Suppan Goes Distance, Royals Beat Sox (8/25/00)

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! The Boston Red Sox had come off winning 7 of their last 9 games to inch closer in the AL East race, plus found out the New York Yankees had lost to the Oakland A's. What did they do? Blow the game late and have old friend Jeff Suppan throw a complete game at them. The Sox scored 2 runs in the first but that was it as the Royals tied it in the 6th then scored 4 runs off Bryce Florie (0-4, 4.44 ERA) to ice the game. When the dust settled the Royals had dropped the Red Sox 6-2 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                               "Damn you Florie!"

The Sox went right to work on Suppan in the top of the first inning as Jose Offerman flied out to left to start. Trot Nixon grounded out to short but Brian Daubach doubled to left. Everett than smashed his 30th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Troy O'Leary flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. The Sox would have just 3 hits the rest of the game.

                                                           Everett goes yard

Jeff Fassero got the start for the Red Sox and Johnny Damon led off with a walk. Rey Sanchez grounded out to short and Mike Sweeney struck out swinging. Jermaine Dye flied out to right to end the inning.

Lou Merloni lined out to center to start the top of the second but Scott Hatteberg doubled. Mike Lansing grounded out to third and Manny Alexander grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox would have just two hits in the next seven innings. Meanwhile Joe Randa took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Mark Quinn grounded out to second. David McCarty lined out to left to end the inning.

Offerman singled to center to start the top of the third but was doubled off first on the line drive by Nixon. Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning. The Royals struck back in the bottom of the third as Hector Ortiz grounded out to second to start. Jeff Reboulet singled to left and swiped second before moving to third on the Damon grounder. Sanchez singled home Reboulet to cut the lead. Sweeney flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                     Why can't the Sox have guys like this?

Everett whiffed to start the top of the fourth but O'Leary walked. Merloni grounded back to the mound and Hatteberg lined out to center to end the inning. Fassero got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth as Dye singled to start but was erased on the Randa double play. Quinn singled to center and took second on a wild pitch, but McCarty grounded out to third to end the inning.

Lansing grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Alexander walked. Offerman took strike three and Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning. Ortiz flied out to center to open the bottom of the fifth before Reboulet grounded out to second. Damon singled to right and Sanchez caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single, but Sweeney grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Daubach grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth before Everett flied out to left. O'Leary walked but Merloni grounded out to third to end the inning. Fassero was knocked out in the bottom of the sixth as Dye doubled to left to start. Randa singled home Dye to tie the game but Quinn popped up to second. McCarty doubled to center and Ortiz was intentionally walked to chase Fassero. Once again Jeff ran out of gas the third time through the order and was out after 5 1/3 innings. Bryce Florie came in and struck out Reboulet swinging and got Damon to fly out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                 Can't pitch 3 times through the order

Suppan cruised in the top of the seventh as Hatteberg grounded back to the mound to start. Lansing grounded out to third and Alexander flied out to left to end the inning. The Royals took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh as Sanchez singled to center and Mike Sweeney launched a 2 run bomb into Tempe, Arizona. Dye whiffed, Randa lined out to short and Quinn flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-2 Royals.

                                                          Royals go on top

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the eighth as Offerman struck out swinging again to start. Nixon grounded out to first and Daubach grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Royals iced it in the bottom of the eighth although McCarty whiffed to start. Ortiz singled to center but Reboulet struck out swinging. Damon then bashed a 2 run bomb into Lake Ontario to ice the game. Sanchez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 6-2.

                                               Why can't the Sox get players like this?

Suppan finished the job in the top of the ninth as Everett flied out to right to start. O'Leary got a base hit to center but Merloni banged into a double play to end the game. Suppan went the distance as the Royals had won it 6-2.

                                                                 Where was this in 97?


Jackass of the Night is Bryce Florie. He allowed the 4 runs to put the game away

                                                             Florie the Jackass


The Good:

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Scott Hatteberg was 1 for 3.

Jeff Fassero tossed 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball to keep the Sox in the game.



The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4.

Lou Merloni was 0 for 4 with an error.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run bomb.

Manny Alexander was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Such a shame the Sox couldn't win this one considering the Yankees lost as well. Getting just 3 hits off Suppan after the Everett home run is pathetic considering Jeff's ERA is over 5 this year. Other teams don't have trouble hitting him but the Sox went right in the tank. I know Nomar didn't play but still, that was pathetic. The Sox need to win games like this to keep pace with the Yankees and potential wild card teams. Maybe the Sox need to make a waiver move by August 31st for more offense because this isn't going to cut it. If they can't beat the Royals, how are they going to beat the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays or Cleveland Indians? The loss dropped the Sox to 67-58, 3 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look to rebound against the Royals when they send Rolando Arrojo (7-10) up against Brian Meadows at 9:05 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

O'Leary, Sox Rally Past Expos (7/17/00)

For six innings it looked like the Montreal Expos was going to beat the Boston Red Sox. The Sox took a 2-0 lead over Montreal starter Julio Santana but Jeff Fassero coughed it up in the top of the fifth. Terry Jones tagged Rich Garces for a run to put the Expos ahead but Troy O'Leary hit a back-breaking three run home run off Steve Kline in the bottom of the seventh. The Sox rallied for two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to make a winner out of Hipolito Pichardo (4-1, 2.57 ERA). Derek Lowe shut the door in the ninth and the Sox had beaten the Expos 7-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Carrie Otis approves of the win

