White Sox Shut Down Red Sox (7/28/01)

That sucked. In a game the Boston Red Sox had to have to keep pace with the New York Yankees, instead they drop a turd against the now .500 Chicago White Sox. Tim Wakefield (6-6, 3.38 ERA) was game but Mark Buehrle was better. A clutch double by Magglio Ordonez was the difference in the game as the White Sox bullpen slammed the door on the 3-1 victory by the ChiSox at Fenway Park.

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and Ray Durham whiffed to begin. Aaron Rowand walked but Carlos Lee popped up to third. Ordonez popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox got their only run in the bottom of the first against Buehrle. Jose Offerman and Chris Stynes drew back to back walks before a Trot Nixon flyout moved Offerman to third. Ramirez scored Jose with a sac fly to give the BoSox the lead. Dante Bichette grounded into a force to end the inning with the Bosox ahead 1-0.

                                                                 Manny drives in a run

Jose Canseco flied out to center to start the top of the second before Paul Konerko looked at strike three. Herbert Perry lined out to third to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the second as Carl Everett lined out to left to start. Mike Lansing singled to right and took second on a balk. Shea Hillenbrand popped up to third and Scott Hatteberg popped up to second to end the inning.

Sandy Alomar drew a walk to begin the top of the third but Wakefield struck out Royce Clayton. Durham singled to center but Rowand banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to blow it open in the bottom of the third as Offerman popped up to second to begin. Stynes singled to left but Nixon whiffed. Ramirez walked but Bichette whiffed to end the inning.

The White Sox threatened in the top of the fourth although Lee whiffed to start. Ordonez doubled to left then swiped third before Canseco walked to put runners at the corners. Konerko popped up to second but Perry was plunked to load the bases. Alomar grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Everett flied out to center to start. Lansing grounded out to second and Hatteberg grounded out to third to end the inning.

The White Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Clayton flied out to left to begin. Durham grounded out to second but Rowand singled. Rowand took second on a passed ball and Lee singled him home. Ordonez doubled and Canseco walked to load the bases but Konerko whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The BoSox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Hatteberg lined back to Buehrle to start. Offerman flied out to right but Stynes doubled down the right field line. Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning.

Wakefield cruised in the top of the sixth as Perry and Alomar both flied out to left. Clayton flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox threatened again in the bottom of the sixth as Ramirez singled and Bichette walked but Everett popped up to second. Lansing banged into a double play to end the inning.

The ChiSox took command in the top of the seventh as Durham walked to start. Durham was erased on the force by Rowand before Rowand swiped second.  Lee tripled home Rowand to put Chicago on top and chase Wakefield. "El Guapo" Rich Garces replaced Wakefield and Ordonez doubled home Lee to ice the game. Canseco flied out to left and Konerko whiffed to end the inning but the White Sox were up for good 3-1.

                                                          Ordonez with the backbreaker

The BoSox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Hillenbrand lined out to third to begin. Hatteberg lined out to center and Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Garces returned for the top of the eighth and Perry singled to right to start. Perry moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Alomar but Clayton grounded out to third. Durham grounded out to first to end the inning. Stynes singled to start the bottom of the eighth and Nixon sacrificed him to second to chase Buehrle. Bob Howry was brought in to pitch to Manny and Ramirez walked to put the tying run on. Bichette grounded out to third and closer Keith Foulke came in for the four out save. With the game on the line...Everett whiffed to end the inning.

23 year old rookie Casey Fossum made his major league debut in the top of the ninth and Rowand grounded out to short to begin. Lee singled to right but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Ordonez grounded out to second to end the inning. Chris Singleton took Lee's spot in the batting order but was in left with Rowand moving to center to start the bottom of the ninth. Brian Daubach pinch hit for Lansing but grounded out to first. Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Hillenbrand but whiffed. Hatteberg popped up to short to end the inning. The ChiSox had won it 3-1.

Jackass of the Night is Carl Everett. He was 0 for 4 at the plate including the big strikeout to end the 8th inning rally.

                                                         Everett is a Jackass

The Good:

Chris Stynes was 3 for 3 with a walk.

Manny Ramirez walked 3 times and drove in a run.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 3.

Rich Garces tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless 9th inning in his major league debut.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Troy O'Leary struck out as a pinch hitter.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4.

Tim Wakefield took the loss but pitched reasonably well. He went 6 1/3 innings and was charged with 3 runs. The 5 walks killed him in the end.

