Yankees Pound Sox on Opening Day (4/3/05)

The World Series Champion Boston Red Sox did not get off to the start they would hope for on Opening Day against the New York Yankees. The Yankees are embarrassed and angry following the biggest collapse in post-season history and they took their frustrations out on the new look Red Sox tonight. New Yankees ace Randy Johnson shut down the Boston bats and held them to just 1 run in 6 innings. New Sox ace David Wells (0-1, 8.31 ERA) was smacked around for 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Sox manager Terry Francona gave his entire bullpen a shot to come into the game and the Yankees smacked almost everyone brought in around for another 5 runs. The Yankees sent a message to the Sox that this is a new year with a 9-2 spanking on Opening Day in Yankee Stadium.

Johnson got the ball in the top of the first and Johnny Damon grounded out to Tony Womack to start. Edgar Renteria made his Red Sox debut by taking strike three and Manny Ramirez also watched strike three go by to end the inning. David Wells made his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the first by allowing Derek Jeter to slap a base hit to center to start. Alex Rodriguez flied out to center but Jeter broke up a double play ball hit by Gary Sheffield. Ruben Sierra struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Yankee killer David Ortiz led off with a double into the right field corner. Hideki Matsui robbed Kevin Millar of a two run homer by jumping over the left field wall but Jason Varitek grounded out to short. Jay Payton made his Red Sox debut by getting a base hit to left to score Ortiz, putting Boston on top. Bill Mueller walked but Mark Bellhorn took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                       Welcome to Boston, Payton

The Yankees wasted no time answering in the bottom of the second as Hideki Matsui led off with a base hit in-between Manny & Damon. Jorge Posada popped up to right but Jason Giambi singled Matsui to third. Bernie Williams drove home Matsui with a sac fly to left to tie the game but Renteria made a nice stab to force Giambi at second on a grounder by Womack to end the inning. The Yankees had tied the game 1-1.

                                                              Williams ties it up

Damon hit a routine grounder to Giambi to start the top of the third but Giambi booted it for an error. Renteria banged into a double play and Manny flied out to center to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Jeter struck a double to left to start. A-Rod struck out swinging but Sheffield doubled to center to score Jeter with the go-ahead run then moved to third on the Sierra grounder to short. Matsui got a base hit to center to score Sheffield and Posada singled off the glove of Renteria. Giambi was plunked on an 0-2 to load the bases and Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace sprinted to the mound to let David know that Metal Gear Solid was one of the best games of 1998. Williams scored on a balk by Wells. Williams struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees iced the game 4-1.

                                                      "That's a balk!" - Joe West

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Ortiz took strike three to start. Millar popped up to short but Varitek hit a ground rule double down the third base line when a fan touched the ball. Payton grounded out to short to end the inning. Wells got in trouble again in the bottom of the fourth as Womack dumped a base hit to center to start. Jeter flied out to right but A-Rod moved Womack to third with a base hit to left. Sheffield hit a bullet but to Renteria and Sierra grounded out to short to end the inning.

Mueller grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Bellhorn doubled to left. Damon struck out swinging and Renteria grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees knocked out Wells in the bottom of the fifth although Matsui struck out swinging to start. Posada doubled over the head of Damon, Giambi was plunked and Williams walked to load the bases and chase Wells. Not the best debut for Wells who allowed 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Lefty specialist Mike Myers came in to get Womack to bang into a double play to end the inning.

                                                           Fans heckle Wells as he leaves

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the sixth as Sox analyst Don Orsillo mentioned the last time Randy Johnson started an opener against the Red Sox. Manny took strike three to start and Ortiz grounded out to short. Millar walked and Varitek hit a broken bat base hit over the head of Giambi to put runners at the corners. Payton grounded into a force to end the inning. Blaine Neal made his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the sixth and Jeter walked to start. Jeter stole second and A-Rod got a base hit off the chest of Damon. He bobbled the ball which allowed Jeter to score and advance A-Rod to second. A-Rod moved to third on the fly out to left by Sheffield and that was it for Neal. Alan Embree came in and Sierra doubled down the left field line to score A-Rod with another run. Matsui hit one up the elevator shaft but Giambi drew a walk. Giambi lined out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-1.

                                                           "I don't got it...." - Damon

The Yankees knew the game was well in hand and brought in Tino Martinez for Giambi and Tanyon Sturtze to pitch the top of the seventh. Mueller took strike three, Bellhorn whiffed and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning. Mike Timlin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Williams struck out swinging to start. Womack beat out an infield single to short and stole second, but Jeter grounded out to third. A-Rod flied out to right to end the inning.

