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

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

                                                      Tommy Callahan says it all

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

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

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

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

                                                     Morgan & Miller having a laugh

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

                                                 Offerman and O'Leary go yard

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

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

                                                           We're number 1

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

                                                                Nixon falls down again

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

                                                   Pedro does it again

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

                                                      Dammit Arrojo

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

                                                               Sox win

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

                                                    Pedro the Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

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

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

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

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

The Ugly:

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

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4.

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Crawford Outduels Zito, Sox Beat A's (5/5/01)

In a battle of second year pitchers between 22 year old Barry Zito of the Oakland A's and 23 year old Paxton Crawford (3-0, 3.94 ERA) of the Boston Red Sox, it was Crawford and the Sox that came out on top. Crawford tossed 6 solid innings, allowing just 1 run to the powerful A's offense while the Red Sox bats took their frustrations out on Zito. Chris Stynes led the charge on offense with a home run and knocking in two total runs. Jose Offerman also hit a home run and the Sox as a team belted 14 hits, 4 of them from Manny Ramirez. After Crawford left, Tim Wakefield and Rolando Arrojo slammed the door as the Red Sox defeated the A's 7-1 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                            Luc Robitaille approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Zito in the top of the first inning and Chris Stynes struck out looking to start. Jose Offerman walked and Carl Everett singled to right, but Manny Ramirez popped up to short. Dante Bichette lashed a base hit to right to score Offerman to put the Sox on the board. Jason Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                          Bichette drives in a run

Crawford showed some balls to get out of a first inning jam in the bottom of the first although Johnny Damon flied out to center to start. Frank Menechino singled to right and Jason Giambi doubled him to third. Terrance Long struck out swinging but Olmedo Saenz was plunked to load the bases. Crawford got a big out when he got Jeremy Giambi to strike out swinging to end the inning.

Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Mike Lansing grounded out to third. Darren Lewis popped up to short to end the inning. Miguel Tejada grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the second before Eric Chavez grounded out to second. Ramon Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third when Stynes struck his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Offerman flied out to center and Everett struck out swinging but Ramirez got a single to center. Bichette lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                            Home run Stynes

Damon flied out to left to begin the bottom of the third before Menechino lined out to left. Giambi flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox broke the game open in the top of the fourth although Varitek hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Hillenbrand tripled into the right field corner but Lansing grounded out to third. Lewis doubled home Hillenbrand and Stynes doubled home Hillenbrand to increase the lead. Offerman got a base hit to left to score Stynes and Everett flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                                   Lewis drives in a run

Long grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the fourth and Saenz popped up to first in foul territory. Jeremy Giambi singled to right but Tejada flied out to center to end the inning.

The submarine pitcher Chad Bradford came in for Zito in the top of the fifth and Ramirez got a base hit to center to begin. Bradford then struck out Bichette, Varitek and Hillenbrand all swinging to end the inning. Crawford struck out Chavez swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Hernandez flied out to center. Damon singled to left but Menechino grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lansing took strike three to start the top of the sixth and Lewis grounded out to third. Stynes went down hacking to end the inning. The A's finally got to Crawford in the bottom of the sixth although Jason Giambi grounded out to short to start. Long grounded out to second but Saenz walked. Jeremy Giambi singled to left and Tejada singled to center to score Saenz. Crawford managed to get Chavez to pop up to Hillenbrand in foul territory to end the inning. Crawford had allowed just 1 run on 105 pitches in 6 innings of work, leaving with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                               Crawford gets it done

The Sox added to the lead in the top of the seventh when Offerman drilled his second home run of the season to start. Everett grounded out to second but Ramirez singled to right. Bichette struck out swinging but Varitek walked to chase Bradford. TJ Mathews came in and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                             Offerman hits one out

Tim Wakefield came in for the bottom of the seventh with Trot Nixon in for defense for Bichette. Hernandez grounded out to short to start before Damon struck out swinging. Menechino also went down hacking to end the inning.

Lansing doubled to left to begin the top of the eighth and moved to third on the Lewis grounder to short. Stynes hit a routine grounder to short but Tejada threw the ball away, allowing Stynes to score. Old pal Mark Guthrie came in to pitch and struck out both Offerman and Everett swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                                Lansing scores a run

Jason Giambi flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth and Long struck out swinging. Saenz took strike three to end the inning.

