Sox Outslug Yankees in Season Opener (4/4/10)

The New York Yankees may have won the World Series last year but this year is a new year and the Boston Red Sox are out for blood. The Sox have reloaded with veterans such as Mike Cameron, Scott Schoenweis and Adrian Beltre and all three had an impact in the season opening win over the Yankees. The Yankees knocked Josh Beckett out in the 5th inning and took a 7-5 lead with 9 outs to play. Pedroia led the charge by knocking in 3 of the four runs the Sox scored and Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door on the 9-7 victory on Opening Day at Fenway Park.

                                                    Joe Perry approves of the win

Derek Jeter opened the season against Beckett by grounding out to short to begin. Nick Johnson flied out to Mike Cameron on the centerfield warning track before Mark Teixeira grounded out to Kevin Youkilis unassisted to end the inning. CC Sabathia got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury greeted him by lining out to center to begin. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging on a high fastball before Victor Martinez grounded out to first off the first base bag to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second although Alex Rodriguez grounded back to Beckett to start. Robinson Cano lined out to center before Jorge Posada homered off the Pesky Pole to give the Yankees the lead. Curtis Granderson's 1st at bat in a Yankee uniform ended with him launching a home run over the Sox bullpen to increase the lead. Nick Swisher singled to right and Brett Gardner singled to left. Jerer forced Gardner at second to end the inning but the Yankees now led 2-0.

                                                A new enemy in pinstripes

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Kevin Youkilis led off with a double off the scoreboard. Youk moved to third on a grounder by David Ortiz before Granderson robbed Adrian Beltre of a double with a jumping catch at the wall. Still, the fly out was long enough to score Youk with a sac fly to cut the lead. JD Drew watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                      Granderson makes the catch

Johnson walked to open the top of the third before Teixeira popped up to right. A-Rod banged into a double play to end the inning. Mike Cameron made his Sox debut by walking to begin the bottom of the third but was doubled off on a Marco Scutaro liner to third. Ellsbury grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees embarrassed the Sox in the top of the fourth as Ellsbury just missed a Cano line drive off the wall for a double. Cano moved to third on the Posada grounder and stayed there momentarily as Granderson grounded out to first. Swisher drew a walk and Gardner ripped a base hit to left to score Cano. Jeter singled past the diving Scutaro to score Swisher with another run and advance Gardner to third. All of a sudden Jeter took off for second and Martinez threw down with Gardner coming home. V-Mart's throw wasn't close and Gardner slid in safe with a steal of home as Jeter took second. Yankee fans laughed at the Red Sox fans as Johnson took a backdoor curve to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 5-1.

                                                     Nice going Martinez

The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia was called out on a bang bang play by umpire Angel Hernandez on a grounder to first. V-Mart grounded out to third before Youk popped up to short to end the inning.

The Yankees knocked Beckett out in the top of the fifth inning although Teixeira flied out to center to start. A-Rod popped up to second but Cano singled off the right field wall. Posada walked and Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough. Beckett looked awful and Francona wisely pulled him after 4 2/3 innings, 5 runs allowed and 94 pitches. Scott Schoenweis made his Sox debut by uncorking a wild pitch that moved the runners along. ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller revealed Scott's wife died and Scott spent time on the Disabled List for depression because of it. Now he's back in the majors and he struck out Granderson to end the inning.

                                                    Awful season debut by Beckett

The Sox began their comeback in the bottom of the fifth although Ortiz popped up to third. Beltre whiffed on a low change but Drew lined a base hit to left. Cameron also lined a base hit to left and Scutaro got the Sox third straight hit to left. Drew came around to score and Gardner's throw sailed, allowing Marco to reach second with Cameron moving to third. Ellsbury watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Happy fans

Schoenweis returned briefly for the top of the sixth inning as Swisher grounded out to short to start. Gardner popped up to center and that was it for Schoenweis. Ramon Ramirez made his season debut by allowing a base hit to center by Jeter. Johnson lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                   Great debut by Schoenweis

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Pedroia walked to start. V-Mart doubled down the left field line and Youk ripped a triple past Swisher in right to score both runners. Ortiz broke his bat on a grounder to second and that was it for Sabathia. David Robertson came on and Beltre greeted him with a base hit to center to score Youk to tie the game. Drew grounded out to first and Cameron grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 5-5.

