Pedro, Sox Blank Royals (4/19/02)

It was vintage Pedro Martinez (2-0, 4.43 ERA) tonight for the Boston Red Sox as they shut out the Kansas City Royals. After coming off rotator cuff surgery and looking up and down his first few starts of the season, Pedro was Pedro tonight. He held the Royals to just two baserunners in the fourth through 8 amazing innings. Meanwhile Shea Hillenbrand got the party start with a bases clearing triple in the top of the sixth inning. Johnny Damon scored on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth and that was more than enough cushion for Pedro. Rich Garces slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox had won the game 4-0 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                          Sax approves of the win

Chris George got the ball for the Royals in the top of the first and Rickey Henderson grounded out to third to start. Johnny Damon got booed as he stepped to the plate but those turned to cheers when he took strike three on a curveball. Nomar Garciaparra struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro took the mound in the bottom of the first as old friend Donnie Sadler grounded out to short to start. Neifi Perez grounded out to first and Carlos Beltran flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez popped up to short to start. Tony Clark broke a 1 for 28 slump with a double into the left field corner and Shea Hillenbrand walked as the rain started to really come down. Jason Varitek grounded out to short to move the runners over but Trot Nixon walked to load the bases. Old friend and Royals pitching coach Al Nipper came out to tell George to pitch better and Rey Sanchez popped up to second to end the inning. Mike Sweeney popped up to second to start the bottom of the second before Michael Tucker struck out swinging. Raul Ibanez flied out to left to end the inning.

Henderson flied out to left to start the top of the third before Damon lined out to right. Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. Pedro struck out old pal Luis Alicea swinging on a changeup to start the bottom of the third before Brent Mayne flied out to left. Carlos Febles grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ramirez grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth but Clark slapped a base hit to right. Hillenbrand banged into a double play to end the inning. Pedro ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth although Sox analyst Jerry Remy brought up everything wrong with Sadler in his time in Boston. Sadler flied out to right and Perez flied out to left, but Beltran reached on an error when Pedro dropped a throw from Clark off a grounder. Sweeney singled to center to move Beltran to third but Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning. That was Pedro's 2,000th career strikeout.

                                                  Pedro drops the ball

Varitek popped up to Tucker to start the top of the fifth and Nixon took strike three. Sanchez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ibanez flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth before Alicea grounded out to second. Mayne struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth as Henderson singled to right to start. Damon dropped down a bunt but managed to beat it out for a single....only for Henderson to get picked off. Nomar drilled a base hit to center and that was it for George. The crowd booed Royals manager and old pal Tony Muser for pulling him for Blake Stein and Ramirez lined out to right. Clark walked to load the bases and Hillenbrand cleared them with a triple to the right field wall. The crowd booed Muser loudly and Varitek lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                    Hillenbrand with a triple

Pedro cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Febles lined out to right to start. Sadler took a curveball down the middle for strike three and Perez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Nixon flied out to right to start the top of the seventh and Sanchez flied out to center. Henderson lined out to center to end the inning. The Royals beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Beltran grounded out to first to start. Jerry Remy brought up last night's Boston Bruins Game 1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens as Sweeney grounded out to third. Tucker grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth with Nate Field on the mound. Damon lined a base hit to right and promptly stole second. Nomar grounded out to second to move Damon to third and Manny was intentionally walked to set up the double play. Instead Field uncorked a wild pitch to score Damon with another run. Ramirez moved to second on the wild pitch as well and he moved to third on the grounder to first by Clark. Hillenbrand grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                    Damon scored a run

Pedro returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Ibanez took strike three to start. Alicea grounded out to first and Mayne grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro was outstanding, holding the Royals to just 1 run in 8 innings while striking out 6.

                                                               Pedro gets it done

Another old friend, Brian Shouse came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Varitek grounded out to third to start. Nixon took strike three and Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning. "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Febles flied out to right to start. Sadler grounded out to third but Perez dumped a base hit to right. Beltran grounded out to first to end the game with the Sox winning 4-0.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez. He tossed 8 innings and allowed just 2 baserunners while striking out 6 batters.

                                                            Hero Pedro

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Tony Clark was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with a walk and 3 rbis.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Ricky Henderson was just 1 for 4.

