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

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

                                                          Sax approves of the win

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

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

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

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

                                                  Pedro drops the ball

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

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

                                                    Hillenbrand with a triple

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

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

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

                                                    Damon scored a run

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

                                                               Pedro gets it done

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

                                                          Sox win

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

                                                            Hero Pedro

The Good:

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

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

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

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Ricky Henderson was just 1 for 4.

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

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rout Jays Behind Hillenbrand (4/16/02)

Everything's going right for the Boston Red Sox as they continued to roll against the Toronto Blue Jays. After taking 3 out of 4 from the Yankees, the Sox made mincemeat out of the Jays pounding out 14 hits and 14 runs. Shea Hillenbrand led the charge with a 3 run home run in the third to give the Sox a commanding lead. Frank Castillo (1-0, 2.00 ERA) earned his first win of the season with 6 solid innings allowing just a home run to Vernon Wells. Manny Ramirez also homered and a hit parade put the game out of reach. Rolando Arrojo allowed two unearned runs in relief but still slammed the door as the Sox took the game 14-3 at the Skydome.

                                                       Robert Ulrich (RIP) approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Toronto starter Brandon Lyon in the top of the first inning as Johnny Damon took strike three to start. Hillenbrand doubled to left and took third on a wild pitch before scoring on the Nomar Garciaparra grounder to short to put Boston on top. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Nomar drives in a run

Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Shannon Stewart grounded out to third to start. Eric Hinske walked but Raul Mondesi banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second as Tony Clark grounded out to second to start. Brian Daubach and Jason Varitek both grounded out to first to end the inning. Carlos Delgado was rung up for strike three to start the bottom of the second before Jose Cruz Jr popped up to third in foul territory. Darrin Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                             Castillo gets Delgado

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Trot Nixon singled to left to start. Nixon swiped second and moved to third on the Rey Sanchez base hit to left. Damon ripped a base hit to left to score Nixon and Hillenbrand capped the rally with a three run home run. Garciaparra grounded out to second but Manny got a base hit to left. Ramirez was forced at second by Clark and Daubach popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                 Hillenbrand goes yard

The Jays tagged Castillo in the bottom of the third as Vernon Wells pounded a home run all the way to Calgary to start. Homer Bush and Felipe Lopez both grounded out to first but Stewart singled in the hole at second. Hinske took strike three to end the inning with the Jays down 5-1.

                                                               Wells hits one out

Varitek flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Nixon watched strike three go by. Sanchez lined out to center to end the inning. Mondesi grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Delgado grounded out to short. Cruz Jr singled to right but Fletcher popped up to third to end the inning.

Damon flied out to right to start the top of the fifth before Hillenbrand grounded out to short. Nomar popped up to second to end the inning. Wells flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Bush lined out to center. Lopez grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Ramirez hit his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Clark popped up to third in foul territory before Daubach and Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                                  Ramirez drives in a run

Castillo returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hinske struck out swinging and Mondesi grounded out to third to end the inning. Castillo tossed 6 innings and allowed just 1 run on the home run to Wells. He was pretty good.

                                                              Great effort by Frank

The Sox exploded in the top of the seventh with Justin Miller on the mound. Nixon walk and Sanchez singled to left before both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Damon. Hillenbrand hit a routine grounder to Hinske who booted it for an error to score both runners. Nomar doubled to left to score Shea and took third on a wild pitch. Ramirez walked to put runners at the corners and Clark beat out a double play ball to score Hillenbrand with another run. Daubach flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.

                                                               Rookie mistake by Hinske

Rolando Arrojo came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Delgado took strike three to start. Cruz singled in the hole at short and Fletcher walked but Wells struck out swinging. Bush grounded back to the mound but Arrojo threw the ball away allowing Cruz to score. Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 10-2.

                                                                Cruz scores a run

Feliz Heredia came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Varitek got a base hit to left to start. Nixon struck out swinging and Sanchez banged into a double play to end the inning. Lou Merloni came in for Nomar and Carlos Baerga came in for Hillenbrand to start the bottom of the eighth and Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hinske grounded out to first and Mondesi flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the ninth against Bob File as Damon got a base hit to center to start. Baerga singled to right and Merloni singled to left to load the bases. Ramirez pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Damon and Baerga and Clark grounded out to second to score Merloni. Manny moved to third on the play and he scored on the grounder to third by Daubach. Varitek flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 14-2.