                                                            Youk hits a triple

The Yankees wasted no time taking the lead back in the top of the seventh as Teixeira led off with a walk. A-Rod doubled off the Monster to chase Ramirez. Hideki Okajima came in and Cano scored Teixeira with a ground out to second. Posada increased the lead with a base hit up the middle and Granderson drew a walk. Swisher banged into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-5.

                                                       Didn't look good

The Sox came out swinging in the bottom of the seventh against Chan Ho Park as Scutaro singled up the middle to start. Ellsbury took strike three but Pedroia tied the game up with a home run into the Monster Seats, lighting up the crowd. V-Mart grounded out to second but Youk doubled off the Monster to chase Park. Damaso Marte came in and a wild pitch moved Youk to third. Ortiz walked to chase Park as Joba Chamberlain came in to face Beltre. Adrian grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 8-7.

                                                            Pedroia ties it up

"Flamethrower" Daniel Bard came in for the top of the eighth and got Gardner to ground out to second to start. Jeter grounded out to first but Johnson walked. Randy Winn ran for Johnson but Teixeira grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox hit the killshot in the bottom of the eighth although Drew grounded out to third to start. Cameron lashed a base hit to center before Scutaro drew a walk. Ellsbury lined out to center but Pedroia stroked a base hit to right, scoring Cameron with the insurance run. V-Mart lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-7

                                                       Cameron slides in safe

Jon Papelbon came out to close the game in the top of the ninth inning. A-Rod grounded out to third before Cano lined out to a running Ellsbury. Posada dumped a base hit to center to bring the tying run to the plate but Granderson grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox had beaten the champs 9-7 on Opening Day.

                                                                Opening Day win


Hero of The Night is Dustin Pedroia. He tied the game with a big two run jack and hit the killshot in the 8th inning.

                                                       Opening Day Hero



The Good:

Kevin Youkilis was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Adrian Beltre was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Mike Cameron was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Marco Scutaro was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Scott Schoenweis tossed one full scoreless inning.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his first save of the season with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Josh Beckett was awful in his season debut, allowing 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings off 8 hits and 3 walks.

Ramon Ramirez was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Victor Martinez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Hideki Okajima got the win but allowed two inherited runners to score in an inning of work.




Final Thoughts:

Nothing like beating the Yankees on Opening Day. Its going to be a long year but to get off on the right foot is never a bad thing. The Sox were able to fight back after Beckett clearly didn't have it. The combination of Bard and Papelbon could be devastating in the later innings this season. If Beltre can rediscover his form from 2005, this could be a deadly team that rivals 2007. All of those are huge ifs but what's a fact is the Sox beat the Yankees tonight. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees on Tuesday night. Jon Lester makes his season debut opposite AJ Burnett at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Yanks Blank Sox, Streak Reaches Five (8/8/09)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Jed Lowrie was placed on the Injured List and Enrique Gonzalez was called up to take his spot. Gonzalez pitched for the Padres this year and was rehabbing in Lowell. So much for Lowrie....again.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, what a disaster. The Sox have now lost 5 games in a row and haven't scored a run in 24 consecutive innings. CC Sabathia allowed just 2 hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings as the Yankees bolted to a 2-0 lead over Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.33 ERA). Things fell apart when Ramon Ramirez was thrown out of the game in the seventh inning and new call up Enrique Gonzalez was tagged for 2 runs in emergency relief. Phil Hughes and David Robertson slammed the door as the Yankees blanked the Sox 5-0 at Yankee Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and Victor Martinez popped up to second to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter grounded out to short to start. Kevin Youkilis dropped a routine pop up by Johnny Damon for an error but Mark Teixeira struck out swinging. Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kevin Youkilis popped up to right to start the top of the second and David Ortiz flied out to center. Mike Lowell struck out swinging to end the inning. Hideki Matsui grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second but Robinson Cano singled to center. Nick Swisher grounded into a double play to end the inning.

