Royals Pull Away Late, Beat Sox (4/10/02)

It was fun while it lasted but the Boston Red Sox four game win streak came to an end at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. Derek Lowe (1-1, 1.29 ERA) pitched great by allowing just two runs in 7 innings. The problem was Royals starter Paul Byrd was better, holding the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces took a four run beating in the top of the eighth to put the game on ice. It all added up to a 6-2 Royals victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                   Randy Quaid is angry again

The Royals wasted no time getting to Lowe in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch singled to left to start. Knoblauch moved to second on the grounder to third by Neifi Perez although Carlos Beltran popped up to second. Knoblauch swiped second and scored on the base hit to right by Mike Sweeney. Michael Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                          Sweeney drives in a run

Byrd got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon popped up to short to start. Rey Sanchez also popped up to short and Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to end the inning.

Joe Randa doubled to left to begin the top of the second but Raul Ibanez popped up to short. Brent Mayne took strike three and Carlos Febles grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Tony Clark flied out to left but Brian Daubach obliterated his second home run of the season to tie the game. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                                  Daubach ties it

Lowe cruised in the top of the third as Knoblauch grounded out to third to start. Perez grounded out to second and Beltran flied out to right to end the inning. Byrd cruised in the bottom of the third as Trot Nixon flied out to center to start. Jason Varitek took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Sweeney doubled to left to start. Tucker flied out to left and Randa watched strike three go by, but Ibanez walked. Mayne singled to right to score Sweeney and the runners moved up on the throw home. Febles grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 2-1.

                                                               Mayne drives in a run

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Sanchez grounded out to short to start. Nomar hit one up the elevator shaft and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowe got in trouble in the top of the fifth as Knoblauch singled to center and promptly swiped second. Perez beat out a roller to short and Beltran caught Lowe napping with a bunt single to load the bases. Sweeney banged into a 5-2-3 double play and Tucker flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox blew their own rally in the bottom of the fifth as Clark flied out to center to start. Daubach singled to center and took third on the base hit to right by Hillenbrand. Daubach moved to third on the fly out to right by Nixon and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Randa flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Ibanez grounded out to second. Mayne lined out to center to end the inning. Damon flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Sanchez popped up to short. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Lowe returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Nomar booted a ground ball by Febles for an error. Febles swiped second and Knoblauch moved him over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Perez popped up to center and Febles tried to score but was thrown out a the plate by Damon to end the inning. Lowe pitches great, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings but the Sox bats couldn't pick him up.

                                                             Lowe deserved better

Byrd cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to second to start. Clark grounded out to first and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

The floodgates opened with Rich Garces on the mound in the top of the eighth as Beltran singled to right to start. Beltran swiped second and moved to third on the infield single to short by Sweeney. Tucker ripped a base hit to center to score Beltran and Randa doubled home Sweeney to ice the game. Ibanez hit a sac fly to right to score Tucker and move Randa to third before Randa scored on the sac fly to left by Mayne. Febles grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           "Garces......"

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the eighth as Hillenbrand got a base hit to left to start. Nixon flied out to left but Varitek singled to right to chase Byrd. Old friend Brian Shouse came in and plunked Damon to load the bases. Carlos Baerga pinch hit for Sanchez and....hit a sac fly to center to score Hillenbrand. Old pal Corey Bailey relieved Shouse and struck out Nomar swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                         Baerga drives in a run

Sun-Woo Kim made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and plunked Knoblauch to start. Knoblauch stole second but Perez popped up to third. Beltran took strike three and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bailey returned to close out the top of the ninth and Ramirez went down hacking to start. Clark grounded out to short and Daubach whiffed to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-2.

Jackass of the Night is Rich Garces. He allowed 4 runs to put the game out of reach in the eighth inning.

                                                                  El Burro

The Good:

Carlos Baerga drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Derek Lowe pitched great. He allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings while striking out three.

Sun-Woo Kim pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 but struck out twice and allowed 5 stolen bases.