Fassero got the ball in the top of the first inning and Wilton Guerrero struck out swinging to start. Mike Mordecai walked but Jose Vidro lined out to short. Vladimir Guerrero lined out to right to end the inning. Santana got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jeff Frye grounded out to short to start. Morgan Burkhart and Brian Daubach both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lee Stevens struck out swinging to open the top of the second before Chris Widger flied out to right. Fernando Seguignol took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second when Nomar Garciaparra belted his 13th home run of the season to start. Carl Everett flied out to center before Troy O'Leary doubled to left. Manny Alexander grounded out to third but Scott Hatteberg got a base hit to left to score O'Leary. Darren Lewis forced Scott at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                             Hatteberg drives in a run

Terry Jones flied out to right to start the top of the third before Tomas De La Rosa grounded out to short. Wilton Guerrero also grounded out to short to end the inning. Frye lined out to right to start the bottom of the third before Burkhart flied out to center. Daubach walked and Nomar singled to left, but Everett popped up to third to end the inning.

Mordecai took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Nomar threw a grounder by Vidro away for an error. Vladimir Guerrero flied out to right but Stevens walked. Widger forced Stevens at second to end the inning. O'Leary popped up to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Alexander flied out to center. Hatteberg walked but Lewis flied out to right to end the inning.

Fassero fell apart in the top of the fifth as Seguignol hit a home run all the way to Neptune to start. Jones singled to right and de la Rosa dropped down a bunt to move him to second. Wilton Guerrero singled to left to score Jones to tie the game and Mordecai singled to center to chase Jeff. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. Rich Garces came in and Vidro struck out swinging before Vlad Guerrero forced his brother at third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                      Not good enough from Fassero

Frye got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Burkhart flied out to left. Daubach struck out swinging but Nomar walked. Everett popped up to short to end the inning. 

The Expos took command in the top of the sixth as Stevens got a base hit to center to start. Widger flied out to right but Seguignol went down hacking. Jones doubled to center to score Stevens and de la Rosa struck out swinging to end the inning with the Expos up 3-2.

                                                             Jones puts the Expos ahead

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as O'Leary grounded out to short to start. Alexander popped up to first but Hatteberg walked. Lewis walked and that was the end for Santana. Anthony Telford came in to face Frye and Jeff flied out to center to end the inning.

Hipolito Pichardo came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Wilton Guerrero struck out swinging. Mordecai popped up to first but Vidro drew a walk. Vladimir Guerrero forced his brother at second base to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the seventh with Peter Bergeron coming in for Seguignol. Burkhart walked before Daubach struck out swinging. Burkhart took second on a wild pitch and Nomar drew a walk. Everett struck out swinging and Expos manager Felipe Alou brought in Steve Kline to face O'Leary. The gamble backfired as O'Leary mashed a 3 run bomb to put the Sox on top. Alexander lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                                Troy puts the Sox up

Pichardo returned for the top of the eighth and Stevens lined out to left to start. Chris Widger struck out swinging and Bergeron grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Scott Forster came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hatteberg took strike three to start. Lewis and Frye stroked back to back singles but Burkhart struck out swinging. Daubach was plunked to load the bases and chase Forster. Scott Strickland came in to pitch and Garciaparra got a base hit to left to score Lewis. Everett walked to score Frye but O'Leary flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                            Nomar drives in a run

Derek Lowe came in to close out the top of the ninth and Jones got a base hit to left to start. Andy Tracy pinch hit for de la Rosa and Jones took second on defensive indifference. Tracy and Wilton Guerrero both struck out swinging and Mordecai took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

Hero of The Night is Troy O'Leary. His 3 run homer put the Sox up for good.

                                                                 Troy O'Hero

The Good:

Jeff Frye was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Scott Hatteberg was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hipolito Pichardo got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Manny Alexander was 0 for 4.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and was hit with a pitch.

Morgan Burkhart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Jeff Fassero lasted just 4 1/3 innings but allowed just 2 runs off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox even if Jeff Fassero can't buy a win at this point. The Sox need to beat up on the Expos big time and this come from behind win certainly helps. Pichardo saved the day this time as well as Derek Lowe after the Sox took the lead. The Sox are going to need a number two starter at the deadline with Brian Rose, Jeff Fassero and Pete Schourek not getting the job done. The offense is also still an issue but for now the mission is to get another starter. The Sox have two weeks before the trade deadline and now's a good time to start thinking about it. The win improved the Sox to 47-42, 1 game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the series tomorrow night when Pedro Martinez (9-3, 1.51 ERA) takes on Javier Vazquez of the Expos. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Mulholland, Braves Shut Down Sox (7/8/00)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. After his impressive showing against the Minnesota Twins, rookie Paxton Crawford has been sent back to Pawtucket. The Sox are about to go on the all-star break so it makes no sense to have Crawford rot on the bench when he could keep hot down in Pawtucket in the meantime. With the starting pitching woes the Red Sox have, we'll be seeing him full time very soon.

