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.

White Sox Shut Down Red Sox (7/28/01)

That sucked. In a game the Boston Red Sox had to have to keep pace with the New York Yankees, instead they drop a turd against the now .500 Chicago White Sox. Tim Wakefield (6-6, 3.38 ERA) was game but Mark Buehrle was better. A clutch double by Magglio Ordonez was the difference in the game as the White Sox bullpen slammed the door on the 3-1 victory by the ChiSox at Fenway Park.

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and Ray Durham whiffed to begin. Aaron Rowand walked but Carlos Lee popped up to third. Ordonez popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox got their only run in the bottom of the first against Buehrle. Jose Offerman and Chris Stynes drew back to back walks before a Trot Nixon flyout moved Offerman to third. Ramirez scored Jose with a sac fly to give the BoSox the lead. Dante Bichette grounded into a force to end the inning with the Bosox ahead 1-0.

                                                                 Manny drives in a run

Jose Canseco flied out to center to start the top of the second before Paul Konerko looked at strike three. Herbert Perry lined out to third to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the second as Carl Everett lined out to left to start. Mike Lansing singled to right and took second on a balk. Shea Hillenbrand popped up to third and Scott Hatteberg popped up to second to end the inning.

Sandy Alomar drew a walk to begin the top of the third but Wakefield struck out Royce Clayton. Durham singled to center but Rowand banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to blow it open in the bottom of the third as Offerman popped up to second to begin. Stynes singled to left but Nixon whiffed. Ramirez walked but Bichette whiffed to end the inning.

The White Sox threatened in the top of the fourth although Lee whiffed to start. Ordonez doubled to left then swiped third before Canseco walked to put runners at the corners. Konerko popped up to second but Perry was plunked to load the bases. Alomar grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Everett flied out to center to start. Lansing grounded out to second and Hatteberg grounded out to third to end the inning.

The White Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Clayton flied out to left to begin. Durham grounded out to second but Rowand singled. Rowand took second on a passed ball and Lee singled him home. Ordonez doubled and Canseco walked to load the bases but Konerko whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The BoSox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Hatteberg lined back to Buehrle to start. Offerman flied out to right but Stynes doubled down the right field line. Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning.

Wakefield cruised in the top of the sixth as Perry and Alomar both flied out to left. Clayton flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox threatened again in the bottom of the sixth as Ramirez singled and Bichette walked but Everett popped up to second. Lansing banged into a double play to end the inning.

The ChiSox took command in the top of the seventh as Durham walked to start. Durham was erased on the force by Rowand before Rowand swiped second.  Lee tripled home Rowand to put Chicago on top and chase Wakefield. "El Guapo" Rich Garces replaced Wakefield and Ordonez doubled home Lee to ice the game. Canseco flied out to left and Konerko whiffed to end the inning but the White Sox were up for good 3-1.

                                                          Ordonez with the backbreaker

The BoSox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Hillenbrand lined out to third to begin. Hatteberg lined out to center and Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Garces returned for the top of the eighth and Perry singled to right to start. Perry moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Alomar but Clayton grounded out to third. Durham grounded out to first to end the inning. Stynes singled to start the bottom of the eighth and Nixon sacrificed him to second to chase Buehrle. Bob Howry was brought in to pitch to Manny and Ramirez walked to put the tying run on. Bichette grounded out to third and closer Keith Foulke came in for the four out save. With the game on the line...Everett whiffed to end the inning.

23 year old rookie Casey Fossum made his major league debut in the top of the ninth and Rowand grounded out to short to begin. Lee singled to right but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Ordonez grounded out to second to end the inning. Chris Singleton took Lee's spot in the batting order but was in left with Rowand moving to center to start the bottom of the ninth. Brian Daubach pinch hit for Lansing but grounded out to first. Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Hillenbrand but whiffed. Hatteberg popped up to short to end the inning. The ChiSox had won it 3-1.

Jackass of the Night is Carl Everett. He was 0 for 4 at the plate including the big strikeout to end the 8th inning rally.

                                                         Everett is a Jackass

The Good:

Chris Stynes was 3 for 3 with a walk.

Manny Ramirez walked 3 times and drove in a run.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless 9th inning in his major league debut.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Troy O'Leary struck out as a pinch hitter.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4.

