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 Bash Jays Again (4/17/02)

Make that 5 wins out of 6 for the Boston Red Sox. After the Sox plastered the Toronto Blue Jays by scoring 14 runs last night, the Sox almost matched their effort in tonight's game against Toronto. Darren Oliver (2-0, 3.14 ERA) tossed 6 gutty innings and held the Jays to just two runs in that time frame. Meanwhile the Sox bats stuck it to Scott Eyre and the Toronto bullpen for another 13 hits and 10 runs. The Sox used a team effort to blitz Eyre in the first inning for four runs and cruised from there. Manny Ramirez led the charge with 4 total rbis and a two run home run to outscore the Jays by himself. Everyone in the lineup drove in a run or got on base at least once in the thirteen hit attack. Sun-Woo Kim handled the Jays in the final two innings and the Sox had won their third game in a row 10-3 at the Skydome.

                                 Boston Bruins coach Robbie Ftorek approves of the win

The Sox bombed Eyre in the top of the first as Rickey Henderson led off with a double to left. Johnny Damon drew a walk but Nomar Garciaparra forced him at second. Manny Ramirez opened the salvo with a base hit to center to score Henderson. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging but Jose Offerman got a base hit to left to score Nomar. Doug Mirabelli lashed a base hit to right to score Manny and Trot Nixon lined a base hit to left to score Offerman. Rey Sanchez popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                        Ramirez starts the party

Oliver got the ball in the bottom of the first and Shannon Stewart flied out to left to start. Vernon Wells flied out to center and Raul Mondesi popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. 

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Henderson led off with a walk to begin. Damon forced Rickey at second but Nomar tripled to center to score Johnny and Ramirez crushed his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. That was it for Eyre as Corey Thurman came in to pitch as Hillenbrand flied out to center. Offerman took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                                  So much for Eyre

Carlos Delgado flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Jose Cruz Jr flied out to left. Darrin Fletcher grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Mirabelli flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Nixon flied out to center. Sanchez popped up to short to end the inning. Homer Bush grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Eric Hinske singled to right. Felipe Lopez struck out swinging and Stewart popped up to short to end the inning.

Henderson beat out a roller to third to start the top of the fourth but Damon banged into a double play. Nomar walked but Manny flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Wells lined one off Oliver but Sanchez threw him out. Mondesi then hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to cut the lead but Delgado struck out swinging. Cruz then also hit a home run all the way to Vancouver before Fletcher singled to left. Bush struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 7-2.

                                                          Cruz hits one out

Hillenbrand walked to start the top of the fifth but Offerman lined out to center. Mirabelli lined out to left to end the day for Thurman. Pedro Borbon Jr came in and Hillenbrand stole second, but Nixon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Hinske grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Lopez singled to center. Stewart hit into a double play to end the inning.

Sanchez popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the sixth before Henderson grounded out to second. Damon walked to chase Borbon as Justin Miller came in to pitch. Damon swiped second but Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning. Wells singled to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Mondesi flied out to right. Delgado was plunked but Cruz banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                                        Damon helps Delgado up

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Ramirez singled to center to start. Hillenbrand forced Manny at second but Offerman singled to right. Mirabelli walked to load the bases but Nixon popped up to third in foul territory. Sanchez was hit with a pitch to score Hillenbrand but Henderson flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                  Sanchez drives in a run by getting hit

Oliver came back for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Fletcher lined out to first to start. Bush singled to left and Hinske walked, but Lopez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Oliver was outstanding, allowing just the two home runs in 7 brilliant innings.

                                                         Oliver gets it done

Bob File got tagged in the top of the eighth as Damon doubled to right to start. Nomar flied out to right but Ramirez dropped a base hit to center to score Damon. Hillenbrand grounded out to third to move Manny to second and Ramirez scored on the Offerman base hit to center. Mirabelli took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                              "Well if that don't beat all" - Buck

Sun-Woo Kim came in to get tagged in the bottom of the eighth as Stewart singled to left to start. Wells beat out a roller to third and a wild pitch moved both runners along. Mondesi grounded back to the mound but Delgado grounded out to first to score Stewart. Cruz Jr grounded out to first to end the inning with the Jays down 10-3.

                                                             Kim allows a run

Kelvim Escobar came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Nixon walked to start. Sanchez struck out swinging, Henderson flied out to left and Damon struck out swinging to end the inning. Kim came back to start the bottom of the ninth as Fletcher flied out to right to start. Bush grounded out to third and Hinske grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-3.

