Wakefield, Sox Down Jays at 100th Party (5/27/01)

Today was a day for fun as the city of Boston celebrated 100 years of the Boston Red Sox with a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though the Sox played their first game In April of 1901 Sox owner John Harrington decided to pick today to honor the franchise. Tim Wakefield (2-0, 2.36 ERA) survived a shaky first few innings to toss 7 solid innings to keep the Sox ahead. Down 2-1 in the fourth, Brian Daubach tied the game with a home run and Carl Everett put the Sox ahead in the fifth. Jose Offerman drove in the insurance run and Wakefield turned the game over to the bullpen in the eighth. Rod Beck and Derek Lowe slammed the door on the win as the Sox avenged yesterday's loss with a 4-2 win over the Jays at Fenway Park.

                                          Raoul Duke approves of the win 

The Jays tagged Wakefield in the top of the first inning as Shannon Stewart was plunked to start. Stewart stole second and moved to third on a grounder to second by Alex Gonzalez. Carlos Delgado grounded out to second to score Stewart to put Toronto on top. Raul Mondesi popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                     Stewart scores a run

Steve Parris got the start for Toronto in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman flied out to left to start. Trot Nixon hit one up the elevator shaft but Carl Everett singled to right. Everett stole second but Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the second as Brad Fullmer hit a home run all the way to Edmonton to increase the lead. Tony Bautista struck out swinging and Jose Cruz Jr grounded out to first but Darrin Fletcher singled to right. Homer Bush grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 2-0.

                                                                Fullmer hits one out

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Troy O'Leary tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. Tony Bautista booted a grounder by Shea Hillenbrand for an error to score Troy but Brian Daubach struck out swinging. John Valentin flied out to right but Jason Varitek walked. Offerman lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                               O'Leary scores a run

Stewart hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third before Gonzalez struck out swinging. Delgado walked and took second on a wild pitch but Mondesi struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Nixon singled to left to start. Everett caught the Jays asleep with a bunt single to the mound but Ramirez struck out swinging. O'Leary struck out swinging and Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning.

Fullmer singled to right to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on a passed ball. Batista and Cruz both struck out swinging before Fletcher flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach smashed his eighth home run of the season to tie the game. Valentin popped up to second, Varitek flied out to left and Offerman lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Daubach hits one out

Bush struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Stewart took strike three. Gonzalez singled to left but was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon doubled to center to start. Everett doubled into the same spot to score Nixon to put the Sox on top before Ramirez flied out to right. O'Leary was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Hillenbrand hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

 

                                                                     Everett with an rbi

Delgado flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Mondesi popped up to third in foul territory. Fullmer flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Daubach struck out swinging to start. Valentin struck out swinging but Varitek doubled off the Monster. Offerman ripped a base hit to center to score Varitek and chase Parris. Pedro Borbon Jr came in to pitch and Offerman swiped second. Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                Offerman drives in a run

Wakefield returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Batista popped up to second to start. Cruz beat out a bunt in front of the plate but Fletcher grounded into a double play to end the inning. Wakefield was outstanding, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 7.

                                                           Wakefield gets it done

Everett grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and that was it for Borbon. Paul Quantrill came in and Ramirez struck out swinging. O'Leary also went down hacking to end the inning.

Rod Beck came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Bush grounded out to short to start. Stewart went down hacking and Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the inning. Hillenbrand grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the eighth but Daubach singled to center. Valentin banged into a double play to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Delgado singled to right to start. Mondesi flied out to right and Offerman made a great diving stab to rob Fullmer of a base hit. Delgado moved to second on that grounder but Batista grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                         Offerman saves the day

Hero of the Night is Tim Wakefield. He earned the win by allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings of work to keep the Sox in the game and ahead.