                                                                OUT

As for the game, the Sox apparently can't hit Terry Mulholland of the Atlanta Braves. After tossing 5 shutout innings against them last month, Mulholland topped that by holding the Sox to just 1 run in 8 innings of work for a grand total of 13 innings and 1 run allowed. Keep him away from the New York Yankees when the trade deadline comes. As for the pitching side, Ramon Martinez (6-5, 5.79 ERA) actually pitched well but got no run support. Ramon and the Sox fought valiantly to a 1-1 tie going into the seventh when Rheal Cormier and Bryce Florie allowed a Martinez inherited runner to score to give the Braves the lead. Javy Lopez and Andruw Jones both homered off Jeff Fassero and that ended that. The Sox fell further behind in the AL East race by dropping the game 5-1 to the Braves at Fenway Park.

                                                         Ren turns his back on bad relief pitching

Ramon got the ball in the top of the first inning and Quilvio Veras flied out to left to start. Andruw Jones took strike three but Chipper Jones walked. Jones was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Mulholland got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman flied out to right to start. Jeff Frye grounded out to third and Carl Everett grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Braves struck first in the top of the second as Brian Jordan doubled to left to start. Andres Galarraga struck out swinging but Wally Joyner singled to center. Javy Lopez singled home Jordan to give the Braves the lead. Bobby Bonilla struck out swinging and Walt Weiss flied out to right to end the inning with the Braves ahead 1-0.

                                                                   Lopez drives in a run

Nomar Garciaparra tried to start a rally with a double to right to begin the bottom of the second but could only move to third on the grounder to second by Morgan Burkhart. Troy O'Leary grounded back to the mound and Jason Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning.

Veras walked to begin the top of the third and moved to second on the grounder to short by Andruw Jones. Chipper Jones flied out to center to move Veras to third but Jordan grounded out to short to end the inning. Ed Sprague Jr flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Daubach popped up to third in foul territory. Offerman flied out to right to end the inning.

Galarraga hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fourth before Joyner flied out to left. Lopez also flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Frye singled to left to start. Everett singled to left but Nomar grounded into a double play. Burkhart struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bonilla grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Weiss grounded out to first. Veras walked but Andruw Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. O'Leary singled to right to begin the bottom of the fifth but got picked off. That was a huge out as Varitek doubled to right which would have tied the game. Sprague grounded out to third and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

Chipper Jones grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Jordan grounded out to second. Galarraga walked and stole second but Joyner grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox finally woke up in the bottom of the sixth although Offerman flied out to center to begin. Frye singled to left and Everett dropped a base hit to right to move Frye to third. All Nomar could do was score Frye with a sac fly to tie the game. Burkhart flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                  Nomar drives in a run

Just as soon as the Sox tied it, the Braves took the lead back in the top of the seventh. Lopez singled to left and Bonilla walk to chase Ramon. Martinez actually did well, he just didn't get any run support. Reggie Sanders pinch ran for Bonilla and Rheal Cormier came in to pitch to Weiss. Weiss hit one up the elevator shaft but Veras singled to left to load the bases. Bryce Florie came in to pitch to Andruw Jones and somehow struck him out swinging. Unfortunately Chipper Jones walked to score Lopez with the go-ahead run. Jordan struck out swinging to end the inning but the Braves led 2-1.

                                                          Jones gives the Braves the lead back

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh as O'Leary flied out to center to start. Varitek grounded out to short and Sprague Jr took strike three to end the inning.

Galarraga singled to left to start the top of the eighth to chase Florie. Jeff Fassero was brought in and Joyner popped up to second, but Lopez hit a home run all the way to Denton, Texas to ice the game. Sanders grounded out to third and Weiss grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 4-1 Braves.

                                                                  Lopez does it again

Daubach struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth before Offerman grounded out to third. Frye also grounded out to third to end the inning.

Fassero poured more gas on the fire in the top of the ninth as Veras popped up to short to start. Andruw Jones hit a home run all the way to Sri Lanka to wrap up the scoring. Chipper Jones singled to center and that was it for Fassero. John Wasdin came in to pitch and Jordan singled to left. Galarraga struck out swinging but both runners pulled off a double steal. Joyner took strike three to end the inning with the Braves ahead 5-1.

                                                       Jones with another Atlanta home run

The vile John Rocker came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Everett struck out swinging to start. Nomar flied out to left and Burkhart grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Braves had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is Jeff Fassero. He turned a 2-1 game into 5-1 real quick to put the Sox in too large of a hole.

                                                              Jeff The Jackass

The Good:

Jeff Frye was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Everett was 2 for 4.

Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Ramon Martinez did well, getting charged with 2 runs in 6 innings of work.

John Wasdin got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 4.

Morgan Burkhart was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ed Sprague Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bryce Florie allowed an inherited runner to score and was charged with 1 of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 but got picked off.

