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.

Nomo Throws Gem, Sox Blank Jays (5/25/01)

If Pedro Martinez is the unquestioned ace of the Boston Red Sox, then Hideo Nomo (5-3, 3.60 ERA) is the legitimate number 2. In his best start since his no-hitter against Baltimore, Nomo dazzled the Toronto Blue Jays in tonight's game. Nomo pitched a complete game 1 hit shutout while striking out 14 batters, better than any Pedro start this season. Offensively Carl Everett and Mike Lansing drove in all the runs the Sox needed as Nomo dominated. The Sox needed a bounce back win after dropping two in a row to the New York Yankees as they blanked the Jays 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Alice approves of the win

Nomo began the top of the first by getting Shannon Stewart to ground out to short to start. Alex Gonzalez dropped down a bunt but it was snuffed out by Shea Hillenbrand and Carlos Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                         Hillenbrand makes the play

The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Esteban Loaiza as Jose Offerman drew a leadoff walk to start. Trot Nixon doubled off the Monster and Carl Everett doubled home Offerman to put the Sox on top. Manny Ramirez struck out swinging, Troy O'Leary flied out to left and Jason Varitek took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Everett drives in a run

Raul Mondesi grounded out to to third to start the top of the second before Brad Fullmer struck out swinging. Tony Batista flied out to left to end the inning. Shea Hillenbrand singled to right to start the bottom of the second but Brian Daubach struck out swinging. Mike Lansing flied out to center but Offerman walked again. Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning,

Jose Cruz struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Darrin Fletcher grounded out to second. Homer Bush struck out swinging to end the inning. Everett grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Ramirez flied out to center. O'Leary grounded a base hit up the middle but Varitek popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Stewart broke up the perfect game with a double to left to start the top of the fourth. Gonzalez dropped down a bunt to move Stewart to third but Delgado struck out swinging. Mondesi grounded out to short to end the inning. Hillenbrand flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Daubach grounded out to first. Lansing lined one off of Loaiza but Gonzalez threw him out at first to end the inning.

Fullmer struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth before Batista grounded out to third. Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning. Loaiza cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Offerman grounded out to third to start. Nixon lined out to second and Everett struck out swinging to end the inning.

Fletcher grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Bush struck out swinging. Stewart took strike three to end the inning. Stewart got so angry that he started tearing all his clothes off while screaming "Vete a la mierda!!" to home plate umpire Tim Timmons. Stewart was thrown out of the game and escorted out of Fenway by armed security.

                                                           Stewart gets ejected

Brian Simmons took over for Stewart for the bottom of the sixth and Ramirez grounded out to short to start. O'Leary grounded out to first but Varitek singled to right. Hillenbrand walked and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

Nomo turned up the heat in the top of the seventh as Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Delgado struck out swinging and Mondesi went down hacking to end the inning. Lansing flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Offerman got a base hit to left. Nixon flied out to left and Everett popped up to second to end the inning.

The strikeout streak continued as Fullmer went down hacking to start. Batista went down swinging but Cruz grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Ramirez grounded a single up the middle to start. O'Leary got a base hit to right to chase Loaiza. Kelvim Escobar came in and Varitek walked to load the bases with nobody out. Hillenbrand popped up to second and Daubach forced Ramirez at home, but Lansing doubled to the wall to clear the bases. Offerman took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                                 Ramirez starts the rally

Nomo returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Bush popped up to Hideo and Simmons grounded out to first to end the game. Nomo went the distance and the Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Hideo Nomo. He threw a complete game 1 hit shutout while striking out 14 batters.

                                                         Hideo Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

None.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 3 run double to put the game away.

Final Thoughts:

After two losses to fall out of first to the Yankees, the Sox needed just one win against the Jays to regain first place. The offense wasn't terribly exciting although they did just enough to win. Nomo has been schizophrenic this season as he's either throwing gems or stinkers with little in between. He nearly pitched back to back no-hitters and was damn near perfect in this one. What cost the Red Sox in 1999 against the Yankees (and last year really) was the lack of a number 2 starter and hopefully Nomo can keep this momentum going all season. The sooner Nomar Garciaparra comes back to complete the offense, the better. The win improved the Sox to 26-20, 0.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays tomorrow afternoon when Frank Castillo (5-2) goes up against Chris Michalak of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Knock Out Nomo, Sox (5/19/01)