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

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Great win by the Red Sox who have now won four games in a row and six out of their last seven. Pedro looked like himself for the first time all season and the defense stepped up big. The stat sheet will show grounders to second, third and short but the Royals are very speedy so the Sox defenders had to work quickly to get them out. Pedro only struck out six guys so the fact that he himself was the only one that made an error is a tip of the cap to the fielders. Offensively the Sox were relatively stymied by Chris George but Muser pulled him and the Sox capitalized on Blake Stein. Hillenbrand's triple proved to be the difference in the game and it was good to see Clark get a couple of hits. If he gets back on track this team could be deadly offensively. More good news is on the horizon as John Burkett is supposed to come off the Disabled List to start tomorrow night's game and the rumors are Darren Oliver will be going on the Disabled List after getting hit on the hand in his last start. Either that or someone like Lou Merloni will be sent packing down to Pawtucket. Either way the Sox look to make it five wins in a row tomorrow night when Burkett takes on Dan Reichart of the Royals at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Outlast Yankees on Patriots Day (4/15/02)

If the Boston Red Sox wanted to send an early statement that they can compete with the New York Yankees, they sure sent one today. The Sox took two of the first three games of this series including the second game where they rallied in the eighth inning. Today on Patriots Day the Sox had to hold off a Yankees rally in order to win. Nomar Garciaparra and Shea Hillenbrand drove in runs right off the bat against an ineffective Andy Pettitte while Derek Lowe (2-1, 1.29 ERA) continued his strong start to the season by holding the Yankees to one run in seven innings. Hillenbrand and Jason Varitek drove in runs against Adrian Hernandez but the Yankees rallied in the eighth against "El Guapo" Rich Garces. Ugueth Urbina had runners on second and third but was able to strike out Rondell White and John Vander Wal to end the game. The Sox had taken 3 out of 4 from the Yankees including today's win 4-3 on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.

                                                    Margaret Okayo approves of the win

Lowe got the ball in the top of the first inning and Derek Jeter was retired on a nubber to Lowe to start. Nick Johnson was hit in the backside but Bernie Williams flied out to left. Jason Giambi grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Pettitte in the bottom of the first as Rickey Henderson led off with a full count base hit to center to begin. Johnny Damon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Henderson to second and Nomar Garciaparra doubled off the Monster to score Rickey. Manny Ramirez was intentionally walked but Tony Clark hit a routine grounder to Jeter....bobbled for an error to load the bases. Shea Hillenrband walked to score Nomar but the Yankees caught a break when Jason Varitek smacked a line drive off Hillenbrand into right for runner interference base hit. Trot Nixon popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                  Nomar gets the party started

Lowe cruised in the top of the second inning as Jorge Posada grounded out to first to start. Robin Ventura grounded out to short and Rondell White struck out swinging to end the inning. Pettitte settled down in the bottom of the second as Rey Sanchez grounded out to second to start. Henderson also grounded out to second and Damon flied out to center to end the inning.

Shane Spencer was frozen for strike three to start the top of the third before Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging. Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third although Nomar popped up to Soriano in shallow right to start. Ramirez grounded out to first but Clark broke an 0 for 23 slump with a base hit off the glove of Soriano. Hillenbrand chopped a single up the middle but Varitek waived at strike three to end the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the top of the fourth although Johnson flared a pop up to Henderson to start. Williams walked and Giambi dumped a base hit to right to move Bernie to third. Posada beat out a double play ball to score Williams but Ventura took strike three on the inside corner for strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                                                       Posada beats it out

Mysteriously Pettitte left the game and Adrian Hernandez took over on the mound for the bottom of the fourth inning. Nixon dropped a base hit to right and Sanchez lined a single to left but Henderson struck out swinging. Damon popped up to a running White and Nomar struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lowe turned up the heat in the top of the fifth as White struck out swinging to start. Spencer struck out swinging and Soriano whiffed as well to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez was rung up for strike three to start. Clark walked and took second on a wild pitch as NESN analyst Tom Caron chatted with New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft. Hillenbrand doubled in the left field corner to score Clark and Varitek ripped a base hit to center to score Shea. Nixon beat out a double play ball but Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-1.

                                             Kraft cheers on the Sox rally

The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Jeter grounded out to third to start. Johnson grounded out to second and Hillenbrand made a great play to rob Williams of a hit to end the inning. Henderson lined a base hit inside the bag at third to start the bottom of the sixth and Damon walked to chase Hernandez. Steve Karsay came in and Nomar grounded out to first to move both runners over. Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases but Clark struck out swinging. Jeter made a nice play to force Manny at second to end the inning.

                                        Dustin Hermanson checking out the game

Lowe returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh as Giambi struck out swinging to start. Damon ran down a line drive at the centerfield wall by Posada and White went down swinging to end the inning. That was it for Lowe who was outstanding, allowing just 2 hits and a run in 7 innings of work while striking out nine.

