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.

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

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

                                                            Randy Quaid is angry again

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

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

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

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

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

                                                              Another rbi for Ramirez

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

                                                               Randa scores a run

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

                                                                 Dye with the sac fly

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

                                                                Nomo turns into a pumpkin

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

                                                              Valentin's first of the season

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

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

                                                       Ortiz with the game of his life

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

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

                                                             Jackass Nomo

The Good:

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

Rolando Arrojo tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Dante Bichette was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pete Schourek allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4.

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

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

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Twins Pinch Homer Beats Sox (5/16/01)

Just when you thought the Boston Red Sox were going on a run to re-establish dominance in the AL East, they get beat in frustrating fashion by the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox handed starter Tim Wakefield a 3-0 lead after the third inning but not only did they get shutout the rest of the way, Wakefield coughed up the lead in tje bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the eighth, Brian Buchanan smashed a pinch hit home run off of Pete Schourek (0-2, 2.65 ERA) to put the Twins up for good. The Sox did get the tying run on in the top of the ninth against LaTroy Hawkins, but pinch hitter Troy O'Leary struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had beaten the Red Sox for the first time in Minnesota for the first time since August 1999 with a 4-3 win at the Metrodome.

                                                  "Hello operator? This sucks!"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Minnesota starter JC Romero in the top of the first inning as John Valentin led off with a ground out to third. Jose Offerman singled to right and Carl Everett hit a gap shot to left. Jacque Jones threw the ball away allowing Offerman to score and Manny Ramirez drove home Everett with a base hit to left. Dante Bichette struck out swinging and Shea Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Ramirez drives in a run

Wakefield got the ball in the bottom of the first and Christian Guzman led off with a ground out to first. Luis Rivas grounded back to the mound but Matt Lawton walked. Corey Koskie flied out to center to end the inning.

Jason Varitek struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Lou Merloni flied out to left. Darren Lewis tried to bunt his way on but Romero snuffed it out to end the inning. Doug Mientkiewicz led off the bottom of the second with a fly out to right and Chad Allen took strike three. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Valentin doubled to left to start. Offerman flied out to right but Valentin moved to third on the Everett grounder to second. Ramirez got a base hit to left to score Valentin with another run. Bichette lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                 Valentin scores a run

Torii Hunter flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before AJ Pierzynski grounded out to second. Guzman walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Hillenbrand grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Lawton took strike three. Koskie grounded out to short to end the inning. Rivas grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fourth before Lawton took strike three. Koskie grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lewis singled to right to start the top of the fifth but Valentin banged into a double play. Offerman flied to center to end the inning. The Twins roared back in the bottom of the fifth although Mientkiewicz struck out swinging to start. Allen struck out swinging but Jones walked. Hunter singled to right and Pierzynski singled to left to score Jones to put the Twins on the board. Guzman tripled home both runners to tie the game but Rivas grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                              Guzman ties it up

Everett flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Ramirez struck out swinging. Bichette walked but Hillenbrand popped up to center to end the inning. Wakefield returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth as Lawton lined out to second to start. Koskie struck out swinging and Mientkiewicz flied out to left to end the inning. Wakefield had one bad inning but overall did well in 6 innings, allowing 3 runs.

                                                                 Wakefield does a good job

Romero came back for the top of the seventh and Varitek struck out swinging to start. Merloni struck out swinging and Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox had Romero on the ropes early but he dominated after that. Hipolito Pichardo made his season debut in the bottom of the seventh and Allen grounded out to second to start. Jones lined out to left and Hunter struck out looking to end the inning.

Eddie Guardado came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Valentin hit the roof with a pop up and Guzman caught it off the carom. Offerman singled to right but Everett struck out swinging. Bob Wells was brought in to face Ramirez and Manny forced Offerman at second to end the inning. The Twins took command in the bottom of the eighth as Pete Schourek came in to pitch. Brian Buchanan pinch hit for Pierzynski and hit the first pitch thrown to him one million feet for a home run to put the Twins up for good. Guzman struck out looking and Rivas grounded out to short, but Lawton doubled to left. Koskie flied out to center to end the inning with the Twins ahead 4-3.

