Royals Drop Sox on Opening Day (4/2/07)

Well...that sucked. The revamped Boston Red Sox who added some key pieces in the off-season picked up where they left off in 2006 by dropping a big fat turd on Opening Day. Curt Schilling (0-1, 11.25) looked old as the Kansas City Royals pounded him for 5 runs in just 4 innings. Hideki Okajima made his ML debut by allowing a home run on the first pitch he threw, the Red Sox offense made Gil Meche look like Cy Young and the Royals ran away with this one 7-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                          "Sox lost?"

Meche got the ball in the top of the first and Julio Lugo made his Red Sox debut leading off by striking out swinging. Kevin Youkilis dropped a base hit to right for the first hit of the season and David Ortiz doubled him home to put the Sox up 3 batters into the game. Manny Ramirez flied out to deep center before JD Drew made his Red Sox debut by drawing a walk. Mike Lowell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                              Ortiz drives in the first run

Schilling got lit up right off the bat in the top of the first as David DeJesus flied out to right to start. Mark Grudzielanek stroked a high fastball to left for a hit before Mark Teahen hit a splitter up the middle for another hit. Mike Sweeney singled over the head of Dustin Pedroia to load the bases. Alex Gordon made his major league debut by striking out on a splitter in the dirt. Ryan Shealy drew a full count walk to tie the game. Ross Gload popped up to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                     Grumpy Curt

Jason Varitek led off the top of the second by popping up to second to start. Coco Crisp grounded out to second and Dustin Pedroia lined a base hit to left...but made a rookie mistake by getting thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the second although John Buck grounded out to short to start. Former Sox catcher Tony Pena's son Tony Jr tripled off the left field wall but Curt came back to freeze Dejesus. Grudzielanek singled home Pena Jr to give the Royals the lead. Teahen whiffed to end the inning but the Royals were up 2-1.

The Sox offense was done for the night as Lugo led off the top of the third by watching strike three go by. Youkilis flied out to right and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning. Schilling settled down in the bottom of the third as Sweeney popped up to center to start. Gordon took strike three and Shealy grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez led off the top of the fourth by grounding out to third. ESPN showed the replay of George Brett's gold medal sprint out of the dugout after the "pine tar" incident and Drew got so excited that he got a base hit to right. Lowell forced Drew at second and Varitek watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Royals iced the game in the bottom of the fourth although Gload grounded out to second to begin. Buck doubled to left and Pena Jr drew a walk, but Dejesus flied out to left. Grudzielanek added the insurance runs by doubling over the head of Drew for another 2 runs. Teahen singled up the middle to score Grudzielanek and put the game out of reach. Sweeney whiffed to end the inning and Schilling was done for the day. The 40 year old Curt lasted just 4 innings and allowed 5 runs, not his shining day.

                                                       Brutal

Meche continued to cruise in the top of the fifth inning as Crisp was rung up on a full count strike three to start. Pena Jr made a great play to Pedroia of a base hit before Lugo was rung up on a high curve by the notorious Tim Tschida to end the inning. Javier Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and plunked Gordon to start. Shealy grounded into a double play and Gload grounded out to first to end the inning.

Youkilis hit a hard grounder to third and Gordon threw the ball away but the alert Shealy threw out Youkilis at second. ESPN analyst Jon Miller said it wasn't a smart thing to do with Ortiz, Ramirez and Drew coming up and sure enough, Ortiz was hit on the left foot. Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning anyway.

Hideki Okajima's major league debut started auspiciously as the first pitch he threw was hit 5 million feet into the Gulf of Mexico for a home run by Buck to increase the lead. Okajima recovered to get Pena Jr to strike out swinging and Dejeus to fly out to the centerfield warning track. Grudzielanek grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals ahead 6-1.

                                               Welcome to the big leagues

Meche dominated in the top of the seventh as Drew grounded out to first to start.  Lowell flied out to left and Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Okajima returned for the bottom of the seventh and Teahen whiffed on a high fastball to start. Sweeney stroked a base hit to left then moved to second on the grounder by Gordon. That was it for Okajima who looked good after the first pitch and Brendan Donnelly was brought in. Donnelly made his Sox debut by punching out Shealy swinging to end the inning.

Meche returned for the top of the eighth and Crisp grounded out to first to start. Pedroia dropped a base hit to center to chase Meche after 7 1/3 brilliant innings. Joel Peralta came in and Lugo singled up the middle, but Youkilis whiffed to effectively end the game. Ortiz waived at strike three down and in to end the inning. Joel Pineiro made his Sox debut in the bottom of the eighth by allowing a single off the first base bag by Gload to start. Buck popped up to short but Pena Jr hit another triple off the left field wall to increase the lead. Sox manager Terry Francona came out to argue that Lowell made the tag but New York Yankees personal umpire Tschida told him to get lost. Francona did take Pineiro out and bring in lefty JC Romero. Dejesus grounded out to first and Grudzielanek flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals leading 7-1.

