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 Stun Sox In Ninth (4/11/02)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed for their fifth victory in their first seven games of the season. Then in one inning the Kansas City Royals stunned the Sox with a monumental ninth inning comeback. The Sox broke out to a 4-1 lead after the second inning but the Royals tied the game against Boston starter Frank Castillo and reliever Rolando Arrojo. A Johnny Damon rbi triple in the bottom of the eighth seemed to put the game away. Ugueth Urbina (0-2, 8.31 ERA) got shelled for 4 runs and Carlos Beltran hit the killshot with a two run double off Willie Banks. What shuld have been a 5-4 victory turned into a bitter 8-5 defeat by the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                         "Dammit Urbina!"

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chuck Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Castillo snuffed out a Neifi Perez bunt attempt but Carlos Beltran doubled to left. Mike Sweeney walked but Michael Tucker grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally against Royals starter Chad Durbin in the bottom of the first as Johnny Damon grounded out to first to start. Shea Hillenbrand took strike three but Nomar Garciaparra walked. Manny Ramirez walked and Durbin threw a pickoff threw away allowing both runners to move up. Tony Clark walked to load the bases but Brian Daubach took strike three to end the inning.

The Royals struck first in the top of the second although Joe Randa grounded out to second to start. Raul Ibanez hit a home run all the way to St. Louis to put KC on top. AJ Hinch grounded out to third but Luis Alicea walked. Knoblauch struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                            Ibanez hits one out

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The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek singled to left to begin. Trot Nixon singled to right and Rey Sanchez doubled to center to score Varitek. Damon grounded out to first to score Nixon and move Sanchez to third before Hillenbrand capped the rally with a 2 run home run into the screen. Garciaparra flied out to center and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                               Hillenbrand with a home run

Perez flied out to left to start the top of the third before Beltran's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Castillo. Sweeney popped up to short to end the inning. Clark grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the third before Daubach struck out swinging. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning.

Tucker went down hacking to start the top of the fourth before Randa was frozen for strike three. Ibanez flied out to center to end the inning. Nixon flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Sanchez singled to center. Damon walked and the duo pulled off a double steal, but Hillenbrand struck out swinging. Nomar popped up to right to end the inning.

Hinch flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Alicea lined out to second. Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning. Blake Stein took over for Durbin in the bottom of the fifth and Ramirez flied out to right to start. Knoblauch dropped a pop-up by Clark for an error and Daubach walked. Varitek popped up to short and Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals struck back in the top of the sixth inning although Perez flied out to right to start. Beltran waked and Sweeney ripped a base hit to left. Ramirez picked the ball up and threw it into the Royals bullpen for an error to move the runners over. Tucker grounded out to second to score Beltran but Randa grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals down 4-2. That was it for Castillo who tossed 6 innings and allowed just two runs. If only the bullpen could have held the lead.

                                                       Six solid innings from Castillo

Sanchez flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth before Damon popped up to short. Hillenbrand walked but Nomar flied out to center to end the inning.

Rolando Arrojo came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the seventh as Ibanez walked to start. Hinch was hit with a pitch and Alicea caught the sleep with a bunt single to third to load the bases. Knoblauch grounded out to short to score Ibanez and Perez flied out to center to score Hinch who had moved to third on the grounder. Beltran grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                              Arrojo blows the lead

Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Clark grounded into a double play. Daubach struck out swinging to earn the hat trick to end the inning. 

Casey Fossum came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Sweeney popped up to right to start. Tucker grounded out to first and Randa grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox took command against Jason Grimsley in the bottom of the eighth as Varitek flied out to left to start. Nixon grounded out to short but Sanchez singled to left. Grimsley threw the pickoff throw away but Damon tripled into the right field corner to put the Sox on top. Hillenbrand took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 5-4.

