Yankees Walkoff Red Sox (4/5/05)

If Sunday night's epic beatdown by the New York Yankees was bad, today the Yankees found a different way to beat the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees enjoyed a 3-0 lead over new Sox pitcher Matt Clement and the Sox but Boston slowly clawed back. A David Ortiz home run and Johnny Damon rbi single set the stage for Jason Varitek's dramatic ninth inning home run to tie the game. Unfortunately for the Sox, Derek Jeter sent the fans home happy with a walkoff home run off closer Keith Foulke to beat the Red Sox 4-3 at Yankee Stadium.

                                              "Tie the game in the ninth only to lose?"

Old Sox prospect Carl Pavano got the ball in the top of the first and Johnny Damon popped up to second to start. Trot Nixon and Manny Ramirez both struck out swinging to end the inning. Clement made his Sox debut in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter grounded out to short to start. Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging and Gary Sheffield flied out to left to end the inning.

David Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Kevin Millar watched strike three go by. Edgar Renteria grounded out to short to end the inning. Clement got in trouble in the bottom of the second as Hideki Matsui singled to right to start. Jorge Posada walked but Jason Giambi struck out swinging. Bernie Williams walked to load the bases but Tino Martinez hit one up the elevator shaft. Tony Womack popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Jason Varitek grounded out to short to start. Bill Mueller got a base hit to left but Mark Bellhorn struck out swinging. Damon lined a base hit to left but Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees pounced in the bottom of the third as Jeter was plunked to start. A-Rod hit a routine grounder to Renteria who turned and fired the ball into the dugout for a bizarre error to move both runners into scoring position. Sheffield scored Jeter with a grounder to third and Matsui hit a home run all the way into the Empire State Building to increase the lead. Posada struck out swinging and Giambi grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

                                                            Yankees strike first

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth although Manny took strike three to start. Ortiz clobbered his first home run of the season to cut the lead and Millar drew a walk. Renteria flied out to center and Varitek flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                          Ortiz hits one out

Williams flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Martinez grounded out to second. Womack singled to left and swiped second before Jeter walked. A-Rod struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mueller grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Bellhorn singled to right.  Damon flied out to center and Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees chased Clement in the bottom of the fifth as Sheffield singled in the hole at third to start. Matsui flied out to left but Posada singled to center. That was it for Clement who was knocked out after 4 1/3 innings and 3 runs allowed, not the best debut. John Halama came in and plunked Giambi to load the bases, but got Williams to hit into a double play to end the inning.

                                                     Not Clement's best stuff

Manny grounded out to second to begin the top of the sixth but Ortiz singled to right. Millar got a base hit to left but Renteria banged into a double play to end the inning. Halama got Martinez and Womack to both ground out to second to begin the bottom of the sixth but he was lifted for righty Matt Mantei. Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the seventh although Varitek grounded out to second to start. Mueller singled to center and Bellhorn singled him to third to chase Pavano. Old friend Mike Stanton came in and Damon dropped a base hit to right to score Mueller. With a chance to do some damage....Nixon banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                Pavano leaves with the lead

A-Rod walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Sheffield flied out to center. Sox manager Terry Francona sent in Mike Myers just to pitch to Matsui but Hideki got a base hit to left. Alan Embree came in for Myers and Rodriguez moved to third on the fly ball to center by Posada. Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tom Gordon came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Manny flied out to right to start. Ortiz popped up to third and Millar lined out to left to end the inning. For some reason Sox closer Keith Foulke came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Williams flied out to right to begin. Martinez took strike three and Womack grounded out to short to end the inning.

Mariano Rivera came in to close out the top of the ninth and Renteria struck out swinging to start. Suddenly Varitek smashed his first home run of the season to tie the game out of nowhere. Mueller singled to center to put the go-ahead run on but Bellhorn struck out swinging. Damon flied out to right to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                          Varitek ties it

The end came quickly in the bottom of the ninth when Jeter hit a home run out of Earth's atmosphere off Foulke to win the game for New York. The Yankees had walked off the Red Sox 4-3.

                                                           Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Keith Foulke, He served up the home run ball to Jeter to lose the game.

                                                                Way to go Jackass

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Kevin Millar was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Bill Mueller was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Mark Bellhorn was 2 for 4.

John Halama tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Mantei retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.