Sturtze cruised in the top of the eighth as Renteria grounded out to third to start. Manny flied out to center and Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Mantei made his Red Sox debut by throwing up on himself in the bottom of the eighth. Sheffield walked to start but Sierra flied out to center. Matsui hit a home run all the way to Brooklyn to increase the lead but Posada took strike three. Tino Martinez got a standing O for his first at-bat with the Yankees since 2001 and he drew a walk. Williams walked and that was it for Mantei. Bubba Crosby pinch ran for Williams and John Halama made his Red Sox debut by allowing an infield single to short by Womack to load the bases. Jeter hit a grounder to Halama....right through his legs for an error to score Martinez with another run. Mueller made a great play to rob A-Rod of a hit to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 9-1.

                                                     Nothing going right for the Sox

Old buddy Tom Gordon came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Millar walked to start. Varitek singled off the right field wall to move Millar to third and Trot Nixon pinch hit for Payton. Nixon flied out to center to score Millar to cut the lead. Mueller flied out to right but Varitek took second on defensive indifference. Bellhorn struck out swinging to end the game. The Yankees drew first blood on the 2005 season by winning Opening Day 9-2.

                                                    Final score

Jackass of the Night is David Wells. The de-facto ace with Curt Schilling on the shelf allowed 4 runs and failed to get out of the fifth inning to take the loss.

                                                       Jackass Wells

The Good:

Kevin Millar walked twice in four plate appearances with a run scored.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 4.

Jay Payton was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Trot Nixon drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Mike Myers got the final two outs of the fifth inning.

Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Edgar Renteria was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Blaine Neal was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Matt Mantei was charged with 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

John Halama allowed an inherited runner to score and committed an error in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Bill Mueller was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Mark Bellhorn was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Alan Embree allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Its a new season and the New York Yankees are steaming mad. They came out firing tonight that they're not going to take their ALCS loss lying down. The Yankees pulled a 1980's Los Angeles Lakers and made roster moves specifically designed to beat the Red Sox. Randy Johnson and Tino Martinez always had good success against Boston and the Yankees got them for that. The Sox couldn't crack Johnson meanwhile all the new additions except Jay Payton flopped in their Red Sox debuts. Renteria, Wells, Halama, Neal and Mantei all failed but it would be unfair to judge them after 1 game with 161 to go. Its a long year and the Sox are going to find out being hunted is a lot tougher than being the hunter. For the first time in 90 years the Sox are the champs and the Yankees are gunning for them. The top 4 hitters for Boston went 1 for 16 with 6 strikeouts, one rbi and an error.....not exactly how you beat Randy Johnson and the Yankees bullpen. Its only Opening Day but the Yankees completely kicked their ass in every facet of the game. The errors by Damon and Halama, the incompetence of Wells and the bullpen...it all added up to Yankee fans delight. They're going to be laughing all the way to tomorrow. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when Matt Clement makes his Red Sox debut taking on old friend Carl Pavano 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.

Kim, Sox Blank Rays in Game 1 (4/29/04)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Byung-Hun Kim was activated from the Disabled List and Phil Seibel was optioned to Pawtucket so Kim could make the start today in Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Now its going to be Kim vs Bronson Arroyo as who's going to be the fifth starter going forward.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, welcome back Byung-Hun Kim (1-0, 0.00 ERA) who made his return from the Disabled List to make the start in Game 1 in today's double header against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Kim tossed 5 shutout innings to earn the win while the Boston bats did just enough against Victor Zambrano. David Ortiz hit a two run shot in the bottom of the fifth and Mark Bellhorn added a sacrifice fly in the sixth.  In the bottom of the seventh, David McCarty was hit with a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run and the Sox bullpen held the fort. The Sox took Game 1 of the doubleheader 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Imogen Boorman approves of the win

Kim got the ball in the top of the first inning and immediately Brian Daubach booted a grounder by Carl Crawford for an error. Crawford stole second but Rocco Baldelli flied out to center. Robert Fick also flied out to center but a wild pitch moved Crawford to third. Aubrey Huff flied out to right to end the inning. Zambrano got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon walked to start. Bill Mueller struck out swinging and Damon got thrown out at second on a steal attempt. That proved costly as David Ortiz doubled off the bottom of the Monster and Manny Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Jose Cruz Jr walked but was hit with a line drive by Tino Martinez for an interference out. Julio Lugo grounded into a double play to end the inning. Daubach grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Kevin Millar took strike three. Mark Bellhorn walked but Doug Mirabelli struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brook Fordyce led off the top of the third by striking out swinging and Geoff Blum grounded out to second. Crawford also grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Cesar Crespo singled up the middle to start. Damon forced Crespo at second but Mueller walked. Ortiz walked to load the bases but Ramirez took strike three again. Daubach forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.