                                                             Damon with an rbi triple

Ugueth Urbina came in to crap his pants in the top of the ninth as Ibanez singled to center to start. Old friend Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Ibanez and promptly stole second. Hinch walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Alicea grounded out to second to score Sadler to tie the game and move Hinch to third. Knoblauch doubled to left to score Hinch to give the Royals the lead and Perez walked to chase the incompetent Urbina. Willie Banks came in and a passed ball moved Perez to second and Beltran iced the game with a two run double to center. Another passed ball moved Sweeney to third but Sweeney and Tucker both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Royals had taken the lead 8-4.

                                                                 Sadler's revenge

Carlos Febles took over at second to start the bottom of the ninth and Nomar walked to start. Ramirez flied out to center, Clark struck out swinging and Daubach went down hacking to earn the golden sombrero to end the game. The Royals had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. He got shelled in the ninth inning to give away the game.

                                                               Urbina The Jackass

The Good:

Rey Sanchez was 3 for 4 with a stolen base, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Frank Castillo pitched six solid innings and allowed just 2 runs.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked, stole a base, walked and drove in 2 runs.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but walked.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Willie Banks allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a boot to the head. It looked like the Sox had them when Damon tripled home Sanchez but Urbina couldn't get the job done. After what the Sox went through last year with Derek Lowe, the LAST thing they need is the guy they traded the career of Tomo Ohka away for to turn into the next Lowe. Hopefully its just early season jitters because the Sox are going to need Urbina to match the bullpens of other teams in the league. The offense was fine for the most part but one bad inning by Arrojo and one terrible inning from Urbina sealed their fate. It sucks for Castillo who's pitched well in two straight games but has nothing to show for it. Still, its only one loss and the Sox have plenty more action to come this season. The Sox better get their gamefaces on because the current four-peat American League Champion New York Yankees come to town for a four game set. Darren Oliver gets the spot start tomorrow night to take the place of Dustin Hermanson against Orlando Hernandez of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Royals (4/9/02)

Don't look now but after the Opening Day disaster, the Boston Red Sox have won 4 games in a row. After sweeping the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox picked up where they left off by knocking around the Kansas City Royals. Brian Daubach and Manny Ramirez led the charge offensively as the bats pounded out 15 hits and 8 runs. On the other side of the ball, Tim Wakefield (1-0, 7.20 ERA) survived a fifth inning grand slam by Chuck Knoblauch to pick up the win. The Sox bullpen dominated the final four innings allowing no hits as the Sox beat the Royals for their fourth straight win 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Rob Zamuner approves of the win

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and ex-New York Yankees nemesis Chuck Knoblauch led off with a ground out to second. Neifi Perez flied out to left but Carlos Beltran reached on an error by Shea Hillenbrand at third. Mike Sweeney grounded out to third to end the inning. Dan Reichert got the ball for the Royals in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon walked to start. Rey Sanchez hit a pop up to left but Knoblauch inexplicably let it drop. Damon was thrown out at second on the play and Nomar Garciaparra banged into a double play to end the inning.

Michael Tucker flied out to center to start the top of the second but Joe Randa singled in the hole at short. Randa stole second on the Raul Ibanez swinging strikeout but Brent Mayne grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second when Reichert threw a grounder by Manny Ramirez away for an error to start. Tony Clark flied out to center but Brian Daubach smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Hillenbrand atoned for his error with a base hit to left but Trot Nixon hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                        Daubach's first homer of 2002

Wakefield cruised in the top of the third as Carlos Febles lined out to short to start. Knoblauch and Perez both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game early in the bottom of the third although Jason Varitek grounded out to second to start. Damon beat out a ground ball to third but Sanchez struck out swinging. Nomar doubled Damon to third and Ramirez crushed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Clark grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 5-0.

                                                                 Manny's first blast of 2002

Wakefield cruised in the top of the fourth as Beltran grounded out to second to start. Sweeney flied out to center and Tucker took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach singled to right to begin. Hillenbrand flied out to left but Nixon doubled to left. Varitek failed to move anyone with a grounder to second and Damon was intentionally walked. Sanchez forced Daubach at third to end the inning.