Well this sucks. Hideo Nomo (4-3, 4.24 ERA) turned back into a pumpkin after looking like he was going to be the next ace of the Boston Red Sox in April. The hapless Kansas City Royals smacked around Nomo for 5 runs in 6 innings of work. The Royals broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth with 2 runs and iced the game with runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth. The Sox did manage to cut it to 5-2 but Hector Ortiz got a clutch rbi base hit to represent the final margin. The Sox are blowing their AL East lead with another loss to a bad team as the Royals beat the Sox 6-2 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                            Randy Quaid is angry again

Dan Reichert got the start for Kansas City and Trot Nixon led off the top of the first with a fly out to left. Jose Offerman doubled to center and moved to third on the Carl Everett grounder to second, but Manny Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. Nomo started strong in the bottom of the first as Carlos Beltran grounded out to second to start. Rey Sanchez grounded out to short and Mike Sweeney flied out to right to end the inning.

Dante Bichette grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Brian Daubach struck out swinging. John Valentin grounded out to short to end the inning. Jermaine Dye struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Joe Randa singled to center. Dee Brown flied out to right and Mark Quinn grounded out to third to end the inning.

Shea Hillenbrand took strike three to open the top of the third before Jason Varitek flied out to left. Nixon singled to left but Offerman flied out to left to end the inning. The Royals struck first in the bottom of the third as Luis Alicea flied out to right to start. Hector Ortiz lined a triple over the falling Everett and scored on the sac fly by Beltran to give the Royals the lead. Sanchez caught Hillenbrand asleep with a bunt single and Sweeney singled to left, but Dye grounded into a force to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.

                                                       :I don't got it..." - Everett

Everett atoned for his miscue by lashing a triple of his own to left to start the top of the fourth. Ramirez knocked him in with a grounder to short to tie the game but Bichette lined out to center. Daubach singled to right and Valentin walked, but Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Another rbi for Ramirez

The Royals went up for good in the bottom of the fourth as Randa singled to left to start. Brown doubled to left but Quinn grounded out to third. Alicea scored Randa with a grounder to second and Ortiz singled to left to score Brown to ice the game. Ortiz was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning but it was 3-1 Royals.

                                                               Randa scores a run

Varitek was plunked to start the top of the fifth and moved to second on the Nixon grounder to first. Offerman grounded out to third and Everett grounded out to second to end the inning. The Royals tacked it on in the bottom of the fifth as Beltran struck out swinging to start. Sanchez walked, Sweeney caught Hillenbrand asleep with a bunt single and Rey swiped third to put runners at the corners. Dye hit a sac fly to center to score Sanchez but Randa grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals up 4-1.

                                                                 Dye with the sac fly

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Bichette struck out swinging and Daubach watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Royals finished off Nomo in the bottom of the sixth as Brown grounded back to the mound to start. Quinn hit a home run all the way to Lexington, Kentucky to increase the lead but Alicea took strike three. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 5-1. Nomo lasted 6 innings but allowed 5 runs, ugh.

                                                                Nomo turns into a pumpkin

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the seventh when Valentin smashed his first home run in over a year to cut the lead. Hillenbrand flied out to right, Varitek grounded out to short and Nixon flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                              Valentin's first of the season

Rolando Arrojo came in for the bottom of the seventh and Beltran grounded out to second to start. Sanchez also grounded out to second but Sweeney doubled to right. Dye grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Jason Grimsley came in for the top of the eighth and the Sox went quietly. Offerman grounded back to the mound, Everett grounded out to first and Ramirez lined out to short to end the inning. The Royals tagged Pete Schourek in the bottom of the eighth as Randa flied out to right to start. David McCarty singled to center but was forced at second by Quinn. Alicea singled in the hole at short and Ortiz singled home Quinn to wrap up the scoring. Beltran lined out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 6-2.

                                                       Ortiz with the game of his life

Roberto Hernandez came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bichette grounded out to second to start. Daubach also grounded out to second and Valentin took strike three to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-2.

Jackass of the Night is Hideo Nomo. He lasted 6 innings but allowed 5 runs to take the loss.

