Yankees Sweep Sox, Mussina Nearly Perfect (9/2/01)

If you were to tell me the Boston Red Sox starting pitching held the New York Yankees to 1 earned run in 3 games I would have said "Wow, what a sweep." Yeah, it was a sweep alright, sweep for the YANKEES. After Joe Kerrigan's awful pitch count rules spoiled Frank Castillo's shutout start Friday night andUgueth Urbina spoiled Pedro Martinez' start yesterday, Mike Mussina damn near pitched a perfect game tonight. After all that, the Sox were swept by the world champion Yankees. The 3-peat champs always seem to find a way to win no matter what. Tonight David Cone (8-4, 4.13 ERA) pitched his ass off but Mussina came one strike away from throwing a perfect game. It took a pinch hit effort by Carl Everett to spoil the perfecto but the Yankees still swept the Sox out of Fenway with a 1-0 win.

                                                                "I almost had it!"

Cone took the mound in the top of the first inning and Chuck Knoblauch whiffed to start. Derek Jeter hit a routine ground ball to Mike Lansing at short who turned around and threw the ball into the third base seats for an error. David Justice popped up to short but Jeter swiped second. Bernie Williams grounded out to second to end the inning. Mussina began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Trot Nixon whiffed to start. Lansing looked at strike three on the inside corner before Izzy Alcantara lined out to short to end the inning.

Tino Martinez began the top of the second inning with a single up the middle but Jorge Posada whiffed on a splitter down and away. Paul O'Neil banged into a double play to end the inning. Manny Ramirez looked at strike three to begin the bottom of the second before Dante Bichette whiffed. Brian Daubach thought he had ball four but he was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

Cone got no help from his defense in the top of the third inning although Randy Velarde popped up to second to start. Alfonso Soriano flied out to the warning track in front of the Monster before Knoblauch hit a routine grounder to Lansing who kicked the ball over to second, running in a circle screaming "GOALLLL!!" for another error. Jeter grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Shea Hillenbrand led off by grounding out to short to start. Lou Merloni also grounded out to short before Joe Oliver grounded out to second to end the inning.

Cone did what he could in the top of the fourth inning as Justice grounded out to first to start. Williams flied out to the warning track in center but Martinez walked. Posada whiffed to end the inning. Mussina remained perfect in the bottom of the fourth as Nixon grounded out to first to start. Lansing was rung up for strike three on a high fastball before Alcantara was frozen by a curve at the knees to end the inning.

Cone continued his own good game in the top of the fifth as O'Neil froze on a back door curveball for strike three to begin. Velarde whiffed on a curveball before Soriano popped up to a running Lansing to end the inning. The Sox couldn't touch Mussina in the bottom of the fifth as Manny looked at strike three on the inside corner to start. Bichette grounded out to third before Daubach was frozen for strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.

Cone kept pace in the top of the sixth although Knoblauch singled in the hole at short. Cone recovered to get Jeter to hit into a double play before Justice whiffed badly to end the inning. Mussina remained perfect in the bottom of the sixth as Hillenbrand popped up to center to start. As sad as it sounds, that was the first ball out of the infield for the Sox. Merloni popped up to right and Oliver took strike three to end the inning.

Cone matched Mussina in the top of the seventh as Williams grounded out to first to start. Martinez lined out to short but Posada doubled down the right field line past the diving Daubach. O'Neil was intentionally walked and rookie Nick Johnson pinch hit for Velarde only for Cone to strike him out on a splitter to end the inning. The Sox still couldn't hit Mussina in the bottom of the seventh with Enrique Wilson now at third. Nixon grounded out to first before Lansing lined out to Soriano at second. Alcantara was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Miraculously Cone kept the shut-out going in the top of the eighth although Soriano singled to right to begin. Knoblauch flied out to the centerfield warning track before Jeter whiffed. Soriano swiped second before Justice walked. Sox pitching coach John Cumberland went to the mound and informed Cone that Star Trek Voyager was on in the clubhouse and David responded by getting Williams to fly out to the centerfield wall to end the inning. Mussina kept the perfect game in the bottom of the eighth as Manny popped up to short to start. Bichette flied out to center and Daubach earned the hat trick with another strikeout to end the inning.