Wakefield fell apart in the top of the fifth as Randa singled in the hole at third to start. Ibanez singled to right but Maybe flied out to left. Febles singled to left to load the bases and Knoblauch cleared them with a grand slam to cut the lead. Perez grounded out to short and Be;tran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-4. That was it for Wakefield who made one mistake to Knoblauch but it was a big one as he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                         One mistake by Wake in 5 innings

The Sox got two of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Garciaparra clobbered his third home run of the year to increase the lead. Blake Stein relieved Reichert and Ramirez doubled to center. Clark grounded out to second but Daubach doubled home Manny to add to the total. Hillenbrand and Nixon both struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-4 Red Sox.

                                                                Nomar hits one out

Casey Fossum came in to pitch the top of the sixth and struck out Sweeney to start. Tucker went down hacking but Randa walked. Brandon Berger pinch hit for Ibanez and took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Varitek led off with his second home run of the year. Damon grounded out to third but Sanchez singled to center. Nomar flied out to right and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                                  Varitek hits one out

The Royals beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as Mayne grounded out to first to start. Febles grounded out to first and Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning. Jeremy Affeldt came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Clark took strike three to start. Daubach went down hacking and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Willie Banks made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Beltran grounded out to first and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Nixon ripped a base hit to right to start. Varitek singled to right to move Trot to third but Damon hit a bullet to Febles who doubled off Jason at first. Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Banks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Tucker grounded out to second to start. Randa grounded out to third and Luis Alicea pinch hit for Berger only to ground out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

Hero of the Night is Manny Ramirez. His 3 run homer was the difference in the game.

                                                Damon salutes our Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 5.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Brian Daubach was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer and 3 total rbis.

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Casey Fossum tossed two scoreless innings.

Willie Banks pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Tim Wakefield got the win but allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Now THAT'S what the offense can do when firing on all cylinders. Nomar, Manny, Daubach & Damon all were instrumental in getting on base and the long balls helped. Clark had a bad day but normally he'd be contributing as well. When Nixon, Sanchez and Varitek also hit well this offense is tough to beat. Wakefield only gave up one mistake to Knoblauch and the duo of Fossum & Banks slammed the door. Banks showed promise at the end of last year so hopefully he can combine with Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina to shorten the games. Other than the inconsequential error by Hillenbrand and the grand slam by Knoblauch there isn't much to complain about. All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to make it five in a row tomorrow night against the Royals. Derek Lowe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes on Paul Byrd of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Nomar Powers Sox Past Orioles (4/6/02)

If only the Boston Red Sox had Nomar Garciaparra for most of last year, they may have been a lot more successful. After missing all but 21 games last season, Nomar's power bat was instrumental in the Sox beating the Baltimore Orioles in today's game. Frank Castillo got the start for the Red Sox and held the O's to 1 run on 1 hit through 6 innings. The problem was O's starter Scott Erickson held the Sox scoreless through six as well. The only hit the O's had was a Jay Gibbons home run in the third. The Sox tied the game in the seventh when Shea Hillenbrand hit a sac fly to score Nomar which set the stage for the eighth. With two on and two out, Melvin Mora dropped a wind carried pop up into the stands and the very next pitch Nomar smashed a three run home run to put the Sox up big. Casey Fossum allowed a home run to Mike Bordick but Ugueth Urbina slammed the door in the ninth inning/ It all added up to a 4-2 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

                                                         Kimberly Liebe approves of the win

Erickson got the ball in the top of the first inning and the legendary Rickey Henderson led off by striking out swinging. Johnny Damon grounded back to the mound and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston grounded out to third to start. Chris Singleton flied out to right and David Segui grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Brian Daubach made his season debut with a single to right but Shea Hillenbrand lined out to center. Trot Nixon beat out a roller to third but Doug Mirabelli made his season debut by grounding into a force to end the inning. Jeff Conine flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Tony Batista grounded out to third. Melvin Mora flied out to left to end the inning.

Rey Sanchez lined right back to Erickson to begin the top of the third before Henderson hit one up the elevator shaft. Damon grounded out to second to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the third when Jay Gibbons hit a home run all the way to Edina, Minnesota to put the O's on top. Geronimo Gill grounded out to short, Mike Bordick struck out swinging and Hairston flied out to left to end the inning but the O's led 1-0.