Rheal Cormier retired just 1 of the 2 batters he faced.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox are limping toward the All-Star break and its clear to see that they can't compete with the elite teams in the league. They got swept out of New York and lost 2 of 3 in Atlanta last month and just dropped 2 in a row to the Braves at home. Unless Pedro Martinez is pitching, they don't look good against Cleveland either. Red Sox GM Dan Duquette has some work to do after the break to get some help at the trade deadline. The Sox are desperate for a second starter behind Pedro Martinez since Pete Schourek, Ramon and Jeff Fassero have all faltered. Paxton Crawford is an option but unless he pulls a 1981 Fernando Valenzuela, this team just isn't built for October success. Losing Bret Saberhagen and Juan Pena before the season didn't help but here we are. The Sox offensive woes returned but that's mostly due to the elite pitching of the Braves. Mulholland has their number and Glavine has always been tough to crack. The Sox have one game left before the break and hopefully they can avoid a sweep. The loss dropped the Sox to 42-41, 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon when Tim Wakefield (4-5) takes on Kevin Millwood of the Braves in the final game before the All-Star break. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Wasdin, Sox Whallop Twins (7/5/00)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Jeff Fassero was removed from the Disabled List to start tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins. Mike Stanley has been placed on the Disabled List with a strained right shoulder to make room for Fassero. Stanley was the odd man out with Bernard Gilkey and Morgan Burkhart getting it done recently.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                 IN

As for the game, thank goodness for the Minnesota Twins. After the Red Sox fell out of first place amidst a June swoon, the Red Sox laid waste to the bungholes of the Twins for 11 runs on Monday, 14 runs last night and another 11 runs tonight. Jeff Fassero got knocked out in the second inning in his first game back off the Disabled List after allowing 4 runs. John Wasdin (1-3, 5.26 ERA) pitched his best relief game of the season by holding the Twins scoreless with 4 1/3 clutch innings. The Sox bats pounced on Minnesota starter Mark Redman with all nine batters getting at least one hit. Jeff Frye and Scott Hatteberg hit long balls while the Sox pounded out 12 total hits. Things got hairy at the end when Rich Garces and Tim Young couldn't get it done, but Derek Lowe earned his 19th save by slamming the door in the ninth. The Sox scored 36 runs in the last 3 games and beat the Twins 11-8 tonight at the Metrodome.

                                                     Shannon Stewart approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Redman in the top of the first inning as Jose Offerman led off with a ground out to short. Jeff Frye singled to center and Carl Everett walked. Both runners moved over on the Nomar Garciaparra grounder to short and Morgan Burkhart came through with a base hit to center to score both of them. Troy O'Leary flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                      Everett scores a run

Fassero got the ball in the bottom of the first and clearly didn't have it. Christian Guzman doubled to left to start before Denny Hocking walked. Matt Lawton singled home Guzman and Ron Comer singled home Hocking to tie the game. Fassero recovered to get Butch Huskey and Corey Koskie to look at strike three before Chad Moeller flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                      Coomer ties it up

Bernard Gilkey walked to begin the top of the second but Ed Sprague Jr struck out swinging. Scott Hatteberg banged into a double play to end the inning. The Twins knocked out Fassero in the bottom of the second as Jay Canizaro singled to right to start. Jason Maxwell walked but Guzman struck out swinging. Hocking flied out to left but Lawton doubled home both men to chase Fassero. The lefty looked rusty in his first game off the Disabled List allowing 4 runs in 1 2/3 innings. John Wasdin came in and Coomer grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins ahead 4-1.

                                                                Fassero doesn't last long

The Sox exploded in the top of the third as Offerman singled to right to start. Frye smashed his first home run of the season to cut the lead and Everett walked. Nomar doubled to left to score Everett and chase Redman from the game. LaTroy Hawkins poured gas on the fire as Burkhart walked, but O'Leary took strike three. Gilkey struck out swinging but Sprague singled home Nomar to give the Sox the lead. Hatteberg then clobbered his fourth home run of the season to ice the game. Offerman walked and took second on a wild pitch, but Frye grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                             Hatteberg with the three run bomb

Wasdin cruised in the bottom of the third as Huskey flied out to left to start. Koskie grounded out to second and Moeller flied out to right to end the inning.

Everett flied out to left to begin the top of the fourth before Nomar grounded out to short. Burkhart was hit with a pitch but O'Leary flied out to left to end the inning. Canizaro struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the fourth and Jacque Jones pinch hit for Maxwell. Jones popped up to short and Guzman flied out to left to end the inning.

Gilkey flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Sprague grounded out to short. Hatteberg grounded out to first to end the inning. Wasdin cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Hocking took strike three to start. Lawton grounded back to the mound and Coomer flied out to right to end the inning.

Travis Miller came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Offerman grounded out to short to start. Frye also grounded out to short but Everett doubled to left. Nomar was intentionally walked but Burkhart took strike three to end the inning. Huskey doubled to right to begin the bottom of the sixth but Koskie popped up to short. Moeller grounded out to third and Canizaro also grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox tacked it on in the top of the seventh as O'Leary singled to right to start. Gilkey singled to left and Sprague doubled home both runners to increase the lead. Hatteberg grounded out to second to move Sprague to third but Offerman took strike three. Frye struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-4.

                                                              O'Leary scores a run

Rich Garces came in for the bottom of the seventh and Jones grounded back to the mound to begin. Guzman grounded out to first and Hocking flied out to center to end the inning.

Mike Lincoln came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Everett grounded out to first to start. Nomar doubled to left but Burkhart struck out swinging. O'Leary was plunked but Gilkey grounded out to third to end the inning. Garces cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Lawton grounded out to short to begin. Coomer flied out to right and Huskey took strike three to end the inning.