Tim Wakefield took the loss but pitched reasonably well. He went 6 1/3 innings and was charged with 3 runs. The 5 walks killed him in the end.

Final Thoughts:

The BoSox are in trouble if they keep losing games to inferior teams while the New York Yankees continue to win. They only mustered 5 hits and a single run against Mark Buehrle but Keith Foulke owned them in the final four outs. The Sox had their chances to do some damage but couldn't get any hits with men in scoring position. Not having Jason Varitek hurts because both Doug Mirabelli and Hatteberg are backup catchers so offense has been hard to come by once the Sox get to the bottom of the order. If only Everett was hitting like he was last year, the Sox would still be in first place. The word on the street is the Sox are looking for a closer since Derek Lowe has been garbage this season. The Sox have 3 days to find one before the season gets out of hand. The less said of this worthless defeat, the better. The good news is Nomar Garciaparra makes his season debut tomorrow. The loss dropped the BoSox to 59-44, 3.5 games behind the surging Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in the rubber game of this series tomorrow afternoon when David Cone goes up against Sean Lowe of the ChiSox at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park. Help us Nomar!

Braves Shut Out Sox (7/8/01)

What the hell was that? In the last game before the All-Star break the Boston Red Sox laid an egg against the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. Local boy Tom Glavine was magnificent by tossing 7 shut-out innings while the Braves offense pounded Tomo Ohka and a host of Red Sox relievers. When it all was said and done the Braves took 2 out of 3 to end the first half on a low note with an 8-0 victory at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Ohka started off strong by getting Quilvio Veras to ground out to second to start the top of the first. BJ Surhoff doubled to left but Andruw Jones flied out to right and Chipper Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox missed a chance to score off Glavine in the bottom of the first as Jose Offerman started with a walk. Chris Stynes flied out to right but Trot Nixon singled. Manny Ramirez flied out to right which sent Offerman to third, but Dante Bichette grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ohka whiffed Ken Caminiti to open the top of the second but Brian Jordan singled to center. Javy Lopez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Shea Hillenbrand popped up to second, Mike Lansing was thrown out trying to bunt and Doug Mirabelli whiffed to end the inning.

Rico Brogna grounded out to second to begin the top of the third but Mark DeRosa singled to center. Veras grounded out to second and Surhoff popped up to third to end the inning. Glavine cruised in the bottom of the third as Darren Lewis flied out to right to begin. Offerman grounded out to first and Stynes grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                          Stynes can't crack Glavine

Ohka got the Braves to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth inning. Andruw Jones grounded out to short, Chipper Jones grounded out to first and Caminiti also grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Nixon grounded out to short to start. Ramirez walked but Bichette banged into a double play to end the inning.

All of a sudden Ohka lost it in the top of the fifth as Jordan cracked a 400,000 foot home run to put the Braves on top. Lopez flied out to center and Brogna flied out to left but DeRosa and Veras stroked back to back singles before moving into scoring position on a balk. Surhoff doubled home both runners to ice the game. Andruw Jones put the exclamation point on with a 2 run bomb. Chipper Jones whiffed to end the inning but the Braves had pounded the Sox for 5 runs. That was it for Ohka as he allowed 5 runs in 5 innings to trail 5-0 as he left.

                                                            Nice going Ohka

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Hillenbrand flied out to right, Lansing flied out to center and Mirabelli grounded out to third.

Hipolito Pichardo came in to crap his pants in the top of the sixth as Caminiti doubled to start. Jordan singled and Lopez singled in Caminiti to score a run and chase Pichardo. Bryce Florie was brought in and got Brogna to bang into a double play. DeRosa flied out to right to end the inning with the Braves ahead 6-0.

Glavine cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Lewis lined out to second to start. Offerman flied out to center before Stynes watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Florie cruised in the top of the seventh as Veras grounded out to second to begin. Surhoff flied out to right before Andruw Jones looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox had their only rally in the bottom of the seventh as Nixon and Ramirez stroked back to back singles to start. That was it as Bichette popped up to first, Hillebrand whiffed and Lansing grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bill Pulsipher was brought in for the top of the eighth and got no help from his defense. Chipper Jones hit a routine grounder to Lansing who fielded the ball and threw it over the Monster into the screen for an error. Jones ended up on second before moving to third on the grounder to short by Caminiti. Jordan doubled home Jones to increase the lead. Lopez walked before Wes Helms pinch hit for Brogna only to strike out. DeRosa walked to load the bases but Veras whiffed to end the inning with the Braves ahead 7-0.