                                                                 Gibbons goes yard

The Sox couldn't crack Erickson in the top of the fourth as Nomar flied out to left to start. Ramirez took strike three and Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning. Singleton walked to start the bottom of the fourth and promptly stole second. Segui grounded out to first to move Singleton to third but Conine grounded out to short. Batista went down hacking to end the inning.

Hillenbrand grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Nixon flied out to left. Mirabelli grounded out to short to end the inning. Castillo cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Mora grounded out to short to start. Gibbons grounded back to the mound and Gil grounded out to first to end the inning.

Erickson dominated the top of the sixth as Sanchez watched strike three go by to begin. Henderson also took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning. Castillo had one last inning left in him and he got Bordick to strike out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth. Hairston lined out to center and Singleton popped up to third to end the inning. Castillo had allowed just the one hit to Gibbons for a home run but otherwise dominated for six innings of work.

                                                        Castillo gets the job done

The Sox did pick up Frank in the top of the seventh as Nomar singled to left to start. Ramirez followed with a base hit to move Nomar to third but Daubach went down hacking. Hillenbrand smacked a sac fly to center to tie the game and get Castillo off the hook. Nixon flied out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                           Hillenbrand ties it up

Casey Fossum took over for the bottom of the seventh inning and Segui struck out swinging to start. Conine flied out to center but Batista singled to center. Mora lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the eighth although Mirabelli flied out to right to start. Sanchez grounded out to short but Henderson singled to left. Damon singled to right and Mora dropped a pop up by Garciaparra into the stands. That proved fatal as Nomar smashed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Nomar puts Boston on his back

Fossum returned for the bottom of the eighth but Gibbons popped up to Sanchez to start. Gil flied out to center but Bordick hit a home run all the way to the Giant in Alexandria, Virginia to cut the lead. Hairston flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-2.

                                                        Bordick cuts the lead

B.J. Ryan came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Daubach popped up to second to start. Hillenbrand singled to center but Nixon took strike three. Willis Roberts came in to face Mirabelli and Doug struck out swinging to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Singleton popped up to short to start. Segui hit one up the elevator shaft but Conine doubled to left to bring the tying run to the plate. Batista flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

Hero of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. His three run blast was the difference in the game

                                                            Nomar The Hero

The Good:

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Frank Castillo allowed a run in 6 innings of work. He allowed just one hit and a walk.

Ugueth Urbina earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rickey Henderson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

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

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

For the second straight game the offense accomplished almost nothing but the pitching got it done. Castillo was great for 6 innings and Nomar stepped up big with the home run. The offense will be there this season with Damon, Ramirez and Nomar at the top of the order with Nixon and Varitek at the bottom of it, the key will be the pitching. The Sox will be banking on John Burkett and Frank Castillo to pitch well with Derek Lowe as a wild card. For the past two games its been good but have to remember its the Orioles. The O's don't have a very formidable lineup so let's see what happens when the Sox play the New York Yankees or the Oakland A's. You still have to win the games in front of you and its been two in a row for the Sox. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon looking for the series sweep against the Orioles. Pedro Martinez goes for Boston against Calvin Maduro of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Blue Jays Spoil Opening Day Slugfest (4/1/02)

Happy 2002 Season Boston Red Sox fans....it sucks already! In what was a memorable Opening Day the Sox engaged in a surprise slugfest with the Toronto Blue Jays. Jays ace Chris Carpenter and Sox ace Pedro Martinez both laid eggs as the two teams teed off with a lot of offense. The Sox trailed 8-3 before rallying to take an 11-8 lead only to give it up. Closer Ugueth Urbina couldn't keep it tied and after all of that it was the Jays that took Opening Day 12-11 at Fenway Park. Not a good start to the year.