JD Drew grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third and Casey Kotchman struck out swinging. Nick Green grounded out to second to end the inning. That's 18 straight innings without scoring now. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the third as Melky Cabrera singled in the hole at short to start. Jose Molina walked but Jeter grounded into a double play. Damon walked and Teixeira got a base hit to right to score Molina to put the Yankees on top. A-Rod grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                             Yankees take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Ellsbury struck out swinging to start. Pedroia flied out to center and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. Matsui led off the bottom of the fourth by flying out to left. Cano singled to right and Swisher walked, but Cabrera flied out to left. Molina struck out swinging to end the inning.

Youkilis grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Ortiz walked. Lowell flied out to center and Drew struck out swinging to end the inning with the scoreless streak now at 20 innings. Jeter struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Damon doubled to left. Teixeira walked and both runners moved over on the A-Rod grounder to the mound. Matsui grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Kotchman took strike three to begin the top of the sixth and Green lined out to left. Ellsbury got a base hit to center to break up the no-hitter but Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning. Buchholz returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth but Cano doubled to center to start. Cano moved to third on the sacrifice bunt by Swisher and Cabrera was intentionally walked. Molina hit a sac fly to left to score Cano to increase the lead. Jeter flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                           "Not your fault the offense sucks" - John Farrell

The streak continued in the top of the seventh as Martinez walked to start. Youkilis got a base hit to center but Ortiz struck out swinging. Lowell grounded into a double play to end the inning. Ramon Ramirez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Damon flied out to left to start. Teixeira walked and suddenly A-Rod was plunked. Home plate umpire Jim Joyce immediately tossed Ramirez out of the game with even notorious Sox hater Tim McCarver on commentary asking why. Sox manager Terry Francona sprinted out of the dugout to ask what's with the itchy trigger finger. Joyce argued that he buzzed Teixeira up and in and this was completely intentional. Francona argued the Sox desperately need this game, why would they throw at A-Rod already down 2 runs? Francona's argument fell on deaf ears and went back to the dugout. 

                                                           YERRRR OUT

Enrique Gonzalez, called up from Pawtucket today, came in to pitch ice cold. Matsui blooped a base hit to left to load the bases but Cano forced Teixeira at home. Swisher walked to score A-Rod but Cabrera grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 3-0.

                                  "Aye carumba! What have I gotten myself into?" - Gonzalez

The Sox incompetence continued in the top of the eighth as Drew lined out to second to start. Kotchman struck out swinging and that was it for Sabathia. He damn near pitched an 8 inning shutout. Phil Hughes struck Green out swinging to end the inning. Gonzalez got tagged in the bottom of the eighth as Molina got a base hit to left to start. Jeter hit a home run all the way to Shea Stadium to ice the game and Damon grounded out to second. Teixeira grounded out to first and A-Rod flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-0.

                                                          This one's over

Jerry Hairston Jr came in for Swisher with David Robertson now on the mound to start the top of the ninth. Ellsbury got a base hit to center but Pedroia flied out to center. Martinez singled in the hole at second but Youkilis flied out to center. Ortiz took strike three right down the middle to end the game. The Yankees had shut out the Sox 5-0.

                                                               Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Mike Lowell. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and grounded into a crucial double play when the Sox were only down 2-0.

                                                              Nice double play, Jackass

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4.

Victor Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Drew was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Casey Kotchman was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Nick Green was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ramon Ramirez was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning.

Enrique Gonzalez allowed 2 runs and an inherited runner to score in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Clay Buchholz was the hard luck loser allowing 2 runs in 6 innings off 6 hits and 5 walks.