Ramirez singled to left to start the top of the ninth but was forced at second by Nixon. Varitek singled to right but Hillenbrand banged into a double play to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Jeremy Giambi grounded out to first to start. Tejada flied out to right and Chavez struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-1.

Hero of the Night is Paxton Crawford. He outdueled Zito to toss 6 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win.

                                                           Hero Crawford

The Good:

Chris Stynes was 2 for 5 a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with a walk, solo home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Manny Ramirez was 4 for 5.

Tim Wakefield tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Rolando Arrojo pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout with a run scored.

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the more impressive wins of the season considering who was pitching. Crawford and Zito are highly touted young pitchers and Crawford was the better man on this day. The Boston bats didn't particularly have a good day individually but they got the hits when they needed, especially with men on base. Stynes and Offerman stepped up with home runs and the A's couldn't get Ramirez out. There is trouble brewing as Everett and Sox manager Jimy Williams had another spat and still aren't getting along. I don't know what Everett's problem is since the Sox are winning and they've been hitting, unlike last year. This feud is overshadowing the fact the Sox are playing well without Nomar Garciaparra and can only get better when he comes back. Arrojo has been pitching well out of the bullpen and the Sox are gonna need that with Derek Lowe and Rod Beck struggling. All in all it was a good win against a good team even if the A's are scuffling right now. The win improved the Sox to 18-12, tied for first place in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays. Tomorrow night Pedro Martinez (3-0) looks to keep the momentum going against Cory Lidle of the A's. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

A's Drop Slumping Sox (5/4/01)

It was bound to happen but the Boston Red Sox have hit their first slump of the season. After dropping 4 out of 5 games to the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners, they came to Oakland and laid an egg against the struggling A's. The Sox took a 3-0 lead on Gil Heredia and the A's when Tomo Ohka got knocked out in the second inning with the A's down 3-2. The A's managed to score 5 runs off the Sox bullpen including the struggling Derek Lowe. Meanwhile the A's bullpen pitched a shutout after the third inning as the Sox lost their third straight game 7-3 at Oakland Coliseum.

The Sox wasted no time getting to Heredia in the top of the first inning as Chris Stynes popped up to first to start. Trot Nixon doubled to center and moved to third on the Carl Everett fly ball to center. Manny Ramirez lined a base hit to right to score Nixon to put Boston on top. Dante Bichette singled to left but Scott Hatteberg lined back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                  Ramirez drives in a run

Ohka got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Johnny Damon lined out to third to start. Frank Menechino struck out swinging but Jason Giambi doubled to left. Terrence Long grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Shea Hillenbrand flied out to left to start the top of the second inning but Brian Daubach grounded out to first. Miguel Tejada threw a ball by Mike Lansing away for an error but Stynes struck out swinging to end the inning. Olmedo Saenz walked to start the bottom of the second but Jeremy Giambi banged into a double play. Tejada flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Nixon doubled to center to start. Everett dropped down a bunt but beat it out for a base hit. Ramirez struck out swinging but Heredia uncorked a wild pitch. Catcher Ramon Hernandez tried to throw out Nixon at third but Eric Chavez muffed the throw, allowing Nixon to score and Everett to move to third. Bichette singled to center to score Everett and increase the lead. Hatteberg flied out to left and Hillenbrand popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Bichette drives in a run

The A's then pounced on Ohka in the bottom of the third as Chavez singled to center to start. Chavez stole second and moved to third on the Hernandez grounder to second. Damon singled to right to score Chavez then stole second himself. Damon took third on the passed ball and Menechino singled left to score Damon. Menechino stole second as it was plainly obvious Ohka wasn't holding runners on at all. Jason Giambi walked and both runners moved over on the Long grounder to first. Saenz walked to load the bases and Sox manager Jimy Williams wisely pulled the plug on Ohka before things could get worse. Ohkla lasted just 2 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs before getting yanked. Derek Lowe came in and struck out Jeremy Giambi swinging with the Sox still ahead 3-2.

