sixers and the Boston Red Sox beat the daylights out of the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of their doubleheader. After spending the first three weeks of the season on the Disabled List, John Burkett (1-0, 3.60 ERA) made his Sox debut and showed why the Red Sox signed him to compete with the New York Yankees. Burkett tossed 5 gutty innings against the Royals and allowed just two runs to keep Boston in the game. On the other side of the ball, the Sox bats laid waste to the bungholes of the Royals pitchers. The offense pounded out 16 hits and 12 runs against the hapless Royals including five home runs. Johnny Damon hit one against his former team while Manny Ramirez hit two of his own. Jose Offerman and Brian Daubach also went yard to add to the carnage. Tim Wakefield earned his first save of the season by pitching four shutout innings as the Sox took Game 1 of today's doubleheader with a 12-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                      Walter McCarty approves of the win

Dan Reichart got the ball to start the game for the Royals in the top of the first and Johnny Damon led off with a grounder to short. Jose Offerman lined out to a running Raul Ibanez and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Burkett made his Sox debut in the bottom of the first and Chuck Knoblauch led off with a pop up to short to start. Michael Tucker doubled in front of Manny Ramirez but Carlos Beltran struck out swinging. Mike Sweeney popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second and Manny Ramirez slid into first to beat out an infield single to short. Brian Daubach lined a base hit to center but Shea Hillenbrand popped up to second but Trot Nixon doubled to right to score both runners to put Boston on top. Doug Mirabelli walked but the Sox failed a double steal as Nixon was thrown out at third. Mirabelli did take second but Sanchez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Nixon drives in a pair

The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the second as Ibanez doubled into the gap in right/center to start. Joe Randa popped up to right and Neifi Perez flied out to left, but Brent Mayne walked. Carlos Febles lined a base hit into centerfield to score Ibanez to cut the lead. Knoblauch popped up to first to end the inning with the Royals down 2-1.

                                                    Febles drives in a run

The Sox got another run in the top of the third as Damon tripled past Mike Sweeney down the first base line to start. All of a sudden Kansas City manager Tony Muser came out to yell at home plate umpire Tim Tschida for no reason and Offerman hit a sac fly to score Damon to increase the lead. Nomar grounded out to third and Manny struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                      Damon scores a run

Tucker got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third and promptly stole second. Beltran struck out swinging on a changeup down and away but Tucker took third on a wild pitch. Sweeney popped up to first and Ibanez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the fourth as Daubach clubbed his third home run of the season to add to the lead. Hillenbrand struck out swinging, Nixon grounded out to second and Mirabelli grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                   Daubach hits one out

The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Randa hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Mongolia to cut the lead. Perez and Mayne both grounded out to third but Febles tripled over the head of Damon. Knoblauch grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals down 4-2.

                                                   Home run Randa

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Sanchez flied out to right to start. Damon grounded out to second and Offerman grounded out to first to end the inning. Burkett came back for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Tucker singled to right to start. Beltran forced Tucker at second and was doubled off first on a pop up to right to end the inning. Carlos forgot there were two outs and that was it for Burkett who tossed 5 solid innings in his Sox debut, allowing just 2 runs and putting the Sox in line for the win.

                                               Burkett gets the job done

Nomar singled in the hole at short to start the top of the sixth but Manny hit into a double play. Daubach singled to left but Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning. Tim Wakefield took the mound in the bottom of the sixth and Ibanez grounded out to first to start. Randa struck out swinging and Perez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh as Nixon singled to right to start. Mirabelli popped up to third in foul territory and a wild pitch moved Nixon to second. Sanchez grounded out to third to move Trot to third and Damon drew a walk to chase Reichert. Old pal Cory Bailey came in to pitch and Damon promptly stole second. Offerman then smashed his second home run of the season to put the game out of reach. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                   Offerman with a 3 run jack

Wakefield cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Mayne grounded out to short to start. Febles grounded out to third and Knoblauch popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the eighth when Manny smashed a home run to dead center to add to the lead. Daubach singled to center but Hillenbrand forced him at second. Nixon got a base hit to left but Mirabelli hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-2.