                                                                  Hero Wakefield

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Everett was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Derek Lowe earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and stole a base.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Even though the Sox technically played their first game in April of 01 and won their first home game in early May, Sox brass felt today should honor 100 years of Sox baseball. At least the current incarnation delivered a win with timely hitting and pitching. Looks like the decision to demote Paxton Crawford and Tomo Ohka in favor of putting Tim Wakefield and David Cone in the rotation is working so far. Hopefully both Paxton and Crawford can turn things around for themselves in case god forbid somebody gets hurt. The offense is doing well despite not having Nomar Garciaparra and it'll only get better when he comes back. The Sox needed to win this game because they got two big games coming up at home against the New York Yankees. They dropped the two in New York earlier this week and they need to win both if they want to get back in first place. The win improved the Sox to 27-21, 0.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Now the Sox face the Yankees in a weird two game series as they play tomorrow night, are off Tuesday and play again Wednesday night. David Cone gets another crack at his old team when he takes the hill for the Sox up against Andy Pettite of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Drop Cone, Sox (5/23/01)

In a series that could possibly pay dividends in the future, the Boston Red Sox laid an egg in the first game against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. David Cone (0-1, 5.63 ERA) was not ready for primetime against his old team as he was rocked for 3 runs in 5 innings. Meanwhile Andy Pettitte damn near came within an eyelash of a complete game for the Yankees, holding the Sox to just three runs. The true story was after Cone was out, the Yankees feasted on Tim Wakefield and Rod Beck coming out of the bullpen for four runs. Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada all homered for New York while a ninth inning rally fell short against Mike Stanton. It all added up the Yankees taking the game 7-3 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                  Watching first place start to slip away

Pettitte got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman led off with an inside out flyball to right. John Valentin followed with a pop up to right and Carl Everett flied out to left to end the inning. Cone got the ball in the bottom of the first inning amidst a chorus of boos and Chuck Knoblauch struck out swinging on a nasty splitter to start. Derek Jeter doubled just out of the reach of Dante Bichette but Paul O'Neill struck out looking on a pitch on the inside corner. Bernie Williams was hit in the knee with a slider but Tino Martinez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez hit a broken bat bloop single to center to start. A wild pitch moved Manny to second and Bichette drew a walk. Bichette broke up a double play at second to allow Shea Hillenbrand to reach first and Jason Varitek hit a fly ball to left. Ramirez scored but Hillenbrand was foolishly thrown out in a run-down to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                               Bichette helps the cause

David Justice grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Jorge Posada was hit with a pitch that grazed his uniform. Scott Brosius struck out swinging and Alfonso Soriano flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Mike Lansing dropped a base hit to right to start. Darren Lewis dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Lansing to second but Offerman struck out swinging. Valentin walked but Everett forced him at second to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Knoblauch flied out to right to start. Jeter dropped a base hit just over the head of Valentin but O'Neill flied out to center. Williams then hit a home run all the way to Shea Stadium to put the Yankees on top. Martinez ripped a base hit to center but Justice took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-1.

                                                              Williams goes yard

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Ramirez flied out to center to start on the first pitch. Bichette flied out to left and Hillenbrand took strike three to end the inning. Cone settled down in the bottom of the fourth as Posada grounded out to second to start. Brosius hit one up the elevator shaft and Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pettitte cruised in the top of the fifth as Varitek struck out swinging to start. Lansing took strike three and Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Cone in the bottom of the fifth although Knoblauch flied out to center to start. Jeter blooped a single to center and O'Neill singled him to third before Derek scored on the force at second by Williams. Bernie stole second base but Martinez flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 3-1. That was it for Cone who was mediocre against his old team after 5 innings.

                                                           Cone doesn't last very long

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Offerman flied out to right to start. Valentin flied out to center and Everett struck out swinging to end the inning. Tim Wakefield was supposed to start yesterday's game that got rained out and took the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Justice struck out swinging but Posada walked and Lansing whiffed on a throw by Hillenbrand on a grounder by Brosius to put runners at the corners. The error was charged to Hillenbrand instead of Lansing and Soriano hit a sac fly to left to score Posada. Knoblauch popped up to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-1.

                                                   Nice catch Mike

Ramirez dropped a base hit into the right field corner to start the top of the seventh but Bichette hit into a double play. Hillenbrand grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Jeter led off with a home run to Jupiter to ice the game. O'Neill grounded out to second, Williams struck out swinging and Martinez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 5-1.