                                                           Ohka gets hammered

Heredia cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Daubach grounded out to short to start. Lansing flied out to center and Stynes grounded out to third to end the inning. Tejeda singled to center to begin the bottom of the fourth and moved to second on the Chavez fly ball to left. Tejada swiped third on the swinging strikeout by Hernandez and Damon grounded out to short to end the inning.

Nixon tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth inning as he doubled to center. Everett lined out to left but Ramirez was intentionally walked. Bichette lined out to left and Hatteberg grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The A's rallied in the bottom of the fifth although Menechino struck out swinging to start. Jason Giambi doubled to center and Terrance Long singled to right. Saenz was plunked and that was it for Lowe. Pete Schourek was tasked to get out of the mess but Jeremy Giambi grounded out to second to score his brother to tie the game. Tejada was intentionally walked to re-load the bases but Chavez made the Sox pay with a base hit to right to score Long and Saenz to give the A's the lead. Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-3.

                                                       The Giambi's give the A's the lead

Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the sixth but Daubach walked to chase Heredia. TJ Mathews came in to pitch and Lansing walked to put the tying runs on. Stynes banged into a double play to end the inning. Damon flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Menechino doubled to left. Jason Giambi walked but Long banged into a double play.

Mike Magnante came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Nixon struck out swinging to start. Everett popped up to first and Jeff Tam came in for Magnante. Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning. Rod Beck came in to pour gas on the fire in the bottom of the seventh as Saenz grounded out to third to start. Jeremy Giambi hit a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Hatteberg turned and fired the ball over the unsuspecting Hillenbrand's head at third for an error. Tejada popped up to left but Chavez crushed a 2 run home run all the way to San Jose to ice the game. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's ahead 7-3.

                                                                 Chavez ices it

Bichette singled to center to start the top of the eighth and moved to second on the Hatteberg grounder to second. Daubach popped up to short to end the inning. Beck returned for the bottom of the eighth and Damon grounded out to second to start. Menechino struck out swinging but Jason Giambi was hit with a pitch. Long singled to center but Saenz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Tam returned for the top of the ninth and Jose Offerman pinch hit for Lansing to begin. Offerman grounded out to second and Troy O'Leary pinch hit for Stynes. O'Leary grounded out to first and Nixon flied out to right to end the game. The A's had won it 7-3.

Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. Yes Pete Schourek gave up the hit to Chavez but Lowe was the one who loaded the bases to begin with and was charged with all 3 runs they scored that inning.

                                                         Lowe is Jackass again

The Good:

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Dante Bichette was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Chris Stynes was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Troy O'Leary was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 4.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 4 with an error.

Jose Offerman was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Tomo Ohka got lit up for 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Rod Beck allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 but walked.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 but walked.

Pete Schourek allowed 3 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

The A's are a damn good team and they proved it tonight. The A's pounded every mistake the Sox pitchers made and took advantage of every second chance or clutch hit situation. The A's pitchers shut down the Sox after the third inning and it seemed like as clutch as the A's were, the Sox were the complete opposite. Hatteberg made and error and Chavez hit a 2 run homer. The Sox intentionally walked Tejada to get to Chavez and he hits the go-ahead base hit. Chavez essentially outscored the Red Sox by himself in this one. I don't know what happened to Ohka but as good as he looked in April, he was pretty bad today. The Bullpen had to toss almost 6 full innings and naturally they allowed 5 runs/ Suddenly the strength of the team that started out 12-4 has become a weakness if the pitching falls apart. Once again Lowe was charged with a loss even though Schourek couldn't limit the damage. It doesn't matter where they bring Lowe in, he just gives up runs. If the Sox rotation falters and they don't have a closer, expect the New York Yankees to leapfrog them pretty soon. The loss dropped the Sox to 17-12, a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound when Paxton Crawford (2-0) takes on Barry Zito of the A's tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 4:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Mariners Crush Sox in Seattle (5/3/01)

If you weren't a believer before the series, you should be now when it comes to the Seattle Mariners. They are definitely for real. The Mariners have the best record in baseball and completely smacked around the Boston Red Sox in not only this game but this series. It took a tremendous effort from Pedro Martinez to keep the Sox from getting swept out of Seattle. Frank Castillo (3-2, 4.50 ERA) got knocked around by the Mariners for 5 runs before being lifted in the fifth inning. Tim Wakefield and Rich Garces also got smacked around by the relentless Mariners attack that pounded out 11 hits and 10 runs. The Sox offense were held down by old friend Jamie Moyer and when the dust settled, the Mariners had beaten the Red Sox 10-3 at Safeco Field.