                                                         Home run Manny

Carlos Baerga took over for Sanchez to start the bottom of the eighth and Tucker grounded out to third to start. Beltran hit one up the elevator shaft and Sweeney struck out swinging to end the inning.

Miguel Asencio came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Baerga doubled to right to start. Damon belted his second home run of the season to increase the lead and Offerman got a base hit to right. Nomar flied out to left but Ramirez hit his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Daubach flied out to right and Hillenbrand popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-2.

                                                    Ramirez goes yard again

Wakefield returned to close out the bottom of the ninth as Ibanez grounded out to second to start. David McCarty pinch hit for Randa and lined out to third. Perez flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had taken Game 1 by a 12-2 score.

                                                              Wakefield closes it out

Hero of the Night is Jose Offerman. He outproduced Kansas City by himself with a three run homer and drove in 4 total runs.

                                                             Jose Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a two run home run, stolen base, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Manny Ramirez was 3 for 5 with 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and 3 total runs scored.

Brian Daubach was 4 for 5 with a home run and two total runs scored.

Trot Nixon was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Carlos Baerga was 1 for 1 with a run scored.

John Burkett earned his first win in Boston by allowing just 2 runs in 5 innings. He allowed 7 hits and struck out 2.

Tim Wakefield earned the save with 4 shutout innings.

The Bad:

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox have won 5 games in a row and they're doing it with their explosive offense. Damon has been worth every penny out of the leadoff spot while Jose Offerman and Rickey Henderson are having the good kind of competition over who hits second. Ramirez, Nomar, Daubach and Hillenbrand have gotten big hits this season as well. Today's game the bats were cooking with 5 home runs and its tough to beat them when everything is working. Burkett's velocity was down but that's to be expected in his first start after coming off the Disabled List. The best news of the day was that Wakefield sucked up the final four innings, leaving the bullpen rested for Game 2 later on. All in all it was a good offensive day and the hope is the momentum carries over to Game 2. The Sox have no time to celebrate the win because they're back at it later today against the Royals in Game 2. Derek Lowe (2-1) gets the start for Boston against former Tampa Bay punching bag Bryan Rekar. The game begins in a few minutes at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Rout Jays Behind Hillenbrand (4/16/02)

Everything's going right for the Boston Red Sox as they continued to roll against the Toronto Blue Jays. After taking 3 out of 4 from the Yankees, the Sox made mincemeat out of the Jays pounding out 14 hits and 14 runs. Shea Hillenbrand led the charge with a 3 run home run in the third to give the Sox a commanding lead. Frank Castillo (1-0, 2.00 ERA) earned his first win of the season with 6 solid innings allowing just a home run to Vernon Wells. Manny Ramirez also homered and a hit parade put the game out of reach. Rolando Arrojo allowed two unearned runs in relief but still slammed the door as the Sox took the game 14-3 at the Skydome.

                                                       Robert Ulrich (RIP) approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Toronto starter Brandon Lyon in the top of the first inning as Johnny Damon took strike three to start. Hillenbrand doubled to left and took third on a wild pitch before scoring on the Nomar Garciaparra grounder to short to put Boston on top. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Nomar drives in a run

Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Shannon Stewart grounded out to third to start. Eric Hinske walked but Raul Mondesi banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second as Tony Clark grounded out to second to start. Brian Daubach and Jason Varitek both grounded out to first to end the inning. Carlos Delgado was rung up for strike three to start the bottom of the second before Jose Cruz Jr popped up to third in foul territory. Darrin Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                             Castillo gets Delgado

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Trot Nixon singled to left to start. Nixon swiped second and moved to third on the Rey Sanchez base hit to left. Damon ripped a base hit to left to score Nixon and Hillenbrand capped the rally with a three run home run. Garciaparra grounded out to second but Manny got a base hit to left. Ramirez was forced at second by Clark and Daubach popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                 Hillenbrand goes yard

The Jays tagged Castillo in the bottom of the third as Vernon Wells pounded a home run all the way to Calgary to start. Homer Bush and Felipe Lopez both grounded out to first but Stewart singled in the hole at second. Hinske took strike three to end the inning with the Jays down 5-1.