Final Thoughts:

So thats what it felt like to lose huh? After the 3 off-days and four straight wins its been a while since the Sox lost. Sad part was the Sox could have made the game more competitive if Garces didn't lose his lunch in the eighth inning. It's a shame Lowe took the loss because he pitched well for the second straight game. Garces has been solid for years so that's probably just a hiccup, the real story was Ramirez, Nomar & Clark going 0 for 12 with 2 strikeouts. Can't win too many games when your heart of the order does absolutely nothing. Still, the Sox fought hard but couldn't generate any offense. Sun-Woo Kim looked good in his season debut and it's a shame Dustin Hermanson had to get hurt in order for Kim to get called up. All in all it's a bad loss but those are going to happen. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Kansas City when Frank Castillo goes for the Sox against Chad Durbin of the Royals. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Royals (4/9/02)

Don't look now but after the Opening Day disaster, the Boston Red Sox have won 4 games in a row. After sweeping the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox picked up where they left off by knocking around the Kansas City Royals. Brian Daubach and Manny Ramirez led the charge offensively as the bats pounded out 15 hits and 8 runs. On the other side of the ball, Tim Wakefield (1-0, 7.20 ERA) survived a fifth inning grand slam by Chuck Knoblauch to pick up the win. The Sox bullpen dominated the final four innings allowing no hits as the Sox beat the Royals for their fourth straight win 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Rob Zamuner approves of the win

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and ex-New York Yankees nemesis Chuck Knoblauch led off with a ground out to second. Neifi Perez flied out to left but Carlos Beltran reached on an error by Shea Hillenbrand at third. Mike Sweeney grounded out to third to end the inning. Dan Reichert got the ball for the Royals in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon walked to start. Rey Sanchez hit a pop up to left but Knoblauch inexplicably let it drop. Damon was thrown out at second on the play and Nomar Garciaparra banged into a double play to end the inning.

Michael Tucker flied out to center to start the top of the second but Joe Randa singled in the hole at short. Randa stole second on the Raul Ibanez swinging strikeout but Brent Mayne grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second when Reichert threw a grounder by Manny Ramirez away for an error to start. Tony Clark flied out to center but Brian Daubach smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Hillenbrand atoned for his error with a base hit to left but Trot Nixon hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                        Daubach's first homer of 2002

Wakefield cruised in the top of the third as Carlos Febles lined out to short to start. Knoblauch and Perez both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game early in the bottom of the third although Jason Varitek grounded out to second to start. Damon beat out a ground ball to third but Sanchez struck out swinging. Nomar doubled Damon to third and Ramirez crushed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Clark grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 5-0.

                                                                 Manny's first blast of 2002

Wakefield cruised in the top of the fourth as Beltran grounded out to second to start. Sweeney flied out to center and Tucker took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach singled to right to begin. Hillenbrand flied out to left but Nixon doubled to left. Varitek failed to move anyone with a grounder to second and Damon was intentionally walked. Sanchez forced Daubach at third to end the inning.

Wakefield fell apart in the top of the fifth as Randa singled in the hole at third to start. Ibanez singled to right but Maybe flied out to left. Febles singled to left to load the bases and Knoblauch cleared them with a grand slam to cut the lead. Perez grounded out to short and Be;tran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-4. That was it for Wakefield who made one mistake to Knoblauch but it was a big one as he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                         One mistake by Wake in 5 innings

The Sox got two of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Garciaparra clobbered his third home run of the year to increase the lead. Blake Stein relieved Reichert and Ramirez doubled to center. Clark grounded out to second but Daubach doubled home Manny to add to the total. Hillenbrand and Nixon both struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-4 Red Sox.

                                                                Nomar hits one out

Casey Fossum came in to pitch the top of the sixth and struck out Sweeney to start. Tucker went down hacking but Randa walked. Brandon Berger pinch hit for Ibanez and took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Varitek led off with his second home run of the year. Damon grounded out to third but Sanchez singled to center. Nomar flied out to right and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                                  Varitek hits one out

The Royals beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as Mayne grounded out to first to start. Febles grounded out to first and Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning. Jeremy Affeldt came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Clark took strike three to start. Daubach went down hacking and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Willie Banks made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Beltran grounded out to first and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Nixon ripped a base hit to right to start. Varitek singled to right to move Trot to third but Damon hit a bullet to Febles who doubled off Jason at first. Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Banks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Tucker grounded out to second to start. Randa grounded out to third and Luis Alicea pinch hit for Berger only to ground out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

Hero of the Night is Manny Ramirez. His 3 run homer was the difference in the game.