                                                       Lowe gets it done

Varitek flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Nixon walked. Sanchez flied out to center and Henderson popped up to Johnson to end the inning.

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as John Vander Wal pinch hit for Spencer to start. Vander Wal hit a line drive to Clark but Soriano doubled down the left field line. Soriano swiped third but Jeter hit a home run all the way to Neptune to cut the lead. Sox analysts Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy questioned why Lowe didn't return for the eighth inning at 94 pitches but Johnson struck out swinging. Williams grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3.

                                                        Dammit Garces

Mike Stanton took over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth as Damon singled down the third base line, but Nomar banged into a double play. Ramirez flied out to Vander Wal to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the top of the ninth and Giambi grounded out to short to start. Posada dumped a base hit to center and Gerald Williams pinch ran for him. Ventura doubled into the right field corner and Enrique Wilson pinch ran for Robin. Urbina recovered to strike out White swinging to bring up Vander Wal. Wal took strike three on the outside corner that actually wasn't close to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win 4-3.

                                                       The Urbina fist pump

Hero of the Night is Derek Lowe. He dominated the Yankees by allowing just 1 run in 7 innings, just two hits and striking out nine batters.

                                                    Hero Lowe

The Good:

Rickey Henderson was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Johnny Damon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tony Clark was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ugueth Urbina earned his sixth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rich Garces allowed a 2 run homer to Jeter in the bottom of the eighth.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 with a strikeouts but walked twice.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Always good to beat the Yankees three out of four and listen to their fans cry after. YES Network, John Sterling, Joe Torre and fans in AOL Chatrooms were all over home plate umpire Larry Young for having the AUDACITY to ring up Vander Wal at the end. The Sox have had plenty of calls go against them, especially in the 1999 ALCS so none of us in Boston want to hear it. The bottom line is Lowe dominated the Yankees and the Sox took advantage of Pettitte having to leave the game to score the runs they did against Hernandez. Other than Jeter's home run off of Garces, this was a good day all around. Its only April and there's a long way to go but its still a feel good win on Patriots Day. With the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics in the playoffs together for the first time in seven years, this is shaping up to be a fun spring season. The Sox now hit the road and their first stop is a brief two game set in Toronto with the Blue Jays. Tomorrow night Frank Castillo gets the start for the Red Sox against Brandon Lyon of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Oliver, Sox Down Yankees (4/12/02)

Things are always ramped up when its the Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees. In the first game of the season series, the Red Sox drew first blood in this war. Darren Oliver (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the spot start for the Sox and tossed a shutout into the sixth inning. Orlando Hernandez was equally tough for the Yankees but a Sox rally in the bottom of the fifth gave them a 2-0 lead. The Yankees got a run back against Sun-Woo Kim and Casey Fossum but a Lou Merloni rbi double in the bottom of the eighth was the big insurance run. Yankees rookie Nick Johnson took Ugueth Urbina deep in the top of the ninth but Urbina finished the job as the Sox won the game 3-2 at Fenway Park.

                                              The Rock & Hulk Hogan approve of the win

Oliver got the ball to start the top of the first and Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter grounded out to short but Bernie Williams walked. Jason Giambi singled to left but Rondell White forced Giambi at second to end the inning. Hernandez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon led off by taking strike three to start. Jose Offerman grounded out to second but Shea Hillenbrand singled to left. Manny Ramirez singled to right but Tony Clark struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ron Coomer doubled to left to begin the top of the second and Shane Spencer walked, but Nick Johnson flied out to left. Alberto Castillo grounded into a double play to end the inning. Trot Nixon struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Baerga grounded back to the mound. Doug Mirabelli walked and Rey Sanchez singled him to third, but Damon flied out to center to end the inning.

Soriano froze for strike three to start the top of the third before Jeter grounded back to the mound. Williams grounded out to short to end the inning. Offerman caught the Yankees asleep with a bunt single to start the bottom of the second but was caught in a rundown. Hillenbrand flied out to right and Ramirez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

                                                    "You're out you dummy!" - Jeter

Giambi ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on the grounder to third by White. Coomer grounded out to second to move Giambi to third before Spencer grounded out to short to end the inning. Clark struck out swinging again to start the bottom of the fourth before Nixon flied out to center. Baerga singled to left but Mirabelli grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Johnson took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Castillo popped up to right in foul territory. Soriano singled to left but Jeter went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Sanchez ripped a base hit to right to begin. Damon singled in the hole at short and Offerman doubled home Sanchez to put the Sox on top. Hillenbrand grounded out to short to score Damon to increase the lead and Ramirez was intentionally walked. Clark flied out to right and Nixon popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                         Sox strike first

Oliver returned for the top of the sixth and Williams grounded out to third to start. Giambi pounded a ground rule double into the centerfield stands but White grounded out to third. Coomer walked and Sox manager Grady Little felt Oliver had done enough. He had tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings to give the Sox a chance to win. Sun-Woo Kim came in and got Spencer to ground out to short to end the inning.