The Yankees finally got to Cone in the top of the ninth but not without some help. Martinez blooped a single to center but Posada popped up to left. O'Neil hit a routine double play ball to Merloni but he dove on the ball and wrestled with it for an error that allowed Martinez to go to third. Clay Bellinger pinch ran for Martinez as Sox manager Joe Kerrigan went to the mound. Rather than take Cone out he told him to go get Wilson before leaving. Leaving David in backfired as Wilson doubled down the right field line to score Bellinger and give the Yankees the lead. That was it for Cone who was outstanding, going 8 1/3 inning allowing just the unearned run.

                                                      Cone deserved better

Derek Lowe came in to stop the bleeding and he struck out Soriano to get a key out. Knoblauch hit a grounder to third that Hillenbrand damn near threw away. Daubach scooped it but almost got cleaned out by Knoblauch to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

Mussina came out to finish the perfect game in the bottom of the ninth as Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Hillenbrand. O'Leary hit a bullet but Bellinger made a great diving stop and flip to Mussina for the out. Merloni whiffed on a curve in the dirt before Carl Everett pinch hit for Oliver. Mussina was one strike away from perfection when Everett lined a base hit to left to break up the perfecto. Darren Lewis pinch ran for Everett and now after all of that, one swing of the bat would either tie or win the game. Nixon took Roger Clemens yard to win a game in the ninth last season but this time Mussina got Trot to ground out to second to end the game. The Yankees had swept the Red Sox out of Fenway with 3 straight late inning rallies and effectively ended the AL East race.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one since 10 out of 11 guys failed to put the ball in play just once but I'll go with Lou Merloni. Not only did he go 0 for 4 but his error in the ninth led to the only run scoring for the Yankees.

                                                         Merloni you Jackass!



The Good:

Carl Everett got the only hit of the game for the Sox pinch hitting in the ninth.

David Cone was the hard luck loser but he was hardly a loser. He tossed 8 1/3 innings and gave up no earned runs, just the unearned in the ninth while striking out 8.

Derek Lowe retired the only two men he faced.



The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and 2 errors.

Izzy Alcantara was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dante Bichette was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 2.

Troy O'Leary was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Joe Oliver was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

None



Honorable Mention:

Darren Lewis pinch ran for Everett in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

As the season goes down the crapper this series was a microcosm of exactly why. The Sox had 3 straight outstanding starting pitching performances against the Yankees but the champs still found ways to win. Nothing is going right for the Red Sox and it feels like the titanic is sinking. They did their best to hold on waiting for Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez to return but Nomar's wrist just couldn't get healthy and Pedro's shoulder is definitely not right. That extra inning marathon loss seemed to sap the life of this team and it doesn't look like they are a playoff contender. How do you come back from this? You hold the best team in baseball to 2 runs in 3 games by your starters and lose all three of them, how are you going to beat anyone else? The loss dropped the Sox to 71-64, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East with just 27 games to play. After an off-day the Sox return to action Tuesday night with the Cleveland Indian coming to town. Indians ace Bartolo Colon goes for the Indians against Hideo Nomo (11-6) of the Sox at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Everett Punks Moyer, Mariners Take Game in 11 (8/14/01)

The Boston Red Sox found another way to lose a winnable game again against the AL West leading Seattle Mariners. 3 outs from a 3-2 victory, Derek Lowe crapped his pants once again before the Mariners pounced on the Sox in the 11th. What started with Carl Everett getting some payback against Jamie Moyer ended with a 6-3 Mariners win in 11 innings at Fenway Park.

Hideo Nomo got the start in the top of the first inning and Ichiro Suzuki took strike three to start. Mark McLemore grounded out to second but Edgar Martinez drew a walk. John Olerud whiffed to end the inning. Things got testy against Moyer in the bottom of the first inning although Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to begin. Chris Stynes flied out to center but Moyer wanted Everett to back off the plate. When Everett refused, Moyer plunked Carl causing him to laugh. When standing on first base, Carl said he'd take Jamie deep. Manny Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning.

                                                     Don't poke the bear

The Mariners struck first in the top of the second inning as Bret Boone doubled past the diving Everett to start. Boone swiped third off the asleep Doug Mirabelli before Mike Cameron jacked a 2 run bomb onto Landsdowne Street to put the Mariners on top. Carlos Guillen whiffed before David Bell doubled high off the Monster. Dan Wilson whiffed before Suzuki popped up to a running Mike Lansing to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-0.