                                                          Jeter goes yard

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth although Varitek grounded a single up the middle to begin. Lansing grounded into a double play and Lewis flied out to center to end the inning. Rod Beck came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and the Yankees tagged him too. Justice singled to right and Posada hit a one handed home run just over the wall in right. Brosius took strike three but Soriano singled to left. Knoblauch lined to Everett but Jeter beat out a roller to third for his fifth hit of the game. Henry Rodriguez pinch hit for O'Neill and lined out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 7-1.

                                                        Posada barely hits one out

Somehow the Sox rallied against Pettitte in the top of the ninth as Offerman drew a walk to start. Valentin flied out to center but Everett singled into the gap in center to move Jose to third. Ramirez doubled into the centerfield gap to clear the bases and chase Pettitte. Old friend Mike Stanton came in to pitch and Ramirez moved to third on the grounder to second by Bichette. Brosius made a great play to throw out Hillenbrand at first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 7-3.

                                                        Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Tim Wakefield. He turned a 3-1 game into 5-1 to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                              Jackass Wakefield.

The Good:

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

Jason Varitek was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Darren Lewis was 0 for 2.

David Cone allowed 3 runs in 5 innings to take the loss.

Rod Beck allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Joe Offerman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

Dante Bichette was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This game was a microcosm of how everything goes New York's way no matter what. David Cone pitches against his former team and craps out meanwhile Pettitte damn near goes the distance. Jeter gets 5 hits including a home run while Nomar Garciaparra is out with a bad wrist. The Sox make an error and the Yankees capitalize and the Sox do nothing after the second inning offensively. The key to the game was Wakefield and Beck failing to keep the Yankees off the board after Cone left. The Yankees have had the best lock-down bullpen in baseball the last 5 years and you can't give up 4 runs in 3 innings. Ramirez seemed to be the only one capable of driving someone in and that wasn't until the ninth inning. The less said of this game, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 25-19, 0.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox turn to Pedro Martinez (6-0) to keep the Sox in first against Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Radke, Twins Rally Past Red Sox (5/17/01)

The good news was David Cone made his Red Sox debut by making the start in tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins. On top of that, Manny Ramirez hit career home run number 250. The bad news was Cone didn't last long and Brad Radke became MLB's first seven game winner by shutting down the Sox. The Boston bats bolted to a 3-0 lead but Cone was knocked out in the fourth inning. Rolando Arrojo (1-2, 4.37 ERA) got knocked around for a couple of runs and the Twins took the lead. The lead held up and the Twins knocked off the Red Sox with a 5-3 win over them at the Metrodome.

                                                             Cone can't bear to watch

Radke got the ball in the top of the first and Trot Nixon popped up to second to start. Scott Hatteberg grounded out to short and Carl Everett flied out to right to end the inning. Cone made his debut in the bottom of the first and Cristian Guzman flied out to center to start. Denny Hocking flied out to left but Matt Lawton walked. Corey Koskie flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Manny Ramirez doubled to center to begin. Troy O'Leary lashed a base hit to center to score Ramirez and Shea Hillenbrand got a hit to center. Brian Daubach flied out to left, Lou Merloni popped up to short and Mike Lansing struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox would have just 3 hits the rest of the game but they led 1-0.

                                                               O'Leary drives in a run

Doug Mientkiewicz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Chad Allen grounded out to short, Jacque Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Nixon grounded out to first to start. Hatteberg lined out to left but Everett singled to left. Ramirez then blasted his 250th career home run to increase the lead. O'Leary struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0. The Sox would have just one hit from here on.

                                                               Ramirez hits number 250

The Twins struck back in the bottom of the third although Hunter grounded out to third to start. Pierzynski grounded out to first but Guzman walked. Hocking was hit with a pitch and Lawton singled home Guzman to cut the lead. Lawton stole second but Koskie took strike three to end the inning with the Twins down 3-1.

                                                               Lawton drives in a run

Hillenbrand grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Daubach flied out to center. Merloni took strike three to end the inning, Cone's comeback was shortlived in the bottom of the fourth as Mientkiewicz hit a home run all the way to Billings, Montana to cut the lead. Allen walked and stole second before Jones walked. That was it for Cone who in his first start since October allowed 2 runs in 3 plus innings of work. Rolando Arrojo came in and Hunter flied out to right. Pierzynski struck out swinging and Guzman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins down 3-2.