                                                Damon salutes our Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 5.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Brian Daubach was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer and 3 total rbis.

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Casey Fossum tossed two scoreless innings.

Willie Banks pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Tim Wakefield got the win but allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Now THAT'S what the offense can do when firing on all cylinders. Nomar, Manny, Daubach & Damon all were instrumental in getting on base and the long balls helped. Clark had a bad day but normally he'd be contributing as well. When Nixon, Sanchez and Varitek also hit well this offense is tough to beat. Wakefield only gave up one mistake to Knoblauch and the duo of Fossum & Banks slammed the door. Banks showed promise at the end of last year so hopefully he can combine with Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina to shorten the games. Other than the inconsequential error by Hillenbrand and the grand slam by Knoblauch there isn't much to complain about. All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to make it five in a row tomorrow night against the Royals. Derek Lowe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes on Paul Byrd of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/8/02)

Just as everyone feared, the news wasn't good when it came to Dustin Hermanson. Apparently he suffered a severe groin pull that's going to knock him out of action for a while. Hermanson was officially placed on the Disabled List retroactive to April 4th and in his place the Sox called up Sun-Woo Kim from Pawtucket. The 24 year old pitched in 20 games last year and hopefully that experience under his belt will help him this season to improve.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                        IN

In other news unrelated to the Red Sox, the Boston Bruins are currently in 1st place in the NHL Eastern Conference and have 3 games left to play to lock up the first seed. The Boston Celtics are a few games back of the New Jersey Nets for first place in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. Its going to be a fun spring if both the Bruins and Celtics have long playoff runs.

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the Kansas City Royals. Dan Reichert goes for Kansas City against Tim Wakefield making his season debut for Boston. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep O's Behind Hillenbrand, Martinez (4/7/02)

After the Opening Day disaster many Boston Red Sox fans wondered if Pedro Martinez (1-0, 7.00 ERA) would ever be the same again. Well hopefully today's strong start against the Baltimore Orioles is the beginning of the comeback for Pedro. Martinez threw just 85 pitches in 6 innings but it was enough to hold the punchless Orioles to just an unearned run. Meanwhile Shea Hillenbrand was a one man wrecking crew with not one but two 2 run home runs to pace the offense. Nearly everyone in the lineup got on base at least once and the bullpen stepped up to finish Pedro's work. Ugueth Urbina notched his third save in a row as the Sox swept Baltimore out of their own stadium with a 4-1 victory at Camden Yards.

                                                    Tsianina Joelson approves of the win

Calvin Maduro got the start for Baltimore in the top of the first and Johnny Damon led off with a pop up to left. Carlos Baerga made his Red Sox debut by grounding out to first and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Pedro Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston popped up to left to begin. Chris Singleton flied out to center and David Segui struck out swinging to start.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez walked to start. Manny moved to second on the grounder to first by Clark and Trot Nixon struck out swinging. Shea Hillenbrand then smashed his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Jason Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                              Hillenbrand hits one out

Jeff Conine popped up to first to start the bottom of the second and Tony Batista grounded out to third. Jay Gibbons smacked a ground rule double to center but Melvin Mora struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Lou Merloni made his season debut by slapping a base hit to left to open the top of the third. Damon popped up to left in foul territory and Baerga popped up to third. Nomar singled to center but Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Geronimo Gil struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Mike Bordick flied out to right. Hairston walked but Singleton flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Clark doubled to center to start. Nixon lined out to second but Hillenbrand smacked his second two run homer of the day to ice the game early. Varitek flied out to left and Merloni popped up to second to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                     Hillenbrand does it again

The O's got a run back thanks to a blunder in the bottom of the fourth. Segui flied out to center to start but Conine doubled to left. Batistia hit one up the elevator shaft but Gibbons hit a little roller to third. Rather than just hold the ball and let Gibbons have his hit, Hillenbrand chucked the ball 100 feet over Tony Clark's head and Conine came around to score. Mora struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 4-1 Sox.

                                                        "Hillenbrand....."