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

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Edgar Renteria was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Matt Clement lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs.

Mike Myers gave up a hit to the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Final Thoughts:

This is worst case scenario for the Boston Red Sox. Yankee fans have been waiting since October for revenge and I'm sure the Yankees themselves that were on the 04 squad are chomping at the bit as well. First Sunday night's blowout and now this just gives more ammo for Yankee fans to use. The Sox showed a lot of heart to come back down 3-0 and for Foulke to blow it was another sucker punch to the gonads. Varitek and Jeter as the two captains going tit for tat was fun to watch, even if the wrong team won. So far both David Wells and Clement failed to impress, which isn't to say Pedro Martinez & Derek Lowe were guaranteed to do better, but this was not a good first impression. The season is starting out on the wrong foot for the starters and that can't continue. Its only two games but losing to the Yankees like this after beating them here in October leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the fans. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon when Tim Wakefield makes his season debut against Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees Beat Pedro Again, Take Game 2 (10/13/04)

Now its time to panic Boston Red Sox fans. After Curt Schilling got hammered in Game 1 the Sox turned to Pedro Martinez to bail them out against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. It didn't happen as Pedro allowed 3 runs in 6 innings but the Sox offense was silenced by Jon Lieber. Lieber tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball, John Olerud hit a back breaking home run and the Yankees sent the series back to Fenway with a 3-1 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                                  The two aces fail to deliver

The Sox did nothing in the top of the first inning against Lieber as Johnny Damon grounded weakly to Olerud to begin the game. Mark Bellhorn popped up to short before Manny Ramirez whiffed to end the inning. Yankee fans rose to their feet and chanted "Who's Your Daddy" as Pedro took the mound for the bottom of the first and the chants got louder as the Yankees rallied. Derek Jeter drew a leadoff walk before taking off for second. The Yankees caught a break when Bellhorn dropped the ball as the throw did manage to beat Jeter. Alex Rodriguez was plunked and Gary Sheffield singled home Jeter to give the Yankees the lead. Hideki Matsui and Bernie Williams both looked at strike three before Jorge Posada grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 1-0 Yankees.

                                                   Yankees strike first

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second although David Ortiz walked to start. Kevin Millar popped up to short, Trot Nixon flied out to left and Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees drove Pedro's pitch count in the bottom of the second as Olerud grounded out to second to start. Miguel Cairo walked and Kenny Lofton singled before Cairo moved to third on the Jeter line out to center but A-Rod looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third although Orlando Cabrera singled to start. Cabrera moved to third on groundouts by Bill Mueller and Damon before Bellhorn flied out to center to end the inning. Pedro settled down in the bottom of the third as Sheffield popped up to short to start. Matsui and Williams both grounded out to first to end the inning.

Lieber was untouchable in the top of the fourth as Ramirez popped up to center to start. Ortiz popped up to center and Millar grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Pedro did what he could in the bottom of the fourth although Posada walked to start. Olerud popped up to second before Cairo flied out to left. Lofton whiffed to end the inning.

Still nothing for the Sox in the top of the fifth inning as Nixon flied out to left to begin. Varitek hit a squibber back to the mound and Cabrera whiffed to end the inning. Pedro kept pace in the bottom of the fifth as Jeter grounded out to short to start. A-Rod beat out an infield single to third before Sheffield whiffed. Matsui was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Shades of Game 1, the Sox couldn't hit in the top of the sixth as Mueller popped up to third to start. Damon lined out to a running Williams in center before Bellhorn whiffed to end the inning. Through the first through innings of Game 1 they had no hits and through the first six tonight they had 1 hit.

                                                 Exactly Bob

The Yankees iced the game against Pedro in the bottom of the sixth inning although Williams lined out to center to begin. Posada walked and Olerud iced the game with a 2 run bomb into the right field seats to increase the lead. Pedro recovered to freeze Cairo with a fastball on the inside corner before Lofton popped up to third to end the inning. That was it for Pedro after 6 innings of 3 run ball, the one mistake to Olerud made the difference as the Sox trailed 3-0.

                                                Olerud goes yard

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the seventh inning as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. Ortiz managed a base hit to right but Manny banged into a double play to end the inning. Mike Timlin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and got Jeter to ground to short to begin. A-Rod lined a bullet that a diving Mueller caught before Sheffield singled to chase Timlin. Alan Embree came in and Matsui blooped a single to left but Williams popped up to right to end the inning.