                                               Another triple for Pena

Peralta returned for the top of the ninth and Manny took strike three to start. Wily Mo Pena pinch hit for Drew only to strike out swinging but Lowell extended the torture by doubling down the left field line. Varitek flied out to right to end the game. The Royals had defeated the Sox on Opening Day 7-1.

             Royals win this one


Jackass of the Night is Curt Schilling. He lasted just 4 innings and gave up 5 runs to take the loss. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks.

                                                    Schilling the Jackass



The Good:

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a hit by pitch.

JD Drew was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3.

Javier Lopez tossed a scoreless 5th inning.

Brendan Donnelly struck out the only man he faced.

JC Romero retired the last 2 hitters he faced.



The Bad:

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wily Mo Pena struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with a strikeout

Coco Crisp was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Joel Pineiro allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Julio Lugo was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mike Lowell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hideki Okajima allowed a home run on the first pitch in 1 2/3 total innings.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox seem to have a habit of losing Opening Day only to go on to have a successful season so let's hope the tradition continues. Today was a bad day all around as Schilling got beat up, the offense only scored a single run and Okajima got tagged on the first pitch he threw. The Royals aren't very good and the Sox have to win some of these road games early if they want to get ahead of the New York Yankees early. Still, its only one game and better to lose the first one than to lose the last one at the end of the season. The Sox ran themselves into outs but I'm sure that'll be addressed and corrected as the season goes on. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to rebound Wednesday night against the Royals. Josh Beckett makes his season debut opposite Odalis Perez at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Yankees Pound Schilling, Take Game 1 (10/12/04)

Talk about the worst case scenario for the Boston Red Sox. It was feared Curt Schilling was injured more seriously than it looked at the end of his Game 1 win against the Anaheim Angels and those fears came true tonight in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the hated New York Yankees. Schilling got blasted for 6 runs in 3 innings, the bullpen was no help as they allowed 4 more runs,Mike Mussina was perfect through 6 innings and Mariano Rivera literally ran off a plane from Panama to save the game for the Yankees. When it was over the Sox had lost 10-7 and Schilling looks done for the year, just great.

                                                            Dammit

Mussina was perfect in the top of the first as he made Johnny Damon look silly on a 3 pitch strikeout. Mark Bellhorn lined out to a running Bernie Williams in center and Manny Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning. The injured Schilling took the mound in the bottom of the first inning and the Yankees tagged him. His velocity was down as Derek Jeter flied out to right field warning track before Alex Rodriguez flied out to right. Gary Sheffield crushed a double down the left field line and Hideki Matsui took a splitter in the dirt and lined it past Ramirez for an rbi double. Bernie Williams effortlessly singled up the middle for another run but Jorge Posada grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                          The Yankees strike first

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as David Ortiz grounded out to first to begin. Kevin Millar grounded out to short and Trot Nixon popped up to short to end the inning. John Olerud grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second before Miguel Cairo flied out to left. Kenny Lofton whiffed to end the inning.

Mussina remained perfect in the top of the third as Jason Varitek flied out to left to begin. Mark Bellhorn flied out to center and Ramirez grounded back to the mound. The Yankees exploded to knock out Schilling in the bottom of the third inning. Jeter singled to center and A-Rod singled in the hole at short. Sheffield walked and Matsui cleared the bases with a double into the corner. Williams advanced Matsui to third with a grounder to second then he scored on the Posada sac fly to center. Olerud walked before Cairo flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Schilling as he was knocked out after giving up 6 runs in just 3 innings. Typical Red Sox luck that the guy they got to beat the Yankees tears up his ankle before facing them when it counts.

                                                 Schilling failed in his biggest game

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth inning as Damon took strike three on the outside corner to start. Bellhorn also took strike three on the outside corner while Ramirez looked at strike three on the inside corner to end the inning. Curtis Leskanic took the mound in the bottom of the fourth and walked both Lofton and Jeter to start. Leskanic got A-Rod to bang into a double play and Sheffield struck out to end the inning.