Sprague grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth and Hatteberg grounded out to first. Offerman flied out to left to end the inning. For some reason Sox manager Jimy Williams sent Garces back out for the bottom of the ninth and he ran out of gas. Koskie walked and Moeller singled to left to set the stage for David Ortiz. Ortiz pinch hit for Canizaro and smashed a 3 run home run to Neptune to cut the lead. Lefty Tim Young was brought in to face Jones and Jacque hit a home run all the way to Wisconsin to cut the lead. Williams then brought in closer Derek Lowe who got Guzman to ground out to first. Hocking singled to right and took second on defensive indifference, but Lawton took strike three. Coomer watched strike three go by to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-8.

Hero of the Night is Ed Sprague Jr. His rbi base hit in the third put the Sox ahead and his 2 run double was much needed insurance later.

                                                           Hero Sprague

The Good:

Jeff Frye was 2 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Carl Everett was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Morgan Burkhart was 1 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch, 2 rbis and a run scored.

John Wasdin tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe earned his 19th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Jeff Fassero allowed 4 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

Rich Garces allowed 3 runs in 2 plus innings.

Tim Young allowed a home run to the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Bernard Gilkey was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Scott Hatteberg was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

So far so good for the new look Red Sox. After the June swoon, the Sox seem to be back in shape with the additions of Morgan Burkhart, Bernard Gilkey and the returning O'Leary. If Brian Daubach is your bat off the bench, you know you're in good shape. The Sox beat around the Twins but the key to the game was Wasdin. He's been batting practice much of the season but he and Garces combined for 6 1/3 shutout innings after Fassero got rocked. I don't know what Jimy Williams was thinking trying to stretch Garces for another inning when he had Tim Young and Rheal Cormier perfectly capable of mopping up the ninth. As it was, it turned into a save situation for Lowe and now they had to use all these guys before tomorrow night's game. The Sox will worry about tomorrow night when it happens. For now, its the role players like Sprague, Hatteberg, etc that deserve to enjoy the win. The win improved the Sox to 41-39, 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Twins tomorrow evening when they send rookie Paxton Crawford (0-1, 3.38 ERA) against Brad Radke of Minnesota. The game begins at 8:05 PM at the Metrodome.

Castillo, Jays Shut Down Sox (6/18/00)

After the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox engaged in a slug-fest last night, today the Sox offense fell asleep as the Jays inched closer to first place in the AL East race. The slumping Red Sox are having trouble getting good starting pitching as Jeff Fassero (6-3, 4.35 ERA) was the latest to lay an egg, allowing 4 runs in 2 plus innings. The vaunted Sox bullpen allowed just 1 run in 7 innings but Jays starter Frank Castillo dazzled for 7 shutout innings. When all was said and done, the Jays took 2 out of 3 games including the 5-1 win today at Fenway Park.

                                           "CAN ANYONE BESIDES PEDRO PITCH WELL!!??"

The Jays wasted no time breaking Fassero in the top of the first inning. Shannon Stewart and Craig Grebeck started with back to back singles before Raul Mondesi crushed a 23,000 foot home run to ice the game 3 batters into it. Carlos Delgado singled but Tony Batista banged into a double play. Jose Cruz Jr flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays up for good 3-0.

                                                      Mondesi ends it early

Castillo began his dominance in the bottom of the first inning as Jose Offerman flied out to left to begin. Jeff Frye also flied out to left and Trot Nixon grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Jays struck again when Brad Fullmer croaked a 790,000 foot home run to start the top of the second inning. Alex Gonzalez walked but Alberto Castillo flied out to right. Gonzalez swiped second but Stewart popped up to second. Gonzalez swiped third but Grebeck took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 4-0.

                                                        Fullmer adds to the lead

The Sox blew a chance to get back in it in the bottom of the second as Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to third to start. Carl Everett flied out to right but Brian Daubach and Jason Varitek drew back to back walks. With a chance to do some damage...Darren Lewis grounded out to first to end the inning.

The deadarmed Fassero was lifted after just two innings and Hipolito Pichardo was pressed into action in the top of the third inning. Mondesi grounded out to short, Delgado flied out to left and Batista popped up to short to end the inning. Manny Alexander tried to start a rally in the bottom of the third with a base hit to left to begin. Offerman looked at strike three, Frye whiffed and Nomar flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                   How is Alexander the only one hitting?

Cruz Jr popped up to second to start the top of the fourth before Fullmer flied out to center. Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Nomar popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Everett doubled to right. Daubach flied out to right but Varitek went down swinging to end the inning.

Pichardo got in trouble in the top of the fifth although Castillo grounded out to third to begin. Stewart singled to center and swiped second before Grebeck was plunked. Mondesi flied out to left and Delgado grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                        "OWOWOWOWOWW!" - Grebeck

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Lewis flied out to right to start. Alexander swung at air and Offerman flied out to center to end the inning.

Rich Garces came in for Pichardo for the top of the sixth and Batista grounded out to third to begin. Cruz Jr popped up to third and Fullmer took strike three to end the inning. Frye tried to start a rally in the bottom of the sixth with a base hit to left. The rally ended as Nixon watched strike three go by, Nomar forced Frye at second and Everett whiffed to end the inning.