                                                           Cone doesn't last long

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth as Lansing grounded out to third to start. Nixon grounded out to first and Hatteberg grounded out to short to end the inning. The Twins went up for good in the bottom of the fifth as Hocking singled to left to start. Lawton singled to center and Koskie hit a home run all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to give the Twins the lead. Mientkiewicz singled to left but Allen flied out to right. Jones flied out to center and Hunter struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

 

                                                       Koskie puts the Twins up for good

Jason Maxwell took over at second to begin the top of the sixth and Everett grounded out to short to start. Ramirez lined back to the mound and O'Leary grounded out to short to end the inning. Pierzynski grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Guzman lined out to second. Maxwell doubled to left but Lawton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Hillenbrand flied out to right to begin the top of the seventh before Daubach flied out to left. Merloni singled to center but Lansing flied out to center to end the inning. "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Koskie grounded out to second to start. Mientkiewicz grounded out to first but Allen walked. Jones singled to left but Hunter struck out swinging to end the inning.

Radke cruised in the top of the eighth as Nixon flied out to center to start. Hatteberg lined out to second and Everett struck out swinging to end the inning. Rod Beck came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Pierzynski flied out to left to start. Guzman singled to right but was doubled off first on the great catch by Nixon off the bat of Maxwell to end the inning.

Radke came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Ramirez struck out swinging to start. O'Leary struck out swinging and Hillenbrand grounded out to third to end the game. Radke had thrown a complete game 6 hitter to beat the Red Sox 5-3.

                                                                Radke goes the distance

Jackass of the Night is Rolando Arrojo. He allowed the backbreaking 3 run homer to Koskie to take the loss.

                                                        Jackass Arrojo

The Good:

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

Lou Merloni was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 4.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

David Cone lasted 3 plus innings and allowed 2 runs.

The Ugly:

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

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Good to see Cone back but he didn't last long. Chalk it up to first game jitters but either way his short outing isn't good considering the Sox fired Tomo Ohka and Paxton Crawford down to Pawtucket in order to make room for David. Still, if Cone falters either one of those guys can be brought back up. As it is, he just didn't have it today. The first two innings went great but then seemed to get hit around. Maybe it'll take a while to get his wind back but either way the kind of effort he gave today isn't going to cut it. The postage stamp strike zone didn't help either. As for the other side of the ball, once again the Sox got to a starter early only for him to turn around and pitch like Cy Young the rest of the game. Radke gave up just six hits in the game and his one mistake to Ramirez. Arrojo giving up the bomb was the difference in the game. He had been good up to that point, just have to tip your cap to the Twins and say "ya got me." The loss dropped the Sox to 23-17, 1.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Kansas City for a set with the Royals. Pedro Martinez (5-0) goes for the Sox up against Blake Stein of the Royals. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Castillo, Sox Defeat Twins (5/15/01)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a shocking roster move. Not just Paxton Crawford but both he and Tomo Ohka were sent down to Pawtucket before tonight's game. Both of them had been dreadful lately and maybe a demotion to the minors is the wakeup call they need to find their grooves again. In their places the Sox activated David Cone and Hipolito Pichardo from the Disabled List. Cone was batting practice for the New York Yankees last year and the Sox are looking for him to rebound his season. Pichardo will be the long man out of the bullpen with either Tim Wakefield or Rolando Arrojo jumping into the rotation depending on how Sox manager Jimy Williams feels. This is definitely a crapshot considering how highly Ohka and Crawford were touted before the season.

                                                                     OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, with the struggles of Crawford and Ohka, it was great to see Frank Castillo (4-2, 4.17 ERA) continue to do well in the rotation. Castillo shut down the Minnesota Twins for 6 innings without allowing a run. Dante Bichette and Shea Hillenbrand got to Twins starter Mark Redman for 2 rbis in the top of the first and Carl Everett added a run in the fifth. After the Twins closed to 3-1, Hillenbrand knocked in two more runs to put the game out of reach. Once again Derek Lowe got lit up in the ninth inning but the Sox were safely ahead by enough to withstand it. The Sox made it three wins in a row with a 5-2 victory over the Twins at the Metrodome.