Mussina remained perfect in the top of the fifth inning as Ortiz whiffed on a full count to begin. Millar whiffed on a knucklecurve in the dirt before Nixon was retired on a squibber in front of the mound to end the inning. Ramiro Mendoza was summoned to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Manny had to run to the wall to get a line drive by Matsui to start. Williams grounded out to second but Posada got hit on the foot. Olerud blooped a single to left to send Posada to third but Cairo lined out to short to end the inning.

The perfect game continued in the top of the sixth inning as Varitek whiffed to start. Cabrera popped up to right a graphic showed Mussina's near perfect game on September 2, 2001 in Fenway. Mueller popped up to left to end the inning as the high powered Sox offense was held without a baserunner through six. Game 4's scheduled starter Tim Wakefield was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Yankees pounced. Lofton swatted a solo home run to right to increase the lead before Jeter grounded out to third. Sheffield doubled to left and Matsui singled down the right field line to score Gary and seemingly put the game out of reach. Williams lined out to a running Manny in left to end the inning but it was now 8-0 Yankees.

                                              5 rbis for Matsui

Out of nowhere the Sox exploded off Mussina in the top of the seventh inning although Damon earned the hat trick with his third strikeout of the game. Bellhorn broke up the perfect game with a double to the left field wall before Ortiz singled him to third. Millar doubled off the glove of Matsui to score both runners to put the Sox on the board. Millar took third on a passed ball and scored on the Nixon base hit. That was it for Mussina who went from being perfect to out of the game in a blink of an eye. Tanyon Sturtze was brought in and Varitek got his first hit in Yankee Stadium all YEAR with a 2 run bomb to right to make it a three run game. Cabrera whiffed to end the inning but suddenly the Sox were back in it 8-5.

                                               Varitek goes yard to inch the Sox closer

With the game now in reach Sox manager Terry Francona turned to Alan Embree in the bottom of the seventh inning. Posada grounded out to second before Matsui popped up to left. Cairo singled down the right field line but Lofton popped up to left to end the inning.

Old pal Tom Gordon took the mound in the top of the eighth and the Sox rallied again. Cairo made a diving grab on a Mueller grounder but couldn't make the throw for a leadoff hit. Damon earned the golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the game but Bellhorn popped up to left. Ramirez singled Mueller to third and Ortiz missed a game tying home run by 5 feet with a triple off the glove of Matsui field that still scored both runners. The Sox were down 8-0 having a perfect game thrown against them going into the top of the 7th and were one swing away from taking the lead one inning later. In a scene out of a movie, Mariano Rivera who began the day in Panama took the mound for the four out save to pick up the Yankees. Sure enough Millar popped up to short to end the inning but the Sox were knocking at the door down 8-7.

                                                    Ortiz nearly hits it out

Unfortunately the bullpen couldn't keep it a one run game in the bottom of the eighth as Mike Timlin took the mound. Jeter grounded out to short to start but A-Rod shook off being buzzed by Timlin to single to left. Sheffield also singled to left but Matsui popped up to short. Needing just one out to keep this a one run game, Williams instead lined a triple just out of reach from Manny to ice the game. One batter too late Francona replaced Timlin with Keith Foulke and Posada lined out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 10-7.

                                               Williams ices it.

The horse was out of the barn as the Sox went quickly in the top of the ninth inning with Rivera back on the mound. Nixon popped to short but Varitek and Cabrera stroked back to back singles to bring the tying run to the plate. Once again out of a movie, Mueller hit a walkoff three run homer off Rivera on July 24th but this time Rivera got Bill to bang into a double play to end the game. The Sox comeback fell short and the Yankees had taken Game 1.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Timlin. Sure, Curt Schilling put the Sox in a hole but the Sox were rallying to get back into it only for Mike to give up the deciding two runs. Getting one run off Rivera is hard enough but 3 was too much to overcome.

                                                        Jackass of the Night: Timlin



The Good:

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 including a 2 run home run.

Curtis Leskanic pitched a scoreless 4th inning.

Ramiro Mendoza pitched a scoreless 5th inning.

Alan Embree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Keith Foulke retired the only man he faced.



The Bad:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Curt Schilling lasted just 3 innings and allowed 6 runs, his worst start in October history.

Tim Wakefield allowed 2 runs in 1 inning of work.



The Ugly:

Mark Bellhorn was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored.