Pedro took the mound in the top of the first and wasn't himself. Shannon Stewart drew a full count walk before rookie Eric Hinske popped up to a running Manny Ramirez in left. Raul Mondesi flied out to right but Carlos Delgado was plunked. Jose Cruz Jr stroked a double in front of the Monster to score Stewart and advance Delgado to third. Darrin Fletcher doubled into the gap to score both runners as Sox analyst Jerry Remy remarked not only was Pedro's velocity down but his changeup was out of sorts. Vernon Wells grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 3-0 Jays.

                                                         Pedro gets hammered

The Sox fought back against Blue Jays starter Chris Carpenter although new centerfielder Johnny Damon grounded out to third to begin. Jose Offerman struck the Sox' first home run into the season beyond the bullpen to cut into the lead. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to short before Manny Ramirez walked. New first basemen Tony Clark grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 3-1 Toronto.

                                                       Opening day homer for Offerman

Pedro returned for another beating in the top of the second as Homer Bush hit a blooping double down the right field line to start. Felipe Lopez dropped down a bunt and Pedro dropped it for an error. Stewart blooped a single to center to load the bases before Hinske blooped a single down the right field line to score both Bush and Lopez. Mondesi hit a roller up the middle that crossed up Nomar and Rey Sanchez to score Stewart. Delgado blooped a single to center to score Hinske. Pedro froze Mondesi for strike three on the outside corner before blowing away Fletcher. Pedro turned up the heat to blow away Wells to end the inning with the score now 7-1 Toronto.

                                                   Pedro couldn't find his groove

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Trot Nixon launched a solo shot to dead center to cut into the lead. Shea Hillenbrand popped up to center but Jason Varitek in his first at-bat since June of last year launched a home run of his own to right. Sanchez looked at strike three on the outside corner but Damon grounded one up the middle for a base hit. Offerman was rung up on a check swing for strike three to end the inning but it was now 7-3 Jays.

                                                 Nixon and Varitek go yard

The Blue Jays pounced again in the top of the third although Pedro got Bush to ground out to short to begin. Lopez motored around for a triple into the gap before Stewart was plunked. Hinske hit a warning track fly out to center but Stewart advanced to second and Lopez scored to increase the lead.

                                                            The score says it all

The Sox refused to go quietly in the bottom of the third as Nomar led off with a double off the top of the centerfield wall. Ramirez walked and Clark lit up the crowd with a 3 run home run to center to put the Sox back in it. Welcome to Boston Clark! Nixon whiffed but Hillenbrand walked to chase Carpenter. Scott Eyre replaced Chris and Varitek greeted him with a single. Sanchez walked to load the bases but Damon made a huge out by popping up to Hinske in foul territory. Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 8-6.

                                                        Clark with a three run homer

Pedro came out for the top of the fourth and Delgado blooped a single to right center to start. Cruz Jr drew a walk and that was it for Pedro. In one of his worst starts in memory, Pedro lasted just 3 innings while giving up a career high 7 earned runs (8 total). Guess he was rusty as hell.

                                                     Not Pedro's best work

Lefty Darren Oliver, who was supposed to be the fifth starter with John Burkett on the DL, came in to relieve Pedro as Fletcher bunted both men into scoring position. Some yahoo ran out onto the field and went to shake Nomar's hand before alert Fenway security seized the intruder and wrestled him to the ground. When action resumed Oliver got a key out when Wells hit one up the elevator shaft that Varitek snared in an eerily similar play to last June when he broke his elbow. Oliver whiffed Bush to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth although Nomar was rung up for strike three to start. Ramirez walked and Clark batting from the right side this time lined a base hit to center. Nixon walked on four pitched to load the bases and Hillenbrand lined a base hit up the middle to score Manny and reload the bases. Varitek blooped a single into right to score Clark, tie the game and once again reload the bases. Sanchez worked the count full and stroked a base hit to right center to score Nixon and Hillenbrand to give the Sox their first lead of the game. Jays manager Buck Martinez brought in rookie Scott Cassidy making his MLB debut to pitch to Damon only to uncork a wild pitch to advance Sanchez to second. A strange play occured when Wells made a diving catch to rob Damon and Varitek tagged up and scored. Damon didn't think the ball was caught and ran hard to second, confusing Sanchez into running back to the bag. The Jays thought that Sanchez was called out at second and ran off the field. The umpires got together and ruled it was a sac fly to score Varitek and Sanchez was safe at second although the irony was the replays showed Wells didn't actually catch the ball. Things suddenly got hot as the Jays appealled at third that Varitek left early and he clearly didn't. Jays bench coach Cookie Rojas stormed out of the dugout and shouted invectives at third base umpire Andy Fletcher. Fletcher told him to sit down and shut up which caused Cookie to run at him screaming, fists flying. First base umpire Derryl Cousins said that's enough of that and gave Cookie the heave ho. Buck Martinez then flew out of the dugout screaming like a banshee to home plate umpire Joe Brinkman that the first base umpire shouldn't be trying to interject himself while trying to hold back Rojas who had now torn his clothes off in frustration. Martinez hauled Rojas off the field and finally play resumed. Offerman walked to reload the bases but Nomar popped up to center to end the inning After all of that the Sox had scored 5 runs to take an 11-8 lead.