                                                               Oliver gets it done

Baerga beat out an infield single to short and Lou Merloni pinch ran for him to begin the bottom of the sixth. Mirabelli struck out swinging, Merloni was thrown out at second trying to steal and Sanchez flied out to right to end the inning.

Kim returned for the top of the seventh and Johnson struck out swinging to begin. Castillo grounded out to short but Soriano doubled to center. Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning. Damon grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the seventh before Offerman flied out to right. Hillenbrand lined out to left to end the inning.

Williams struck out swinging to begin the top of the eighth but Giambi doubled to center. White struck out swinging and Sox manager Grady Little wanted Casey Fossum to pitch to Coomer. Yankees manager Joe Torre countered by bringing in Robin Ventura to pinch hit. Naturally Ventura singled to right to score Giambi and cut the lead. Torre sent in Enrique Wilson to run for Ventura and John Vander Wal to pinch hit for Spencer. This time Little countered by bringing in "El Guapo" Rich Garces to face John. Vander Wal took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                            Garces is pumped up

The Sox got that run back in the bottom of the eighth with old friend Mike Stanton now on the mound. Ramirez doubled to right and moved to third on the grounder to second by Clark. Nixon flied out to center but Merloni stepped up with a double off the Monster to score Ramirez with the insurance run. Steve Karsay came in to pitch to Mirabelli and Doug flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                          Merloni with a clutch double

Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the top of the ninth and Johnson greeted him with a solo home run to cut the lead. Jorge Posada pinch hit for Castillo but lined out to short before Soriano struck out swinging. Jeter flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

Hero of the Night is Darren Oliver. He tossed a 5 2/3 inning shutout by allowing 5 hits while striking out 4.

                                                     Oliver The Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

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

Carlos Baerga was 2 for 3.

Lou Merloni got an rbi double in his only at bat.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Rich Garces struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a hit to the only man he faced.

Ugueth Urbina allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Sun-Woo Kim was charged with a run in 2 full innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

To be the man you gotta beat the man....WOOOOO! If the Sox want to knock off the four time defending AL champion they need to win every game they can against them. Having Darren Oliver and Lou Merloni step up to win a game is huge considering the big guns haven't fired yet. The Yankees made a bold move replacing their championship core with AL MVP Jason Giambi, Ron Coomer and David Wells so they're not going to take their loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks lying down. The only two negatives about this game is the slump of Tony Clark and the ineffectiveness of Ugueth Urbina. It's early in the season but the Sox could be 8-1 if it wasn't for those two. Still, there's a long way to go and the Sox opened the salvo with a win. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when they send Pedro Martinez (1-0) to the mound against David Wells of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Pull Away Late, Beat Sox (4/10/02)

It was fun while it lasted but the Boston Red Sox four game win streak came to an end at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. Derek Lowe (1-1, 1.29 ERA) pitched great by allowing just two runs in 7 innings. The problem was Royals starter Paul Byrd was better, holding the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces took a four run beating in the top of the eighth to put the game on ice. It all added up to a 6-2 Royals victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                   Randy Quaid is angry again

The Royals wasted no time getting to Lowe in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch singled to left to start. Knoblauch moved to second on the grounder to third by Neifi Perez although Carlos Beltran popped up to second. Knoblauch swiped second and scored on the base hit to right by Mike Sweeney. Michael Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                          Sweeney drives in a run

Byrd got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon popped up to short to start. Rey Sanchez also popped up to short and Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to end the inning.

Joe Randa doubled to left to begin the top of the second but Raul Ibanez popped up to short. Brent Mayne took strike three and Carlos Febles grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Tony Clark flied out to left but Brian Daubach obliterated his second home run of the season to tie the game. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                                  Daubach ties it

Lowe cruised in the top of the third as Knoblauch grounded out to third to start. Perez grounded out to second and Beltran flied out to right to end the inning. Byrd cruised in the bottom of the third as Trot Nixon flied out to center to start. Jason Varitek took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Sweeney doubled to left to start. Tucker flied out to left and Randa watched strike three go by, but Ibanez walked. Mayne singled to right to score Sweeney and the runners moved up on the throw home. Febles grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 2-1.