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

Orlando Cabrera was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Its only one game but this was an ominous start to the ALCS. If Schilling is pitching on one foot then he's useless for the rest of the series. He was supposed to be the answer to the Yankees they didn't have last year and he failed big time. The Yankees offense not only knocked him around but almost the same bullpen that was unhittable last year as well. The Sox got off on the wrong foot, no pun intended, but there are positives to build on. The Sox pulled off a huge rally to score 7 runs after having a perfect game tossed against them and this a 7 game series so there's plenty more action to come. The negatives outweigh the positives unfortunately and they needed Schilling to win this series and now have to turn to Pedro Martinez to stem the tide. The same Pedro who has been knocked around by the Yankees this year and who started that god awful "Who's your daddy" chant that Yankee fans were bellowing tonight. Tomorrow night Pedro takes on Jon Lieber at 8 PM at Yankee Stadium

Schilling, Sox Shutout Devil Rays (4/28/04)

So far, so good for the Curt Schilling (3-1, 3.31 ERA) era in Boston. After being signed to make a difference this season, he's been worth every penny spent so far. Tonight he mastered the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for 7 1/3 innings, not allowing a single run to Tampa. Meanwhile the Sox beat up Paul Abbott of Tampa. Jason Varitek hit a two run home run in the bottom of the fourth and drove in another run against Travis Harper in the seventh. Mark Bellhorn drove in a run against former NBA player Mark Hendrickson and Bill Mueller drove in the final run. Alan Embree and Lenny DiNardo put the finishing touches on the win by slamming the door as the Sox defeated Tampa 6-0 at Fenway Park.

                            New Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers approves of the win

Schilling got the ball in the top of the first as Carl Crawford flied out to center to start. Rocco Baldelli beat out a roller to short and Aubrey Huff singled in the hole at second. Robert Fick popped up to third and Tino Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. Abbott got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Johnny Damon grounded out to second to start. Bill Mueller popped up to first and David Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Julio Lugo lined out to third to start the top of the second and Jose Cruz Jr flied out to center. Toby Hall singled to right but old pal Rey Sanchez forced Hall at second to end the inning. Manny Ramirez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Jason Varitek took strike three. Kevin Millar flied out to center to end the inning.

Crawford struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Baldelli grounded out to third. Huff popped up to short to end the inning. Mark Bellhorn walked to start the bottom of the third before being forced at second by Gabe Kapler. Cesar Crespo got a base hit to right but Damon flied out to left. Mueller flied out to center to end the inning.

Fick lined out to first to start the top of the fourth before Martinez struck out swinging. Lugo doubled in the hole at short but Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz grounded out to first to start. Ramirez doubled to left and Varitek launched his third home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Millar got a base hit to left and Bellhorn doubled off the Monster but Kapler lined out to third. Crespo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                              Home run Varitek

Hall popped up to short to start the top of the fifth before Sanchez flied out to left. Crawford grounded out to second to end the inning. Damon popped up to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Mueller grounded back to the mound. Ortiz walked and Ramirez got a base hit to left but Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning.

Baldelli struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Huff flied out to center. Fick also flied out to center to end the inning. Millar grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth but Bellhorn walked. Kapler forced Bellhorn at second but Crespo grounded out to second to end the inning.\

Martinez struck out swinging to open the top of the seventh but Lugo singled to center. Cruz struck out swinging and Hall took strike three to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the seventh as Damon grounded out to first to start. Mueller got a base hit to right and Ortiz hit a double off The Monster to chase Abbott. Travis Harper came in to pitch and Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Varitek made the Rays pay with a base hit to right to score Mueller. Millar popped up to short and Mark Hendrickson was brought in to face Bellhorn. Mark got a base hit to left to score Ortiz and Ramirez. Kapler flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                             Bellhorn gets it done

Schilling came back briefly in the top of the eighth with David McCarty now in at first base. Sanchez flied out to center and Sox manager Terry Francona came out to get Schilling. Curt was outstanding, tossing 7 1/3 shutout innings allowing just 5 hits while striking out eight. Alan Embree came in and Crawford struck out swinging. Baldelli flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                                   Good work Curt

Crespo grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Damon beat out a roller to third. Mueller doubled to center to score Damon before Ortiz struck out swinging. Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                          RBI for Mueller

Lenny DiNardo came in to close out the top of the ninth and Huff grounded out to first to start. Damian Rolls pinch hit for Fick and took strike three but Eduardo Perez pinch hit for Martinez. Perez grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-0.

Hero of The Night is Curt Schilling. He throttled the Devil Rays for 7 1/3 innings allowing 5 hits while striking out 8

                                                                Hero Curt

The Good:

Bill Mueller was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a 2 run homer and 3 total rbis.

Mark Bellhorn was 2 for 4 with 2 walks and 2 rbis.

Alan Embree got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Lenny DiNardo tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Gabe Kapler was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 4.