                                                                 Damon starts a rally

Arrojo came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Delgado was hit with a pitch to start. Cruz hit a grounder to the mound but Rolando's throw to second was off-line for an error to move Delgado to third. Fletcher grounded into a double play to score Delgado but Wells lined out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 14-3.

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His 3 run home run gave the Sox a commanding lead they wouldn't relinquish.

                                                                Shea Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Carlos Baerga singled and scored in his only at-bat.

Lou Merloni singled and scored in his only at-bat.

Manny Ramirez was 3 for 4 with a walk, 3 total rbis, two total runs scored and a home run.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Frank Castillo got the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and walked 1

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Tony Clark was 0 for 5 but drove in 2 runs.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 5.

Rolando Arrojo got the save by tossing 3 innings but allowed 2 unearned runs on his two errors.

Final Thoughts:

Another good win and the Sox definitely avoided a hangover after beating the Yankees three out of four games. Castillo stepped up and pitched a hell of a game and the Sox bats turned it on. Hillenbrand and Ramirez drove in some key runs when it was still a game and it became a laugher in later innings. Not much you can say about a blowout like this other than its always fun to see the team win easy and not have to worry about the game. Arrojo threw the ball all over the field but he saved the rest of the bullpen tomorrow and beyond. If only Tony Clark could get going this offense would be deadly with Baerga and Rickey Henderson coming off the bench. Beating the Jays in a blowout was great but hopefully they can save some of that offense for tomorrow's game. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Jays tomorrow night when Darren Oliver (2-0, 3.14 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Scott Eyre of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

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

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

                                                    Margaret Okayo approves of the win

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

                                                  Nomar gets the party started

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

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

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

                                                       Posada beats it out

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

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

                                             Kraft cheers on the Sox rally

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

                                        Dustin Hermanson checking out the game

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

                                                       Lowe gets it done

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

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

                                                        Dammit Garces

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

                                                       The Urbina fist pump

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

                                                    Hero Lowe

The Good:

Rickey Henderson was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Johnny Damon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

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

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

The Bad:

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



The Ugly:

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

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

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rally Past Yankees (4/13/02)

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

                                                        Anka Romensky approves of the win

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

                                                     Bad throw by Sanchez

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

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

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

                                       "HOWWW DAREEEEE YOUUUUUUU!!!!" - JT

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

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

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

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

                                          "There there Pedro, its okay" - Little

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

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

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

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

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

                                                   Rivera can't believe it

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

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

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

                                                 Hero Hillenbrand

The Good:

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

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

Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

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

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

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

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

The Ugly:

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                              The Rock & Hulk Hogan approve of the win

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

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

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

                                                    "You're out you dummy!" - Jeter

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

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

                         Sox strike first

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

                                                               Oliver gets it done

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

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

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

                            Garces is pumped up

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

                                                          Merloni with a clutch double

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

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

                                                     Oliver The Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

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

Carlos Baerga was 2 for 3.

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

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Rich Garces struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

The Ugly:

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Royals Stun Sox In Ninth (4/11/02)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed for their fifth victory in their first seven games of the season. Then in one inning the Kansas City Royals stunned the Sox with a monumental ninth inning comeback. The Sox broke out to a 4-1 lead after the second inning but the Royals tied the game against Boston starter Frank Castillo and reliever Rolando Arrojo. A Johnny Damon rbi triple in the bottom of the eighth seemed to put the game away. Ugueth Urbina (0-2, 8.31 ERA) got shelled for 4 runs and Carlos Beltran hit the killshot with a two run double off Willie Banks. What shuld have been a 5-4 victory turned into a bitter 8-5 defeat by the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                         "Dammit Urbina!"

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chuck Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Castillo snuffed out a Neifi Perez bunt attempt but Carlos Beltran doubled to left. Mike Sweeney walked but Michael Tucker grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally against Royals starter Chad Durbin in the bottom of the first as Johnny Damon grounded out to first to start. Shea Hillenbrand took strike three but Nomar Garciaparra walked. Manny Ramirez walked and Durbin threw a pickoff threw away allowing both runners to move up. Tony Clark walked to load the bases but Brian Daubach took strike three to end the inning.