Mike Remlinger relieved Glavine and cruised in the bottom of the eighth. Mirabelli whiffed but Lewis somehow singled. Offerman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Carlos Castillo came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth although Surhoff grounded out to first to start. Andruw Jones popped up to first but Chipper Jones launched a 5,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Caminiti grounded out to third to end the inning with the Braves ahead 8-0.

Steve Reed had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Stynes grounded out to short to begin. Nixon flied out to right and Ramirez took strike three to end the game. The Sox mustered just 4 hits, committed an error and was humiliated 8-0.

Jackass of the Night is Tomo Ohka. Now that the Sox offense were going to crack Glavine but he didn't do them any favors by allowing 5 runs in 5 innings.

                                                            Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Bryce Florie tossed 2 full scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Chris Stynes was 0 for 4.

Dante Bichette was 0 for 3.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with an error.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Hipolito Pichardo faced 3 men and allowed 2 hits, a double and a run.

Carlos Castillo allowed a run in the top of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 but walked.

Bill Pulispher allowed an unearned run in the top of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Talk about limping into the All-Star break. The Sox entered July in first place and ended up in second just 7 days later. The red hot New York Yankees have won 10 out of 11 to take control of the division and the Sox are going to have to step it up in the second half to get back in first. The loss of Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek hurts but the Sox still have enough talent to compete, especially for the wild card if nothing else. As for this game, not much you can do against Glavine but tip your cap and go get em tomorrow...or in this case after the break. The Sox head into the All-Star break 51-36, 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox head out on a 4 team road trip beginning Thursday in New York against the Mets in interleague play. Nobody knows who's going to start but that's when the season resumes.

Stynes Bloodied, Sox Battered Late (5/9/01)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a much welcomed roster move. Long time shortstop/third basemen John Valentin was activated off the Disabled List after missing the last year after blowing his knee out almost a year ago. Whether or not he'll be the same player he was two years ago is anyone's guess but he's automatically an upgrade over who he replaced. Offensively challenged Craig Grebeck was placed on the Disabled List with left shoulder tendonitis to mercifully get him out of the lineup. With the Sox struggles at third since Valentin went down, its good to see Valentin back.

                                                                             OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, not only did the Boston Red Sox lose the game to the Seattle Mariners, they lost Chris Stynes to a horrific facial injury. In an eerily similar event to Bryce Florie getting hit in the face with a line drive last September, this time it was the opposite as Stynes took a fastball to the face by old friend Aaron Sele. It was a game for a while but eventually the Boston Red Sox bullpen melted at the hands of the Mariners. Sox starter Frank Castillo lasted just 5 innings and Rolando Arrojo (1-1, 3.57 ERA) got hammered for 5 runs in the eighth inning which led to a 10-5 victory for the Mariners at Fenway Park.

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and got hammered. Ichiro Suzuki singled to start and immediately stole second. Stan Javier walked but Edgar Martinez popped up to short right. John Olerud walked to load the bases and Bret Boone drilled a two run single to put the Mariners up early. Al Martin grounded out to second and David Bell flied out to right to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-0.

                                                  Boone puts Seattle on top

The Sox tried to fight back against  Sele in the bottom of the first although Trot Nixon flied out to left. Jose Offerman singled to center but Carl Everett flied out to center. Manny Ramirez walked but Troy O'Leary grounded out to second to end the inning.

Castillo cruised in the top of the second as Dan Wilson popped up to right, Carlos Guillen flied out to right and Ichiro popped up to third to end the inning. Things got scary in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek flied out to right to start. Shea Hillenbrand flied out to left but Chris Stynes was hit in the face with a fastball by Sele. Stynes face immediately was bloodied and swollen as he was removed from the game. Brian Daubach ran for Stynes and Mike Lansing grounded into a force to end the inning.

                                           Stynes helped off the field after the beanball

Offerman moved to second with Daubach taking over at first as the Mariners poured it on in the top of the third. Javier flied out to left and Martinez flied out to center but Olerud was plunked. Boone singled Olerud to third and Martin singled him home. Bell singled Boone home and Wilson whiffed to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 4-0.