                                                             Jackass Nomo

The Good:

John Valentin was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Rolando Arrojo tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Dante Bichette was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pete Schourek allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

All the good feelings of April got washed away in May this season. Last year the Sox waited until June to fall apart, this year they started early. Paxton Crawford, Tomo Ohka and Hideo Nomo have all fallen off the map this month and their recent struggles reflect that. The real story of this game wasn't just Nomo's incompetence but the Sox lack of offense against Reichert. He allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings and the Sox looked lost apart from Valentin's home run. When Ramirez and Everett go just 1 for 8, you're in trouble. Good to see Valentin hit his first home run and he could be an unexpected surprise this season if his knee holds up. Two years ago he was an integral part of their run to the ALCS and they're gonna need that kind of performance this year. Hillenbrand is starting to slump and if Nomar Garciaparra was around, Sox manager Jimy Williams could mix and match to get some guys rest in between starts. Hopefully this is just a hiccup for Nomo and he picks up the pace moving forward, same goes for the rest of the team. The loss dropped the Sox to 24-18, 0.5 game ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back against the Royals tomorrow afternoon when Frank Castillo (4-2) takes on Brian Meadows of Kansas City. The game begins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Walkoff A's in 11 on Mother's Day (5/13/01)

Happy Mother's Day everyone. After getting embarrassed at Fenway by the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox needed to make a statement against the Oakland A's and they did just that. The Sox 2 of 3 from the A's including today's dramatic victory. The Sox fell behind 4-1 after Hideo Nomo got knocked out in the fifth inning and Tim Wakefield allowed 2 inherited runners to score. The Sox bullpen didn't allow a run the next 6 innings to keep the A's in check. Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth, John Valentin drove home Jose Offerman and Manny Ramirez belted his 13th home run of the season to tie the game. Derek Lowe nearly gave away the game twice in extras but wormed his way out of trouble setting the stage for the bottom of the eleventh. Jason Varitek clobbered his first home run of the season off Jeff Tam to win the game. The Sox had won it 5-4 in 11 innings.

                                    Jason & his mother Pamela approve of the Mother's Day win

Nomo cruised in the top of the first inning as Johnny Damon flied out to right to start. Frank Menechino flied out to right and Jason Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Oakland ace Mark Mulder in the bottom of the first as Trot Nixon grounded out to first to begin. Jose Offerman grounded out to short but John Valentin walked. Manny Ramirez got a base hit to center and Dante Bichette drove home Valentin with a base hit to left to give the Sox the lead. Shea Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                Bichette drives in a run

Olmedo Saenz flied out to center to start the top of the second before Terrance Long popped up to third. Miguel Tejada flied out to left to end the inning. Jason Varitek grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second and Mike Lansing grounded out to short. Darren Lewis flied out to left to end the inning.

Nomo ran into trouble in the top of the third as Eric Chavez walked to start. Chavez was thrown out at second trying to steal but Mario Valdez walked. Sal Fasano struck out swinging but Damon walked. Menechino took strike three to end the inning. Nixon walked to start the bottom of the third but Offerman struck out swinging. Valentin flied out to right and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Giambi walked to start the top of the fourth but Saenz struck out swinging. Giambi moved to second on the grounder to first by Long but Tejada grounded out to short to end the inning. Bichette was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth but Hillenbrand forced him at second. Varitek flied out to right and Hillenbrand took off for second. Fasano threw the ball away and Hillenbrand took third on the error. Lansing struck out swinging to end the inning.

All of a sudden Nomo imploded in the top of the fifth as Chavez singled to center to start. Valdez hit a home run all the way to Saturn to give the A's the lead. Fasano and Damon worked back to back walks and that was it for Nomo. After cruising in the first two innings, Nomo walked 6 batters and gave up a home run. Tim Wakefield came in and Menechino singled to center to load the bases before Giambi scored Fasano with a sac fly. Saenz was plunked to load the bases and Damon scored on the grounder to first by Long. Tejada grounded out to third to end the inning to close the book on Nomo. Nomo lasted just 4 plus innings and allowed 4 runs, putting the Sox in a 4-1 hole.

                                                            Not Nomo's day

Lewis got a base hit to left to begin the bottom of the fifth but Nixon banged into a double play. Offerman grounded back to the mound to end the inning,

Chavez singled to center to start the top of the sixth but Valdez popped up to short. Fasano forced Chavez at second but Damon walked. Menechino flied out to right to end the inning. Valentin grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth before Ramirez struck out swinging. Bichette lined out to second to end the inning.

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Giambi grounded out to short to start. Saenz flied out to left and Long grounded out to first to end the inning. Hillenbrand struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Varitek walked. Lansing singled to center and both runners moved over on the grounder to the mound by Lewis. Nixon popped up to center to end the inning.