Lieber returned for the complete game shutout but he was chased by a Nixon single to open the top of the eighth inning. Old pal Tom Gordon took the mound and Varitek greeted him with a double into the gap to bring the tying run to the plate. Cabrera grounded out to short but Nixon scored to put the Sox on the board. Mueller grounded out but Cabrera moved to third and Yankees manager Joe Torre took no chances, bringing in Mariano Rivera to finish off the Sox. Damon took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-1 Sox.

                                                       Nixon scores a run

Embree returned for the bottom of the eighth and Posada greeted him with a single. Olerud flied out to right and that was it for Embree. Sox closer Keith Foulke came in and hit Cairo with a pitch before Lofton whiffed. Jeter walked to load the bases but A-Rod flied out to right to end the inning.

Rivera came back to close out the top of the ninth and Bellhorn grounded out to first to start. Manny doubled to center to bring the tying run to the plate but Ortiz whiffed on a high fastball. Millar whiffed to end the game with the Yankees winning 3-1 to send the series back to Fenway with a 2-0 series lead.

         

Jackass of the Night is Johnny Damon. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and is supposed to be the catalyst for the offense. He's 0 for 8 with 5 strikeouts so far in this series.

                                                            Damon the Jackass



The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

Orlando Cabrera was 1 for 3 and drove in the only run.

Mike Timlin retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.

Alan Embree pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Keith Foulke pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

Mark Bellhorn was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Millar ws 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bill Mueller was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Pedro Martinez took the loss but didn't pitch that bad, allowing 3 runs in 6 innings while striking out 7.




Final Thoughts:

So much for the vaunted 1-2 punch of Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez. Schilling's ankle couldn't hold up and Pedro was doomed by one pitch to Olerud and a lousy offense. Who would have guessed Jon Lieber would shut down the Sox the way he did? Damon really is killing the Sox as he's 0 for 8 with 5 strikeouts in the first two games of the series. With Bellhorn being as streaky as he is, that's not a good thing for Ramirez or Ortiz to come up with nobody on. The back end of the bullpen is going to burn out if this kind of workload continues as Embree, Timlin and Foulke had to work the first two games and in a 7 game series that adds up. Luckily the Sox may catch a break as Kevin Brown has been named the Game 3 starter for New York and they have hit him hard this season. The Sox need to make a stand Friday night in Game 3 when Bronson Arroyo goes one on one with Brown at 8:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Defeat Yankees in 12 Innings (4/24/04)

The New York Yankees might be in trouble. The Boston Red Sox have now beaten them five out of six games and today's game might have been the best one yet. The Red Sox took the lead against Kevin Brown with sac flies from Manny Ramirez and Pokey Reese but the Yankees got a run in the 4th off Bronson Arroyo and another in the seventh to tie the game. The Boston bullpen stepped up with six lights out innings to keep the Yankees off the board but the Yankees bullpen stayed tough as well. In the top of the 12th, Mark Bellhorn hit a sac fly off old buddy Paul Quantrill. Mike Timlin slammed the door in the bottom of the 12th as the Sox beat the Yankees 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                        Clare Kramer approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Brown in the top of the first as Johnny Damon walked to start. Bill Mueller walked as well and David Ortiz moved both runners over with a grounder to first. Manny Ramirez hit a sac fly to center to score Damon and put the Sox on top. Jason Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Damon scores the first run

Arroyo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter walked to start. Hideki Matsui took strike three and Jeter was gunned down at second trying to steal. Alex Rodriguez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Brown couldn't do anything right in the top of the second as Kevin Millar lined a ball off Brown and he threw the ball into the crowd, moving Millar to second. Mark Bellhorn hit a grounder to Travis Lee who flipped to Brown.....DROPPED IT! Gabe Kapler was plunked to load the bases and Pokey Reese hit a sac fly to center to score Millar. Damon flied out to left and Mueller grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                        Reese drives in a run

Jason Giambi took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Gary Sheffield also watched strike three go by. Jorge Posada grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ortiz doubled to center to start the top of the third but Manny grounded back to the mound. Varitek walked and Millar moved both runners over with a grounder to third. Bellhorn flied out to center to end the inning. Both Lee and Bernie Williams grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the third but Enrique Wilson walked. Jeter flied out to right to end the inning.