Final Thoughts:

The BoSox are in trouble if they keep losing games to inferior teams while the New York Yankees continue to win. They only mustered 5 hits and a single run against Mark Buehrle but Keith Foulke owned them in the final four outs. The Sox had their chances to do some damage but couldn't get any hits with men in scoring position. Not having Jason Varitek hurts because both Doug Mirabelli and Hatteberg are backup catchers so offense has been hard to come by once the Sox get to the bottom of the order. If only Everett was hitting like he was last year, the Sox would still be in first place. The word on the street is the Sox are looking for a closer since Derek Lowe has been garbage this season. The Sox have 3 days to find one before the season gets out of hand. The less said of this worthless defeat, the better. The good news is Nomar Garciaparra makes his season debut tomorrow. The loss dropped the BoSox to 59-44, 3.5 games behind the surging Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in the rubber game of this series tomorrow afternoon when David Cone goes up against Sean Lowe of the ChiSox at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park. Help us Nomar!

Varitek, Castillo Smash Royals (5/20/21)

Jason Varitek revealed last year he was playing virtually the whole season for the Boston Red Sox with a bad wrist which is why he hit just .248 and 10 home runs. He had off-season surgery to fix it and apparently it transformed him into Carlton Fisk for a day. Varitek hit not one, not two but THREE home runs against the Kansas City Royals and drove in 7 runs to outscore the Royals by himself. On the other side of the ball, Frank Castillo (5-2, 3.64 ERA) tossed 6 innings and allowed just an unearned run to keep the Sox comfortably ahead. Manny Ramirez and Carl Everett also joined the homer parade while the tag team of "El Guapo" Rich Garces and Hipolito Pichardo slammed the door on the Royals. It all added up to a 10-3 Boston win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                       Chris Herren approves of the win

Brian Meadows got the start for Kansas City and Trot Nixon led off the top of the first with a base hit to right. Jose Offerman hit a seeing eye single in the hole at second and both runners advanced on the Carl Everett fly out to center. Manny Ramirez was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Dante Bichette banged into a double play to end the inning. The Royals wasted no time scoring on Frank Castillo in the bottom of the first although Carlos Beltran flied out to left to start. Rey Sanchez grounded out to short but Mike Sweeney dumped a base hit to left. Somehow Bichette managed to kick the ball out of the park for an error and Joe Randa doubled Sweeney home to give the Royals the lead. Dee Brown struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.

                                                       Dammit Dante

The Sox got the run back in the top of the second although Brian Daubach flied out to left. Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short but Jason Varitek smacked his third home run of the season to tie the game. Mike Lansing grounded out to second to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                   Varitek ties it up

Castillo settled down in the bottom of the second as Mark Quinn grounded out to third to start. Raul Ibanez flied out to center and old friend Luis Alicea lined out to short to end the inning. 

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Nixon grounded out to first to start. Offerman flied out to left and Everett struck out swinging to end the inning. Hector Ortiz singled to right to begin the bottom of the third but was forced at second by Beltran. Sanchez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Beltran to second but Sweeney struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the fourth as Ramirez smashed his 15th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Bichette doubled to left and Daubach walked, but Hillenbrand forced Brian at second to put runners at the corners. Varitek then smashed a three run bomb to increase the lead. That was it for Meadows as Jose Santiago came in to strike out Mike Lansing swinging. Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 5-1 Red Sox.

                                                        Ramirez puts the Sox on top

Randa popped up to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Brown singled to right. Quinn doubled to left but Ibanez popped up to left. Alicea struck out swinging to end the inning.

Offerman flied out to left to start the top of the fifth before Everett grounded out to second. Ramirez doubled to left but Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning. Ortiz popped up to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Beltran popped up to short. Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Boston poured it on in the top of the sixth as Daubach doubled to left to begin. Hillenbrand singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners and the red hot Varitek ripped a base hit to center to score Daubach. Lansing beat out a double play ball and Nixon hit a sac fly to left to score Shea with another run. Offerman grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox led 7-1.

                                                               Sac fly for Nixon

Castillo returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Sweeney doubled to right to start. Randa flied out to right and Sweeney moved to third on the grounder to second by Brown. Quinn flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Castillo who allowed just an unearned run in 6 solid innings and 93 pitches.

                                                         Castillo gets it done

Mac Suzuki came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Everett flied out to right to start. Ramirez struck out swinging and Bichette grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Darren Lewis took over in left for Bichette and "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Ibanez popped up to second, Alicea grounded out to first and Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth as Daubach grounded out to first to start. Hillenbrand singled up the middle and Varitek plastered his third home run of the day to increase the lead. Lansing popped up to first in foul territory but Nixon walked. Nixon took second on a wild pitch but Offerman popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.