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Tejada popped up to left to start. Chavez struck out swinging but Valdez walked. Fasano grounded out to third to end the inning. Mulder returned for the bottom of the eighth but Offerman tripled into the centerfield triangle to chase him. A's manager Art Howe brought in Jim Mecir to pitch to Valentin and John singled home Offerman to cut the lead. Ramirez then blasted his 13th home run of the season to tie the game. Bichette grounded out to third and Hillenbrand grounded out to second, but Varitek singled to right. Lansing grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                      Manny ties it up

Rod Beck came in for the top of the ninth and Damon flied out to center to start. Menechino flied out to left but Giambi singled to right. Saenz flied out to right to end the inning. Carl Everett pinch hit for Lewis to start the bottom of the ninth but struck out swinging. Nixon grounded out to short and Offerman took strike three to end the inning.

Beck returned for the top of the tenth and Long flied out to center to start. Tejada singled to right but Chavez took strike three. Tejada stole second and Valdez was intentionally walked. Derek Lowe came in to pitch and Jeremy Giambi pinch hit for Fasano. Giambi hit a routine grounder to Valentin who dove on the ball and shouted at it for an error to load the bases. Ramon Hernandez pinch ran for Giambi but Damon struck out swinging to end the inning. Jeff Tam came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Valentin lined out to short to start. A's manager Art Howe had enough of Ramirez and intentionally walked him, choosing to face Bichette. Bichette took strike three and Hillenbrand popped up to third to end the inning.

Things got hairy for Lowe in the top of the tenth when Menechino doubled to left to start. Giambi was intentionally walked to set up the double play and sure enough, Saenz banged into one. Long was intentionally walked to set up a force and Tejeda grounded out to second to end the inning. This set the stage for the bottom of the eleventh when Tam had Varitek down to a 1-2 count. Varitek then sent the next pitch out of the yard for a game winning walkoff home run to give the Sox the 5-4 victory.

                                                          Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jason Varitek. His 11th inning home run won the game.

                                                             Hero Varitek

The Good:

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run homer.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless inning.

Pete Schourek pitched a scoreless inning.

Rod Beck tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Hideo Nomo allowed 4 runs in 4 innings.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 but walked.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked, drove in a run and scored twice.

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

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tim Wakefield allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

That was a much needed win to save face on this homestead. Taking 2 out of 3 from the A's after dropping 2 of 3 from Seattle got their momentum back. The problem is their starters have looked like dog poo the past week. Nomo, Paxton Crawford & Tomo Ohka all looked good in April but have faltered in May. The Good news is David Cone is ready so either Ohka or Crawford are gone by tomorrow. It most likely will be Ohka since Crawford outfield Barry Zito last week. As for this game, what a win. They showed a lot of heart and kudos to the bullpen for locking it down after Nomo left. They got out of jams when they had to and it led to the victory. Big props to Manny Ramirez for the 2 run bomb to tie the game to set up Varitek's heroics. Hopefully the Sox can ride this win as momentum for the next series. The win improved the Sox to 22-15, 0.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel on the road to Minnesota for a set with the Twins. After an off-day tomorrow, Frank Castillo (3-2) takes on Mark Redman of the Twins on Tuesday night. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

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.

Sele Shuts Down Sox (5/2/01)

After the Boston Red Sox shut out the Seattle Mariners last night this time it was the Mariners turn to stick it up the Sox asses in today's game. Old pal Aaron Sele blinded the Sox as the entire country of Japan tuned into to watch Sox starter Hideo Nomo (3-2, 3.00 ERA) battle the sensational Ichiro Suzuki. The Sox actually took a 1-0 lead but Edgar Martinez drove in 3 runs before Derek Lowe had another seventh inning meltdown. In the end it was Sele and the Mariners who had the last laugh, taking the game 5-1 at Safeco Field.

Sele got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chris Stynes led off by watching strike three go by. Trot Nixon flied out to center and Carl Everett whiffed....but the ball got away from the catcher and Everett made a mad dash to first. Manny Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Flashbulbs went off everywhere as Nomo got the ball to face Ichiro to begin the bottom of the first. Nomo took the first battle as Ichiro grounded out to second to begin. Mark McLemore lined out to left but Edgar Martinez walked. John Olerud flied out to center to end the inning.