Final Thoughts:

This season is going to hell in a hand basket real quick. That's five losses in a row and 24 consecutive scoreless innings. The Yankees have caught fire and the Sox have no answer for them. Sox fans should have seen this coming after the Yankees got AJ Burnett, Sabathia and Mark Teixeira in the off-season. Sabathia just might win 20 games this year and today he showed you why. Clay Buchholz did the best he could but got no run support. The crucial part was Mike Lowell's double play and Ramirez getting tossed after the 15 inning marathon last night. I don't care how much of a crapweasel A-Rod is, getting yourself run when you're desperately needed is inexcusable. Tough way for Enrique Gonzalez to make his season debut but this is what happens when you don't have enough depth. The Yankees look far and away the better team so the Sox need to pick it up moving forward. The loss dropped the Sox to 62-47, 5.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage this four game set tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball when Jon Lester takes on Andy Pettitte of New York. The game begins at 8:10 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Jays Bash Penny, Sox (7/18/09)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Clay Buchholz was sent down to Pawtucket and Jed Lowrie was called up to take his place. Jonathan Van Every was released as well, so much for him.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, if the Sox are going to get back to the ALCS this year, they're going to need better from Brad Penny (6-4, 5.02 ERA). He got rocked for 6 runs in just 5 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of. Rookie pitcher Mark Rzepcynski held the Sox to just 1 measly run in 6 innings. The Sox took an early lead but Jose Bautista capped off a 3 run fourth inning to put the Jays ahead and Adam Lind smashed a two run home run to ice it. Rocco Baldelli drove in a run and Jed Lowrie hit his first home run of the year, but the game belonged to Toronto. The Jays took the game 6-2 at the Skydome.

Rzepcynski got the ball in the top of the first and JD Drew struck out swinging to start. Dustin Pedroia got a base hit to left and moved to second on the Kevin Youkilis grounder to second. David Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning. Penny got the ball in the bottom of the first and Marco Scutaro flied out to right to start. Aaron Hill lined out to left and Adam Lind grounded outn to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jason Bay doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Mike Lowell walked and Rocco Baldelli lined a base hit to right. Bay scored easily and Lowell JUST slid into third in time. Baldelli took second on the throw but Jed Lowrie watched strike three go by. George Kottaras popped up to third and Drew grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Safe by not that much

The Jays answered in the bottom of the second as Scott Rolen got a base hit to center to start. Lyle Overbay singled to right to move Rolen to third and Alex Rios walked to load the bases. Old pal Kevin Millar banged into a double play but Rolen scored to tie the game. Jose Bautista flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                               Rolen ties the game    

Pedroia lined out to center to start the top of the third but Youkilis hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Ortiz grounded out to second to move Youk to third but Bay struck out swinging to end the inning. Raul Chavez led off the bottom of the third by grounding out to Penny to start. Scutaro took strike three and Hill lined out to second to end the inning.

Lowell led off the top of the fourth with a grounder to short and the Toronto announcers took a shot at the recently released Julio Lugo, saying Terry Francona said the Lugo they got in 2007 wasn't the same from the previous few years. Baldelli flied out to right and Lowrie flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the fourth as Lind flied out to left to start. Rolen dumped a base hit to center, Overbay got a base hit to right and Rios got a base hit to left to score Rolen. A passed ball moved the runners over before Millar took strike three. Bautista doubled to center to score both runners to ice the game. Chavez flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-1.

                                                        Bautista ices it

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Kottaras walked to start. Drew forced George at second and Pedroia walked. Youkilis struck out swinging and Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning. Penny came back for the bottom of the fifth and Scutaro doubled to right to start. Hill grounded out to short but Lind hit a home run off the roof of the Skydome to increase the lead. Rolen flied out to center and Overbay struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Penny who got rocked for 6 runs in just 5 innings.

                                                             Nice going Penny

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Bay walked to start. Lowell flied out to left and Baldelli grounded into a double play to end the inning. Justin Masterson came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Rios popped up to second to start. Millar took strike three and Bautista flied out to right to end the inning.

Jesse Carlson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Lowrie greeted him with his first home run of the season to cut the lead. Hill robbed Kottaras of a base hit and Rolen made a diving catch to rob Drew of a hit. Jeremy Accardo came in to face Pedroia and Dustin flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                       Home run Lowrie

The Jays beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh as Chavez grounded out to second to start. Scutaro and Hill both grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jason Frasor came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Youkilis struck out swinging to start. Ortiz flied out to left and Bay was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Ramon Ramirez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and more ineptitude occurred. Lowrie and Lowell collided on a pop up for an error to move Lind to second and Rolen walked. Overbay flied out to left, Rios struck out swinging and Millar watched strike three go by to end the inning.