                                                   "Those damn Mariners"

Moyer got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman flied out to right to start. Brian Daubach grounded out to second but Carl Everett was hit with a pitch. Manny Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning/ The Mariners jumped on Castillo in the bottom of the first as Ichiro Suzuki doubled to right to start. Ichiro stole third but Mike Cameron grounded back to the mound. Edgar Martinez scored Ichiro with a sac fly to put the Mariners on top, John Olerud then hit a home run all the way to British Columbia to increase the lead. Bret Boone struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-0.

                                                          Olerud hits one out

The Sox did try to rally in the top of the second inning as Dante Bichette caught the Mariners asleep with a bunt single down the third base line to begin. Troy O'Leary singled Bichette to third but Dante could only score on a double play hit by Jason Varitek. Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Lansing stroked back to back base hits but Offerman popped up to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-1.

                                                          Bichette scores a run

Al Martin took strike three to begin the bottom of the second inning before David Bell struck out swinging. Carlos Guillen popped up to left to end the inning.

Daubach grounded out to third to start the top of the third inning before Everett popped up to short. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the third as Dan Wilson struck out swinging to start. Ichiro singled to the left side of the infield and Cameron hit a home run all the way to New Zealand to ice the game. Martinez walked and stole second when Olerud took strike three. Boone grounded out ton short to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 4-1.

                                                                 Cameron hits a 2 run bomb

Bichette flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before O'Leary took strike three. Varitek walked and Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning. Martin flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Bell grounded back to the mound. Guillen singled to center but Wilson grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox blew their last chance to rally in the top of the fifth as Lansing and Offerman stroked back to back singles to start. Daubach struck out swinging and Everett popped up to second, but Ramirez lashed a base hit to left to load the bases. Bichette grounded out to second to end the inning, what a waste. The Mariners finished off Castillo in the bottom of the fifth as Ichiro grounded out to second to start. Cameron singled to right and stole second before Martinez grounded out to short. Olerud was intentionally walked but Boone singled home Cameron to increase the lead. That was it for Castillo after allowing 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings. Tim Wakefield came in and got Martin to fly out to right to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-1.

                                                            Castillo stinks the joint out

The Sox did rally in the top of the sixth as O'Leary grounded out to second to start. Varitek singled to center and Hillenbrand smashed his third home run of the season to cut the lead. Lansing grounded out to third and Offerman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                      Hillenbrand goes yard

Wakefield couldn't hold the Mariners in the bottom of the sixth as Bell doubled to left to start. Guillen struck out swinging but Bell took third and Guillen first on the passed ball. Wilson grounded out to third to score Bell and Guillen moved to third on Ichiro's grounder to the mound. Cameron grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 6-3.

                                                                 Dammit Wakefield

Moyer cruised in the top of the seventh as Daubach lined out to second to start. Everett grounded out to first and Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Another good start by Moyer, remember former Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy traded him because he didn't "fit in" with his "star clubhouse"?

                                                            Sox still paying for trading him

Martinez walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Olerud singled him to third. Boone struck out swinging but Olerud stole second. Martin was intentionally walked to set up a double play and Bell lined out to Hillenbrand. Guillen grounded out to second to end the inning.

Norm Charlton came in for the top of the eighth and Charles Gipson came in to play left. Bichette grounded out to second, O'Leary popped up to third and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. The Mariners poured it on in the bottom of the eighth inning against "El Guapo" Rich Garces. Wilson struck out swinging but Ichiro singled to right. Cameron walked but Martinez struck out swinging. Olerud walked to load the bases and Boone walked in Ichiro to increase the lead. Mark McLemore pinch hit for Gipson and naturally ripped a bases clearing double to ice the game. Bell grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 10-3.