                                                     Mayhem at Fenway

Give the Jays credit for coming right back in the top of the fifth inning although Lopez grounded out to short to start. Stewart hit a routine grounder to Nomar who threw the ball straight in the air and caught it in his hat for an error to advance Shannon to second before Hinske singled off the leg of Oliver to put runners at the corners. Mondesi lined out to a running Damon to score Stewart to cut the lead. Delgado was plunked and Cruz Jr singled in Hinske. Fletcher blooped a single to center to tie game and chase Oliver. Rolando Arrojo made his season debut by getting Wells to ground out to short to end the inning with the game tied 11-11.

The offense was done for a while in the bottom of the fifth although Manny walked to begin. Clark walked before Nixon popped up to center. Hillenbrand popped up to second before Varitek walked to load the bases. Sanchez whiffed on a 3-2 fastball to end the inning, what a waste.

Arrojo came back for the top of the 6th and plunked Bush to start. Lopez advanced him to second on a bang bang play at first before Arrojo froze Stewart on a check swing strike three. Hinske walked and Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger went to the mound to inform Rolando a new episode of Friends was on that night. Arrojo got so excited he got Mondesi to ground into a force to end the inning. Felix Heredia was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Damon flied out to right to start. Offerman grounded out to first and Nomar lined out to third to end the inning.

Casey Fossum was brought in to pitch the top of the seventh and he walked Delgado to start. Cruz Jr flied out to left before Fletcher flied out to deep right. Wells grounded out to third to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the seventh by striking out swinging before Clark was robbed of extra bases by Cruz making a diving catch. Nixon walked and Hillenbrand blooped a single to no man's land in left before a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position. Varitek walked to load the bases and Cruz made an even better diving catch to rob Sanchez of a bloop single to end the inning.

                                                           Cruz saves the day for the Jays

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and got Bush to line out to right to start. Lopez flied out to left before Stewart grounded back to the agile Garces to end the inning. Dan Plesac came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Damon took ball four to start. The boo's rained down when Offerman popped up the bunt to first. That was it for Plesac as Buck Martinez brought in closer Kelvim Escobar. Damon was thrown out at second trying to steal and Nomar whiffed to end the inning.

Sox closer Ugueth Urbina took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Hinske to fly out to right to begin. Mondesi walked and Delgado singled to right before they executed a double steal. Cruz Jr was intentionally walked to set up the double play but Fletcher scored Mondesi with a sac fly to give the Jays the lead. Wells whiffed to end the inning but the Jays took the lead 12-11.

                                                     Fletcher gives the sox the lead

The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth but Ramirez whiffed to start. Clark singled to right and the legendary Rickey Henderson pinch ran for Tony. Nixon popped up to Lopez in foul territory and Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had survived the slugfest and had won it 12-11.

Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. Yes Pedro Martinez stunk the joint out and Darren Oliver gave up the lead but it was Urbina who blew the game in the top of the ninth.

                                            Why are you pumping your fist, Jackass?



The Good:

Manny Ramirez walked 4 times and scored 2 runs.