Cesar Crespo was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

David McCarty played first base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Another great start by Schilling and he's been worth every cent to start the season. Sox fans have been screaming for another starter to go with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe for two years and Schilling was what the doctor ordered. He shut down the Rays big time tonight while the Sox bats responded to get to Abbott. Bellhorn, Varitek, Mueller and Ramirez all had multiple hits and when this lineup is on, they're very tough to defeat. The best part is this isn't even the Sox at full strength, eventually they're going to get back Trot Nixon, Byung-Hung Kim and Nomar Garciaparra. Kim and Arroyo are essentially going to have a duel for the 5th starter spot when Kim gets back. The rumor is Kim will be activated for tomorrow's doubleheader and it'll be interesting to see who goes. It might be Mark Malaska, it might be Phil Seibel, who knows. The Sox look to continue the momentum in tomorrow's doubleheader against the Devil Rays. Byung-Hung Kim is scheduled to make his season debut against Victor Zambrano of Tampa. The game begins at 1:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Rally Late, Defeat Sox (4/22/04)

For six innings, it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to sweep the Toronto Blue Jays on their on turf. Curt Schilling (2-1, 4.18 ERA) had allowed just one through six innings while the Sox took the lead on a David Ortiz two run bomb and Jason Varitek rbi single. Then the Jays tied it in the bottom of the seventh inning but Sox manager Terry Francona sent Curt back out for the eighth. The bases were loaded for Chris Gomez but Terry stuck with Schilling with 120 pitches on his arm. On a 1-1 count Gomez hit a grand slam to effectively end the game. The shell-shocked Sox couldn't provide an answer and Terry Adams slammed the door in the ninth. The Jays had gotten to Schilling and defeated him 7-3 at the Skydome.

                                                              "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Jays starter Miguel Batista in the top of the first inning as Johnny Damon grounded out to first to start. Bill Mueller walked but David Ortiz smashed his fourth home run to put the Sox on top. Manny Ramirez ripped a base hit to right but Kevin Millar forced him at second. Jason Varitek drew a walk but Mark Bellhorn struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston up 2-0.

                                                           Home run Big Papi

Schilling got the ball in the bottom of the first and Howie Clark got a base hit to center to start. Frank Catalanotto forced him at second but Vernon Wells struck out swinging. Carlos Delgado grounded out to first to end the inning.

Gabe Kapler grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the second before Cesar Crespo grounded out to second. Damon doubled to left but Mueller grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Phelps popped up to second to start the bottom of the second before Eric Hinske flied out to right. Kevin Cash also flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Ortiz walked to start. Ramirez singled in the hole at second but Millar grounded into a double play. Varitek grounded a base hit up the middle to score Ortiz with another run. A wild pitch moved Varitek to third but Bellhorn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                             RBI for Varitek

The Jays answered in the bottom of the third as Orlando Hudson singled in the hole at short to start. Chris Gomez lined out to third but Hudson stole second. Clark got a base hit to right to score Hudson and Catalanotto got a base hit to left. Frank tried for second and got thrown out trying to stretch a double although Clark moved to third. Wells flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays down 3-1.

                                                   Clark drives in a run

Kapler singled to center to start the top of the fourth but Crespo struck out swinging. Damon flied out to center and Mueller grounded out to second to end the inning. Delgado grounded out to second to open the bottom of the fourth before Phelps lined out to right. Hinske singled to center but Cash forced him at second to end the inning.

Ortiz flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Ramirez walked. Millar ripped a base hit to left but Varitek flied out to left. Bellhorn forced Millar at second to end the inning. Hudson struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Gomez grounded out to first. Clark struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew their best chance to open it up in the top of the sixth as Kapler grounded out to first to start. Crespo tripled to centerfield and Damon walked to put runners at the corners, chasing Batista. Jason Frasor took over on the mound and Mueller struck out swinging before Ortiz lined out to right to end the inning. Catalanotto flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Wells grounded out to second. Delgado doubled to left but Phelps flied out to left to end the inning.

Kerry Ligtenberg came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Sox blew another rally. Ramirez doubled to center to start but Millar grounded out to short. Varitek was intentionally walked to set up the double play but Bellhorn took strike three. Kapler flied out to right to end the inning. The Jays struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Hinske struck out swinging to start. Cash took strike three and Hudson tripled to right. Gomez got a base hit to right to score Hudson and Clark singled to left to move Chris to third. Catalanotto singled to center to score Gomez to tie the game. Wells flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3. The Jays did all their damage with two outs.