                                                           Ichiro sets the table for the rally

Kazuhiro Sasaki came in to close out the top of the ninth and  Hillenbrand popped up to third to start. Lansing struck out swinging but Offerman and Daubach storked back to back base hits, Offerman taking third on an error by Bell. Daubach took second on defensive indifference but Everett grounded out to first to end the game. The Mariners had won it 10-3.

Jackass of the Night is Frank Castillo. He got smacked around for 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                                 Castillo The Jackass

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 5.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4 with a 2 run homer.

Mike Lansing was 2 for 4.

The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 4.

Rich Garces allowed 4 runs in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tim Wakefield allowed an unearned run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have hit a snag lately dropping 4 of the last 5 games but to be fair, the Mariners are a damn good team. Think the Sox would rather have Moyer on the team than Castillo or whatever? The April magic seems to be wearing off as when you take a real hard look at the Red Sox team, there's a lot of holes that other teams don't have. Their rotation is a rag tag bunch outside of Pedro Martinez and Hideo Nomo and they have problems in the back end. The lineup is missing Nomar Garciaparra and the Sox are finding out what happens when Manny Ramirez doesn't hit well. Carl Everett is on a cold streak and when your 3-4 hitters aren't doing well, that's bad news no matter what team you are. Its only May so the Sox have plenty of time to get hot again but losing 2 of 3 to Seattle is not a good look. The Sox now travel down to Oakland for a three game set with the A's. Tomo Ohka goes for the Sox up against Gil Heredia of the A's tomorrow night at 10:05 PM eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sele Shuts Down Sox (5/2/01)

After the Boston Red Sox shut out the Seattle Mariners last night this time it was the Mariners turn to stick it up the Sox asses in today's game. Old pal Aaron Sele blinded the Sox as the entire country of Japan tuned into to watch Sox starter Hideo Nomo (3-2, 3.00 ERA) battle the sensational Ichiro Suzuki. The Sox actually took a 1-0 lead but Edgar Martinez drove in 3 runs before Derek Lowe had another seventh inning meltdown. In the end it was Sele and the Mariners who had the last laugh, taking the game 5-1 at Safeco Field.

Sele got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chris Stynes led off by watching strike three go by. Trot Nixon flied out to center and Carl Everett whiffed....but the ball got away from the catcher and Everett made a mad dash to first. Manny Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Flashbulbs went off everywhere as Nomo got the ball to face Ichiro to begin the bottom of the first. Nomo took the first battle as Ichiro grounded out to second to begin. Mark McLemore lined out to left but Edgar Martinez walked. John Olerud flied out to center to end the inning.

                       The first meeting on US soil between Ichiro and Nomo goes to Nomo

Troy O'Leary singled to open the top of the second but Jason Varitek whiffed on a hit and run, getting O'Leary thrown out at second. Shea Hillenbrand lined out to right to end the inning. Nomo was able to get Bret Boone to pop up to third to begin the bottom of the second before striking out Stan Javier. Tom Lampkin popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning when Brian Daubach motored around for a rare triple to start. Mike Lansing did the honors with a sac fly to score Brian to give the So the lead. Stynes lined out to left and Nixon flied out to left to end the inning with Boston on top 1-0.

                                           Sox take the lead

Nomo kept the lead in the bottom of the third as David Bell hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Carlos Guillen whiffed before Ichiro flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing against Sele in the top of the fourth as Everett grounded out to second to begin. Ramirez grounded out to short but O'Leary singled. Varitek hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Mariners tied it up in the bottom of the fourth as McLemore tripled and Martinez doubled in short order. Martinez moved to third on the fly out by Olerud but Nomo got Boone to ground out to third. Javier grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The inspired Sele stayed tough in the top of the fifth inning as Hillenbrand grounded out to short to begin. Daubach whiffed but Lansing doubled. Stynes grounded out to second to end the inning. The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the fifth although Lampkin grounded out to first to begin. Bell whiffed but Guillen doubled. Ichiro was plunked and McLemore walked to load the bases. Sure enough Martinez singled home two runners to give Seattle the lead. Olerud whiffed to end the inning but the damage was done, 3-1 M's.