Kapler grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Reese flied out to right. Damon grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Matsui struck out swinging to start. A-Rod hit a home run all the way to Los Angeles to cut the lead. Giambi and Sheffield both grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                                                     A-Rod hits one out

Mueller doubled down the right field line to start the top of the fifth before moving to third on the Ortiz fly ball to right. Ramirez grounded back to the mound and Varitek flied out to center to end the inning. Posada flied out to center to open the bottom of the fifth and Lee flied out to left. Williams flied out to left to end the inning.

Millar flied out to right to open the top of the sixth and Bellhorn flied out to center. Kapler grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the sixth as Wilson grounded out to first to start. Jeter grounded out to third and Matsui grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Reese got a base hit to center to start. Damon flied out to right but Mueller walked. Ortiz took strike three and Ramirez forced Miller at second to end the inning. Arroyo ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh as A-Rod beat out a roller to third to begin. Giambi dropped a base hit to right but Millar bobbled the ball for an error to move Rodriguez to third. Sheffield got a base hit to left to score A-Rod to tie the game and chase Arroyo. Bronson battled but lasted just 6+ innings while allowing 2 runs off four hits and 2 walks. Bubba Crosby pinch ran for Giambi with Scott Williamson coming in to pitch. Posada grounded out to first to move both runners over and Lee was intentionally walked to load the bases. The gamble worked as Williams grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                     Better luck next time Arroyo

Old pal Tom Gordon came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Varitek struck out swinging to start. Millar and Bellhorn both went down hacking to end the inning. Alan Embree came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and old buddy Tony Clark pinch hit for Wilson. Clark grounded out to second before Jeter struck out swinging. Matsui flied out to right to end the inning.

Miguel Cairo took over at second to start the top of the ninth and Kapler walked to start. Reese dropped down a bunt to move Kapler to second and Gabe moved to third on the Damon grounder to second. Mueller popped up to short to end the inning. A-Rod walked to put the winning run on first to start the bottom of the ninth and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Crosby. Sheffield popped up to short and Posada was intentionally walked. Lee grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Ortiz flied out to the right field wall to start. Ramirez got a base hit to right but Varitek forced him at second. Varitek swiped second but Millar hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Keith Foulke came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Ortiz booted a grounder by Williams for an error to start. Cairo dropped down a bunt to move Williams to second and Williams moved to third on a grounder to second by Jeter. Matsui walked and A-Rod was intentionally walked to load the bases. Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Crosby and grounded into a force to end the inning.

Bellhorn walked to start the top of the eleventh but Kapler's bunt forced him at second. Ellis Burks pinch hit for Reese and got hit with a pitch before Damon walked to load the bases. Mueller popped up to short and Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Cesar Crespo took over at short for the bottom of the eleventh and Sheffield was hit with a pitch to start. Posada flied out to center, Lee also flied out to center and Sheffield was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

Paul Quantrill came in to pitch the top of the 12th and Ramirez doubled off the right field wall to start. Varitek grounded out to second to move Ramirez to third and Millar got hit with a pitch. Bellhorn hit a sac fly to center to score Ramirez to put the Sox on top. Kapler forced Millar at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2. 

                                                        Ramirez scores the go-ahead run

Mike Timlin came in to close out the bottom of the 12th with David McCarty now at first base. Williams took strike three to start and Cairo struck out swinging. Jeter grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Mark Bellhorn. His sac fly in the 12th put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Mark Hero

The Good:

Ellis Burks got hit with a pitch as a pinch hitter.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Pokey Reese was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Bronson Arroyo tossed 6+ innings allowing just 2 runs of 4 hits and 2 walks.

Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Alan Embree pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Keith Foulke tossed 3 scoreless innings to get the win.

Mike Timlin earned the save with a scoreless 12th inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4 but walked twice and scored a run.

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 6 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout and an error but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and stole a base.

Gabe Kapler was 0 for 4 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Cesar Crespo played short in the final two innings.