                                                    Cameron goes yard

Dante Bichette led off the bottom of the second by getting rung up for strike three. Lansing grounded out to first before Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short to end the inning.

Nomo got McLemore to pop up to first to start the top of the third but Martinez lined a single to the left field wall. Olerud walked but Boone was rung up for strike three. Cameron whiffed on a full count to end the inning. Cameron leaned into the bullpen to rob a home run from Nixon to start the bottom of the third. Mirabelli drew a walk and Nomar stretched a double off the Monster. Stynes grounded back to the mound and Everett grounded out to third to end the inning.

Guillen grounded out to second to begin the top of the fourth before Bell popped up to center. Wilson popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Manny was rung up for strike three to start. Bichette lashed a single to left before Lansing lined a base hit to center that moved Dante to third. Bichette scored on the Hillenbrand sac fly to cut the lead in half. Nixon lined a base hit up the middle but Mirabelli grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners still in front 2-1.

                                                      Bichette scored a run

Nomo held the fort in the top of the fifth although Suzuki stuck his bat out and singled to right to start. McLemore singled Ichiro to third but Martinez took strike three on the outside corner. McLemore swiped second before Olerud whiffed. Hillenbrand fell into the Sox dugout to retire Boone to end the inning. That was it for Nomo who lasted just 5 innings but only allowed 2 runs.

                                                  Short and sweet for Nomo

The Sox tied it in the bottom of the fifth although Nomar grounded out to short to start. Stynes popped up to second but Everett made good on his earlier promise by swatting an opposite field home run to tie the game, staring at Moyer as he rounded the bases. Manny hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                              "Take that, Moyer" - Everett

Rich Garces came on for the top of the sixth and Cameron watched strike three go by to begin. Guillen grounded out to short and Hillenbrand made a great diving stab to rob Bell of a hit to end the inning. Bichette popped up to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Lansing popped up to left. Hillenbrand stuck his bat out and poked a single to right but Nixon flied out to right to end the inning.

Garces came back for the top of the seventh and froze Wilson for strike three to start. Suzuki beat out an infield single to short and then swiped second. McLemore walked but Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Moyer returned for the bottom of the seventh and Mirabelli popped up to right to start. Nomar drew a walk but Stynes flied out to center. Everett popped up to third to end the inning.

Ugueth Urbina took over for the top of the eighth and Olerud doubled to the left field wall to start. Boone dropped down a bunt to move Olerud to third but he stayed there as Cameron grounded out to third. Guillen grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the eighth against Jeff Nelson as Manny doubled off the centerfield wall to start. A wild pitch moved Manny to third but Bichette popped up to second. Lansing popped up to first but Hillenbrand beat out an infield single to third to score Ramirez with the go-ahead run. Nixon worked a walk but Mirabelli struck out looking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                Way to go Shea

Derek Lowe came in looking for the save in the top of the ninth but once again crapped his pants. Bell singled to left and Charles Gipson ran for him with Stan Javier pinch hitting for Wilson. Javier singled up the middle and Gipson made it to third. Suzuki singled home Gipson to tie the game as Javier went to third as Lowe was thunderously booed. Sox manager Jimy Williams sprinted out of the dugout with a machine gun and started shooting at Lowe's feet. Lowe ran into the dugout screaming as rookie Casey Fossum took over on the mound after Williams ran off. McLemore walked to load the bases but Martinez popped up to center. Olerud grounded into a double play to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                      Mariners tie it up

Tom Lampkin came in to play catcher in the bottom of the ninth and Nomar led off by flying out to center. Stynes watched strike three go by before Everett popped up to left to end the inning, on to extras we go.

Rod Beck took over in the top of the tenth inning and Boone slammed a base hit to right to start. Lansing made a basket catch on a pop up from Cameron but Boone made it to second on the grounder by Guillen. Gipson whiffed to end the inning. Jose Paniagua came in for the bottom of the tenth and the Sox went quietly. Ramirez whiffed, Bichette grounded out to third and Lansing flied out to center to end the inning.