                                                               Wells hits one out

Varitek flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Nixon watched strike three go by. Sanchez lined out to center to end the inning. Mondesi grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Delgado grounded out to short. Cruz Jr singled to right but Fletcher popped up to third to end the inning.

Damon flied out to right to start the top of the fifth before Hillenbrand grounded out to short. Nomar popped up to second to end the inning. Wells flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Bush lined out to center. Lopez grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Ramirez hit his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Clark popped up to third in foul territory before Daubach and Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                                  Ramirez drives in a run

Castillo returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hinske struck out swinging and Mondesi grounded out to third to end the inning. Castillo tossed 6 innings and allowed just 1 run on the home run to Wells. He was pretty good.

                                                              Great effort by Frank

The Sox exploded in the top of the seventh with Justin Miller on the mound. Nixon walk and Sanchez singled to left before both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Damon. Hillenbrand hit a routine grounder to Hinske who booted it for an error to score both runners. Nomar doubled to left to score Shea and took third on a wild pitch. Ramirez walked to put runners at the corners and Clark beat out a double play ball to score Hillenbrand with another run. Daubach flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.

                                                               Rookie mistake by Hinske

Rolando Arrojo came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Delgado took strike three to start. Cruz singled in the hole at short and Fletcher walked but Wells struck out swinging. Bush grounded back to the mound but Arrojo threw the ball away allowing Cruz to score. Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 10-2.

                                                                Cruz scores a run

Feliz Heredia came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Varitek got a base hit to left to start. Nixon struck out swinging and Sanchez banged into a double play to end the inning. Lou Merloni came in for Nomar and Carlos Baerga came in for Hillenbrand to start the bottom of the eighth and Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hinske grounded out to first and Mondesi flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the ninth against Bob File as Damon got a base hit to center to start. Baerga singled to right and Merloni singled to left to load the bases. Ramirez pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Damon and Baerga and Clark grounded out to second to score Merloni. Manny moved to third on the play and he scored on the grounder to third by Daubach. Varitek flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 14-2.

                                                                 Damon starts a rally

Arrojo came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Delgado was hit with a pitch to start. Cruz hit a grounder to the mound but Rolando's throw to second was off-line for an error to move Delgado to third. Fletcher grounded into a double play to score Delgado but Wells lined out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 14-3.

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His 3 run home run gave the Sox a commanding lead they wouldn't relinquish.

                                                                Shea Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Carlos Baerga singled and scored in his only at-bat.

Lou Merloni singled and scored in his only at-bat.

Manny Ramirez was 3 for 4 with a walk, 3 total rbis, two total runs scored and a home run.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Frank Castillo got the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and walked 1

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Tony Clark was 0 for 5 but drove in 2 runs.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 5.

Rolando Arrojo got the save by tossing 3 innings but allowed 2 unearned runs on his two errors.

Final Thoughts:

Another good win and the Sox definitely avoided a hangover after beating the Yankees three out of four games. Castillo stepped up and pitched a hell of a game and the Sox bats turned it on. Hillenbrand and Ramirez drove in some key runs when it was still a game and it became a laugher in later innings. Not much you can say about a blowout like this other than its always fun to see the team win easy and not have to worry about the game. Arrojo threw the ball all over the field but he saved the rest of the bullpen tomorrow and beyond. If only Tony Clark could get going this offense would be deadly with Baerga and Rickey Henderson coming off the bench. Beating the Jays in a blowout was great but hopefully they can save some of that offense for tomorrow's game. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Jays tomorrow night when Darren Oliver (2-0, 3.14 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Scott Eyre of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Mussina, Yankees Defeat Sox (4/14/02)