David McCarty played first in the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

I hate to bring up last year but this is what Sox brass envisioned Game 7 going down if the Sox had one more arm in the bullpen. Keith Foulke matched Mariano Rivera in extra innings and they still had Mike Timlin left in the bullpen. There was no Aaron Boone this time and the Sox got to Paul Quantrill in the 12th inning. Arroyo pitched well and the bullpen was lights out as they were last October. Its only April but that's a huge sign of good things to come if everyone can stay healthy. The Yankees have no answer for Timlin, Embree, Williamson and Foulke and that's not counting the starters. Again, there's a long way to go but winning 5 out of 6 against the Yankees is nothing to sneeze at. Good work by Bellhorn for getting the run in to win this marathon. The Sox now look for the sweep against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when Pedro Martinez (2-1) returns to Yankee Stadium to face Javier Vazquez of New York. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Martinez, Sox Defeat Halladay and Jays Again (4/20/04)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 to the Indiana Pacers in their first round NBA playoff series but the good news was Pedro Martinez (2-1, 3.86 ERA) once again outdueled Roy Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays. Just like in Boston, Pedro held the Jays to just 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 strong innings. Manny Ramirez tagged Halladay for an rbi in the top of the first before Jason Varitek scored on a balk in the top of the fourth inning. Kevin Millar and Varitek also drove in runs to put the Sox in command. Scott Williamson and Keith Foulke slammed the door in the final two innings and Boston had beaten Toronto 4-2 at the Skydome.

                                                       Chris Benoit approves of the win

Halladay got the ball in the top of the first inning and Johnny Damon struck out swinging to start. Bill Mueller flied out to center but David Ortiz doubled to left. Manny Ramirez got a base hit to center to score Ortiz but Kevin Millar took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Ramirez drives in a run

Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Reed Johnson flied out to right to start. Frank Catalanotto flied out to left and Vernon Wells hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Jason Varitek doubled to left to start the top of the second and moved to second on a grounder to first by Mark Bellhorn. Gabe Kapler struck out swinging and Pokey Reese popped up to first to end the inning. Carlos Delgado doubled to right to start the bottom of the second but Josh Phelps took strike three. Eric Hinske flied out to center but Kevin Cash took strike three to end the inning.

Damon hit a roller to Halladay that was thrown away for a single and an error, moving Johnny to second to begin the top of the third. Damon moved to third on a grounder to second by Mueller but Ortiz struck out swinging. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning. Orlando Hudson flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Chris Woodward grounded back to the mound. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Millar popped up to second to start. Varitek got a base hit to center but Bellhorn flied out to left. Kapler dumped a base hit to left and Varitek slid into third safely. Kapler took second on the throw and moved to third with Varitek scoring on a balk. Pokey Reese struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                Varitek scores a run

Catalanotto lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Wells flied out to center. Delgado singled to right and Phelps forced Carlos at second to end the inning.

The Sox got to Halladay again in the top of the fifth as Damon grounded out to first to start. Mueller and Ortiz stroked back to back base hits but Manny flied out to right, moving Bill to third. Millar doubled to left to score Mueller and Varitek was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bellhorn took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                            Millar drives in a run

Hinske grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fifth and Cash struck out swinging. Hudson took strike three to end the inning.

Kapler struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth before Reese popped up to short. Damon flied out to left to end the inning. Woodward grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth but Johnson tripled to center. Catalanotto popped up to short and Wells grounded out to third to end the inning.

Valerio De Los Santos came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Mueller doubled to left to begin. Ortiz struck out swinging but Manny was intentionally walked. That was it for Santos as Aquilino Lopez came in to face Millar. Kevin flied out to center but Varitek doubled to right to score Mueller with another run. Bellhorn was intentionally walked but Kapler flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Mueller scores a run

Pedro tired in the bottom of the seventh as Delgado took strike three to start. Phelps tripled to left and Hinske walked to put runners at the corners and Cash hit a fly ball to Kapler. Kapler then turned and threw the ball into the roof for an error to score Phelps and move Hinske to second. Hudson singled to right to score Hinske to cut the lead in half. Greg Myers pinch hit for Woodaward and walked before Chris Gomez ran for him. Johnson flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays down 4-2. That was it for Pedro who ran out of gas but still went 7 strong innings allowing just 2 runs.

                                                               Martinez gets it done

Terry Adams came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Reese took strike three to start. Damon grounded out to first and Mueller popped up to third to end the inning. Scott Williamson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Catalanotto struck out swinging to start. Wells walked but Delgado lined out to center. Phelps struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ortiz and Ramirez both struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth before Millar grounded out to third to end the inning. Keith Foulke came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hinske grounded out to second to start. Cash flied out to center and Hudson grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

Hero of The Night is Pedro Martinez. He dazzled the Jays allowing just 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 innings to get the win. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 batters.