Tony Clark was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a home run.

Rolando Arrojo pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Pedro Martinez was terrible in 3 plus innings of work allowing 8 runs, 7 earned.

Darren Oliver was trusted with a 3 run lead and gave all 3 runs back.



The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a solo home run.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 6.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, scored two total runs including a home run.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.



Honorable Mention:

Ricky Henderson pinch ran for Clark in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a very interesting opening day even if the Sox didn't win. The offense looked damn good and they can build on a lot of what happened today. Pedro Martinez was rusty and he probably won't give up 8 runs in a start the rest of the year. A normal Pedro start and the Sox would have won this game in a rout. Urbina is supposed to be their answer to Mariano Rivera and he sure didn't look it today. Still if Clark can be the hitter he was in Detroit then this will be the offense they invisioned last year with Nomar healthy. Still, a loss at home sucks and this one hurt. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Wednesday night against the Blue Jays as Dustin Hermanson makes his Red Sox debut opposite Luke Prokopec. The game starts at 6 PM at Fenway Park.

Everett Punks Moyer, Mariners Take Game in 11 (8/14/01)

The Boston Red Sox found another way to lose a winnable game again against the AL West leading Seattle Mariners. 3 outs from a 3-2 victory, Derek Lowe crapped his pants once again before the Mariners pounced on the Sox in the 11th. What started with Carl Everett getting some payback against Jamie Moyer ended with a 6-3 Mariners win in 11 innings at Fenway Park.

Hideo Nomo got the start in the top of the first inning and Ichiro Suzuki took strike three to start. Mark McLemore grounded out to second but Edgar Martinez drew a walk. John Olerud whiffed to end the inning. Things got testy against Moyer in the bottom of the first inning although Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to begin. Chris Stynes flied out to center but Moyer wanted Everett to back off the plate. When Everett refused, Moyer plunked Carl causing him to laugh. When standing on first base, Carl said he'd take Jamie deep. Manny Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning.

                                                     Don't poke the bear

The Mariners struck first in the top of the second inning as Bret Boone doubled past the diving Everett to start. Boone swiped third off the asleep Doug Mirabelli before Mike Cameron jacked a 2 run bomb onto Landsdowne Street to put the Mariners on top. Carlos Guillen whiffed before David Bell doubled high off the Monster. Dan Wilson whiffed before Suzuki popped up to a running Mike Lansing to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-0.

                                                    Cameron goes yard

Dante Bichette led off the bottom of the second by getting rung up for strike three. Lansing grounded out to first before Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short to end the inning.

Nomo got McLemore to pop up to first to start the top of the third but Martinez lined a single to the left field wall. Olerud walked but Boone was rung up for strike three. Cameron whiffed on a full count to end the inning. Cameron leaned into the bullpen to rob a home run from Nixon to start the bottom of the third. Mirabelli drew a walk and Nomar stretched a double off the Monster. Stynes grounded back to the mound and Everett grounded out to third to end the inning.

Guillen grounded out to second to begin the top of the fourth before Bell popped up to center. Wilson popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Manny was rung up for strike three to start. Bichette lashed a single to left before Lansing lined a base hit to center that moved Dante to third. Bichette scored on the Hillenbrand sac fly to cut the lead in half. Nixon lined a base hit up the middle but Mirabelli grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners still in front 2-1.

                                                      Bichette scored a run

Nomo held the fort in the top of the fifth although Suzuki stuck his bat out and singled to right to start. McLemore singled Ichiro to third but Martinez took strike three on the outside corner. McLemore swiped second before Olerud whiffed. Hillenbrand fell into the Sox dugout to retire Boone to end the inning. That was it for Nomo who lasted just 5 innings but only allowed 2 runs.

                                                  Short and sweet for Nomo

The Sox tied it in the bottom of the fifth although Nomar grounded out to short to start. Stynes popped up to second but Everett made good on his earlier promise by swatting an opposite field home run to tie the game, staring at Moyer as he rounded the bases. Manny hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                              "Take that, Moyer" - Everett

Rich Garces came on for the top of the sixth and Cameron watched strike three go by to begin. Guillen grounded out to short and Hillenbrand made a great diving stab to rob Bell of a hit to end the inning. Bichette popped up to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Lansing popped up to left. Hillenbrand stuck his bat out and poked a single to right but Nixon flied out to right to end the inning.