Baldelli flied out to center to start the top of the fourth as Fick also popped up to center. Huff popped up to Manny and Ramirez dropped a pop up by Aubrey to avoid a collision with Crepo. Cruz lined out to center to end the inning. Zambrano turned up the heat in the bottom of the fourth as Millar struck out swinging to begin. Bellhorn and Mirabelli both whiffed to end the inning.

Kim returned for one final inning in the top of the fifth as Martinez grounded out to second to start. Lugo grounded out to short and Fordyce struck out swinging to end the inning. Kim was outstanding, allowing just one hit and a walk in 5 shutout innings.

                                                    Good work by Kim

The Sox finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth as Crespo flied out to right to start. Damon got a base hit to right but Mueller forced him at second. Ortiz pounded his fifth home run of the season to dead center to put Boston on top. Ramirez earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                             Big Papi picks up the team

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Blum beat out a roller to second to start. Crawford flied out to left and Baldelli hit a grounder to Daubach. Brian got the out at first but threw the ball into left field to allow Blum to reach second. Fick took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Daubach doubled to center to start. Brian moved to third on a liner to center by Millar. Bellhorn hit a sac fly to center to score Daubach and increase the lead. Mirabelli froze for strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                           Good work Daubach

David McCarty came in to play first in the top of the seventh and Huff popped up to short to start. Cruz Jr grounded out to first but Martinez got a base hit to center. Lugo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Crespo got a base hit to right to start. Damon grounded into a double play but Mueller walked. Ortiz doubled off the Monster and Ramirez was intentionally walked. Travis Harper came in to pitch to McCarty and hit him to score Mueller. Millar struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                 "Owowowowoowwwwww!!!!" - McCarty

Gabe Kapler came in for Millar with Mike Timlin now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Fordyce popped up to short to start and Blum grounded out to short. Crawford grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Bellhorn took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth before Mirabelli doubled to center to chase Harper. Trever Miller came in to pitch and Crespo struck out swinging. Damon grounded out to short to end the inning.

Baldelli grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Sox manager Terry Francona inexplicably brought Alan Embree in to close out the game. Fick flied out to center and Huff grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                         Sox win

 

Hero of The Night is David Ortiz. His two run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                         Big Papi Hero

The Good:

Bill Mueller walked twice in four plate appearances and scored two runs.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

David McCarty was hit with a pitch to drive in a run.

Cesar Crespo was 2 for 4.

Byung-Hun Kim got the win with 5 shutout innings allowing just a hit and a walk.

Tim Wakefield tossed two scoreless innings.

Mike Timlin tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Kevin Millar was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Mark Bellhorn was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Doug Mirabelli was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Gabe Kapler played right field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Talk about great pitching by the Red Sox as they've posted their third straight shutout. Kim came off the Disabled List and got the win and the red hot bullpen slammed the door. The offense did just enough to win as Ortiz tagged Zambrano for a two run shot and McCarty getting hit with the bases loaded was entertaining. The Sox seem to have the answer to last year's problem with shut down pitching to go along with their big bats. Kudos to guys like Cesar Crespo and Brian Daubach who weren't even the conversation going into Spring Training but helped out big time in this one. The bullpen may not be as lights out moving forward as it is now so enjoy it while it lasts. Five wins in a row is nothing to sneeze at, but six would be better. The Sox look to win their sixth game in a row and the second game of this doubleheader in a few hours when Derek Lowe (2-1) gets the start for the Sox against Damian Moss of Tampa Bay. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Crush Contreras, Yankees (4/23/04)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Indiana Pacers but the good news was the Boston Red Sox routed the New York Yankees. Boston's personal punching bag Jose Contreras was once again rocked by the Sox as they lit him up for five runs before he left in the fourth inning. Bill Mueller then hit a three run home run off Donovan Osbourne to put the game out of reach. Derek Lowe (2-1, 6.75 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 2 runs to keep the Sox in front. The Sox poured it on against the Yankees bullpen with Manny Ramirez hitting a home run as the exclamation point. The Sox had made a statement to the Yankees on the road as they beat them 11-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                  Cynthia Brimhall approves of the win

Contreras got the ball in the top of the first inning and Johnny Damon led off by striking out swinging on a pitch in the dirt. Bill Mueller popped up to Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning. Lowe got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bubba Crosby grounded out to second to start. Derek Jeter lined out to right but A-Rod doubled to right. Jason Giambi walked but Damon made a snowcone catch to rob Gary Sheffield to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez took strike three to start. Ellis Burks singled in the hole in right and somehow stole second base. Jason Varitek grounded back to the mound to move Ellis to third and Kevin Millar walked. Mark Bellhorn got a seeing eye single into right to score Burks and Pokey Reese popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                     Bellhorn drives in a run