                      Varitek does it again

The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the eighth although Beltran grounded back to the mound to begin. Sanchez tripled into the centerfield gap and scored on the Sweeney grounder to second. Randa singled to right but Brown hit a routine grounder to Offerman. Jose threw his glove at the ball and dropped an elbow on the glove for an error. Quinn popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning but the Royals were down 9-2.

                                                                   Sanchez with a triple

The Sox got that run right back when Everett pounded his fifth home run of the season to open the top of the ninth. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Ramirez and took strike three. Lewis grounded out to short and Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 10-2.

                                                                Everett jacks one out

Hipolito Pichardo came in to finish the game in the bottom of the ninth and Ibanez hit a grounder to Offerman who dove on the ball and swam on it for an error. Alicea popped up to third and David McCarty pinch hit for Ortiz. McCarty walked and both runners moved over on a wild pitch before Ibanez scored on the sac fly to right by Beltran. Sanchez grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-3.

Hero of the Night is Jason Varitek. He went 4 for 4 with 7 rbis and 3 home runs.

                                                             Hero Varitek

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

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

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored.

Frank Castillo allowed an unearned run in 6 innings to get the win. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 3.

The Bad:

Scott Hatteberg struck out as a pinch hitter.

Darren Lewis was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with 2 errors.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but scored a run.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Rich Garces allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Hipolito Pichardo allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Big game by Varitek and the Sox definitely needed the win with the New York Yankees on the horizon. If Varitek is back to where he was in 1999 this offense is going to be deadly when Nomar Garciaparra returns. Nixon, Offerman, Nomar, Ramirez, Everett, Bichette, Varitek, Daubach and Hillenbrand would make even the Yankees pitchers afraid. Its only one game but if Varitek says he's healed, that's only good news. The even better news was Castillo dominating on the other side of the ball. The Sox finally have some pitchers to go with Pedro Martinez in Hideo Nomo and Castillo. If Tomo Ohka and Paxton Crawford can develop, this could be a playoff contending team in a few months. All in all it was a feel good win and hopefully more are on the way as we head to the end of May. The win improved the Sox to 25-18, 1.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox travel to New York to take on the damned Yankees on Tuesday night. David Cone gets the start for the Sox against Andy Pettite of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 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.

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

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

                                                  "Hello operator? This sucks!"

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

                                                             Ramirez drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                                 Valentin scores a run

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

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

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

                                                              Guzman ties it up

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

                                                                 Wakefield does a good job

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

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

                                                       Buchanan puts the Twins ahead

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

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

                                                   Schourek The Jackass

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

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

Hipolito Pichardo tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Lou Merloni was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Troy O'Leary struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                                        Dammit

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

                                                           Damon starts the rally

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

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

                                                        Crawford sucks again

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

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

                                                     Hatteberg drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                          Ramirez brings the Sox close

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

                                                          Long drives in a run

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

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

                                                           Giambi drives in a run

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

                                                     O'Leary ties the game

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

                                                      Bellhorn puts the A's on top

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

                                           "He scored first, dammit!" - Gene Lamont

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

                                                           Everett the Jackass

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

Scott Hatteberg was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Tim Wakefield tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jason Varitek struck out as a pinch hitter.

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

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

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

Rod Beck allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

Lou Merloni played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

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

Ohka Pounded, Mariners Take Series (5/10/01)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an expected roster move. Chris Stynes was placed on the Disabled List with a fractured cheekbone and Lou Merloni was called up to replace him. Its a shame Stynes got hurt because he was playing well when he took the fastball to the face. Thanks a lot Aaron Sele!

                                                                        OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the Seattle Mariners are damn good this year and the Boston Red Sox found out why big time. Timely hitting by the Seattle offense and a shut down bullpen were too much for the Red Sox today. Tomo Ohka (2-2, 3.57 ERA) was game but John Halama of the Mariners was better. Sox manager Jimy Williams rode Ohka too long and it paved the way for the 5-2 victory by the Mariners at Fenway Park.

                                                    Sox fans react

Ohka got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ichiro Suzuki led off with a fly out to left to begin. Stan Javier grounded out to short but Edgar Martinez walked. John Olerud grounded out to short to end the inning. Halama got the start for Seattle and Darren Lewis led off the bottom of the first with a groundout to third. Jose Offerman flied out to right and Carl Everett whiffed to end the inning.