                                                           Catalanotto ties it up

Terry Adams came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Crespo grounded out to first to start. Damon grounded out to first but Mueller got a base hit to center. A wild pitch moved Mueller to second but Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Things came crashing down in the bottom of the eighth as Delgado singled to right to start. Phelps took strike three but Hinske singled to center. Cash popped up to first but Hudson walked. Sox manager Terry Francona kept Schilling in to face Gomez and Chris hit a grand slam to settle matters. Francona finally lifted Curt who went 7 2/3 innings but allowed 7 runs. Mark Malaska came in and Clark got another base hit to center but Wells flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 7-3.

                                                             Schilling gets rocked

Reed Johnson took over for Clark as Adams returned for the top of the ninth. Ramirez walked to start but Millar popped up to first in foul territory. Varitek struck out swinging and Bellhorn flied out to center to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-3.

Jackass of the Night is Curt Schilling. It should be Francona but Schilling was the one who gave up the grand slam and 7 total runs in 7 2/3 innings.

                                                              Schilling The Jackass

The Good:

Manny Ramirez was 3 for 3 with 2 walks.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Mark Malaska got the final out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Mark Bellhorn was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 5.

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 4.

Cesar Crespo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox brought it on themselves by leaving a million men on base even before the Jays tied it in the seventh. Mueller and Ortiz not being able to drive in a run in the sixth most likely led to Francona leaving in Schilling as long as he did. Still, who would ever have thought Gomez would hit a grand slam. Hopefully this is a lesson Francona learned not to leave in your starter too long even if its a work horse like Schilling. Games like this also put a damper on a mood because the Sox won 2 out of 3 against Toronto but the third they didn't was tonight. Schilling himself pitched relatively well and his line would have looked a lot better without the grand slam. Just have to tip your cap to the Jays pitchers for not breaking and for Gomez to hit that ball out. Now the tide turns as the Sox now head to New York with a rematch with the Yankees. Derek Lowe (1-1) takes the hill against Jose Contreras of New York. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Schilling, Sox Drop Yankees (4/17/04)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Bruins lost Game 6 of their first round NHL playoff series. The good news was Curt Schilling (2-0, 2.66) ERA and the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees. The Sox traded for Schilling because of his reputation for a big game pitcher and Yankee killer, this game was no different. Curt dazzled the Yankees, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing just a run. Offensively the Sox got to Yankees starter Mike Mussina for four runs in just five innings. Manny Ramirez hit a home run in the fifth inning and a Johnny Damon rbi double in the eighth was more than enough insurance. Keith Foulke allowed his first run of the year in the ninth but the Sox had won the game anyway 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Eliza Dushku approves of the win

Schilling got the ball in the top of the first and Derek Jeter took strike three to start. Bernie Williams struck out swinging and Alex Rodriguez flied out to center to end the inning. Mussina got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon watched strike three go by to start. Bill Mueller grounded out to second but David Ortiz got a base hit to center. Manny Ramirez forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.

Jason Giambi popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the second and Gary Sheffield grounded out to short. Hideki Matsui walked and Jorge Posada smacked a ground rule double, but Tony Clark took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Kevin Millar grounded out to third to start. Jason Varitek and Mark Bellhorn drew back to back walks and Gabe Kapler dumped a base hit to right to load the bases. Damon walked to score Varitek and Mueller was hit with a pitch to score Bellhorn. Ortiz forced Mueller at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                          Mueller gets hit to drive in a run

Enrique Wilson grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Jeter grounded out to short. Williams pounded a ground rule double down the right field line but A-Rod took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. Jeter booted a grounder by Millar for an error and Varitek actually reached first on a bunt single. Bellhorn got a base hit to right to load the bases and Millar scored on the Kapler grounder to third. Reese grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                 Bellhorn with the big hit

Giambi took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Sheffield walked. Matsui got a base hit to right but Posada grounded into a double play to end the inning. Damon got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Mueller popped up to third. Ortiz popped up to A-Rod who doubled Damon off first to end the inning,

The Yankees got a run back in the top of the fifth as Clark of all people hit a home run to Barbados to cut the lead. Wilson grounded out to second, Jeter struck out swinging and Williams grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-1.

                                                           Clark hits one out

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez slugged his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Millar walked and Varitek got a base hit to left, but Giambi doubled off Jason on a bullet hit by Bellhorn. Kapler grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                            Ramirez goes yard

A-Rod struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth but Giambi walked. Sheffield popped up to third in foul territory but Matsui singled to left. Posada walked to load the bases and Clark grounded out to first to end the inning. Donovan Osbourne came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Reese flied out to center to start. Damon struck out swinging but Mueller singled to left. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Schilling returned briefly for the top of the seventh as Wilson blooped a single over Pokey's head to start. Jeter took strike three and that was it for Schilling. He allowed a single run in 6 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 4 walks. Mike Timlin came in and Williams walked, but A-Rod banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                                   Good work Schilling

Ramirez singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh but Millar flied out to right. Somehow Manny stole second but was doubled off second on a line drive to Wilson by Varitek to end the inning.