                                                              Pedro Hero

The Good:

Bill Mueller was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

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

Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Keith Foulke earned the save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Pokey Reese was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Mark Bellhorn was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

That was another gutty win against Halladay and the Blue Jays and its surreal how it took the Sox all season to get a win against Roy last year, yet they're 2-0 against him so far this season. Maybe this year will really be the year? Pedro pitched well again and the bats have been consistent to start the season. Even if guys aren't getting base hits, they're drawing walks and driving in runs to get the job done one way or another. That's going to pay dividends once some of their guns come back. Bellhorn and Kapler were supposed to be the backups but they're playing every day. Also kudos to Williamson and Foulke for slamming the door. This bullpen is going to be absolutely devastating if Williamson stays healthy this year to go with Alan Embree, Mike Timlin and Foulke. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can ride the momentum moving forward. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays tomorrow night when Tim Wakefield (1-0) takes on Ted Lilly of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Sox Rally Past Yankees on Patriots Day (4/19/04)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Frank Castillo was optioned back to Pawtucket and 24 year old lefty Lenny DiNardo was called up to take his place. Castillo didn't do THAT bad up here but Sox brass wants to give DiNardo a chance after picking him up in the Rule 5 draft back in September. With Byung-Hung Kim returning someone else has to go soon, so unless there's an injury, this could be the last of Castillo.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                           IN

The bad news was the Boston Bruins gagged Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Montreal Canadiens but the good news is the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees in three of the first four games they've played. The Yankees bolted out to a 4-1 lead over Bronson Arroyo after three innings but Arroyo hung tough. The Sox got to Yankees starter Kevin Brown for three runs through six before rallying in the seventh to tie the game against Gabe White. Gabe Kapler knocked in David McCarty in the bottom of the eighth to put Boston on top and Keith Foulke slammed the door in the top of the ninth. The Sox had taken three of four from the Yankees including this one 5-4 at Fenway Park on Patriots Day.

                                                 Shannon Elizabeth approves of the win

Arroyo got the ball in the top of the first and Derek Jeter led off with a bunt attempt snuffed out by Bill Mueller. Bernie Williams got a seeing eye single into right but Alex Rodrguez took strike three on the inside corner and Jason Giambi flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Brown got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon led off by grounding out to first. Bill Mueller took strike three down the middle but David Ortiz doubled into the right field corner. Manny Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second as Gary Sheffield ripped a base hit to center to start. Hideki Matsui walked and Travis Lee lined a base hit to the left field wall. Sheffield scored easily but Crespo bounced the relay throw home for an error to score Matsui. Old pal John Flaherty dumped a base hit to right just in front of Kapler to score Lee. Enrique Wilson dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Flaherty to second as Sox analyst Jerry Remy scoffed at the Yankees for giving up an out with Arroyo on the ropes. Jerry had a point as Jeter was hit with a pitch but Williams grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees did lead 3-0 but Arroyo was out of further trouble.

                                                        "I don't got it" - Varitek

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek dumped a base hit to center to start. David McCarty struck out swinging and Varitek moved to second on a grounder to Brown by Crespo. Gabe Kapler stepped up with a base hit down the left field line to score Varitek to cut the lead. Pokey Reese dumped a base hit to right but Kapler forgot there were two outs and hesitated, only moving to second. Damon flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                         Kapler drives in a run

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third although A-Rod grounded out to Mueller to start. Giambi then hit a home run all the way to Baghdad to increase the lead. Sheffield struck out swinging but Matsui pounded a ground rule double over the head of Kapler into the stands. Lee grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-1.

                                                      Giambi goes yard

Mueller tried to start a rally in the bottom of the third by chopping a base hit by Brown to start. Ortiz took strike three on the outside corner and Ramirez flied out to right. Varitek flied out to center to end the inning.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the fourth as Flaherty struck out swinging to start. Wilson fisted a base hit to center and moved to third on an error by Mueller that allowed Jeter to reach first. Williams popped up to second and A-Rod forced Jeter at second to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as McCarty grounded out to third to start. Crespo grounded out to second and Kapler grounded out to third to end the inning.