Sweeping the New York Yankees in a four game series is damn near impossible because they have four aces in their rotation. The Boston Red Sox were looking for their third straight win against the Yankees but ran right into Mike Mussina. Mussina held the Sox scoreless through six innings until Manny Ramirez hit a two run home run in the seventh inning. Tim Wakefield (1-1, 4.09) held the Yankees to two runs in six innings himself but New York teed off on Willie Banks and Sun-Woo Kim for another four runs to put the game away. The vaunted Yankees bullpen such as Ramiro Mendoza and Mariano Rivera slammed the door on the Sox as New York defeated Boston 6-2 at Fenway Park.

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first inning and Derek Jeter grounded out to second to start. Nick Johnson and Bernie Williams both struck out swinging to end the inning. Mussina got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Johnny Damon grounded back to the mound to start. Jose Offerman grounded out to second and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second as Jason Giambi singled to right to start. Jorge Posada singled to right and both runners moved over on the strike three passed ball to Robin Ventura. Rondell White hit a sac fly to center to score Giambi to put the Yankees on top. Shane Spencer grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                        White puts New York on top

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez lined out to right to start. Brian Daubach and Shea Hillenbrand both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Alfonso Soriano hit a home run to New Mexico to increase the lead. Jeter walked and stole second but Johnson struck out swinging. Williams flied out to left and Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                           Soriano hits one out

Trot Nixon flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Doug Mirabelli struck out swinging. Lou Merloni flied out to right to end the inning.

Wakefield cruised in the top of the fourth and Posada popped up to third in foul territory to start. Ventura lined out to second and White grounded out to short to end the inning. Mussina cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Damon flied out to center to start. Offerman took strike three and Nomar flied out to right to end the inning.

Spencer struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Soriano flied out to right. Jeter beat out a ground ball to Wakefield and Johnson flied out to center to end the inning. Ramirez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Daubach struck out swinging. Hillenbrand flied out to left to end the inning.

Wakefield came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Williams popped up to short to start. Giambi walked but Posada flied out to center and Jason took second on a passed ball. Ventura struck out swinging to end the inning. Wakefield did the best he could, holding the Yankees to just 2 runs in 6 innings but the Sox bats went silent.

                                                     Wakefield gives six solid innings

The Sox failed to pick up Wakefield in the bottom of the sixth as Nixon lined out to center to start. Mirabelli singled to left but Merloni flied out to right. Damon grounded out to third to end the inning.

Willie Banks took the mound in the top of the seventh inning and White hit a home run all the way to Baltimore, Maryland to increase the lead. Spencer walked and Soriano doubled to center to score him to ice the game. Jeter walked and Johnson singled to center to score Soriano to chase Banks. Sun-Woo Kim came in and Williams struck out swinging before Giambi flied out to right. Posada took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-0.

                                                        Johnson drives in a big run

The Sox finally woke up in the bottom of the seventh as Offerman lined out to left to start. Nomar singled to left and Ramirez clobbered his second home run of the year to cut the lead. Daubach grounded out to first but Hillenbrand singled to left. Nixon pounded an opposite field double to left and Yankees manager Joe Torre pulled Mussina for Ramiro Mendoza. Sox manager Grady Little countered by pinch hitting Carlos Baerga for Mirabelli. Baerga grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                     Ramirez jacks one gone

Jason Varitek took over behind the plate to start the top of the eighth but Ventura led off with a home run all the way to Venus to wrap up the scoring. White grounded out to first, Spencer lined out to second and Soriano flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-2.