                                                               Mayne drives in a run

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Sanchez grounded out to short to start. Nomar hit one up the elevator shaft and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowe got in trouble in the top of the fifth as Knoblauch singled to center and promptly swiped second. Perez beat out a roller to short and Beltran caught Lowe napping with a bunt single to load the bases. Sweeney banged into a 5-2-3 double play and Tucker flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox blew their own rally in the bottom of the fifth as Clark flied out to center to start. Daubach singled to center and took third on the base hit to right by Hillenbrand. Daubach moved to third on the fly out to right by Nixon and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Randa flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Ibanez grounded out to second. Mayne lined out to center to end the inning. Damon flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Sanchez popped up to short. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Lowe returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Nomar booted a ground ball by Febles for an error. Febles swiped second and Knoblauch moved him over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Perez popped up to center and Febles tried to score but was thrown out a the plate by Damon to end the inning. Lowe pitches great, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings but the Sox bats couldn't pick him up.

                                                             Lowe deserved better

Byrd cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to second to start. Clark grounded out to first and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

The floodgates opened with Rich Garces on the mound in the top of the eighth as Beltran singled to right to start. Beltran swiped second and moved to third on the infield single to short by Sweeney. Tucker ripped a base hit to center to score Beltran and Randa doubled home Sweeney to ice the game. Ibanez hit a sac fly to right to score Tucker and move Randa to third before Randa scored on the sac fly to left by Mayne. Febles grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           "Garces......"

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the eighth as Hillenbrand got a base hit to left to start. Nixon flied out to left but Varitek singled to right to chase Byrd. Old friend Brian Shouse came in and plunked Damon to load the bases. Carlos Baerga pinch hit for Sanchez and....hit a sac fly to center to score Hillenbrand. Old pal Corey Bailey relieved Shouse and struck out Nomar swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                         Baerga drives in a run

Sun-Woo Kim made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and plunked Knoblauch to start. Knoblauch stole second but Perez popped up to third. Beltran took strike three and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bailey returned to close out the top of the ninth and Ramirez went down hacking to start. Clark grounded out to short and Daubach whiffed to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-2.

Jackass of the Night is Rich Garces. He allowed 4 runs to put the game out of reach in the eighth inning.

                                                                  El Burro

The Good:

Carlos Baerga drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Derek Lowe pitched great. He allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings while striking out three.

Sun-Woo Kim pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 but struck out twice and allowed 5 stolen bases.

Final Thoughts:

So thats what it felt like to lose huh? After the 3 off-days and four straight wins its been a while since the Sox lost. Sad part was the Sox could have made the game more competitive if Garces didn't lose his lunch in the eighth inning. It's a shame Lowe took the loss because he pitched well for the second straight game. Garces has been solid for years so that's probably just a hiccup, the real story was Ramirez, Nomar & Clark going 0 for 12 with 2 strikeouts. Can't win too many games when your heart of the order does absolutely nothing. Still, the Sox fought hard but couldn't generate any offense. Sun-Woo Kim looked good in his season debut and it's a shame Dustin Hermanson had to get hurt in order for Kim to get called up. All in all it's a bad loss but those are going to happen. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Kansas City when Frank Castillo goes for the Sox against Chad Durbin of the Royals. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Lowe Dazzles O's, Sox Win First (4/5/02)

After two off-days and a rainout, the Boston Red Sox finally got back to work in Baltimore and what a performance it was. Derek Lowe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) had no-hit the Baltimore Orioles for seven innings in his first start of the season as the bats were able to scratch out a few runs against O's starter Josh Towers. Johnny Damon led the game off with a solo home run and two batters later Nomar Garciaparra added his first home run of the season as well. Nomar drove in Damon in the top of the fifth but that would be more than enough for Lowe. After the no-no was broken up in the eighth, "El Guapo" Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina slammed the door on the O's. It all added up to the first win of the season as the Sox blanked the Orioles 3-0 at Camden Yards.

                                                            Tina Jordan approves of the win

Towers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Johnny Damon immediately socked his first home run of the year to put the Sox up for good one batter into the game. Jose Offerman lined out to right but Nomar Garciaparra smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Manny Ramirez flied out to left and Tony Clark took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Damon and Garciaparra hit homers

Lowe got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston struck out swinging to start. Chris Singleton flied out to left and David Segui grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Trot Nixon lined out to short to begin the top of the second but Shea Hillenbrand lined out to right. Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Jeff Conine grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Jay Gibbons grounded out to second. Tony Batista flied out to left to end the inning.