                       The first meeting on US soil between Ichiro and Nomo goes to Nomo

Troy O'Leary singled to open the top of the second but Jason Varitek whiffed on a hit and run, getting O'Leary thrown out at second. Shea Hillenbrand lined out to right to end the inning. Nomo was able to get Bret Boone to pop up to third to begin the bottom of the second before striking out Stan Javier. Tom Lampkin popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning when Brian Daubach motored around for a rare triple to start. Mike Lansing did the honors with a sac fly to score Brian to give the So the lead. Stynes lined out to left and Nixon flied out to left to end the inning with Boston on top 1-0.

                                           Sox take the lead

Nomo kept the lead in the bottom of the third as David Bell hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Carlos Guillen whiffed before Ichiro flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing against Sele in the top of the fourth as Everett grounded out to second to begin. Ramirez grounded out to short but O'Leary singled. Varitek hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Mariners tied it up in the bottom of the fourth as McLemore tripled and Martinez doubled in short order. Martinez moved to third on the fly out by Olerud but Nomo got Boone to ground out to third. Javier grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The inspired Sele stayed tough in the top of the fifth inning as Hillenbrand grounded out to short to begin. Daubach whiffed but Lansing doubled. Stynes grounded out to second to end the inning. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the fifth although Lampkin grounded out to first to begin. Bell whiffed but Guillen doubled. Ichiro was plunked and McLemore walked to load the bases. Sure enough Martinez singled home two runners to give Seattle the lead. Olerud whiffed to end the inning but the damage was done, 3-1 M's.

                            Ichiro says "HABOOOOOWOWOWWWOWWW!!!"

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth inning although Nixon singled to start. Everett struck out and Nixon was doubled off first on a Ramirez bullet to third on a hit and run to end the inning. Nomo returned for the bottom of the sixth and Boone grounded out to short to start. Both Javier and Lampkin whiffed to end the inning.

Sele returned for the top of the seventh and O'Leary flied out to center to begin. Varitek singled but Hillenbrand banged into a double play to end the inning. 7 innings and just 1 run allowed by Sele, nice work Sox....not.

          "I tell ya Cousins my offense stinks worse than a newborn fart!" - Williams

The Mariners iced the game in the bottom of the seventh after Nomo walked Bell to begin. Sox manager Jimy Williams went with Derek Lowe to stop the bleeding and Guillen dropped a bunt down to get Bell to second. Ichiro lit up the crowd with a triple that scored Bell and put the game out of reach. McLemore hit a routine ground ball to Stynes who decided to kick it over to first like a field goal, Mark reaching on the bizarre error and Ichiro scoring. McLemore stole second then moved to third on the grounder by Martinez. Olerud was intentionally walked before Boone lined out to third to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 5-1.

                                                     Sele likes pitching with 4 run lead

Sele returned for one more inning but Daubach sent him to the showers with a base hit. Mariners manager Lou Pinella brought in Jeff Nelson to relieve him and Lansing flied out to left to begin Stynes erased Daubach at second with a force and that was it for Nelson. Arthur Rhodes came in and got Nixon to ground out to second to end the inning. Lowe returned for the bottom of the eighth and whiffed Javier to start. Lampkin hit one up the elevator shaft and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Lord knows why Lowe was brought in so early or why he couldn't pitch like this in the seventh.

Mike Cameron took over in center as the Sox came to bat in the top of the ninth. Everett grounded out to second and Ramirez whiffed. O'Leary lined out to short to end the game. The Mariners had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one considering everyone was incompetent today but I gotta go with Chris Stynes. Not only was he 0-4 and failed to drive in Lansing, but his error led to the insurance runs scoring.

                                                       Stynes is the Jackass


The Good:

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 3.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 2 with an rbi.



The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Derek Lowe allowed 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own in 2 innings of work.



The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Hideo Nomo took the loss but pitched reasonably well. The error and Derek Lowe's relief certainly didn't help but he gave up 4 runs in 6 plus innings while striking out 6.




Final Thoughts:

Well this kind of game better steam Jimy Williams' clams. They couldn't do anything right against Sele or the offense. Derek Lowe is struggling hard this season and Jimy just can't seem to stop trusting him when it matters. I don't know what is with Lowe but he's clearly not the pitcher he was last year. The offense will be fine, it was just one of those days. The problem is the Sox can't afford to lose too many games with not only the New York Yankees but Toronto Blue Jays breathing down their necks. Remember the Blue Jays were in first place all the way into July last year so they're no pushover. The loss dropped the Sox to 17-10, tied for first place with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back against the Mariners with Frank Castillo (3-1) going for the Sox up against another old pal, Jamie Moyer at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Safeco Field.