                                                       Buchanan puts the Twins ahead

LaTroy Hawkins came in to close out the top of the ninth with Tom Prince taking over behind the plate. Bichette grounded out to third and Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Hillenbrand, flying out to center. Varitek singled up the middle to put the tying run on and Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Merloni. Trot Nixon pinch ran for Varitek but O'Leary struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Pete Schourek. He served up the go-ahead home run to Buchanan in the eighth.

                                                   Schourek The Jackass

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Tim Wakefield tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Sox in the game.

Hipolito Pichardo tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Lou Merloni was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Troy O'Leary struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

John Valentin was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

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

Dante Bichette was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Trot Nixon pinch ran for Varitek in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a frustrating loss considered the Sox offense took the night off after the third inning. They seem to have a problem of scoring early but can't get much done after that. Romero seemed to have gotten stronger as the game went along and the Boston bats went silent. Brian Daubach has been nursing a bad thumb since last Friday but he may play tomorrow, any offense he brings will be welcomed after an effort like that. Schourek giving up the jack sucked and its too bad the Sox couldn't bail him out offensively. Ramirez is trying to not only break Hack Wilson's rbi record but hit .400 as well and the Sox need to get him some help big time. Nomar Garciaparra won't be back for another 2 months but the bottom of the order is just not scary enough as currently constructed. There's plenty of time to make a move before the deadline but that's far down the road. The loss dropped the Sox to 23-16, 1.5 games in front of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when David Cone makes his Red Sox debut opposite Twins ace Brad Radke. The game begins at 1:09 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

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

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

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

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

                                                                Bichette drives in a run

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

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

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

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

                                                            Not Nomo's day

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

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

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

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

                                                      Manny ties it up

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

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

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

                                                          Red Sox win

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

                                                             Hero Varitek

The Good:

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

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless inning.

Pete Schourek pitched a scoreless inning.

Rod Beck tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Hideo Nomo allowed 4 runs in 4 innings.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 but walked.

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

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

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

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

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

A's Drop Sox Late (5/11/01)

In one of the most frustrating games of the season, the Boston Red Sox bullpen officially became a liability against the Oakland A's. The A's jumped out to a 4-0 lead and knocked Red Sox starter Paxton Crawford out after the second inning. Boston managed to cut it to 4-3 but Rolando and Pete Schourek allowed two runs to make it 6-3. A furious Sox rally in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at 6-6 but Mark Bellhorn singled home Miguel Tejada against Rod Beck in the top of the ninth. Then in one of the dumbest plays in memory, Carl Everett was thrown out trying to go to third on a fly ball by Troy O'Leary, negating the tying run scoring by Trot Nixon to end the game. The A's had won it 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                                        Dammit

The A's bushwhacked Crawford in the top of the first inning as Johnny Damon legged out a double through the hole at short to start. Both Jeremy and Jason Giambi walked to load the bases with nobody out and John Jaha walked home Damon to give the A's the lead. Terrance Long beat out a double play ball to score Jeremy but Miguel Tejada hit into a double play to end the inning with the A's up 2-0.

                                                           Damon starts the rally

Cory Lidle got the start for Oakland and Trot Nixon led off the bottom of the first with a fly out to right. Jose Offerman flied out to left and Carl Everett popped up to left to end the inning.

The A's struck again in the top of the second although Eric Chavez struck out swinging to start. Mark Bellhorn flied out to left but Ramon Hernandez hit a home run all the way to Jacksonville, Florida to increase the lead. Damon hit a swinging bunt to first and Brian Daubach threw the ball all the way to Maine for an error to move Damon to second. Jeremy Giambi singled to right to score Damon with another run. Jason Giambi got a base hit to left but Everett made a great catch rob Jaha of extra bases to end the inning with the A's ahead 4-0. Sox manager Jimy Williams pulled the plug on Crawford after just two innings and 4 runs allowed.

                                                        Crawford sucks again

Lidle dominated the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez, Troy O'Leary and John Valentin all struck out swinging in short order.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the third and Long lined out to third to start. Tejada singled to left and moved to second on the grounder to second by Chavez. Bellhorn grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Daubach singled to center to start. Hillenbrand forced Daubach at second but Hatteberg doubled off the Monster to score Hillenbrand. Hatteberg moved to third on a grounder to second by Nixon but Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                     Hatteberg drives in a run

Hernandez singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Damon banged into a double play. Jeremy Giambi walked and Jason Giambi blooped a single to left, but Jaha took strike three to end the inning. Everett flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Ramirez took strike three. O'Leary grounded out to third to end the inning.