The Mariners put the Sox out of their misery in the top of the 11th inning. Lampkin popped up to third but Suzuki got yet another base hit. Ichiro swiped second before McLemore walked and Martinez settled matters with a 50,000 foot 3 run home run to clear everyone out. Olerud looked at strike three but Boone singled. The alert Mirabelli gunned down Boone trying to steal to end the inning but it was 6-3 Mariners.

                                                          Dammit Beck

Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki came in to close out the bottom of the eleventh and the Sox went quietly. Hillenbrand and Nixon both whiffed before Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Mirabelli. Hatteberg popped up to second to end the game. The Mariners had won it 6-3 in the 11th inning.

Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. Yes Rod Beck gave up the 3 run homer but it wouldn't have come to that if Lowe had gotten the job done in the 9th inning.

                                                  Lowe the Jackass


The Good:

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Hideo Nomo tossed 5 strong innings and allowed just 2 runs.

Rich Garces tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Chris Stynes was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Rod Beck took the loss by giving up the 3 run homer in the 11th.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a hit by pitch but the one hit was a home run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 5.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Seattle is having one hell of a season and comeback wins like this are the reason why. They seem to be the most complete team in baseball, even better than the New York Yankees it seems. The Sox chased Moyer and got to the bullpen but the Mariners still won. Derek Lowe shouldn't be the closer anymore, especially since they picked up Urbina at the deadline. I don't know what happened to him this year but he's blown at least 6 games that could be the difference in making the playoffs or not come October. Even without Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek, the return of Nomar should be the spark this team needs to make a run in the second half. As for this game, the less said of it the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 65-52, 4 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back when they send Frank Castillo (7-6) to the mound to face Freddy Garcia at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

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

                                                                 Manny drives in a run

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                          Ordonez with the backbreaker

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

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

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

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

                                                         Everett is a Jackass

The Good:

Chris Stynes was 3 for 3 with a walk.

Manny Ramirez walked 3 times and drove in a run.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Troy O'Leary struck out as a pinch hitter.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Braves Shut Out Sox (7/8/01)

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

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

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

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

                                                          Stynes can't crack Glavine

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

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

                                                            Nice going Ohka

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                            Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Bryce Florie tossed 2 full scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Chris Stynes was 0 for 4.

Dante Bichette was 0 for 3.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with an error.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

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

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

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Yankees Edge Sox Late (5/28/01)

No matter how good the Boston Red Sox are or can be they're always coming up short against the New York Yankees. The Yankees took a 3-1 lead on David Cone and the Red Sox, knocking David out in the third inning. Jose Offerman and Darren Lewis drove in runs to tie the game but in the eighth inning, Jorge Posada doubled off Rich Garces to put the Yankees ahead. Mike Stanton and Mariano Rivera slammed the door and the Yankees had beaten the Red Sox further into second place with a 4-3 win at Fenway Park.

The Yankees jumped on Cone in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter walked and stole second before David Justice walked. Bernie Williams got a base hit in the hole at short to load the bases and Tino Martinez hit a seeing eye single to right to score Jeter and Justice. Paul O'Neill grounded out to second to move both runners over but Jorge Posada flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

                                                         Martinez puts New York on top

Andy Pettitte got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman led off  by grounding out to short. John Valentin drew a walk and took second on a wild pitch, but Carl Everett struck out swinging. Manny Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Scott Brosius struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Alfonso Soriano singled to left. Soriano was thrown out trying to steal but Knoblauch drew a walk. Jeter singled to center and Justice walked to load the bases but Williams grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Dante Bichette got a base hit to left to begin. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging but Jason Varitek walked. Mike Lansing got a base hit to center to score Bichette but Darren Lewis struck out swinging. Offerman struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                Lansing drives in a run

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Martinez grounded out to short to start. O'Neil then hit a home run all the way to Homoa, Louisiana to increase the lead. Posada struck out swinging but Brosius singled to left to chase Cone. Sox manager Jimy Williams saw something he didn't like and decide to pull Cone before it got any worse. Rolando Arrojo came in to pitch and Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                                                 O'Neill hits one out

Brosius booted a grounder by Valentin to start the bottom of the third but Everett forced him at second. Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Arrojo cruised in the top of the fourth as Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Jeter grounded out to second and Justice grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bichette struck out swinging to start. Hillenbrand got a base hit to right but Varitek grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Williams grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Martinez flied out to center. O'Neill popped up to Arrojo to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as Lansing doubled to left to start. Lewis grounded out to second to move Lansing to third and Mike scored on the Offerman base hit to center. Valentin popped up to second but Everett lined a base hit to left. With the tying run at second....Ramirez lined out to second to end the inning.