                                                         Kim gives up a run

Mendoza returned for the bottom of the eighth and Merloni grounded out to third to start. Damon grounded out to short and Offerman hit a routine grounder to Soriano....booted for an error. Offerman moved to third on the base hit to center by Nomar and Torre pulled Mendoza for closer Mariano Rivera. With the game on the line, Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Casey Fossum took the mound in the top of the ninth and Jeter grounded out to short to start. Johnson struck out swinging and Williams grounded out to second to end the inning. Rivera returned to close out the bottom of the ninth as Daubach lined out to Mariano to start. Hillenbrand flied out to right but Nixon walked. Williams grounded out to second to end the game. The Yankees had won it 6-2.

                                                     Rivera saves it for the Yankees

Jackass of the Night is Willie Banks. He allowed 3 runs in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach.

                                                            Banks The Jackass

The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Doug Mirabelli was 1 for 2.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher is on the Good list but Tim Wakefield tossed six solid innings and allowed just two runs. If the Sox had any offense, this would have been enough to win.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4.

Jose Offerman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Baerga was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Lou Merloni was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sun-Woo Kim allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its extremely hard to beat the Yankees when their pitching holds up like this and the Red Sox bullpen proved why they're still not at that elite level yet. You have essentially 6 innings to beat the Yankees before Mendoza, Stanton and Rivera are summoned and the Sox did almost nothing against them today. Banks and Kim allowed 4 runs to put the game out of reach while Mendoza and Rivera avenged yesterday by slamming the door. The Sox couldn't beat Mussina or the bullpen and on this day, the Yankees were the better team. Wakefield did the best he could and he'll shine again another day. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow morning on Patriots Day in the final game of this series when Derek Lowe (1-1) takes on Andy Pettitte of the Yankees. The game begins at 11:05 AM at Fenway Park.

Oliver, Sox Down Yankees (4/12/02)

Things are always ramped up when its the Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees. In the first game of the season series, the Red Sox drew first blood in this war. Darren Oliver (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the spot start for the Sox and tossed a shutout into the sixth inning. Orlando Hernandez was equally tough for the Yankees but a Sox rally in the bottom of the fifth gave them a 2-0 lead. The Yankees got a run back against Sun-Woo Kim and Casey Fossum but a Lou Merloni rbi double in the bottom of the eighth was the big insurance run. Yankees rookie Nick Johnson took Ugueth Urbina deep in the top of the ninth but Urbina finished the job as the Sox won the game 3-2 at Fenway Park.

                                              The Rock & Hulk Hogan approve of the win

Oliver got the ball to start the top of the first and Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter grounded out to short but Bernie Williams walked. Jason Giambi singled to left but Rondell White forced Giambi at second to end the inning. Hernandez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon led off by taking strike three to start. Jose Offerman grounded out to second but Shea Hillenbrand singled to left. Manny Ramirez singled to right but Tony Clark struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ron Coomer doubled to left to begin the top of the second and Shane Spencer walked, but Nick Johnson flied out to left. Alberto Castillo grounded into a double play to end the inning. Trot Nixon struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Baerga grounded back to the mound. Doug Mirabelli walked and Rey Sanchez singled him to third, but Damon flied out to center to end the inning.

Soriano froze for strike three to start the top of the third before Jeter grounded back to the mound. Williams grounded out to short to end the inning. Offerman caught the Yankees asleep with a bunt single to start the bottom of the second but was caught in a rundown. Hillenbrand flied out to right and Ramirez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

                                                    "You're out you dummy!" - Jeter

Giambi ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on the grounder to third by White. Coomer grounded out to second to move Giambi to third before Spencer grounded out to short to end the inning. Clark struck out swinging again to start the bottom of the fourth before Nixon flied out to center. Baerga singled to left but Mirabelli grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Johnson took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Castillo popped up to right in foul territory. Soriano singled to left but Jeter went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Sanchez ripped a base hit to right to begin. Damon singled in the hole at short and Offerman doubled home Sanchez to put the Sox on top. Hillenbrand grounded out to short to score Damon to increase the lead and Ramirez was intentionally walked. Clark flied out to right and Nixon popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                         Sox strike first

Oliver returned for the top of the sixth and Williams grounded out to third to start. Giambi pounded a ground rule double into the centerfield stands but White grounded out to third. Coomer walked and Sox manager Grady Little felt Oliver had done enough. He had tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings to give the Sox a chance to win. Sun-Woo Kim came in and got Spencer to ground out to short to end the inning.