Hero of the Night is Manny Ramirez. He was 4 for 5 with a 2 run home run, 4 total rbis, and 3 total runs scored.

The Good:

Rickey Henderson was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jose Offerman was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Darren Oliver earned the win by tossing 7 innings of 2 run ball allowing 7 hits while striking out 3.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice, stole a base and scored 2 runs.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored two runs.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, stole a base and stole a run.

Doug Mirabelli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Sun-Woo Kim allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Another good win by the Sox and that's three in a row. The Sox have been doing it with pitching with Derek Lowe, Pedro Martinez and now Darren Oliver pitching in. Frank Castillo pitched well yesterday so that gives the Sox four dependable starters with John Burkett due to come off the Disabled List soon. The bats continued to roll and the Sox are going to be tough to beat with Damon and Henderson at the top of the order with their speed. Just going from first to third on singles and stealing bases would set the stage for Nomar and Manny. Sox manager Grady Little seriously needs to take advantage of the team speed that they really hadn't had in a long time. All in all things are looking are up for the Sox and hopefully that momentum continues in the next series. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night in Kansas City against the Royals. Pedro Martinez (2-0) takes the hill against Chris George of the Royals. The game begins 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.

Sox Rally Past Yankees (4/13/02)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox made it two wins in a row against the defending AL Champion New York Yankees. The Yankees bolted out to a 4-0 lead against Pedro Martinez in the first inning but the Sox answered with a three run rally in the bottom of the fourth to get back in the game. The Yankees finished off Pedro and scored another run against Rolando Arrojo to take a commanding 6-3 lead. Trailing 6-5 with two outs in the eighth inning, Shea Hillenbrand hit a 2 run home run off Mariano Rivera to put the Sox ahead. Ugueth Urbina slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox had rallied to beat the Yankees 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Anka Romensky approves of the win

The Yankees pounded Pedro in the top of the first as Derek Jeter struck the first pitch he saw into center for a double. Pedro buzzed Nick Johnson after hitting a home run last night before striking him out swinging, but Bernie Williams walked. Jason Giambi was hit in the process of swinging but it was ruled a hit by pitch. Yankees commentator Michael Kay said Jorge Posada was 2 for 29 with 19 strikeouts against Pedro and naturally Jorge hit a gap shot triple past the diving Johnny Damon to clear the bases. Robin Ventura hit a ground ball past the diving Tony Clark to Rey Sanchez who threw the ball 100 feet wide of Pedro for an error to score Posada with another run. Red Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger waddled to the mound to ask Pedro what he thought about the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rondell White popped up to short and John Vander Wal grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0 and Pedro up to 23 pitches.

                                                     Bad throw by Sanchez

Wells got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson led off by beating out a roller to third to start. Damon forced Henderson at second and Nomar Garciaparra hit into a double play to end the inning.

Pedro settled down in the top of the second as Enrique Wilson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jeter grounded out to short but Johnson dumped a base hit to right. Johnson swiped second but Williams grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez flied out to right to start. Tony Clark continued his slump to 0 for 19 by taking strike three on the outside corner before Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short to end the inning.

Giambi was drilled in the ribs to start the top of the third before taking second on a wild pitch. Posada froze for strike three and Ventura whiffed on a 95 mph fastball. White popped up to Damon to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Jason Varitek grounded out to short to start. Wells threw behind Trot Nixon in retaliation of Giambi getting plunked twice and home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth warned both benches. Yankees manager Joe Torre stormed out and said "how DARE you warn US, we're the YANKEES!" After Culbreth told him to beat it, Nixon grounded out to first and Rey Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                       "HOWWW DAREEEEE YOUUUUUUU!!!!" - JT

Vander Wal walked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the grounder to second by Wilson. Jeter struck out swinging and Johnson grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Henderson walked to start. Henderson swiped second and Damon dumped a base hit to right to score Rickey. Nomar hit a grounder to Ventura who airmailed the throw to second but Damon tripped over the bag making it just a "single". Ramirez ripped a base hit off the Monster to score Damon and Clark hit a routine grounder to short. Jeter flipped to Wilson who airmailed the throw to first and suddenly there were runners at the corners. Hillenbrand dropped a base hit to left to score Nomar but Varitek banged into a double play to kill the rally. Still, the Sox had clawed back and trailed 4-3.

              "The AUDACITY of the Sox to score runs, We're the YANKEES dammit!" - JT

Pedro dominated the top of the fifth as Williams struck out swinging to start. Pedro froze Giambi for strike three and Posada went down hacking to end the inning. Wells cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon watched strike three go by to start. Sanchez grounded out to first and Henderson looked at strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.