Arroyo plunked Giambi to start the top of the fifth but Sheffield popped up to Crespo. Matsui dropped a single to right but Lee banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Reese flied out to center to start. Damon grounded out to short but Mueller doubled past Williams to the centerfield wall. Ortiz ripped a base hit to center to score Mueller to cut the lead in half but Ramirez flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                  Ortiz drives in a run

Flaherty struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Wilson grounded out to first. Jeter hit a routine grounder to Mueller who threw the ball into the Monster Seats for an error. Williams grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the sixth as Varitek launched his second home run of the year to start. McCarty grounded out to second, Crespo struck out swinging and Kapler grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                       Varitek with a home run

Arroyo returned briefly for the top of the seventh as A-Rod struck out swinging to start. That was it for Arroyo as Sox manager Terry Francona lifted Bronson for Alan Embree. Arroyo battled back to go 6 1/3 innings allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and a walk. Giambi grounded out to a diving Reese in the shift z and Sheffield flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                    Arroyo gets a good hand

The Sox finished off Brown in the bottom of the seventh as Reese dumped a base hit to left to chase him. Gabe White came in to face Damon and Johnny ripped a base hit down the first base line to move Pokey to third. Mueller struck out swinging and Ortiz hit a routine grounder to A-Rod. Rodriguez threw the ball 100 feet over the head of Wilson at second for an error to score Reese with the tying run. Damon moved to third on the play and Tom Gordon was brought in to face Ramirez with runners at the corners. Manny grounded into a double play to end the inning but the game was tied 4-4.

                                                              Nice throw A-Rod

Matsui lined a base hit up the middle to start of the top of the eighth. Lee took strike three and that was it for Embree. Mike Timlin came in to face pinch hitter Jorge Posada and struck him out swinging. Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Wilson and grounded out to first to end the inning. Miguel Cairo came in to play second in the bottom of the eighth and Varitek struck out swinging to start. McCarty hit a pop up to left but Matsui misplayed it for a "double". McCarty moved to third on a grounder to second by Crespo and Kapler scored David with a base hit to left. Reese struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox had the lead 5-4.

                                                                Kapler gets it done

Keith Foulke came in to close out the top of the ninth and Jeter was called out on strikes on a questionable pitch on the outside corner. Ramirez crashed into the Monster on a Williams line drive but A-Rod got a base hit to left. Giambi took strike three at the knees to end the game. The Sox had rallied to win it 5-4.

                                                                  Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Gabe Kapler. His rbi single in the eighth put the Sox up for good.

                                                           Hero Kapler

The Good:

Bill Mueller was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Pokey Reese was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Alan Embree pitched a full scoreless inning.

Mike Timlin got the win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Keith Foulke got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4.

Cesar Crespo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4.

David McCarty was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bronson Arroyo allowed 4 early runs but battled back to go 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Final Thoughts:

Its only April but beating the Yankees three out of four is nothing to sneeze at. Not just winning but rallying to win was an even bigger accomplishment. The rumors is Byung-Hung Kim will be returning to take the fifth starter spot and Arroyo pitched like his life depended on it in the final four innings. If Kim does push Arroyo to the bullpen, that would guarantee either Mark Malaska or Lenny DiNardo will be sent down to Pawtucket. As for the offensive side, the Sox are getting some pop up at the bottom of their order and they desperately need it until the Sox get their guns back in June. A win like this shows the Sox resilience from last year carried over. The bullpen trio of Timlin, Embree and Foulke once again was lights out and that's going to win a lot of games this year. Kapler was the hero in this one with a couple of big hits and on days when Manny Ramirez is kept quiet, a day like that is always welcomed. The Sox now look to continue their winning ways against the Toronto Blue Jays as they head up there for a three game set. Tomorrow night Pedro Martinez (1-1) gets the start against Jays ace Roy Halladay in a re-match. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

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

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

                                                 Eliza Dushku approves of the win

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

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

                                                          Mueller gets hit to drive in a run

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

                                                 Bellhorn with the big hit

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

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

                                                           Clark hits one out

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

                                                            Ramirez goes yard

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

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

                                                   Good work Schilling

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

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

                                                                 Damon drives in a run

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

                                                                 Sox win

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

                                                         Hero Schilling

The Good:

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

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

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

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

Mike Timlin tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Keith Foulke allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

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

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

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