                                                Alex Kovalev approves of the win

The Twins jumped on Redman in the top of the first inning as Trot Nixon grounded out to third to start. Jose Offerman singled to right but Carl Everett struck out swinging. Manny Ramirez walked and Dante Bichette singled home Offerman to give the Sox the lead. Shea Hillenbrand singled to center and Ramriez barrelled into catcher Tom Prince for another run. Jason Varitek grounded back to the mound but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                    Down goes Prince

Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Christian Guzman got plunked to start. Luis Rivas flied out to center but Guzman stole second. Matt Lawton walked but Corey Koskie forced Lawton at second to put runners at the corners. Doug Mientkiewicz walked to load the bases and Chad Allen forced Doug at second to end the inning.

Lou Merloni walked to start the top of the second but ran straight to second base where he was thrown out trying to steal. Mike Lansing struck out swinging and Nixon took strike three to end the inning. Jacque Jones hit a routine grounder to Offerman to start the bottom of the second but Offerman threw his glove at the ball and did a backflip for an error. Torii Hunter flied out to right and Prince banged into a double play to end the inning.

Offerman grounded out to short to start the top of the third but Everett popped up to second. Ramirez singled to right but Bichette lined out to second to end the inning, Guzman grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the third and Rivas also grounded out to second. Lawton singled to center and stole second before Koskie walked. Mientkiewicz popped up to Offerman in foul territory to end the inning.

Hillenbrand flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Varitek singled up the middle. Merloni singled in the hole at second but Lansing grounded into a double play to end the inning. Allen flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Jones grounded out to first. Hunter doubled to left but Prince took strike three to end the inning. 

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Nixon doubled to right to start. Trot moved to third on the Offerman grounder to second and scored on the Everett base hit to center. Ramirez popped up to second but Everett stole second. Bichette walked but Hillenbrand grounded back to then mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Everett drives in a run

Things got weird in the bottom of the fifth when the power went out at the Metrodrome for 18 minutes. When play resumed, Guzman grounded out to first to start the inning. Rivas also grounded out to first and Lawton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 

Old pal Hector Carrasco came in for the top of the sixth and Varitek doubled to right to start. Merloni lined out to center but Lansing grounded out to third. Nixon went down hacking to end the inning. Castillo returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Koskie walked to start. Mientkiewicz lined out to center and Allen popped up to first. Jones grounded out to first to end the inning. That was the day for Castillo as he shut out the Twins with 97 pitches in 6 innings. He allowed 2 hits and 4 walks.

                                                           Castillo shuts down the Twins

Offerman lined out to right to start the top of the seventh but Everett singled to right. Everett stole second but Ramirez struck out swinging on the play. Bichette popped up to second to end the inning. "El Guapo" Rich Garces got tagged in the bottom of the seventh as Hunter struck out swinging to start. Prince flied out to center but Guzman singled to right. Guzman swiped second and Rivas hit a routine grounder to Hillenbrand. Hillenbrand picked the ball up, threw the ball over his head like a grenade and stuck his fingers in his ears for an error to score Guzman. That was it for Garces as Rod Beck came in and Lawton grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins down 3-1.

 

                                                               Nice throw Shea

This time it was Hillenbrand who reached on an error by Guzman to begin the top of the eighth. Varitek dropped down a bunt to move Shea to second but both Merloni and Lansing struck out swinging to end the inning. Darren Lewis came in for defense in place of Bichette for the bottom of the eighth and Koskie flied out to center to start.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the ninth against Travis Miller although Nixon grounded out to second to start. Offerman walked, Everett doubled to right and Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Lewis took strike three but Hillenbrand atoned for his error with a base hit to center to score Offerman and Everett. Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                            That's more like it, Shea

Derek Lowe came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Jones took strike three to start. Hunter singled to center and Denny Hocking pinch hit for Prince. Hocking singled to right and Guzman singled home Hunter to cut the lead. Guzman swiped second on the swinging strikeout by Rivas but Lawton grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

Hero of the Night is Frank Castillo. He tossed 6 shutout innings to keep the Twins off the scoreboard. He allowed just 2 hits and struck out a batter.