                                                          Martin drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Nixon whiffed, Offerman grounded out to first and Everett flied out to left to end the inning.

Castillo struggled in the top of the fourth inning as Guillen hit a routine grounder to Daubach who went OLE! for an error. Guillen was erased on the Ichiro force and Ichiro swiped second. Javier flied out to center but Martinez walked. Ichiro swiped third but Olerud popped up to center to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth when Ramirez and O'Leary smashed back to back jacks to cut the lead in half. Varitek whiffed, Hillenbrand grounded out to short and Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                          O'Leary hits one out

Boone hit a routine grounder to Hillenbrand to open the top of the fifth but Shea threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error. Castillo got Martin and Bell to fly out to center but Wilson singled. Guillen popped up to third to end the inning. That was it for Castillo who lasted just 5 innings and allowed 4 runs.

                                                    Not his best work

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Lansing grounded back to the mound to start. Nixon looked at strike three before Offerman popped up to third to end the inning. 

Rich Garces was first out of the pen in the top of the sixth inning and Ichiro grounded out to second to begin. Javier singled to left and stole second but Martinez popped up to left. Olerud popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Everett doubled and Manny singled him home to cut the lead to one. Arthur Rhodes came in for Sele and punched out both O'Leary and Varitek. Hillenbrand singled but Daubach lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                             Manny gets a run back

The Mariners tagged Garces in the top of the seventh after yet another error when Lansing booted a grounder by Boone to start. Martin popped up to second but Bell doubled into the corner to score Boone with an un-earned run. Wilson flied out to left and Guillen whiffed to end the inning but it was 5-3 Mariners.

The Sox answered back in the bottom of the seventh when Lansing doubled and Nixon croaked his third home run of the season to tie the game. Offerman looked at strike three and Everett flied out to center before Jeff Nelson was brought in. Manny hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                         Nixon ties it up

Just as soon as the Sox clawed back into the game, the Mariners exploded to end it in the top of the eighth with Rolando Arrojo on the mound. Ichiro grounded out to second but Javier singled. Martinez hit one up the elevator shaft but Olerud doubled home Javier to put Seattle up for good. Boone was hit with a pitch before Martin singled home Olerud. Bell singled home Boone and Wilson doubled home Bell to chase Arrojo and ice the game. Pete Schourek came in and walked Guillen but Ichiro flied out to center to end the inning with the Mariners up for good 10-5

                                                    Olerud hits the kill shot

Charles Gipson came in for Martin in the bottom of the eighth and O'Leary whiffed to start. Varitek grounded out to second but Hillenbrand and Daubach stroked back to back singles. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Lansing and whiffed to end the inning.

John Valentin came in for Hatteberg to play short in the top of the ninth in his first game action since blowing his knee out almost one year ago as Javier singled to start. Martinez lined out to left before Olerud banged into a double play to end the inning. Jose Paniagua came in to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth and he punched out Nixon to start. Offerman walked, Everett singled and Manny walked to chase Paniagua. Kazuhiro Sasaki came in and got O'Leary to bang into a double play to end the game. The Mariners had won it 10-5 at Fenway.

                                                           Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Rolando Arrojo. He allowed 5 runs in less than an inning to take the loss

                                              Arrojo is the Jackass

The Good:

Carl Everett was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a home run, and 2 total rbis.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4.

Chris Stynes was hit with a pitch before leaving the game.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Pete Schourek tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Scott Hatteberg struck out as a pinch hitter.

Frank Castillo was lit up for 4 runs in just 5 innings. He gave up 6 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a two run home run.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Rich Garces gave up an unearned run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

John Valentin played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That game sucked. It wasn't just Arrojo who sucked but the defense did as well. You can't expect the offense to score 10 runs but keeping the other team from scoring 10 would be nice. Castillo didn't have it and a rare blunder led to an unearned run charged to Garces. All those factored in when the Mariners lit up Arrojo for the decisive margin. Bad games happen and I'm sure Arrojo and the bullpen will bounce back...but not tonight. Losing Stynes really hurt because he was hitting the ball very well before he went down and Valentin coming back would have shored up the defense even more. Hopefully Stynes won't be out for too long but its a damn shame he got hurt like this. The loss dropped the Sox to 20-14 on the season, 0.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to gain momentum against the Mariners when they send Tomo Ohka (2-1) to the mound up against John Halama at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pound Mariners at Fenway (5/8/01)