                                                               Oliver gets it done

Baerga beat out an infield single to short and Lou Merloni pinch ran for him to begin the bottom of the sixth. Mirabelli struck out swinging, Merloni was thrown out at second trying to steal and Sanchez flied out to right to end the inning.

Kim returned for the top of the seventh and Johnson struck out swinging to begin. Castillo grounded out to short but Soriano doubled to center. Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning. Damon grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the seventh before Offerman flied out to right. Hillenbrand lined out to left to end the inning.

Williams struck out swinging to begin the top of the eighth but Giambi doubled to center. White struck out swinging and Sox manager Grady Little wanted Casey Fossum to pitch to Coomer. Yankees manager Joe Torre countered by bringing in Robin Ventura to pinch hit. Naturally Ventura singled to right to score Giambi and cut the lead. Torre sent in Enrique Wilson to run for Ventura and John Vander Wal to pinch hit for Spencer. This time Little countered by bringing in "El Guapo" Rich Garces to face John. Vander Wal took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                            Garces is pumped up

The Sox got that run back in the bottom of the eighth with old friend Mike Stanton now on the mound. Ramirez doubled to right and moved to third on the grounder to second by Clark. Nixon flied out to center but Merloni stepped up with a double off the Monster to score Ramirez with the insurance run. Steve Karsay came in to pitch to Mirabelli and Doug flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                          Merloni with a clutch double

Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the top of the ninth and Johnson greeted him with a solo home run to cut the lead. Jorge Posada pinch hit for Castillo but lined out to short before Soriano struck out swinging. Jeter flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

Hero of the Night is Darren Oliver. He tossed a 5 2/3 inning shutout by allowing 5 hits while striking out 4.

                                                     Oliver The Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carlos Baerga was 2 for 3.

Lou Merloni got an rbi double in his only at bat.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Rich Garces struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a hit to the only man he faced.

Ugueth Urbina allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Sun-Woo Kim was charged with a run in 2 full innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

To be the man you gotta beat the man....WOOOOO! If the Sox want to knock off the four time defending AL champion they need to win every game they can against them. Having Darren Oliver and Lou Merloni step up to win a game is huge considering the big guns haven't fired yet. The Yankees made a bold move replacing their championship core with AL MVP Jason Giambi, Ron Coomer and David Wells so they're not going to take their loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks lying down. The only two negatives about this game is the slump of Tony Clark and the ineffectiveness of Ugueth Urbina. It's early in the season but the Sox could be 8-1 if it wasn't for those two. Still, there's a long way to go and the Sox opened the salvo with a win. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when they send Pedro Martinez (1-0) to the mound against David Wells of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Pull Away Late, Beat Sox (4/10/02)

It was fun while it lasted but the Boston Red Sox four game win streak came to an end at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. Derek Lowe (1-1, 1.29 ERA) pitched great by allowing just two runs in 7 innings. The problem was Royals starter Paul Byrd was better, holding the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces took a four run beating in the top of the eighth to put the game on ice. It all added up to a 6-2 Royals victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                   Randy Quaid is angry again

The Royals wasted no time getting to Lowe in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch singled to left to start. Knoblauch moved to second on the grounder to third by Neifi Perez although Carlos Beltran popped up to second. Knoblauch swiped second and scored on the base hit to right by Mike Sweeney. Michael Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                          Sweeney drives in a run

Byrd got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon popped up to short to start. Rey Sanchez also popped up to short and Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to end the inning.