The Royals struck first in the top of the second although Joe Randa grounded out to second to start. Raul Ibanez hit a home run all the way to St. Louis to put KC on top. AJ Hinch grounded out to third but Luis Alicea walked. Knoblauch struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                            Ibanez hits one out

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The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek singled to left to begin. Trot Nixon singled to right and Rey Sanchez doubled to center to score Varitek. Damon grounded out to first to score Nixon and move Sanchez to third before Hillenbrand capped the rally with a 2 run home run into the screen. Garciaparra flied out to center and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                               Hillenbrand with a home run

Perez flied out to left to start the top of the third before Beltran's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Castillo. Sweeney popped up to short to end the inning. Clark grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the third before Daubach struck out swinging. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning.

Tucker went down hacking to start the top of the fourth before Randa was frozen for strike three. Ibanez flied out to center to end the inning. Nixon flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Sanchez singled to center. Damon walked and the duo pulled off a double steal, but Hillenbrand struck out swinging. Nomar popped up to right to end the inning.

Hinch flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Alicea lined out to second. Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning. Blake Stein took over for Durbin in the bottom of the fifth and Ramirez flied out to right to start. Knoblauch dropped a pop-up by Clark for an error and Daubach walked. Varitek popped up to short and Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals struck back in the top of the sixth inning although Perez flied out to right to start. Beltran waked and Sweeney ripped a base hit to left. Ramirez picked the ball up and threw it into the Royals bullpen for an error to move the runners over. Tucker grounded out to second to score Beltran but Randa grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals down 4-2. That was it for Castillo who tossed 6 innings and allowed just two runs. If only the bullpen could have held the lead.

                                                       Six solid innings from Castillo

Sanchez flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth before Damon popped up to short. Hillenbrand walked but Nomar flied out to center to end the inning.

Rolando Arrojo came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the seventh as Ibanez walked to start. Hinch was hit with a pitch and Alicea caught the sleep with a bunt single to third to load the bases. Knoblauch grounded out to short to score Ibanez and Perez flied out to center to score Hinch who had moved to third on the grounder. Beltran grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                              Arrojo blows the lead

Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Clark grounded into a double play. Daubach struck out swinging to earn the hat trick to end the inning. 

Casey Fossum came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Sweeney popped up to right to start. Tucker grounded out to first and Randa grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox took command against Jason Grimsley in the bottom of the eighth as Varitek flied out to left to start. Nixon grounded out to short but Sanchez singled to left. Grimsley threw the pickoff throw away but Damon tripled into the right field corner to put the Sox on top. Hillenbrand took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 5-4.

                                                             Damon with an rbi triple

Ugueth Urbina came in to crap his pants in the top of the ninth as Ibanez singled to center to start. Old friend Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Ibanez and promptly stole second. Hinch walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Alicea grounded out to second to score Sadler to tie the game and move Hinch to third. Knoblauch doubled to left to score Hinch to give the Royals the lead and Perez walked to chase the incompetent Urbina. Willie Banks came in and a passed ball moved Perez to second and Beltran iced the game with a two run double to center. Another passed ball moved Sweeney to third but Sweeney and Tucker both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Royals had taken the lead 8-4.

                                                                 Sadler's revenge

Carlos Febles took over at second to start the bottom of the ninth and Nomar walked to start. Ramirez flied out to center, Clark struck out swinging and Daubach went down hacking to earn the golden sombrero to end the game. The Royals had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. He got shelled in the ninth inning to give away the game.

                                                               Urbina The Jackass

The Good:

Rey Sanchez was 3 for 4 with a stolen base, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Frank Castillo pitched six solid innings and allowed just 2 runs.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked, stole a base, walked and drove in 2 runs.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but walked.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Willie Banks allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a boot to the head. It looked like the Sox had them when Damon tripled home Sanchez but Urbina couldn't get the job done. After what the Sox went through last year with Derek Lowe, the LAST thing they need is the guy they traded the career of Tomo Ohka away for to turn into the next Lowe. Hopefully its just early season jitters because the Sox are going to need Urbina to match the bullpens of other teams in the league. The offense was fine for the most part but one bad inning by Arrojo and one terrible inning from Urbina sealed their fate. It sucks for Castillo who's pitched well in two straight games but has nothing to show for it. Still, its only one loss and the Sox have plenty more action to come this season. The Sox better get their gamefaces on because the current four-peat American League Champion New York Yankees come to town for a four game set. Darren Oliver gets the spot start tomorrow night to take the place of Dustin Hermanson against Orlando Hernandez of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.