After the Boston Red Sox dropped 2 out of 3 games in Seattle last week, the Sox, and Hideo Nomo (4-2, 3.29 ERA) in particular got their revenge tonight against the Seattle Mariners. The Sox stomped the Mariners for 14 hits and 12 runs, crushing old friend Jamie Moyer in the process. Manny Ramirez, Shea Hillenbrand, Jose Offerman and Chris Stynes all went yard to pace the offense. Nomo faced Ichiro again with Japan watching intently and Ichiro won the personal battle this time. The Sox bullpen slammed the door in the final four innings as the Sox defeated the Mariners 12-4 at Fenway Park.

                                         Staff Sergeant Mike Vronsky approves of the win

Nomo took the mound in the top of the first and flashbulbs went off as Ichiro Suzuki stepped in for their first Fenway battle. Nomo got the duke as Ichiro lined out to second to start. Mark McLemore whiffed but Edgar Martinez walked. John Olerud grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning against Moyer although Chris Stynes lined out to center to start. Jose Offerman walked before Carl Everett hit one up the elevator shaft. Manny Ramirez smashed a tremendous home run to give the Sox the lead. O'Leary hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                Ramirez makes it 2-0

The Mariners wasted no time tying the game in the top of the second as Mike Cameron led off with a home run to cut into the lead. Bret Boone whiffed and Carlos Guillen grounded out to first but David Bell walked. Dan Wilson singled and Ichiro singled home Bell to tie the game. McLemore whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-2.

                                                                Ichiro gets Nomo

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Dante Bichette flied out to left to start. Jason Varitek grounded out to second before Shea Hillenbrand took strike three to end the inning.

Things looked bleak in the top of the third when Martinez doubled and Olerud singled him to third to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Nomo managed to get Cameron to pop up to right with the slow Martinez not advancing. Nomo got a huge out when Boone whiffed and ended the inning with Guillen popping up to third to end the inning. The Sox re-took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Mike Lansing flied out to right but Stynes singled. Third basemen David Bell booted a ground ball by Offerman to put runners at second and third. Everett whiffed and Ramirez was intentionally walked. The Mariners found out what Cleveland did two years ago when you walk someone to get to O'Leary when Troy smacked an infield single to score Lansing. Bichette hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                             O'Leary puts the Sox on top

Just as soon as the Sox went ahead, the Mariners tied it in the top of the fourth inning. Bell grounded out to third but Wilson walked. Ichiro doubled and Wilson scored on the McLemore ground out to tie the game. Martinez whiffed to end the inning but it was 3-3.

The Sox finally knocked out Moyer in the bottom of the fourth inning. Varitek singled and Hillenbrand crushed a 2 run home run to give the Sox the lead back. Lansing grounded out to short but Stynes walked. Offerman smashed a 2 run home run of his own for some insurance. Everett singled and that was it for Moyer. Brett Tomko was summoned to stop the bleeding for Seattle and he walked Ramirez. O'Leary flied out to center before Bichette grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                            Hillenbrand and Offerman put the Sox on top

Olerud walked to start the top of the fifth inning but Cameron grounded into a double play. Boone singled to left but Guillen struck out swinging to end the inning.  That was it for Nomo who battled to allow 3 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                   Not his best stuff but it'll do tonight

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Varitek singled to center to start. Hillenbrand forced Varitek at second but Lansing popped up to second. Stynes smacked his second home run of the season to increase the lead and Offerman flied out to right to end the inning with Boston ahead 9-3.

                                                                Home run Stynes

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Bell lined out to second to start. Wilson flied out to center and Ichiro grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Everett grounded out to second to start. Ramirez struck out swinging but O'Leary tripled to the centerfield triangle. Bichette doubled off the Monster to bring Troy home but Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                     Another rbi for Bichette

Darren Lewis took over for Bichette to start the top of the seventh and McLemore grounded out to first to start. Martinez walked but Olerud flied out to right. Cameron took strike three to end the inning. Hillenbrand flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Lansing grounded out to third. Stynes doubled to right but Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in for the top of the eighth and Boone grounded back to the mound to start. Guillen lined out to third and Bell lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox poured it on against Norm Charlton in the bottom of the eighth as Everett popped up to first to start. Ramirez swung and missed for strike three but took first when the ball got away from the catcher. O'Leary doubled home Ramirez to increase the lead and chase Charlton. Charles Gipson came in to get Lewis to ground out to short, but Varitek singled home O'Leary to add to the lead. Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-3.