                                                                 Castillo The Hero

The Good:

Carl Everett was 3 for 5 with an rbi, run scored and 2 stolen bases.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Dante Bichette was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4.

Lou Merloni was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rod Beck tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Darren Lewis struck out in his only plate appearance.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Derek Lowe allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked and scored 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

With the regression and subsequent demotions of Tomo Ohka and Paxton Crawford, Castillo had to step up tonight. Castillo isn't going to be a 15-20 game winning but the more starts like this, the better the Sox will look as the season progresses. David Cone is scheduled to make his Red Sox debut Thursday night and hopefully he has something left in the tank. If not, they can bring back Ohka and Crawford no problem. The offense wasn't anything special tonight but for all of Everett's clashes with Jimy Williams, he was running all over the diamond tonight, making things happen. Shea Hillenbrand is in the running for AL Rookie of the Year so far and hopefully he can keep up this kind of pace moving forward. Boston media are asking each other if Manny Ramirez can break Hack Wilson's single season rbi record and it'll be fun to see him try. All in all it was a good win, especially coming off the heels of the Oakland walkoff. The win improved the Sox to 23-15, 1.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to keep momentum going against the Twins when Tim Wakefield makes his first start of the season against J.C. Romero of the Twins. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at the Metrodome.

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

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

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

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

                                                                Bichette drives in a run

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

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

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

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

                                                            Not Nomo's day

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

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

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

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

                                                      Manny ties it up

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

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

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

                                                          Red Sox win

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

                                                             Hero Varitek

The Good:

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

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless inning.

Pete Schourek pitched a scoreless inning.

Rod Beck tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Hideo Nomo allowed 4 runs in 4 innings.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 but walked.

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

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

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

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

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Hold On To Beat A's (5/6/01)

Usually when Pedro Martinez (4-0, 1.44 ERA) of the Boston Red Sox leaves the game with a 4 run lead and 6 outs to go, the game is pretty much over. Tonight the Oakland A's damn near completed an epic comeback on ESPN Sunday Night baseball against the Red Sox. The Sox took a 5-0 lead on a 3 run homer by Jose Offerman and a 2 run bomb by Troy O'Leary off A's starter Cory Lidle. Martinez dazzled for 7 innings but the Sox bullpen almost blew it. Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in the eighth and Rich Garces gave up one in the ninth to pull the A's within a run. Rod Beck slammed the door to earn the save but the A's scared the bejesus out of the Sox, falling just short 5-4 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                      Tommy Callahan says it all

Lidle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Trot Nixon led off with a ground out to first to start. Jose Offerman struck out swinging on a splitter in the dirt but Carl Everett was plunked. Manny Ramirez lined a base hit to right that moved Offerman to third and took second on the throw for a credited double. Troy O'Leary walked to load the bases but Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon dumped a base hit to left to start. Frank Menechino popped up to second and Jason Giambi grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second and Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short on a nice play by Miguel Tejada to start. Chris Stynes grounded back to the mound and Mike Lansing grounded out to third to end the inning. Olmedo Saenz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Terrance Long grounded out to short. Jeremy Giambi singled in the hole at short and a wild pitch moved him to second. Tejada lined a broken bat liner to Stynes to end the inning.

Nixon led off the top of the third by striking out on a nasty change to start. Offerman grounded out to first but Everett walked. Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro cruised in the bottom of the third as Chavez grounded out to third to start. Hernandez popped up to third and Damon flied out to left to end the inning.

Lidle cruised in the top of the fourth as O'Leary grounded out to first to start. Varitek grounded back to the mound and Hillenbrand flied out to left to end the inning. Martinez matched Lidle in the bottom of the fourth as ESPN Sunday Night baseball analyst Jon Miller said he signed up for the MLB package to listen to games on the radio for $9.99 a month. Joe Morgan his co-host was unimpressed much to the delight of Miller. Menechino hit a looper to left that O'Leary made a nice running catch to grab before Jason Giambi grounded out to second and Saenz took strike three on the inside corner to end the inning.

                                                     Morgan & Miller having a laugh

The Sox exploded in the top of the fifth inning as Stynes dumped a base hit to left to start. Stynes swiped second, Lansing walked and Chris moved to third on the fly ball to right by Nixon. Offerman launched his third home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Everett grounded out to short but Ramirez walked. O'Leary blasted his second home run of the season to increase the lead but Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox suddenly had a 5-0 lead.