Rodrigo Lopez came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Damon grounded back to the mound to begin. Baerga singled to left but Nomar flied out to right. Ramirez walked but Clark popped up to second to end the inning. Martinez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Gil was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Bordick popped up to second and Hairston struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lopez cruised in the top of the sixth as Nixon struck out swinging to start. Hillenbrand flied out to right and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. Singleton lined out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth and Segui popped up to second. Conine lined out to center to end the inning. That was it for Pedro who threw just 85 pitches but tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and a walk.

                                                            Pedro gets the job done

Merloni flied out to center to open the top of the seventh and Damon struck out swinging. Baerga got his first hit with a single to left but Nomar flied out to left to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Batista walked to start. Gibbons banged into a double play and Mora took strike three to end the inning.

Ramirez led off the top of the eighth with a ground out to short. Clark flied out to center but Nixon ripped a base hit to center. Hillenbrand flied out to center to end the inning. The O's threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Gil popped up to Clark in foul territory to start. Bordick was hit with a pitch but Hairston popped up a bunt to Varitek. Singleton singled to left to bring the tying run to the plate but Segui flied out to right to end the inning.

Jorge Julio came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Varitek grounded out to second to start. Merloni walked and Damon singled him to third, but Johnny could only move to second on the fly out to left by Damon. Nomar flied out to right to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Conine led off with a base hit to center. Batista popped up to short but Conine walked to second on defensive indifference. Gibbons singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners but Mora struck out swinging. Gary Matthews pinch hit for Gil as Gibbons also walked to second base on defensive indifference. Matthews grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had swept the Orioles with a 4-1 victory.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His two 2 run homers were the difference in the game.

                                                       Hero Hillenbrand

The Good:

Carlos Baerga was 2 for 5.

Manny Ramirez walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Lou Merloni was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Pedro Martinez allowed an unearned run in 6 innings to get the win. He struck out 5 batters.

Rolando Arrojo tossed two scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5.

Tony Clark was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

I'd say the pitching has been spectacular the past three games but to be fair, the Orioles offense is as rancid as their bathroom facilities. The Sox allowed a total of 3 runs in 3 games and the run allowed in this one was on an error. Still, seeing Castillo, Lowe and Pedro pitch well is better than the alternative. Urbina has been used for three straight games but at least he's locked it down in all three. Hillenbrand carried the offense in this one the same as Nomar Garciaparra carried the offense in the previous game. Some days are going to be like that and other days its going to be a balanced attack. Still, the more wins they get from guys like Hillenbrand doing the damage is a bonus when Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Nomar heat up. All in all there wasn't much to complain about other than Hillenbrand's error but the home runs more than made up for that. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox look to make it four wins in a row as they come home for a set with the Kansas City Royals beginning on Tuesday night. Dan Reichert goes for the Royals against Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox making his season debut. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                         Kimberly Liebe approves of the win

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

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

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

                                                                 Gibbons goes yard

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

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

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

                                                        Castillo gets the job done

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

                                                           Hillenbrand ties it up

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

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

                                                      Nomar puts Boston on his back

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

                                                        Bordick cuts the lead

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

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

                                                            Nomar The Hero

The Good:

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

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

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

The Bad:

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

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

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

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

Lowe Dazzles O's, Sox Win First (4/5/02)

After two off-days and a rainout, the Boston Red Sox finally got back to work in Baltimore and what a performance it was. Derek Lowe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) had no-hit the Baltimore Orioles for seven innings in his first start of the season as the bats were able to scratch out a few runs against O's starter Josh Towers. Johnny Damon led the game off with a solo home run and two batters later Nomar Garciaparra added his first home run of the season as well. Nomar drove in Damon in the top of the fifth but that would be more than enough for Lowe. After the no-no was broken up in the eighth, "El Guapo" Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina slammed the door on the O's. It all added up to the first win of the season as the Sox blanked the Orioles 3-0 at Camden Yards.

                                                            Tina Jordan approves of the win

Towers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Johnny Damon immediately socked his first home run of the year to put the Sox up for good one batter into the game. Jose Offerman lined out to right but Nomar Garciaparra smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Manny Ramirez flied out to left and Tony Clark took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Damon and Garciaparra hit homers

Lowe got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston struck out swinging to start. Chris Singleton flied out to left and David Segui grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Trot Nixon lined out to short to begin the top of the second but Shea Hillenbrand lined out to right. Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Jeff Conine grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Jay Gibbons grounded out to second. Tony Batista flied out to left to end the inning.