Garces came back for the top of the seventh and froze Wilson for strike three to start. Suzuki beat out an infield single to short and then swiped second. McLemore walked but Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Moyer returned for the bottom of the seventh and Mirabelli popped up to right to start. Nomar drew a walk but Stynes flied out to center. Everett popped up to third to end the inning.

Ugueth Urbina took over for the top of the eighth and Olerud doubled to the left field wall to start. Boone dropped down a bunt to move Olerud to third but he stayed there as Cameron grounded out to third. Guillen grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth against Jeff Nelson as Manny doubled off the centerfield wall to start. A wild pitch moved Manny to third but Bichette popped up to second. Lansing popped up to first but Hillenbrand beat out an infield single to third to score Ramirez with the go-ahead run. Nixon worked a walk but Mirabelli struck out looking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                Way to go Shea

Derek Lowe came in looking for the save in the top of the ninth but once again crapped his pants. Bell singled to left and Charles Gipson ran for him with Stan Javier pinch hitting for Wilson. Javier singled up the middle and Gipson made it to third. Suzuki singled home Gipson to tie the game as Javier went to third as Lowe was thunderously booed. Sox manager Jimy Williams sprinted out of the dugout with a machine gun and started shooting at Lowe's feet. Lowe ran into the dugout screaming as rookie Casey Fossum took over on the mound after Williams ran off. McLemore walked to load the bases but Martinez popped up to center. Olerud grounded into a double play to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                      Mariners tie it up

Tom Lampkin came in to play catcher in the bottom of the ninth and Nomar led off by flying out to center. Stynes watched strike three go by before Everett popped up to left to end the inning, on to extras we go.

Rod Beck took over in the top of the tenth inning and Boone slammed a base hit to right to start. Lansing made a basket catch on a pop up from Cameron but Boone made it to second on the grounder by Guillen. Gipson whiffed to end the inning. Jose Paniagua came in for the bottom of the tenth and the Sox went quietly. Ramirez whiffed, Bichette grounded out to third and Lansing flied out to center to end the inning.

The Mariners put the Sox out of their misery in the top of the 11th inning. Lampkin popped up to third but Suzuki got yet another base hit. Ichiro swiped second before McLemore walked and Martinez settled matters with a 50,000 foot 3 run home run to clear everyone out. Olerud looked at strike three but Boone singled. The alert Mirabelli gunned down Boone trying to steal to end the inning but it was 6-3 Mariners.

                                                          Dammit Beck

Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki came in to close out the bottom of the eleventh and the Sox went quietly. Hillenbrand and Nixon both whiffed before Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Mirabelli. Hatteberg popped up to second to end the game. The Mariners had won it 6-3 in the 11th inning.

Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. Yes Rod Beck gave up the 3 run homer but it wouldn't have come to that if Lowe had gotten the job done in the 9th inning.

                                                  Lowe the Jackass


The Good:

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Hideo Nomo tossed 5 strong innings and allowed just 2 runs.

Rich Garces tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Chris Stynes was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Rod Beck took the loss by giving up the 3 run homer in the 11th.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a hit by pitch but the one hit was a home run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 5.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Seattle is having one hell of a season and comeback wins like this are the reason why. They seem to be the most complete team in baseball, even better than the New York Yankees it seems. The Sox chased Moyer and got to the bullpen but the Mariners still won. Derek Lowe shouldn't be the closer anymore, especially since they picked up Urbina at the deadline. I don't know what happened to him this year but he's blown at least 6 games that could be the difference in making the playoffs or not come October. Even without Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek, the return of Nomar should be the spark this team needs to make a run in the second half. As for this game, the less said of it the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 65-52, 4 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back when they send Frank Castillo (7-6) to the mound to face Freddy Garcia at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.