                                                 Offerman and O'Leary go yard

More than enough cushion for Pedro in the bottom of the fifth as Long flied out to right to start. Jeremy Giambi grounded out to first and Tejada struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Hillenbrand beat out a chopper to third to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on a grounder to short by Stynes. ESPN showed a graphic of how the Red Sox have the best pitching in the American League as Lansing hit a bullet to Chavez who doubled off Hillenbrand at second to end the inning.

                                                           We're number 1

The A's struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Nixon fell down on a double by Chavez. Everett picked the ball up and threw it into the first base bleachers for an error to allow Chavez to reach third on the error. Hernandez reached on a swinging bunt to Pedro and Chavez scored on the double play Damon grounded into. Pedro blew away Menechino with a fastball to end the inning with the A's down 5-1.

                                                                Nixon falls down again

Mike Magnante came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Nixon went down swinging to start. Offerman and Everett stroked back to back singles to chase Magnante. Jim Mecir came in and Ramirez struck out swinging. O'Leary went down hacking to end the inning. Pedro returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Jason Giambi popped up to Everett on the first pitch to start. Saenz took strike three and Long struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedro was masterful tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 4 hits.

                                                   Pedro does it again

Varitek doubled to right to start the top of the eighth but Hillenbrand grounded out to third. Stynes popped up to short and Lansing took strike three to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo got tagged in the bottom of the eighth although Jeremy Giambi struck out swinging to start. ESPN showed highlights of Pedro hitting Edgar Martinez with a curveball in last week's game and right on cue Arrojo sent Tejada sprawling with a hit by pitch to the leg. Chavez doubled to the centerfield wall to score Tejada with another run. That was the first run allowed by Arrojo this year and Mario Valdez pinch hit for Hernandez. Chavez stole third and scored on the Valdez grounder to second to cut the lead. That was it for Arrojo as "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch to Damon and got him to ground out to first to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-3.

                                                      Dammit Arrojo

Sal Fasano took over behind the plate, with Valdez in for Damon and Jason Isringhausen now on the mound for the top of the ninth inning. Nixon flied out to right to start but Offerman singled to center. Everett forced Offerman at second and tried to steal a bag. Fasano threw the ball away and Everett took third. Ramirez was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners but O'Leary grounded out to second to end the inning. Garces came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Menechino singled to center to begin. Menechino moved to second on a balk, to third on defensive indifference and scored on the Jason Giambi grounder to first. Sox manager Jimy Williams sent Rod Beck in to get the final two outs and Beck plunked Saenz to put the tying run on. Eric Byrnes pinch ran for Saenz but was forced at second by Long. Beck froze Jeremy Giambi for strike three on the inside the corner to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 5-4.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez. He dominated the A's by allowing 1 run in 7 innings on 4 hits while striking out 6.

                                                    Pedro the Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 3 for 5 with a 3 run home run.

Carl Everett was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a hit by pitch.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rod Beck earned the save by getting the final two outs in the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4.

Chris Stynes was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and scored a run.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Last year the Red Sox bullpen was one of their strengths but this year its been pretty shaky. It doesn't matter who pitches the ninth, no one has been able to do it consistently. Derek Lowe, Beck and now Rich Garces have faltered. Of the 12 losses the Sox have, 6 of them have come via the bullpen. Pedro, Hideo Nomo and Paxton Crawford can only do what they can but the bullpen must be able to finish the games. The Sox got lucky this time but won't get so lucky in the future if this keeps up. The Sox got all their runs in one inning but it just happened to be enough. Its good to see O'Leary and Offerman show some pop since Ramirez and Everett can't be the only ones who can hit the longball. The A's and Mariners are good teams so the Sox need to make a statement by taking the majority of these games if they have any hope for October baseball this year. The win improved the Sox to 19-12, tied for first place with the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now return to Boston for a revenge series against the Seattle Mariners beginning on Tuesday night. Hideo Nomo (3-2) looks to keep the momentum going against old friend Jamie Moyer of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.