Rey Sanchez led off the top of the third with a pop up to short but Damon singled to left. Offerman popped up to short and Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. The O's beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third inning as Melvin Mora grounded out to third to start. Brook Fordyce also grounded out to third and Mike Bordick grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Ramirez grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Clark ripped a base hit to center. Nixon forced Clark at second and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The O's beat the ball in the dirt again in the bottom of the fourth as Jerry Hairston grounded out to short to start. Singleton and Segui both grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Varitek flied out to center to begin. Sanchez popped up to Towers but Damon singled to left. Damon stole second, Offerman walked and Nomar lashed a base hit to center to score Damon. Offerman got picked off second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                               Dammit Jose

The O's got their first baserunner when Hillenbrand threw a ground ball by Conine all the way to the Everglades for an error to begin the bottom of the fifth. Lowe recovered to get Gibbons to bang into a double play and Batista to ground out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Clark popped up to third in foul territory. Nixon stroked a single to left and Hillenbrand pounded a ground rule double down the left field line, but Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Lowe got in trouble for the first time all night when he walked Mora and Fordyce back to back to start the bottom of the sixth. Bordick hit one up the elevator shaft and Hairston grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Rick Bauer came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Sanchez grounded back to the mound to begin. Damon also grounded back to the mound and Offerman took strike three to end the inning. Lowe got Singleton to pop up to second to begin the bottom of the seventh. Segui popped up to short and Conine flied out to left to end the inning. Lowe was 6 outs away from repeating Hideo Nomo in the same venue a year later.

Nomar grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth but Ramirez singled to center. Clark hit into a double play to end the inning. There would be no repeat as Gibbons walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Batista beat out a roller to third to break up the no-hitter. Sox manager Grady Little came to get Lowe and that was a hell of an effort by Derek to hold the O's to just one hit and 3 walks in 7 plus innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch and Mora lined out to center before Gary Matthews pinch hit for Fordyce. Matthews popped up to third but Bordick walked to load the bases. Hairston forced Bordick at second to end the inning.

Fernando Lunar took over behind the plate for the top of the ninth and Nixon grounded out to second to start. Hillenbrand grounded out to third but Varitek singled to center. Sanchez hit a seeing eye single into left but Damon forced Sanchez at second to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina took the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth and Singleton led off with a double to right. Segui flied out to right and Singleton took third on the fly out to center by Conine. Gibbons lined out to Nomar to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0.

Hero of the Night is Derek Lowe. He was 6 outs from a no hitter and finished with 7 shutout innings where he allowed 1 hit and 3 walks.

Hero Lowe

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 3 for 5 with a home run, stolen base and 2 total runs scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a home run and two total rbis.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Tony Clark was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

That was a nice bounceback win considering Pedro Martinez' disaster on Opening Day. Its a shame they lost Dustin Hermanson on Wednesday night but Lowe looked great tonight. Obviously expecting Lowe to go from closer to starter may not work but it did for one night anyway. He had the O's in fits all night and only the walks came back to bite him. Nomar and Damon were a nice 1-2 punch and once Manny Ramirez and Tony Clark get cooking, this is going to be a tough lineup to beat. The big thing when it comes to Lowe is his defense. If Nomar, Hillenbrand and Sanchez can field ground balls, that's going to do wonders for Lowe. Urbina and Garces slammed the door pretty good and if Urbina can pitch as well as Lowe did in 2000, this could be a tough bullpen this year too. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more wins are on the way. Tomorrow afternoon Frank Castillo makes his first start of the year for Boston against Scott Erickson of the Orioles. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Off-Day News (4/4/02)

On this day in Basebawful History:

1984 - Easler's homer helps sox beat California

1988 - Tigers beat Sox on Opening Day

1994 - Sox pound Tigers on Opening Day

2000 - Pedro, Sox beat Mariners on Opening Day

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night in Baltimore. Derek Lowe makes his season debut as the starting pitcher against Josh Towers of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.