Wakefield got Long to ground out to second to start the top of the fifth before Tejada flied out to left. Chavez doubled to right but Bellhorn flied out to right to end the inning. Valentin grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fifth before Daubach flied out to left. Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Hernandez flied out to left to start. Damon took strike three and Jeremy Giambi grounded out to short to start. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth although Hatteberg took strike three to start. Nixon walked, Offerman singled to center and Everett beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Ramirez cleared the bases with a triple to the centerfield triangle and O'Leary was plunked to put the go-ahead run on. Jim Mecir came in to pitch to Valentin and John lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                          Ramirez brings the Sox close

Just as soon as the Sox were back in the game, they gagged in the top of the sixth. Jason Giambi walked to start and that was it for Schourek. Rolando Arrojo came in and promptly walked Jaha. Long doubled to center to score Giambi and increase the lead. Somehow Tejada popped up to second and Chavez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bellhorn struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-3.

                                                          Long drives in a run

Daubach struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Hillenbrand grounded out to third. Hatteberg singled to center but Nixon grounded out to third to end the inning.

The A's looked to have iced the game in the top of the eighth as Damon walked to start. Jeremy Giambi singled Damon to third and Johnny scored on the force at second by Jason Giambi. Jaha flied out to right and Long flied out to center to end the inning with the A's up 6-3.

                                                           Giambi drives in a run

A's manager Art Howe brought in closer Jason Isringhausen for the six out save and the Sox roared back. Sal Fasano took over behind the plate as Offerman doubled to center to start. Everett doubled off the Monster to score Offerman and Ramirez doubled off the Monster to score Everett. O'Leary doubled in almost the exact same spot to tie the game and put the go-ahead runner at second with nobody out. Valentin made a huge out when he failed to move O'Leary over with a ground out to third. Daubach was intentionally walked but Sox manager Jimy Williams made the foolish decision to pinch hit Hillenbrand with Jason Varitek. Naturally Varitek struck out swinging and Hatteberg also struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 6-6.

                                                     O'Leary ties the game

Lou Merloni took over at short with Rod Beck coming in to pitch the top of the ninth. Tejada doubled to center to start but Chavez took strike three. Bellhorn singled to right and Tejada came around to score, Mark taking second on the rbi. Fasano struck out swinging and Damon grounded out to short to end the inning but the A's took the lead 7-6.

                                                      Bellhorn puts the A's on top

Mario Valdez took over in left with Mike Magnante came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Nixon walked to start but Offerman flied out to right. Everett singled to right to chase Magnante from the game. Jeff Tam came in and hit Ramirez with a pitch to load the bases. O'Leary then lofted a fly ball to left. Nixon took off for home but Everett took off for third. Valdez fired to third and Everett was tagged out before Nixon scored to end the game. A dumb baserunning play by Everett ended the game and the A's had won it 7-6.

                                           "He scored first, dammit!" - Gene Lamont

Jackass of the Night is Carl Everett. Everett had a great game but getting thrown out at third with the tying run coming home is inexcusable.

                                                           Everett the Jackass

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Scott Hatteberg was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Tim Wakefield tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jason Varitek struck out as a pinch hitter.

Paxton Crawford allowed 4 runs in just 2 innings of work.

Pete Schourek was charged with a run in an inning of work.

Rolando Arrojo allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in two innings of work.

Rod Beck allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

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

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Lou Merloni played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a pretty disgusting loss considering how it happened. Even without the Everett blunder, the bullpen after Wakefield couldn't stop the A's. Schourek, Arrojo and Beck allowed 3 runs including the backbreaker in the ninth. With Rich Garces struggling lately, one of the strengths of the team has become a weakness in a hurry. What's more concerning is the erosion of Crawford and Tomo Ohka in the last few weeks. Just last week Crawford was outdueling Barry Zito in Oakland and he gets hammered at Fenway. Ironically, tomorrow David Cone starts his rehab with the Sarasota Red Red Sox tomorrow. They may need him sooner rather than later. The Sox have one game left against Oakland and the AL West in this stretch and it would be nice if they win it. The Sox have fallen out of first place thanks to their incompetence against Oakland and Seattle and that's not good moving forward. The loss drops the Sox to 20-15, 0.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon when Pedro Martinez (4-0) tries to stop the bleeding against Gil Heredia of the As. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.