Posada struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth but Brosius singled to center. Cone had Brosius picked off but Offerman missed the catch, allowing Scott to take second. Soriano struck out swinging but Knoblauch was hit with a pitch. Jeter forced Knoblauch at second to end the inning. The Sox came back in the bottom of the sixth as Bichette singled to left to start. Hillenbrand banged into a double play but Varitek tripled into the centerfield triangle. Lansing walked and Lewis caught the Yankees asleep with a safety squeeze bunt to score Varitek to tie the game. Offerman lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Lewis ties it up with a bunt single

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Justice took strike three to start. Williams got a base hit to left but Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning. Valentin popped up to first in foul territory to start the bottom of the seventh before Everett lined out to left. Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth with Trot Nixon taking over for Bichette in the field. O'Neill doubled off the centerfield wall and Rich Garces came in to pitch to Posada. The gamble failed as Posada doubled home Paul to put the Yankees back on top. Brosius dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Jorge Posada and Henry Rodriguez pinch hit for Soriano only to take strike three. Knoblauch was plunked to put runners at the corners but Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-3.

                                                     O'Neill starts the rally with a double

Old friend Mike Stanton came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Luis Sojo took over at second. Nixon and Hillenbrand both struck out swinging and Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Justice grounded out to short to start. Williams singled to left but Martinez lined out to third. Williams swiped second but O'Neill grounded out to second to end the inning. Mariano Rivera came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lansing flied out to center to start. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Lewis but grounded out to first. Offerman took strike three to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Manny Ramirez. He was 0 for 4 and left the tying run on base in the fifth inning.

                                                              Jackass Ramirez

The Good:

Dante Bichette was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

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

Mike Lansing was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Rolando Arrojo tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon struck out in his only at-bat.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

David Cone allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 4 walks.

Pete Schourek took the loss by being charged with a run in an inning of work.

Rich Garces allowed the go-ahead run to score in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts and an error but drove in a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Typical Yankees, they always seem to get the hits they need exactly when they need. Cone had nothing but Arrojo stoned them cold. The Sox word hard to tie the game against Pettitte only to fail to do anything against Stanton and Rivera. The big bats like Ramirez, Valentin and Everett went a combined 1 for 11 with a walk. That's three straight bad starts by Cone and he may be all washed up. The Yankees dumped him for his subpar 2000 season and he's picked up where he left off. Its all bad news as the Sox needed to take this two game series to get back in the first place and instead they fell further behind. Cone better start pitching better or else Tomo Ohka or Paxton Crawford will be back up sooner rather than later. All in all it was a typical Yankees win when it counts but the Sox will look to stem the tide on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Sox to 27-22, 1.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action against the Yankees with Pedro Martinez (6-1) takes on Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Blank Sox Behind Michalek (5/26/01)

After Hideo Nomo tossed a complete game 1 hit shutout in last night for the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays served the same humiliation back to the Boston Red Sox in tonight' game. Chris Michalak pitched the game of his life for the Jays, stoning the Sox cold for 8 shutout innings. Frank Castillo (5-3, 3.74 ERA) was game, holding the Jays to just a single run through six innings. Then the wheels fell off in the seventh as Castillo was chased and Rich Garces allowed both runners he inherited to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach. The Jays got another run against Pete Schourek in the eighth and old friend Paul Quantrill slammed the door in the ninth. One night after getting shutout this time it was the Jays shutting out the Red Sox for the first time all season 5-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Shannon Stewart grounded out to second to start. Alex Gonzalez grounded out to short and Carlos Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning. Michalak got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jose Offerman took strike three to start. John Valentin and Carl Everett stroked back to back base hits but Everett got picked off first. Manny Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Raul Mondesi popped up to short to begin the top of the second inning but Brian Simmons singled to left. Tony Batista struck out swinging and Jose Cruz Jr took strike three to end the inning. Dante Bichette reached on an error by Gonzalez to start the bottom of the second and moved to third on the grounder to short by Shea Hillenbrand. Jason Varitek and Mike Lansing both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Alberto Castillo struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Homer Bush grounded out to third. Stewart singled to center and swiped second but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              Stewart swipes second

Darren Lewis tried to drop down a bunt in the bottom of the third but Michalak snuffed it out. Offerman and Valentin both flied out to left to end the inning.