Ohka cruised in the top of the second inning as Bret Boone flied out to right, Al Martin grounded out to second and David Bell flied out to left to end the inning. Manny Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the second but Dante Bichette banged into a double play. Jason Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ohka whiffed Dan Wilson to begin the top of the third but Carlos Guillen singled to right. Guillen was erased on the Ichiro force and Javier grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a huge chance to take the lead in the bottom of the third after John Valentin doubled to start. Shea Hillenbrand beat out an infield single to short but Valentin had to stay at second. Lansing dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but Lewis killed the rally with a pop up to short. Offerman grounded out to short to end the inning. What a waste.

The Mariners did nothing in the top of the fourth inning as Martinez looked at strike three to start. Olerud grounded out to first and Boone grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox also did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Everett whiffed to start. Ramirez flied out to right and Bichette hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Seattle struck first in the top of the fifth inning as Martin singled to start. Bell whiffed and Wilson flied out to right but Guillen singled into the gap. Martin came all the way around and Varitek applied the tag....SAFE! Martin was ruled safe at the plate and Varitek went berserk. He threw the baseball into the fourth row and chucked his mask at home plate umpire Mark Wegner. Varitek got the heave-ho and had to be escorted out of Fenway by armed mounted police officers. Guillen took second on the throw as the Mariners took the lead. Scott Hatteberg took Varitek's place at the dish and Ichiro singled home Guillen. Ichiro swiped second but Javier grounded out to second to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-0.

                                                      YERRRRRR OUT!!

The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the fifth although Hatteberg grounded out to short to start. Valentin walked and Hillenbrand hit a routine grounder to Boone...WHO THREW IT AWAY! Both runners moved into scoring position as Valentin scored on the sac fly by Lansing to cut the lead. Lewis looked at strike three to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 2-1.

                                                         Valentin scores a run

Sox manager Jimy Williams gambled by sending Ohka back out for the top of the sixth and it backfired. Martinez clubbed a 3,000 foot home run to give the Mariners the two run lead back before Olerud singled. Boone atoned for his error by launching a 200,000 foot home run to ice the game and chase Ohka. Tomo did well but fell apart in the 6th, allowing 5 runs in 5 plus innings. Derek Lowe came in to put out the fire and Martin lined out to center. Bell grounded out to third before Wilson singled. Guillen grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-1.

                                                       Ohka ran out of gas

The Sox did manage to strike back in the bottom of the 6th as Offerman doubled to start. Everett flied out to center to move Offerman to third as that was it for Halama. Jeff Nelson came in and all Ramirez could do was ground out to score Offerman with a run to cut the lead. Bichette grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                       Ramirez drives in a run

Lowe returned for the top of the seventh and got Ichiro to ground out to short to begin. Javier walked and moved to second on the Martinez ground out. Olerud was intentionally walked to get to Boone who flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox pissed away a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Hatteberg singled and Valentin walked to bring the tying run to the plate...but Hillenbrand whiffed. Norm Charlton was brought in to pitch as Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by bringing in Brian Daubach to pinch hit for Lansing much to Mike's dismay. Daubach whiffed and Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning, what a waste.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the eighth and he whiffed Martin to start. Bell struck out swinging before Wilson grounded out to second to end the inning. Charles Gipson came in for Martin for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox went quietly. Offerman whiffed, Everett lined out to second and Ramirez flied out to left to end the inning.

Rod Beck came in to pitch the top of the ninth and got three straight flyball outs. Guillen flied out to center while both Ichiro and Javier flied out to left to end the inning. Kazuhiro Sasaki came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bichette doubled to start. Hatteberg grounded out to short but Dante moved to third. Valentin popped up to short and Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the game. The Mariners had held on to win 5-2.

Jackass of the Night is Tomo Ohka. He got knocked out in the 6th inning while allowing 5 runs on 5 hits and a walk.

                                                       Jackass Tomo

The Good:

Scott Hatteberg was 1 for 3.

John Valentin was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Mike Lansing sacrificed twice and drove in a run.

Derek Lowe pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Tim Wakefield pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 4 with a strikeout

Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 1 before getting ejected.

Brian Daubach struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

The Mariners are off to a hot start and the Sox got caught up in the blaze. The Mariners are pitching, hitting and defending well and today was no different. The Sox couldn't get that clutch hit to put them in the game and Ohka pitched well until he ran out of gas. The Sox are going to need to find a way to beat the Mariners because they look for real this year. Getting Nomar Garciaparra, David Cone and Chris Stynes back healthy is a must going forward. The Mariners have won 4 of 6 against the Sox but the good news is they don't have to play each other again. The loss knocked the Sox out of first place as they are now 20-15 on the season, 0.5 games back of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the visiting Oakland A's. Paxton Crawford (3-1) fresh off beating Barry Zito goes for the Sox up against Cory Lidle of the A's tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.