Garces got Gonzalez to fly out to right to begin the top of the seventh before Castillo whiffed. Stewart walked and swiped second again but Grebeck whiffed to end the inning. Daubach popped up to second to begin the bottom of the seventh but Varitek was hit with a pitch. Lewis flied out to center and Alexander flied out to left to end the inning. Castillo had come to Fenway and tossed 7 shutout innings, gotta tip your cap to that.

                                                         Hate to see it but have to respect it

Rheal Cormier came in to pour gas on the fire in the top of the eighth inning as Mondesi bashed his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Delgado took strike three but Batista singled to left. Batista swiped second but Cruz Jr popped up to first. Fullmer struck out swinging to end the inning but the Jays were up 5-0.

                                                           Another one for Mondesi

Paul Quantrill came in for the bottom of the eighth and Offerman took strike three to start. Frye grounded out to short and Nixon grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Rod Beck came in for the top of the ninth and Gonzalez whiffed to start. Castillo grounded out to first but Stewart singled to center. Grebeck flied out to center to end the inning. Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the ninth as Nomar singled to center to begin. Everett flied out to right but Daubach took strike three. Varitek doubled to left and Lewis walked to load the bases. Billy Koch came in to close it out and Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by bringing in Scott Hatteberg to pinch hit for Alexander. Hatteberg lashed a base hit to center to score Nomar, re-load the bases and somehow bring the tying run to the plate. Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Hatterberg but Offerman grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had taken 2 out of 3 at Fenway including this game 5-1.

                                           "Well this sucks" - Darren Lewis


Jackass of the night is Jeff Fassero. The dead armed starter lasted just 2 innings and put the Sox in a 4-0 hole they couldn't climb out of

                                                       Jeff the Jackass



The Good:

Jason Varitek was 1 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.

Manny Alexander was 1 for 3.

Scott Hatteberg singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Hipolito Pichardo tossed 3 scoreless innings.

Rich Garces pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rheal Cormier allowed a run in the 8th inning.



The Ugly:

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Darren Lewis was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Scott Hatteberg in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox are in big trouble if the rotation doesn't improve in a hurry. Apart from Pedro Martinez, the Sox rotation wouldn't scare a Triple A team. Fassero, Ramon Martinez, Pete Schourek and Brian Rose haven't been up to the task lately. The Sox have some prospects such as Tomo Ohka, Paxton Crawford and Jin Ho Cho but they can't rely on untested rookies when the fall rolls around. The Sox offense could use some help as well as a lot of guys are having a down year. If the Sox are actually interested in Sammy Sosa, they should give anything they got to get him. Troy O'Leary has fallen apart this season and nobody seems to know why. The loss drops the Sox to 35-29 0.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Speaking of the Yankees, they're in town for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Ramiro Mendoza gets the start for the Yankees up against Brian Rose (3-3) of the Sox. First place is on the line as the two teams clash at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Braves Outlast Sox (6/9/00)

The defending National League champion Atlanta Braves showed why they are the champs tonight by outlasting the Boston Red Sox. The Braves offense knocked around Sox starter Jeff Fassero (6-2, 3.93 ERA) before outlasting a furious Sox rally. The Braves bullpen slammed the door and the Braves came away with a 6-4 victory at Turner Field.

                                                        "The Braves? Ugh"

Maddux took the mound in the top of the first inning and the Sox immediately squandered. Jeff Frye opened the game with a walk before Trot Nixon singled. The rally ended as Nomar Garciaparra banged into a double play and Carl Everett struck out to end the inning. Fassero got the ball in the bottom of the first and Quilvio Veras lined out to third to begin. Andruw Jones took strike three before Chipper Jones popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Brian Daubach looked at strike three to begin. Troy O'Leary flied out to right and Wilton Veras flied out to center to end the inning. Fassero kept pace in the bottom of the second as Andres Galarraga grounded out to short to start. Brian Jordan singled but Reggie Sanders flied out to left, advancing Jordan to second. Rafael Furcal watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Nothing went well in the top of the third as Scott Hatteberg looked at strike three to start. Fassero whiffed but Frye singled. Nixon flied out to right to end the inning. The Braves struck first in the bottom of the third as Fernando Lunar singled to start. Maddux flied out to center and Veras flied out to left, but Andruw Jones singled. Chipper Jones drove in Lunar with a single to give the Braves the lead. Galarraga grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 1-0 Braves.

The Sox answered right back in the top of the fourth as Nomar doubled to start. Everett hit a squibber in front of the mound but Nomar moved to third and he scored on the Daubach single. O'Leary grounded back to the mound but Daubach moved to second. Veras whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

All of a sudden Fassero crapped his pants in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jordan and Sanders drew back to back walks before Furcal doubled home Jordan. Lunar singled both men home to make it a three run game. Maddux sacrifice bunted Lunar to second and Veras walked to chase Fassero. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings giving up 4 runs....he runs out of gas quickly it seems.

                                                         So much for Jeff

Veras stole second but Lunar was thrown out at home on a grounder to Nomar by Andruw Jones. Chipper Jones lined out to right to end the inning but it was 4-1 Braves.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Hatteberg looked at strike three to start. Alexander grounded back to the mound and Frye grounded out to second to end the inning. Pichardo kept the Braves off the board in the bottom of the fifth as Galarraga whiffed before Jordan popped up to second. Sanders whiffed to end the inning.