Timlin returned for the top of the eighth and Giambi grounded out to short to start. Sheffield grounded out to short and Matsui lined out to short to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Bellhorn was hit with a pitch to start. Bellhorn took off for second and Posada's throw went wide, allowing Mark to take third on the error. Kapler took strike three but Bellhorn was thrown out at home on a comebacker by Reese. Damon doubled off the Monster to score Pokey but Mueller struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                                 Damon drives in a run

Keith Foulke came in to pitch the top of the ninth with David McCarty taking over at first for Millar. Posada flied out to right but Clark struck out swinging. Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Wilson and lined a base hit to center. Sierra took second on defensive indifference and scored on the Jeter single to left. Jeter took second on defensive indifference but Williams grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is Curt Schilling. He held the high powered Yankees to just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits, 4 walks and struck out eight batters.

                                                         Hero Schilling

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run and a stolen base.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mark Bellhorn was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch, stolen base and a run scored.

Mike Timlin tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Keith Foulke allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Millar was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Pokey Reese was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

David McCarty played first base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a damn good win and so far this season Schilling has been worth it. He held the powerful Yankees to just a single run and if that's the team to beat the season, at least the Sox have one starter that can do it. Keith Foulke got tagged for the first time all-season but he didn't really care about that runner after he got the first two out. The Sox got a lot of hits but also hit into a lot of double plays. A lot of them were bad luck but still, definitely need to clean that up. Its only two games against the Yankees with 17 more to play but two wins are better than one or none. Bellhorn has played out of his mind the first two weeks of this season but it'll be tough to replace Todd Walker's five home runs in October...if the Sox can make it there. All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to make it three in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon. Derek Lowe (1-0) makes his first start in 11 days taking on Jose Contreras of the Yankees. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Walkoff Jays in 12 Innings (4/11/04)

The bad news was the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in 12 innings. The Sox broke out to a 2-0 lead but the Jays tied it in the top of the fourth. Toronto got another two runs in the sixth and things looked bleak going into the bottom of the eighth. Kevin Millar drove in a big run to cut the lead but the Jays still led going into the ninth. Mark Bellhorn did the honors with an rbi single to tie the game. Three innings later it was Big Papi himself, David Ortiz, that hit the walkoff home run to win the game. The Sox had beaten the Jays 6-4 on Easter Sunday at Fenway Park

                                                           Happy Easter Everyone

Schilling got the ball in the top of the first inning and Reed Johnson led off with a fly out to Gabe Kapler to start. Frank Catalanotto lined a ball off Schilling into center for a base hit and Vernon Wells lined one past Mark Bellhorn lined one past Mark Bellhorn for a single. Carlos Delgado struck out swinging and Josh Phelps struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Jays starter Miguel Batista in the bottom of the first as Mark Bellhorn led off with a walk. Bill Mueller lined out to short but David Ortiz also drew a walk. Manny Ramirez doubled into the right field corner to score Bellhorn and Kevin Millar hit a sac fly to right to score Ortiz. Jason Varitek drew a walk but Kapler struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                          Millar adds to the lead

Eric Hinske led off the top of the second by popping up to Bellhorn before Greg Myers grounded out to first. Orlando Hudson grounded out to second to end the inning. Cesar Crespo led off the bottom of the second by grounding out to second before Pokey Reese struck out swinging. Bellhorn grounded out to second to end the inning.

Chris Gomez struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Johnson also went down hacking. Catalanotto grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Mueller grounded out to first to start. Ortiz struck out swinging and Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning.

The Jays got to Schilling in the top of the fourth as Wells doubled under the glove of Mueller into the left field corner to start. Delgado got hit with a pitch and Phelps doubled to the centerfield wall to score Wells. Hinske grounded out to first but Delgado scored and Phelps moved to third to tie the game. Schilling got a big out by striking out Myers swinging. Hudson took strike three to end the inning,

                                                       Jays tie it up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Millar hit a rocket to Hinske to start. Varitek grounded back to the mound and Kapler grounded grounded out to third to end the inning.