                            Ichiro says "HABOOOOOWOWOWWWOWWW!!!"

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth inning although Nixon singled to start. Everett struck out and Nixon was doubled off first on a Ramirez bullet to third on a hit and run to end the inning. Nomo returned for the bottom of the sixth and Boone grounded out to short to start. Both Javier and Lampkin whiffed to end the inning.

Sele returned for the top of the seventh and O'Leary flied out to center to begin. Varitek singled but Hillenbrand banged into a double play to end the inning. 7 innings and just 1 run allowed by Sele, nice work Sox....not.

          "I tell ya Cousins my offense stinks worse than a newborn fart!" - Williams

The Mariners iced the game in the bottom of the seventh after Nomo walked Bell to begin. Sox manager Jimy Williams went with Derek Lowe to stop the bleeding and Guillen dropped a bunt down to get Bell to second. Ichiro lit up the crowd with a triple that scored Bell and put the game out of reach. McLemore hit a routine ground ball to Stynes who decided to kick it over to first like a field goal, Mark reaching on the bizarre error and Ichiro scoring. McLemore stole second then moved to third on the grounder by Martinez. Olerud was intentionally walked before Boone lined out to third to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 5-1.

                                                     Sele likes pitching with 4 run lead

Sele returned for one more inning but Daubach sent him to the showers with a base hit. Mariners manager Lou Pinella brought in Jeff Nelson to relieve him and Lansing flied out to left to begin Stynes erased Daubach at second with a force and that was it for Nelson. Arthur Rhodes came in and got Nixon to ground out to second to end the inning. Lowe returned for the bottom of the eighth and whiffed Javier to start. Lampkin hit one up the elevator shaft and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Lord knows why Lowe was brought in so early or why he couldn't pitch like this in the seventh.

Mike Cameron took over in center as the Sox came to bat in the top of the ninth. Everett grounded out to second and Ramirez whiffed. O'Leary lined out to short to end the game. The Mariners had won it 5-1.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one considering everyone was incompetent today but I gotta go with Chris Stynes. Not only was he 0-4 and failed to drive in Lansing, but his error led to the insurance runs scoring.

                                                       Stynes is the Jackass


The Good:

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 3.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 2 with an rbi.



The Bad:

Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Derek Lowe allowed 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own in 2 innings of work.



The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Hideo Nomo took the loss but pitched reasonably well. The error and Derek Lowe's relief certainly didn't help but he gave up 4 runs in 6 plus innings while striking out 6.




Final Thoughts:

Well this kind of game better steam Jimy Williams' clams. They couldn't do anything right against Sele or the offense. Derek Lowe is struggling hard this season and Jimy just can't seem to stop trusting him when it matters. I don't know what is with Lowe but he's clearly not the pitcher he was last year. The offense will be fine, it was just one of those days. The problem is the Sox can't afford to lose too many games with not only the New York Yankees but Toronto Blue Jays breathing down their necks. Remember the Blue Jays were in first place all the way into July last year so they're no pushover. The loss dropped the Sox to 17-10, tied for first place with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back against the Mariners with Frank Castillo (3-1) going for the Sox up against another old pal, Jamie Moyer at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Safeco Field.

Pedro Dazzles, Sox Blank Mariners (5/1/01)

After the Boston Red Sox dropped two straight games against the Kansas City Royals. they had a date with the AL West leading Seattle Mariners on their home turf. Thankfully Pedro Martinez (3-0, 1.47 ERA) saved one of his best pitched games of the season for tonight. Pedro took a pretty damn good team, chewed them up and spat them out for 8 shutout innings. Pedro allowed 3 hits, 4 walks and struck out 12 to keep the Mariners off the scoreboard. Manny Ramirez drove in the only 2 runs the Sox needed by himself against a tough John Halama of Seattle. Rolando Arrojo slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox opened the set with Seattle with a 2-0 victory over them at Safeco Field.

                                                      Rancid approves of the win

Halama got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chris Stynes struck out looking to start. Jose Offerman singled to left but Carl Everett struck out swinging. Manny Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning. Pedro got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ichiro Suzuki flied out to center to start. Mike Cameron struck out swinging but Edgar Martinez was plunked on a 77 mph curveball. This sparked the home plate umpire to give Pedro a warning. John Olerud lined out to second to end the inning. Pedro was not happy about being issued the warning.