Maddux dominated the top of the sixth as Nixon whiffed before Nomar grounded out to second. Everett whiffed to end the inning. The Braves added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Furcal doubled to start before swiping third on the Lunar strikeout. Maddux scored Furcal with a safety squeeze to increase their lead. Veras grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 5-1 Braves with Maddux driving in as many runs as he's allowed.

Somehow the Sox struck back in the top of the seventh as Daubach clobbered his 10th homer of the year to start the inning. O'Leary grounded out to short before Darren Lewis pinch hit for Pichardo and doubled. Lewis moved to third on the ground out by Hatteberg as Jason Varitek pinch hit for Alexander. Varitek and Frye drew back to back walks to load the bases before Nixon singled to score Lewis and Varitek and put the tying run at second. That was it for Maddux as Mike Remlinger came in and slammed the door by getting Nomar to fly out to right to end the inning with the Braves still ahead 5-4.

Varitek took over behind the plate, Donnie Sadler took over at third, Lewis took over in right and Rich Garces took over on the mound to begin the bottom of the seventh. Not even Garces could quel the Braves as Andruw Jones flied out to left before Chipper Jones flied out to center. Galarraga crushed a 5,480 foot home run to increase the lead. Jordan grounded out to third to end the inning with the Braves ahead 6-4.

                                                  Rich Garces gave up a run???

The Sox had a chance to crack Remlinger in the top of the eighth but Everett whiffed to start. Daubach flied out to center but O'Leary singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately Lewis lined out to second to end the inning. Garces returned for the bottom of the eighth and Sanders popped up to second. Furcal singled but was gunned down at second by the alert Varitek trying to steal. Lunar whiffed to end the inning.

Rudy Seanez came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Sadler whiffed, Varitek took strike three and Frye flied out to right to end the game. The Braves had won it 6-4.

Jackass of the Night is Jeff Fassero. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs, a quality start by him and the Sox might have won the game.

                                                         Wrong way, Jackass


The Good:

Jeff Frye was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis including a solo home run.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Jason Varitek walked and scored as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Wilton Veras was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Donnie Sadler struck out in his only plate appearance.

Manny Alexander was 0 for 1 at the plate.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4.

Hipolito Pichardo allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

That sucked. Not only could the Sox not break through in the seventh when Maddux was gone but the bullpen couldn't lock it down. If Pichardo and Garces were able to shut down the Braves then its possible the Sox could have won. The champs are looking to repeat as NL champions and with their rotation it will be very, very tough to beat them. The offense did what they could with who they had but the regression of Mike Stanley and O'Leary plus the loss of John Valentin is hurting right now. Tomorrow Pete Schourek (2-5) goes for the Sox up against Terry Mulholland at 7:10 PM at Turner Field.

Sox Blow Late Lead, Phillies Walkoff (6/4/00)

It took 5 straight losses but finally the Boston Red Sox have been knocked out of first place. a 3 game sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies put the exclamation point on this putrid week where the team couldn't hit or pitch in the clutch that left them a game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East race. In this latest blunder, the Sox took a 5-0 lead in the third inning only to piss it away, getting shut-out the rest of the way before dropping the game in twelve innings 6-5 at Veterans Stadium.

Phillies ace Curt Schilling got the ball in the top of the first and Darren Lewis grounded out to short to start. Trot Nixon watched strike three go by and Jeff Frye grounded out to second to end the inning. Sox starter Jeff Fassero ran into big trouble in the bottom of the first inning although Doug Glanville grounded out to first to start. Ron Gant caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line and Bobby Abreu blooped a single to center. Wilton Veras made a great diving catch to rob Mike Lieberthal of a hit but Pat Burrell walked to load the bases. Kevin Jordan grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox accomplished nothing in the top of the second as Brian Daubach flied out to left to begin. Carl Everett popped up to second but Scott Hatteberg doubled. Veras flied out to left to end the inning. Fassero got Mickey Morandini to ground out to second to start the bottom of the second but Desi Relaford singled. Schilling sacrificed Desi to second with a bunt but Glanville grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox exploded on Schilling in the top of the third inning. Donnie Sadler singled to left and Fassero somehow beat out what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt to put two men on. Lewis also dropped down a sac bunt to move the two runners into scoring position and the gamble paid off as Nixon singled to right to score Sadler to give the Sox the lead. Frye singled home Fassero but Daubach flied out to left. Everett put the exclamation point on the inning with a 3 run blast to give the Sox a commanding lead early. Hatteberg flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-0 Sox.

                                            "Take that Schilling you sonovabitch!" - Everett

The Phillies wasted no time clawing back into the game as Gant homered to lead off the bottom of the third. Abreu popped up to short but Lieberthal homered as well. Fassero recovered to get Burrell to ground out to second and Jordan to ground out to short to end the inning but the Phillies were down 5-2.