                                                           Varitek drives in a run

Lowe returned for the top of the ninth and Wilson singled to left to start. Ichiro hit a double play ball to first and Offerman flipped to Lansing....who was too busy staring at a bird flying overhead that he missed the catch for an error to put runners at the corners. Ichiro took second on defensive indifference but McLemore struck out swinging. Wilson scored on the grounder to second by Martinez and Olerud grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-4.

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His 2 run homer broke the tie and put the Sox up for good.

                                                          Hillenbrand Hero

The Good:

Chris Stynes was 3 for 4 with a walk, a two run homer and 3 runs scored.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a 2 run homer and two total runs scored.

Troy O'Leary was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Hideo Nomo got the win by allowing 3 runs in 5 innings of work. He allowed 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 batters.

Tim Wakefield pitched two scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run homer. He also walked and scored two runs.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Derek Lowe allowed an unearned run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed a win like this against a good team and pounding Moyer to do it was a strong message to send. It was a well balanced offensive attack and the Sox are finding a groove with Stynes back in the lineup and Grebeck out. Offerman and O'Leary are starting to heat up and the Sox are going to need them with Daubach not playing much lately. Nomo didn't look that great but rubber armed Wakefield and Lowe was there to pick up the slack. Once again Lowe allowed a run in the ninth inning but this time it was unearned. Still, it would be nice if he could go a game without allowing a run for once. All in all it was a good win and a good team and hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 20-12, 1 game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 3 overall wins in a row tomorrow night when they send Frank Castillo to the mound to take on old pal Aaron Sele of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold On To Beat A's (5/6/01)

Usually when Pedro Martinez (4-0, 1.44 ERA) of the Boston Red Sox leaves the game with a 4 run lead and 6 outs to go, the game is pretty much over. Tonight the Oakland A's damn near completed an epic comeback on ESPN Sunday Night baseball against the Red Sox. The Sox took a 5-0 lead on a 3 run homer by Jose Offerman and a 2 run bomb by Troy O'Leary off A's starter Cory Lidle. Martinez dazzled for 7 innings but the Sox bullpen almost blew it. Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in the eighth and Rich Garces gave up one in the ninth to pull the A's within a run. Rod Beck slammed the door to earn the save but the A's scared the bejesus out of the Sox, falling just short 5-4 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                      Tommy Callahan says it all

Lidle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Trot Nixon led off with a ground out to first to start. Jose Offerman struck out swinging on a splitter in the dirt but Carl Everett was plunked. Manny Ramirez lined a base hit to right that moved Offerman to third and took second on the throw for a credited double. Troy O'Leary walked to load the bases but Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon dumped a base hit to left to start. Frank Menechino popped up to second and Jason Giambi grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second and Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short on a nice play by Miguel Tejada to start. Chris Stynes grounded back to the mound and Mike Lansing grounded out to third to end the inning. Olmedo Saenz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Terrance Long grounded out to short. Jeremy Giambi singled in the hole at short and a wild pitch moved him to second. Tejada lined a broken bat liner to Stynes to end the inning.

Nixon led off the top of the third by striking out on a nasty change to start. Offerman grounded out to first but Everett walked. Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro cruised in the bottom of the third as Chavez grounded out to third to start. Hernandez popped up to third and Damon flied out to left to end the inning.

Lidle cruised in the top of the fourth as O'Leary grounded out to first to start. Varitek grounded back to the mound and Hillenbrand flied out to left to end the inning. Martinez matched Lidle in the bottom of the fourth as ESPN Sunday Night baseball analyst Jon Miller said he signed up for the MLB package to listen to games on the radio for $9.99 a month. Joe Morgan his co-host was unimpressed much to the delight of Miller. Menechino hit a looper to left that O'Leary made a nice running catch to grab before Jason Giambi grounded out to second and Saenz took strike three on the inside corner to end the inning.