Joe Randa doubled to left to begin the top of the second but Raul Ibanez popped up to short. Brent Mayne took strike three and Carlos Febles grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Tony Clark flied out to left but Brian Daubach obliterated his second home run of the season to tie the game. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                                  Daubach ties it

Lowe cruised in the top of the third as Knoblauch grounded out to third to start. Perez grounded out to second and Beltran flied out to right to end the inning. Byrd cruised in the bottom of the third as Trot Nixon flied out to center to start. Jason Varitek took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Sweeney doubled to left to start. Tucker flied out to left and Randa watched strike three go by, but Ibanez walked. Mayne singled to right to score Sweeney and the runners moved up on the throw home. Febles grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 2-1.

                                                               Mayne drives in a run

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Sanchez grounded out to short to start. Nomar hit one up the elevator shaft and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowe got in trouble in the top of the fifth as Knoblauch singled to center and promptly swiped second. Perez beat out a roller to short and Beltran caught Lowe napping with a bunt single to load the bases. Sweeney banged into a 5-2-3 double play and Tucker flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox blew their own rally in the bottom of the fifth as Clark flied out to center to start. Daubach singled to center and took third on the base hit to right by Hillenbrand. Daubach moved to third on the fly out to right by Nixon and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Randa flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Ibanez grounded out to second. Mayne lined out to center to end the inning. Damon flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Sanchez popped up to short. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Lowe returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Nomar booted a ground ball by Febles for an error. Febles swiped second and Knoblauch moved him over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Perez popped up to center and Febles tried to score but was thrown out a the plate by Damon to end the inning. Lowe pitches great, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings but the Sox bats couldn't pick him up.

                                                             Lowe deserved better

Byrd cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to second to start. Clark grounded out to first and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

The floodgates opened with Rich Garces on the mound in the top of the eighth as Beltran singled to right to start. Beltran swiped second and moved to third on the infield single to short by Sweeney. Tucker ripped a base hit to center to score Beltran and Randa doubled home Sweeney to ice the game. Ibanez hit a sac fly to right to score Tucker and move Randa to third before Randa scored on the sac fly to left by Mayne. Febles grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           "Garces......"

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the eighth as Hillenbrand got a base hit to left to start. Nixon flied out to left but Varitek singled to right to chase Byrd. Old friend Brian Shouse came in and plunked Damon to load the bases. Carlos Baerga pinch hit for Sanchez and....hit a sac fly to center to score Hillenbrand. Old pal Corey Bailey relieved Shouse and struck out Nomar swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                         Baerga drives in a run

Sun-Woo Kim made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and plunked Knoblauch to start. Knoblauch stole second but Perez popped up to third. Beltran took strike three and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bailey returned to close out the top of the ninth and Ramirez went down hacking to start. Clark grounded out to short and Daubach whiffed to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-2.

Jackass of the Night is Rich Garces. He allowed 4 runs to put the game out of reach in the eighth inning.

                                                                  El Burro

The Good:

Carlos Baerga drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Derek Lowe pitched great. He allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings while striking out three.

Sun-Woo Kim pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 but struck out twice and allowed 5 stolen bases.

Final Thoughts:

So thats what it felt like to lose huh? After the 3 off-days and four straight wins its been a while since the Sox lost. Sad part was the Sox could have made the game more competitive if Garces didn't lose his lunch in the eighth inning. It's a shame Lowe took the loss because he pitched well for the second straight game. Garces has been solid for years so that's probably just a hiccup, the real story was Ramirez, Nomar & Clark going 0 for 12 with 2 strikeouts. Can't win too many games when your heart of the order does absolutely nothing. Still, the Sox fought hard but couldn't generate any offense. Sun-Woo Kim looked good in his season debut and it's a shame Dustin Hermanson had to get hurt in order for Kim to get called up. All in all it's a bad loss but those are going to happen. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Kansas City when Frank Castillo goes for the Sox against Chad Durbin of the Royals. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.