                                             "That was a curveball you idiot!" - Pedro

Dante Bichette singled to center to open the top of the second inning but Jason Varitek flied out to center. Shea Hillenbrand flied out to right and Darren Lewis flied out to left to end the inning. Bret Boone took strike three to begin the bottom of the second but Al Martin walked. Tom Lampkin hit a blooper that somehow Lewis caught and doubled Martin off of first to end the inning,

Craig Grebeck struck out swinging to open the top of the third inning before Stynes grounded out to third. Offerman flied out to center to end the inning. David Bell grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the third before Carlos Guillen struck out swinging. Ichiro beat out an infield single to short but Cameron whiffed to end the inning.

Everett took strike three to begin the top of the fourth and Ramirez flied out to right. Bichette flied out to left to end the inning. The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez walked to start. Olerud singled to center but Everett bobbled the ball for an error and everyone moved up. Boone popped up to center but Martin walked to load the bases. Lampkin hit a grounder to Offerman who fired home to get Martinez for the force and Bell whiffed to end the inning.

Halama cruised in the top of the fifth as Varitek popped up to first to start. Hillenbrand struck out swinging but Lewis flied out to center to end the inning. Guillen struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Ichiro grounded out to second. Cameron took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth as Grebeck grounded out to third to start. Stynes singled to left but Offerman flied out to left. Everett singled to right and Ramirez dumped a base hit to left to score Stynes, putting Boston on top. Bichette hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the Sox led 1-0.

                                                                 Ramirez drives in a run

Pedro turned up the heat in the bottom of the sixth as he struck out Martinez swinging to start. Olerud and Boone both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Varitek lined out to center to open the top of the seventh before Hillenbrand popped up to short. Lewis doubled to left but Grebeck grounded out to second to end the inning. Martin took strike three to begin the bottom of the seventh before Lampkin struck out swinging. Bell popped up to right to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the eighth although Stynes flied out to center to start. Offerman hit a routine grounder to short but Guillen threw the ball away for an error. Everett popped up to short but Ramirez made Guillen pay with a double to left to score Offerman. Bichette flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                           Ramirez does it again

Trot Nixon came in for Bichette for defense in the bottom of the eighth as Mark McLemore pinch hit for Guillen to begin. McLemore singled to center and moved to second on the grounder to third by Ichiro. Cameron lined out to center but Martinez walked. Charles Gipson pinch ran for Martinez but Olerud flied out to left to end the inning. That was it for Pedro who threw 8 shutout innings while striking out 12 batters.

                                                   Pedro gets it done

Norm Charlton came in for the top of the ninth and Varitek grounded out to third to start. Hillenbrand and Lewis stroked back to back base hits but Grebeck popped up to first. Stynes flied out to left to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo came in to clsoe out the bottom of the ninth and Boone popped up to first to start. Martin grounded out to first and Lampkin also grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 2-0.

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez. He tossed 8 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 12 batters.

                                                          Pedro Hero

The Good:

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Darren Lewis was 2 for 4.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Craig Grebeck was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Chris Stynes was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

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

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Trot Nixon played right field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Not much went right offensively against Halama but they didn't need much with Pedro on the mound, first inning warning or not. With all the attention Hideo Nomo is getting, Pedro reminded everyone why he's the ace of the staff. The Sox had lost two in a row and needed to bounce back in this one. Ramirez continues to be worth every cent they spent on him and good god almighty can they get rid of Grebeck now? The guy plays good defense but he can't hit the ball off a tee at this point. Lou Merloni may not be able to play short as well but at least he could get on base once in a while. I don't know why they just have Lansing play short and put Grebeck in for defense later because Grebeck is an automatic out at this point. Still, Pedro did well, Manny did well and Arrojo slammed the door pretty good. Not much to complain about in this one. The win improved the Sox to 17-9, tied for first place with the Torotno Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Hideo Nomo (3-1, 2.40 ERA) takes the mound against old buddy Aaron Sele of the Mariners in the second game of this set. The game begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Safeco Field.