Hideki Matsui singled down the left field line to start the bottom of the second before Bernie Williams lined out to Bellhorn. John Flaherty grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Damon walked to start the top of the third before stealing second. Mueller flied out to left but Ortiz walked. Ramirez hit a 410 foot out to center to move both runners over but Burks grounded out to third to end the inning. Enrique Wilson grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Crosby struck out swinging. Jeter grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox knocked out Contreras in the top of the fourth although Varitek struck out swinging to start. Millar belted his second home run of the season to increase the lead and Bellhorn responded with his second home run of the season for back to back jacks. Reese singled to right and stole second before Damon walked to chase Contreras. Donovan Osbourne came in and Mueller promptly hit a three run bomb to ice the game. Ortiz flied out to right and Ramirez popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                    Sox pour it on

A-Rod grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Giambi grounded out to short. Sheffield walked but Matsui grounded out to third to end the inning.

Burks struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Varitek grounded out to second. Millar walked and Bellhorn struck out swinging to end the inning. Williams singled to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Flaherty grounded into a double play. Wilson got a base hit to center but Crosby grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again int he top of the sixth as Reese grounded out to second to start. Damon doubled into the right field corner but Mueller flied out to center. Ortiz ripped a double to center to score Damon and chase Osbourne. Scott Proctor got Ramirez to fly out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                          Ortiz drives in another run

Jeter struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before A-Rod grounded out to short. Giambi grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox kept pouring it on in the top of the seventh as Burks walked to start. Varitek struck out swinging and Millar flied out to left but Bellhorn got a base hit over the head of Wilson into right. Reese hit a pop up but Crosby fell down and couldn't make the play, scoring Burks and Bellhorn for a "double". Damon got a base hit to center to score Pokey and Mueller walked. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 10-0.

                                              Microcosm of tonight's game for New York

David McCarty came in for Ortiz at first to start the bottom of the seventh but Sheffield got a base hit to left to start. Matsui then hit a home run all the way to Long Island and that was it for Lowe. He went 6 plus innings and allowed 2 runs. Mike Timlin came in and Williams grounded out to second before Flaherty struck out swinging. Wilson flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 10-2.

                                                              Good work by Lowe

Alex Graman came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ramirez greeted him with his fourth home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. Burks flied out to right and Varitek hit a pop up to shallow right. Sheffield dropped it for an error but Millar forced Varitek at second. Bellhorn took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 11-2.

                                                      Home run Manny

Cesar Crespo came in for Mueller to start the bottom of the eighth and Crosby lined out to short to start. Jeter struck out swinging but Mueller failed to throw out A-Rod in time on a ground ball for a "single". Giambi took strike three to end the inning.

Reese flied out to center to start the top of the ninth before Damon grounded out to third. Crespo struck out swinging to end the inning. Doug Mirabelli took over behind the plate as Lenny DiNardo made his ML debut on the mound in the bottom of the ninth. Sheffield grounded out to third and DiNardo got his first career K when Matsui went down hacking. Williams grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Bill Mueller. His three run bomb put the game out of reach.

                                                        Bill Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, an rbi, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Kevin Millar was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a home run.

Mark Bellhorn was 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Pokey Reese was 2 for 5 with a stolen base, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Derek Lowe got the win with 6 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out two.

Mike Timlin tossed two scoreless innings.

Lenny DiNardo pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Cesar Crespo struck out in his only plate appearance.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Ellis Burks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base, walked and scored two runs.

Honorable Mention:

David McCarty played first base in the final innings.

Doug Mirabelli caught the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That's four out of five to start the season for the Red Sox against the Yankees. Usually the Sox have good April's but fall apart by June, not just against the Yankees but against everyone. It remains to be seen how June will be but so far the Yankees have no answers for the Red Sox. Derek Lowe was their punching bag last year but came up big tonight. The bats delivered tonight but mostly the trio of Bill Mueller, Ellis Burks and Mark Bellhorn. Yes Ortiz drove in a run and Manny hit one out but those three were the key factors. Ellis stealing a base, Bellhorn's homer, Damon's steal...everything went right. Lowe was pitching great but the long inning where the Sox had the rally disrupted his rhythm. Still, that's a great problem to have when you get a 10 run lead and have your bullpen ready to help. Good work by Timlin and by rookie Lenny DiNardo in his ML debut. All in all the Sox pounded Contreras again and beat the Yankees in their home turf. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when Bronson Arroyo goes one on one with Kevin Brown. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

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.