                                                     Morgan & Miller having a laugh

The Sox exploded in the top of the fifth inning as Stynes dumped a base hit to left to start. Stynes swiped second, Lansing walked and Chris moved to third on the fly ball to right by Nixon. Offerman launched his third home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Everett grounded out to short but Ramirez walked. O'Leary blasted his second home run of the season to increase the lead but Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox suddenly had a 5-0 lead.

                                                 Offerman and O'Leary go yard

More than enough cushion for Pedro in the bottom of the fifth as Long flied out to right to start. Jeremy Giambi grounded out to first and Tejada struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Hillenbrand beat out a chopper to third to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on a grounder to short by Stynes. ESPN showed a graphic of how the Red Sox have the best pitching in the American League as Lansing hit a bullet to Chavez who doubled off Hillenbrand at second to end the inning.

                                                           We're number 1

The A's struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Nixon fell down on a double by Chavez. Everett picked the ball up and threw it into the first base bleachers for an error to allow Chavez to reach third on the error. Hernandez reached on a swinging bunt to Pedro and Chavez scored on the double play Damon grounded into. Pedro blew away Menechino with a fastball to end the inning with the A's down 5-1.

                                                                Nixon falls down again

Mike Magnante came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Nixon went down swinging to start. Offerman and Everett stroked back to back singles to chase Magnante. Jim Mecir came in and Ramirez struck out swinging. O'Leary went down hacking to end the inning. Pedro returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Jason Giambi popped up to Everett on the first pitch to start. Saenz took strike three and Long struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro was masterful tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 4 hits.

                                                   Pedro does it again

Varitek doubled to right to start the top of the eighth but Hillenbrand grounded out to third. Stynes popped up to short and Lansing took strike three to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo got tagged in the bottom of the eighth although Jeremy Giambi struck out swinging to start. ESPN showed highlights of Pedro hitting Edgar Martinez with a curveball in last week's game and right on cue Arrojo sent Tejada sprawling with a hit by pitch to the leg. Chavez doubled to the centerfield wall to score Tejada with another run. That was the first run allowed by Arrojo this year and Mario Valdez pinch hit for Hernandez. Chavez stole third and scored on the Valdez grounder to second to cut the lead. That was it for Arrojo as "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch to Damon and got him to ground out to first to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-3.

                                                      Dammit Arrojo

Sal Fasano took over behind the plate, with Valdez in for Damon and Jason Isringhausen now on the mound for the top of the ninth inning. Nixon flied out to right to start but Offerman singled to center. Everett forced Offerman at second and tried to steal a bag. Fasano threw the ball away and Everett took third. Ramirez was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners but O'Leary grounded out to second to end the inning. Garces came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Menechino singled to center to begin. Menechino moved to second on a balk, to third on defensive indifference and scored on the Jason Giambi grounder to first. Sox manager Jimy Williams sent Rod Beck in to get the final two outs and Beck plunked Saenz to put the tying run on. Eric Byrnes pinch ran for Saenz but was forced at second by Long. Beck froze Jeremy Giambi for strike three on the inside the corner to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 5-4.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez. He dominated the A's by allowing 1 run in 7 innings on 4 hits while striking out 6.

                                                    Pedro the Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 3 for 5 with a 3 run home run.

Carl Everett was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a hit by pitch.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rod Beck earned the save by getting the final two outs in the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4.

Chris Stynes was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and scored a run.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Last year the Red Sox bullpen was one of their strengths but this year its been pretty shaky. It doesn't matter who pitches the ninth, no one has been able to do it consistently. Derek Lowe, Beck and now Rich Garces have faltered. Of the 12 losses the Sox have, 6 of them have come via the bullpen. Pedro, Hideo Nomo and Paxton Crawford can only do what they can but the bullpen must be able to finish the games. The Sox got lucky this time but won't get so lucky in the future if this keeps up. The Sox got all their runs in one inning but it just happened to be enough. Its good to see O'Leary and Offerman show some pop since Ramirez and Everett can't be the only ones who can hit the longball. The A's and Mariners are good teams so the Sox need to make a statement by taking the majority of these games if they have any hope for October baseball this year. The win improved the Sox to 19-12, tied for first place with the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now return to Boston for a revenge series against the Seattle Mariners beginning on Tuesday night. Hideo Nomo (3-2) looks to keep the momentum going against old friend Jamie Moyer of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.