Gomez struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Johnson flied out to right. Catalanotto flied out to center to end the inning. Crespo struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Reese grounded out to short. Bellhorn walked but Mueller grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the sixth as Wells flied out to center to start. Delgado also flied out to center but Phelps got a base hit to center. Hinske then hit a home run all the way into Lake Titicaca to put the Jays on top. Myers hit a routine grounder to Reese who booted it....then threw the ball away for two errors on one play. Hudson struck out swinging to end the inning with Toronto up 4-2.

                                                      Hinske puts Toronto on top

Ortiz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Ramirez grounded out to short. Millar flied out to center to end the inning.

Gomez took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Johnson took strike three on the outside corner. Catalanotto flied out to right to end the inning. Batista returned for the bottom of the seventh and Wells made a diving catch to rob Varitek of a single to start. Kapler got a base hit to left but Crespo flied out to center. David McCarty pinch hit for Reese and popped up to Hudson to end the inning.

Schilling returned for one final inning in the top of the eighth as Wells popped up to McCarty to start. Delgado flied out to right and Phelps grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Schilling who went 8 innings but allowed 4 runs on 6 hits while striking out ten.

                                                           Schilling goes eight innings

Kevin Cash came in to catch and Terry Adams came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Bellhorn walked but Mueller popped up to second. Valerio De Los Santos was brought in to face Ortiz again but this time David got a base hit to right. Justin Speier came in to face Ramirez and Manny got a base hit to left to load the bases. Millar got a seeing eye single to left to score Bellhorn to cut the lead but Varitek struck out swinging. Kapler struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                 Millar with a clutch hit

Alan Embree came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hinske popped up to second to start. Cash walked but Hudson struck out swinging. Gomez singled to left to chase Embree. Keith Foulke came in to pitch and Johnson flied out to a running Kapler to end the inning. Kerry Ligtenberg came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Crespo doubled down the left field line to start. McCarty struck out swinging but Bellhorn ripped a base to hit to right. Crespo motored around to score to tie the game. Mueller struck out swinging but Bellhorn stole second to put the winning run at second. That was it for Ligtenberg as Jason Kershner came in to pitch to Ortiz. David hit a rocket but Wells jumped up to catch at the centerfield wall to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                       Tie game!

Foulke returned for the top of the tenth and Catalanotto singled to right to start. Millar made a diving catch to rob Wells of a double and Delgado took strike three. Phelps and Hinske walked to load the bases but Cash grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Aquilino Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Ramirez got a seeing eye single to left. Millar hit a grounder to short but Ramirez slid in safe at second for a "single". Varitek banged into a double play and Kapler popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Bobby Jones came in to crap his pants in the top of the eleventh as he walked Hudson and Gomez on eight straight balls. Sox manager Terry Francona yanked Jones before he could cause any more damage and brought in Mark Malaska. Johnson beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Catalanotto struck out swinging. Wells grounded out to second to end the inning, good work by Malaska. Crespo struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eleventh before McCarty popped up to short. Bellhorn grounded out to second to end the inning.

Malaska returned for the top of the 12th inning and Delgado grounded out to short to start. Phelps grounded out to second and Hinske flied out to center to end the inning. Lopez returned for the bottom of the 12th and Mueller walked to start. Ortiz then launched a 2 run home run into the Monster Seats to win the game. The Sox had won it 6-4 in 12 innings.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Ortiz. His two run home run in the 12th won the game

                                                       Big Papi Hero

The Good:

Mark Bellhorn was 1 for 3 with 3 walks, an rbi, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Manny Ramirez was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Kevin Millar was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Alan Embree got the first two outs of the ninth inning.

Keith Foulke tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Mark Malaska got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Bill Mueller was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Pokey Reese was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

David McCarty was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bobby Jones walked the only two batters he faced.

The Ugly:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Cesar Crespo was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Curt Schilling allowed 4 runs but went 8 innings allowing 6 hits while striking out 10.

Final Thoughts:

It wasn't pretty but it was a win. Curt Schilling looked mortal in this one but he battled for 8 innings. The Sox bullpen once again stepped up with four shutout innings to preserve the win. Sox manager Terry Francona said after the game said it was a great win while Jason Varitek said David Ortiz was awesome. Can't argue with that, that's for sure. Crespo starting the ninth with a double and Malaska getting out of the 11th inning jam were the unsung heroes of this one. The Sox bullpen are being taxed early but Schilling went 8 innings in this one, just one of those days. Still, the Sox won the game when trailing by 2 in the eighth and 1 in the ninth. Ortiz getting the big walkoff was the icing on the cake. Hopefully more big wins are in store this season. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox now welcome the Baltimore Orioles in for a three game set on Tuesday night with Derek Lowe (1-0) on the mound against Erik Bedard of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.