The Yankees finished off Pedro in the top of the sixth as Nixon had to make a sliding catch to rob Ventura of a hit to start. White walked and Sox manager Grady Little had seen enough of Pedro after 105 pitches. Pedro would be charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. Rolando Arrojo came in and Vander Wal dropped a base hit to left. Wilson slapped a base hit down the left field line that scored White but Henderson threw out Vander Wal at third on the play. Wilson moved to second on the throw and he scored on the Jeter seeing eye single to right to increase the lead. Johnson flied out to right to end the inning but things looked bleak for Boston trailing 6-3.

                                          "There there Pedro, its okay" - Little

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Damon lined out left to start. Nomar popped up to second but Ramirez walked. Clark forced Ramirez at second to end the inning.

Arrojo returned for the top of the seventh and Williams popped up to short to start. Giambi grounded out to short but Posada walked. Ventura drew a walk and Red Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger came out to ask Rolando Arrojo what he thought about the upcoming WWF Backlash pay-per-view and Fieldin Culbreth told Tony to beat it. Tony said he had two words for Culbreth and was thrown out of the park by armed security. White flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

                                "I've had it up to HERE with you, Tony. Get out!" - Culbreth

Hillenbrand dropped a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Varitek popped up to second. Nixon popped up to first and Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Arrojo returned for the top of the eighth and Vander Wal grounded out to short to start.Wilson dropped a base hit in front of Nixon but Jeter popped up to right. Johnson flied out to a stumbling Henderson to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth with Gerald Williams now in right although Henderson popped up to first to start. Damon hit a bullet to deep center and Bernie Williams dropped the ball for a "double" to chase Wells. As the YES announcers proclaimed the Sox didn't deserve any of the runs or hits they got....yes I'm serious, Ramirez dropped a base hit in front of Gerald Williams to score Damon and move Nomar to third. Yankees manager Joe Torre was miffed the Sox had the unmitigated audacity to score runs so he brought in Mariano Rivera. Clark hit a grounder to first to score Nomar and bring up Hillenbrand. Down to his last strike, Shea clubbed a 2 run home run into the net in left to put the Sox on top. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.

                                                   Rivera can't believe it

Ugueth Urbina took the mound to close out the top of the ninth and Bernie Williams grounded out to first to start. Giambi also grounded out to first but Posada ripped a base hit to right. Alfonso Soriano pinch ran for Posada but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the game. The Sox had won the game 7-6.

                                                        "You're out, you dummy!" - Nomar

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His two run homer with 2 outs put the Sox on top for good.

                                                 Hero Hillenbrand

The Good:

Rickey Henderson was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

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

Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

Pedro Martinez was rocked for 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Rolando Arrojo allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2 2/3 innings but got the win.

Final Thoughts:

It seems every April the Boston Red Sox pull a win out of their collective behinds against the Yankees and today was that one. On the same day last year, Manny Ramirez hit a walkoff against Rivera and today it was Shea Hillenbrand's tour. Not that wins in April guarantee October success but a win is a win. Pedro got rocked again just like Opening Day and Yankee broadcasters were proclaiming he would never be the same. If that's the case, the Sox are in deep trouble this year. Ace pitchers that were as dominant as Pedro was from 1998 to 2001 come once a generation and the Sox would be up the creek without a paddle if Martinez isn't going to be the same. We all saw last year how the Sox fell off a cliff without their ace as the season wore on. The flip side is the Sox beat the Yankees two straight and they're not going to be happy. George Steinbrenner paid a lot of money for Wells, Giambi, Steve Karsay and some of the others brought in to replace Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius and Tino Martinez and so far they haven't blown away the competition yet. The Sox may have the bats to compete with the Yankees this season but if Pedro can't be Pedro, they may need to think about a possible trade. Still the Sox showed some guts to win this game and the Yankees sure don't look invincible anymore. Tomorrow the Sox look to make it three in a row against New York when Tim Wakefield (1-0) gets the ball against Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Nomar Powers Sox Past Orioles (4/6/02)