Rey Sanchez led off the top of the third with a pop up to short but Damon singled to left. Offerman popped up to short and Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. The O's beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third inning as Melvin Mora grounded out to third to start. Brook Fordyce also grounded out to third and Mike Bordick grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Ramirez grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Clark ripped a base hit to center. Nixon forced Clark at second and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The O's beat the ball in the dirt again in the bottom of the fourth as Jerry Hairston grounded out to short to start. Singleton and Segui both grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Varitek flied out to center to begin. Sanchez popped up to Towers but Damon singled to left. Damon stole second, Offerman walked and Nomar lashed a base hit to center to score Damon. Offerman got picked off second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                               Dammit Jose

The O's got their first baserunner when Hillenbrand threw a ground ball by Conine all the way to the Everglades for an error to begin the bottom of the fifth. Lowe recovered to get Gibbons to bang into a double play and Batista to ground out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Clark popped up to third in foul territory. Nixon stroked a single to left and Hillenbrand pounded a ground rule double down the left field line, but Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Lowe got in trouble for the first time all night when he walked Mora and Fordyce back to back to start the bottom of the sixth. Bordick hit one up the elevator shaft and Hairston grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Rick Bauer came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Sanchez grounded back to the mound to begin. Damon also grounded back to the mound and Offerman took strike three to end the inning. Lowe got Singleton to pop up to second to begin the bottom of the seventh. Segui popped up to short and Conine flied out to left to end the inning. Lowe was 6 outs away from repeating Hideo Nomo in the same venue a year later.

Nomar grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth but Ramirez singled to center. Clark hit into a double play to end the inning. There would be no repeat as Gibbons walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Batista beat out a roller to third to break up the no-hitter. Sox manager Grady Little came to get Lowe and that was a hell of an effort by Derek to hold the O's to just one hit and 3 walks in 7 plus innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch and Mora lined out to center before Gary Matthews pinch hit for Fordyce. Matthews popped up to third but Bordick walked to load the bases. Hairston forced Bordick at second to end the inning.

Fernando Lunar took over behind the plate for the top of the ninth and Nixon grounded out to second to start. Hillenbrand grounded out to third but Varitek singled to center. Sanchez hit a seeing eye single into left but Damon forced Sanchez at second to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina took the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth and Singleton led off with a double to right. Segui flied out to right and Singleton took third on the fly out to center by Conine. Gibbons lined out to Nomar to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0.

Hero of the Night is Derek Lowe. He was 6 outs from a no hitter and finished with 7 shutout innings where he allowed 1 hit and 3 walks.

Hero Lowe

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 3 for 5 with a home run, stolen base and 2 total runs scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a home run and two total rbis.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ugueth Urbina earned his first save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Tony Clark was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

That was a nice bounceback win considering Pedro Martinez' disaster on Opening Day. Its a shame they lost Dustin Hermanson on Wednesday night but Lowe looked great tonight. Obviously expecting Lowe to go from closer to starter may not work but it did for one night anyway. He had the O's in fits all night and only the walks came back to bite him. Nomar and Damon were a nice 1-2 punch and once Manny Ramirez and Tony Clark get cooking, this is going to be a tough lineup to beat. The big thing when it comes to Lowe is his defense. If Nomar, Hillenbrand and Sanchez can field ground balls, that's going to do wonders for Lowe. Urbina and Garces slammed the door pretty good and if Urbina can pitch as well as Lowe did in 2000, this could be a tough bullpen this year too. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more wins are on the way. Tomorrow afternoon Frank Castillo makes his first start of the year for Boston against Scott Erickson of the Orioles. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Blue Jays Spoil Opening Day Slugfest (4/1/02)

Happy 2002 Season Boston Red Sox fans....it sucks already! In what was a memorable Opening Day the Sox engaged in a surprise slugfest with the Toronto Blue Jays. Jays ace Chris Carpenter and Sox ace Pedro Martinez both laid eggs as the two teams teed off with a lot of offense. The Sox trailed 8-3 before rallying to take an 11-8 lead only to give it up. Closer Ugueth Urbina couldn't keep it tied and after all of that it was the Jays that took Opening Day 12-11 at Fenway Park. Not a good start to the year.