Delgado flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Mondesi grounded out to third. Simmons flied out to center to end the inning. Everett flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fourth but Ramirez popped up to short. Bichette popped up to third to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the fifth as Batista struck out swinging to start. Cruz struck out swinging but Castillo hit a home run all the way to Russia to put the Jays on top. Bush grounded out to short to end the inning but the Jays led 1-0.

                                                             Castillo homers off Castillo

Hillenbrand tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Varitek flied out to right. Lansing forced Hillenbrand at second but Lewis got a base hit to right. Offerman hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

                                                                 Hillenbrand is out

Stewart popped up to first to start the top of the sixth and Gonzalez struck out swinging. Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning and its a shame the Sox couldn't score for Castillo after he held the Jays to 1 run in 6 innings. The Sox blew their only chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth as Valentin was hit with a pitch to start only to get thrown out at third on a base hit to right by Everett. Everett then got thrown out trying to move to second on a pitch in the dirt and Ramirez walked. What should have been bases loaded and 1 out ended up Bichette flying out to center to end the inning.

The wheels fell off in the top of the seventh as Mondesi got a base hit to left to begin. Simmons singled to center and that was it for Castillo. He did the best he could but the Sox bats let him down big time. "El Guapo" Rich Garces poured gas on the fire as Batista doubled off the Monster to score Mondesi almost immediately. Cruz was intentionally walked to load the bases and somehow Castillo went down looking. Bush beat out a double play ball to score Simmons and Stewart singled to center to score Batista to ice the game. Gonzalez forced Stewart at second to end the inning but it was 4-0 Jays.

                                                            "Thanks a lot Garces"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh although Hillenbrand singled to left to start. Varitek grounded into a double play and Lansing grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Delgado greeted him with a double to left. Mondesi singled to center to score Delgado but Simmons forced him at second. Batista popped up to first and Cruz Jr flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 5-0.

                                                           Mondesi drives in a run

Lewis doubled to left to start the bottom of the eighth and took third on the fly out to center by Offerman. Valentin lined out to short and Everett popped up to second to end the inning. Somehow Michalak had shut out the Sox through eight innings, it was the game of his life.

                                                      How do you lose to this guy?

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Castillo grounded out to third to begin. Bush struck out swinging and Bichette dropped a line drive by Stewart for a 2 base error. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Old friend Paul Quantrill came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Ramirez singled to left to start. Bichette also got a base hit to left but Hillenbrand forced Dante at second. Varitek grounded into a double play to end the game. The Jays had shutout the Sox 5-0.

Jackass of the Night is Rich Garces. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                                El Jackass

The Good:

John Valentin was 1 for 3.

Carl Everett was 2 for 4.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4.

Darren Lewis was 2 for 3.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pete Schourek allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Frank Castillo was charged with 3 runs in 6 innings to take the loss but allowed just 1 through the first 6.

Final Thoughts:

Things aren't looking good for the Sox right now. Dropping 3 out of 4 to the New York Yankees and Blue Jays isn't the way you want to end the month of May. Not only that but getting shut out by Michalak was embarrassing. The worst part was its Boston's own fault getting runners thrown out trying to steal, getting picked off and running into outs. That seventh inning where Valentin and Everett ran themselves out in a 1-0 game with Ramirez coming up was the difference. If they stayed put then Bichette's fly ball would have scored Valentin to tie the game. Castillo pitched a good game but was let down by the offense and the bullpen. Garces and Schourek turned a 1-0 game into 5-0 pretty quick and usually Garces usually isn't that bad. All in all it was a bad game with errors, guys running into outs and not being able to score any runs. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-21, 0.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Jays when Tim Wakefield (1-0) makes his second start of the season against Steve Parris of Toronto. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                  Alice approves of the win

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

                                                         Hillenbrand makes the play

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

                                                         Everett drives in a run

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

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

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

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

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

                                                           Stewart gets ejected

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

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

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

                                                                 Ramirez starts the rally

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

                                                             Sox win

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

                                                         Hideo Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

None.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

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

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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