Schilling settled down in the top of the fourth inning, getting Veras to line out to third to begin. Sadler flied out to left and Fassero whiffed to end the inning. Fassero matched Schilling in the bottom of the fourth, striking out Morandini to start. Relaford walked but Schilling popped up the bunt attempt. Glanville flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing against Schilling in the top of the fifth as Lewis flied out to right to start. Nixon grounded out to second but Frye walked. Daubach whiffed badly to end the inning. The Phillies struck again in the bottom of the fifth although Gant popped up to short to start. Abreu singled but was erased on the force by Lieberthal. Burrell then blasted a 600,000 foot home run halfway to Georgia to pull the Phillies within a run. Jordan doubled but Morandini grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies down 5-4.

Once again the Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth inning. Everett whiffed and Hatteberg flied out to center although Veras reached when Relaford booted a ball. Sadler whiffed to end the inning. Fassero came back out for the bottom of the sixth and got Relaford to fly out to right. Schilling flied out to left and Glanville popped up to third to end the inning. Fassero tossed 6 innings of 4 run ball, not great but it'll do.

                                                    Fassero leaves with the lead

Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Fassero and struck out to begin the top of the seventh , hell Fassero could have done that. Lewis grounded out back to the mound but Nixon walked. Frye grounded out to third to end the inning. Schilling managed to go 7 to save the bullpen.

                                                       Schilling goes seven

Rich Garces took over in the bottom of the seventh and got Gant to fly out to center to start. Abreu grounded out to first and Lieberthal grounded out to third to end the inning.

Phillies manager Terry Francona got pitching change happy in the top of the eighth inning. Daubach grounded out to start but Everett walked to chase Schilling. Mark Holzemer took over just to strike out Hatteberg and Wayne Gomes was brought in to pitch to Veras. A wild pitch moved Everett to second but Veras grounded out to third to end the inning. Sox manager Jimy Williams pulled a double switch when Jason Varitek came in for Hatteberg and closer Derek Lowe replaced Garces for the six out save in the bottom of the eighth. Burrell got the rally started with a double and Jordan advanced him to third with a groundout. Morandini popped up to center and Lowe was one out away of getting out of it. It didn't happen as Relaford singled to score Burrell to tie the game. Rob Ducey pinch hit for Gomes and flied out to right to end the inning but the Phillies had tied it 5-5

                                           "I blew it...barffffffff" - Lowe

The Sox offense was done for the night in the top of the ninth inning with Jeff Brantley on the mound. Sadler struck out but Varitek walked. Lewis and Nixon flied out to center to end the inning. A pissed off Lowe came back firing in the bottom of the ninth. Glanville, Gant and Abreu all whiffed in short order.

Onto the top of the tenth, Frye walked to start it. Daubach flied out to center and Everett struck out. Nomar Garciaparra pinch hit for Lowe and singled to put the tying run on second base. Veras popped up to first to end the inning. Hipolito Pichardo came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Lieberthal hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Burrell grounded out to third but Jordan walked. Morandini grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jason Boyd came in to shut out the Sox in the top of the eleventh inning. Sadler and Varitek struck out but Lewis singled. Nixon then whiffed to end the inning. Pichardo returned for the bottom of the eleventh and got Relaford to ground out to second to begin. Brian Hunter pinch hit for Boyd and popped up to first. Glanville grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox had one final chance to do something in the top of the 12th inning with Bryan Ward now on the mound.  Frye flied out to center but Daubach walked. Everett flied out to center as Steve Schrenk replaced Ward and Mike Stanley pinch hit for Pichardo. Stanley singled to once again put the tying run at second but Veras flied out to right to end the inning. The end mercifully came in the bottom of the 12th with Rheal Cormier (2-1, 3.91 ERA) on the mound. Gant singled and took second on a wild pitch but Cormier punched out Abreu. Liberthal was intentionally walked and Cormier struck out Burrell. One out away from pushing it to the 13th inning, Jordan ripped a game winning double to end the game 6-5. A brutal loss for the Sox, 5th in a row.

Jackass of the Night is Wilton Veras. He was 0 for 6 and failed repeatedly in the clutch to give the Sox the lead.

                                                    Veras the unclutch Jackass


The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra singled as a pinch hitter.

Mike Stanley singled as a pinch hitter.

Jason Varitek walked once in two plate appearances.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Hipolito Pichardo tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Rheal Cormier took the loss by allowing the winning run to score in the bottom of the 12th.



The Ugly:

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 5.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 5 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, drove in a run and scored.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 5 but walked.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 but made the hit count as it was a 3 run bomb.'

Scott Hatteberg was just 1 for 4.

Donnie Sadler was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but also scored.

Jeff Fassero only went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs, but also scored a run at the plate.

Derek Lowe coughed up the lead in the bottom of the eighth but struck out the side in the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

A sweep by the lowly Philadelphia Phillies puts an end to a garbage week. The Sox fell out of first place and doesn't appear to be coming back with the New York Yankees starting to hit their stride. These are the kind of games the Sox need to win against inferior opponents and instead they got swept. Not only that the offense completely fell asleep after the 3 run bomb by Everett. The Phillies got the timely hits they needed to win the game where the Sox didn't. The loss drops the Sox to 29-23, 1 game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox travel to Florida with a 3 game interleague set with the Marlins. Pete Schourek takes the mound opposite Reid Cornelius at 7:00 PM at Pro Player Stadium.