Pedro took the mound in the top of the first and wasn't himself. Shannon Stewart drew a full count walk before rookie Eric Hinske popped up to a running Manny Ramirez in left. Raul Mondesi flied out to right but Carlos Delgado was plunked. Jose Cruz Jr stroked a double in front of the Monster to score Stewart and advance Delgado to third. Darrin Fletcher doubled into the gap to score both runners as Sox analyst Jerry Remy remarked not only was Pedro's velocity down but his changeup was out of sorts. Vernon Wells grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 3-0 Jays.

                                                         Pedro gets hammered

The Sox fought back against Blue Jays starter Chris Carpenter although new centerfielder Johnny Damon grounded out to third to begin. Jose Offerman struck the Sox' first home run into the season beyond the bullpen to cut into the lead. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to short before Manny Ramirez walked. New first basemen Tony Clark grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 3-1 Toronto.

                                                       Opening day homer for Offerman

Pedro returned for another beating in the top of the second as Homer Bush hit a blooping double down the right field line to start. Felipe Lopez dropped down a bunt and Pedro dropped it for an error. Stewart blooped a single to center to load the bases before Hinske blooped a single down the right field line to score both Bush and Lopez. Mondesi hit a roller up the middle that crossed up Nomar and Rey Sanchez to score Stewart. Delgado blooped a single to center to score Hinske. Pedro froze Mondesi for strike three on the outside corner before blowing away Fletcher. Pedro turned up the heat to blow away Wells to end the inning with the score now 7-1 Toronto.

                                                   Pedro couldn't find his groove

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Trot Nixon launched a solo shot to dead center to cut into the lead. Shea Hillenbrand popped up to center but Jason Varitek in his first at-bat since June of last year launched a home run of his own to right. Sanchez looked at strike three on the outside corner but Damon grounded one up the middle for a base hit. Offerman was rung up on a check swing for strike three to end the inning but it was now 7-3 Jays.

                                                 Nixon and Varitek go yard

The Blue Jays pounced again in the top of the third although Pedro got Bush to ground out to short to begin. Lopez motored around for a triple into the gap before Stewart was plunked. Hinske hit a warning track fly out to center but Stewart advanced to second and Lopez scored to increase the lead.

                                                            The score says it all

The Sox refused to go quietly in the bottom of the third as Nomar led off with a double off the top of the centerfield wall. Ramirez walked and Clark lit up the crowd with a 3 run home run to center to put the Sox back in it. Welcome to Boston Clark! Nixon whiffed but Hillenbrand walked to chase Carpenter. Scott Eyre replaced Chris and Varitek greeted him with a single. Sanchez walked to load the bases but Damon made a huge out by popping up to Hinske in foul territory. Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 8-6.

                                                        Clark with a three run homer

Pedro came out for the top of the fourth and Delgado blooped a single to right center to start. Cruz Jr drew a walk and that was it for Pedro. In one of his worst starts in memory, Pedro lasted just 3 innings while giving up a career high 7 earned runs (8 total). Guess he was rusty as hell.

                                                     Not Pedro's best work

Lefty Darren Oliver, who was supposed to be the fifth starter with John Burkett on the DL, came in to relieve Pedro as Fletcher bunted both men into scoring position. Some yahoo ran out onto the field and went to shake Nomar's hand before alert Fenway security seized the intruder and wrestled him to the ground. When action resumed Oliver got a key out when Wells hit one up the elevator shaft that Varitek snared in an eerily similar play to last June when he broke his elbow. Oliver whiffed Bush to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth although Nomar was rung up for strike three to start. Ramirez walked and Clark batting from the right side this time lined a base hit to center. Nixon walked on four pitched to load the bases and Hillenbrand lined a base hit up the middle to score Manny and reload the bases. Varitek blooped a single into right to score Clark, tie the game and once again reload the bases. Sanchez worked the count full and stroked a base hit to right center to score Nixon and Hillenbrand to give the Sox their first lead of the game. Jays manager Buck Martinez brought in rookie Scott Cassidy making his MLB debut to pitch to Damon only to uncork a wild pitch to advance Sanchez to second. A strange play occured when Wells made a diving catch to rob Damon and Varitek tagged up and scored. Damon didn't think the ball was caught and ran hard to second, confusing Sanchez into running back to the bag. The Jays thought that Sanchez was called out at second and ran off the field. The umpires got together and ruled it was a sac fly to score Varitek and Sanchez was safe at second although the irony was the replays showed Wells didn't actually catch the ball. Things suddenly got hot as the Jays appealled at third that Varitek left early and he clearly didn't. Jays bench coach Cookie Rojas stormed out of the dugout and shouted invectives at third base umpire Andy Fletcher. Fletcher told him to sit down and shut up which caused Cookie to run at him screaming, fists flying. First base umpire Derryl Cousins said that's enough of that and gave Cookie the heave ho. Buck Martinez then flew out of the dugout screaming like a banshee to home plate umpire Joe Brinkman that the first base umpire shouldn't be trying to interject himself while trying to hold back Rojas who had now torn his clothes off in frustration. Martinez hauled Rojas off the field and finally play resumed. Offerman walked to reload the bases but Nomar popped up to center to end the inning After all of that the Sox had scored 5 runs to take an 11-8 lead.