If only the Boston Red Sox had Nomar Garciaparra for most of last year, they may have been a lot more successful. After missing all but 21 games last season, Nomar's power bat was instrumental in the Sox beating the Baltimore Orioles in today's game. Frank Castillo got the start for the Red Sox and held the O's to 1 run on 1 hit through 6 innings. The problem was O's starter Scott Erickson held the Sox scoreless through six as well. The only hit the O's had was a Jay Gibbons home run in the third. The Sox tied the game in the seventh when Shea Hillenbrand hit a sac fly to score Nomar which set the stage for the eighth. With two on and two out, Melvin Mora dropped a wind carried pop up into the stands and the very next pitch Nomar smashed a three run home run to put the Sox up big. Casey Fossum allowed a home run to Mike Bordick but Ugueth Urbina slammed the door in the ninth inning/ It all added up to a 4-2 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

                                                         Kimberly Liebe approves of the win

Erickson got the ball in the top of the first inning and the legendary Rickey Henderson led off by striking out swinging. Johnny Damon grounded back to the mound and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston grounded out to third to start. Chris Singleton flied out to right and David Segui grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Brian Daubach made his season debut with a single to right but Shea Hillenbrand lined out to center. Trot Nixon beat out a roller to third but Doug Mirabelli made his season debut by grounding into a force to end the inning. Jeff Conine flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Tony Batista grounded out to third. Melvin Mora flied out to left to end the inning.

Rey Sanchez lined right back to Erickson to begin the top of the third before Henderson hit one up the elevator shaft. Damon grounded out to second to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the third when Jay Gibbons hit a home run all the way to Edina, Minnesota to put the O's on top. Geronimo Gill grounded out to short, Mike Bordick struck out swinging and Hairston flied out to left to end the inning but the O's led 1-0.

                                                                 Gibbons goes yard

The Sox couldn't crack Erickson in the top of the fourth as Nomar flied out to left to start. Ramirez took strike three and Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning. Singleton walked to start the bottom of the fourth and promptly stole second. Segui grounded out to first to move Singleton to third but Conine grounded out to short. Batista went down hacking to end the inning.

Hillenbrand grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Nixon flied out to left. Mirabelli grounded out to short to end the inning. Castillo cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Mora grounded out to short to start. Gibbons grounded back to the mound and Gil grounded out to first to end the inning.

Erickson dominated the top of the sixth as Sanchez watched strike three go by to begin. Henderson also took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning. Castillo had one last inning left in him and he got Bordick to strike out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth. Hairston lined out to center and Singleton popped up to third to end the inning. Castillo had allowed just the one hit to Gibbons for a home run but otherwise dominated for six innings of work.

                                                        Castillo gets the job done

The Sox did pick up Frank in the top of the seventh as Nomar singled to left to start. Ramirez followed with a base hit to move Nomar to third but Daubach went down hacking. Hillenbrand smacked a sac fly to center to tie the game and get Castillo off the hook. Nixon flied out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                           Hillenbrand ties it up

Casey Fossum took over for the bottom of the seventh inning and Segui struck out swinging to start. Conine flied out to center but Batista singled to center. Mora lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the eighth although Mirabelli flied out to right to start. Sanchez grounded out to short but Henderson singled to left. Damon singled to right and Mora dropped a pop up by Garciaparra into the stands. That proved fatal as Nomar smashed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Nomar puts Boston on his back

Fossum returned for the bottom of the eighth but Gibbons popped up to Sanchez to start. Gil flied out to center but Bordick hit a home run all the way to the Giant in Alexandria, Virginia to cut the lead. Hairston flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-2.

                                                        Bordick cuts the lead

B.J. Ryan came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Daubach popped up to second to start. Hillenbrand singled to center but Nixon took strike three. Willis Roberts came in to face Mirabelli and Doug struck out swinging to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Singleton popped up to short to start. Segui hit one up the elevator shaft but Conine doubled to left to bring the tying run to the plate. Batista flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

Hero of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. His three run blast was the difference in the game

                                                            Nomar The Hero

The Good:

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Frank Castillo allowed a run in 6 innings of work. He allowed just one hit and a walk.

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

The Bad:

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rickey Henderson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

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

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

For the second straight game the offense accomplished almost nothing but the pitching got it done. Castillo was great for 6 innings and Nomar stepped up big with the home run. The offense will be there this season with Damon, Ramirez and Nomar at the top of the order with Nixon and Varitek at the bottom of it, the key will be the pitching. The Sox will be banking on John Burkett and Frank Castillo to pitch well with Derek Lowe as a wild card. For the past two games its been good but have to remember its the Orioles. The O's don't have a very formidable lineup so let's see what happens when the Sox play the New York Yankees or the Oakland A's. You still have to win the games in front of you and its been two in a row for the Sox. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon looking for the series sweep against the Orioles. Pedro Martinez goes for Boston against Calvin Maduro of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.