                                                     Mayhem at Fenway

Give the Jays credit for coming right back in the top of the fifth inning although Lopez grounded out to short to start. Stewart hit a routine grounder to Nomar who threw the ball straight in the air and caught it in his hat for an error to advance Shannon to second before Hinske singled off the leg of Oliver to put runners at the corners. Mondesi lined out to a running Damon to score Stewart to cut the lead. Delgado was plunked and Cruz Jr singled in Hinske. Fletcher blooped a single to center to tie game and chase Oliver. Rolando Arrojo made his season debut by getting Wells to ground out to short to end the inning with the game tied 11-11.

The offense was done for a while in the bottom of the fifth although Manny walked to begin. Clark walked before Nixon popped up to center. Hillenbrand popped up to second before Varitek walked to load the bases. Sanchez whiffed on a 3-2 fastball to end the inning, what a waste.

Arrojo came back for the top of the 6th and plunked Bush to start. Lopez advanced him to second on a bang bang play at first before Arrojo froze Stewart on a check swing strike three. Hinske walked and Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger went to the mound to inform Rolando a new episode of Friends was on that night. Arrojo got so excited he got Mondesi to ground into a force to end the inning. Felix Heredia was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Damon flied out to right to start. Offerman grounded out to first and Nomar lined out to third to end the inning.

Casey Fossum was brought in to pitch the top of the seventh and he walked Delgado to start. Cruz Jr flied out to left before Fletcher flied out to deep right. Wells grounded out to third to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the seventh by striking out swinging before Clark was robbed of extra bases by Cruz making a diving catch. Nixon walked and Hillenbrand blooped a single to no man's land in left before a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position. Varitek walked to load the bases and Cruz made an even better diving catch to rob Sanchez of a bloop single to end the inning.

                                                           Cruz saves the day for the Jays

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and got Bush to line out to right to start. Lopez flied out to left before Stewart grounded back to the agile Garces to end the inning. Dan Plesac came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Damon took ball four to start. The boo's rained down when Offerman popped up the bunt to first. That was it for Plesac as Buck Martinez brought in closer Kelvim Escobar. Damon was thrown out at second trying to steal and Nomar whiffed to end the inning.

Sox closer Ugueth Urbina took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Hinske to fly out to right to begin. Mondesi walked and Delgado singled to right before they executed a double steal. Cruz Jr was intentionally walked to set up the double play but Fletcher scored Mondesi with a sac fly to give the Jays the lead. Wells whiffed to end the inning but the Jays took the lead 12-11.

                                                     Fletcher gives the sox the lead

The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth but Ramirez whiffed to start. Clark singled to right and the legendary Rickey Henderson pinch ran for Tony. Nixon popped up to Lopez in foul territory and Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had survived the slugfest and had won it 12-11.

Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. Yes Pedro Martinez stunk the joint out and Darren Oliver gave up the lead but it was Urbina who blew the game in the top of the ninth.

                                            Why are you pumping your fist, Jackass?



The Good:

Manny Ramirez walked 4 times and scored 2 runs.

Tony Clark was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a home run.

Rolando Arrojo pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Pedro Martinez was terrible in 3 plus innings of work allowing 8 runs, 7 earned.

Darren Oliver was trusted with a 3 run lead and gave all 3 runs back.



The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a solo home run.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 6.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, scored two total runs including a home run.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.



Honorable Mention:

Ricky Henderson pinch ran for Clark in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a very interesting opening day even if the Sox didn't win. The offense looked damn good and they can build on a lot of what happened today. Pedro Martinez was rusty and he probably won't give up 8 runs in a start the rest of the year. A normal Pedro start and the Sox would have won this game in a rout. Urbina is supposed to be their answer to Mariano Rivera and he sure didn't look it today. Still if Clark can be the hitter he was in Detroit then this will be the offense they invisioned last year with Nomar healthy. Still, a loss at home sucks and this one hurt. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Wednesday night against the Blue Jays as Dustin Hermanson makes his Red Sox debut opposite Luke Prokopec. The game starts at 6 PM at Fenway Park.