                                                              Keystone Kops

Scott Downs came in to close out the top of the ninth and Lowell doubled to left to start. Baldelli struck out swinging and Lowrie flied out to right to bring up pinch hitter Jason Varitek. Varitek grounded out to third to end the game. The Jays had won it 6-2.

                                                           Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Brad Penny. The Sox bats didn't do much but Penny allowing 6 runs in 5 innings put the game away early.

                                                  "Bad" Penny is Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

Mike Lowell was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Justin Masterson tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Ramon Ramirez tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

JD Drew was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rocco Baldelli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jed Lowrie was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a home run.

George Kottaras was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a bad game and more concerning for the future rather than the present. The Sox couldn't get over the Tampa Bay Rays last year with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester so they needed more help. Brad Penny was supposed to be that help and so far he's nowhere close to what they need him to be. Again, the Sox are good enough to keep a lead in the AL East or the wild card but once October starts, they're going to need Penny to step up. The offense got shut down by a rookie and that pop up error was just a microcosm of the game. The Sox have two weeks until the trade deadline, they may need to ship someone for another starter because this isn't going to cut it. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-35, 2 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in a battle of aces as Jon Lester (8-6, 3.87 ERA) takes on Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Royals Drop Sox on Opening Day (4/2/07)

Well...that sucked. The revamped Boston Red Sox who added some key pieces in the off-season picked up where they left off in 2006 by dropping a big fat turd on Opening Day. Curt Schilling (0-1, 11.25) looked old as the Kansas City Royals pounded him for 5 runs in just 4 innings. Hideki Okajima made his ML debut by allowing a home run on the first pitch he threw, the Red Sox offense made Gil Meche look like Cy Young and the Royals ran away with this one 7-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                          "Sox lost?"

Meche got the ball in the top of the first and Julio Lugo made his Red Sox debut leading off by striking out swinging. Kevin Youkilis dropped a base hit to right for the first hit of the season and David Ortiz doubled him home to put the Sox up 3 batters into the game. Manny Ramirez flied out to deep center before JD Drew made his Red Sox debut by drawing a walk. Mike Lowell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                              Ortiz drives in the first run

Schilling got lit up right off the bat in the top of the first as David DeJesus flied out to right to start. Mark Grudzielanek stroked a high fastball to left for a hit before Mark Teahen hit a splitter up the middle for another hit. Mike Sweeney singled over the head of Dustin Pedroia to load the bases. Alex Gordon made his major league debut by striking out on a splitter in the dirt. Ryan Shealy drew a full count walk to tie the game. Ross Gload popped up to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                     Grumpy Curt

Jason Varitek led off the top of the second by popping up to second to start. Coco Crisp grounded out to second and Dustin Pedroia lined a base hit to left...but made a rookie mistake by getting thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the second although John Buck grounded out to short to start. Former Sox catcher Tony Pena's son Tony Jr tripled off the left field wall but Curt came back to freeze Dejesus. Grudzielanek singled home Pena Jr to give the Royals the lead. Teahen whiffed to end the inning but the Royals were up 2-1.

The Sox offense was done for the night as Lugo led off the top of the third by watching strike three go by. Youkilis flied out to right and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning. Schilling settled down in the bottom of the third as Sweeney popped up to center to start. Gordon took strike three and Shealy grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez led off the top of the fourth by grounding out to third. ESPN showed the replay of George Brett's gold medal sprint out of the dugout after the "pine tar" incident and Drew got so excited that he got a base hit to right. Lowell forced Drew at second and Varitek watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Royals iced the game in the bottom of the fourth although Gload grounded out to second to begin. Buck doubled to left and Pena Jr drew a walk, but Dejesus flied out to left. Grudzielanek added the insurance runs by doubling over the head of Drew for another 2 runs. Teahen singled up the middle to score Grudzielanek and put the game out of reach. Sweeney whiffed to end the inning and Schilling was done for the day. The 40 year old Curt lasted just 4 innings and allowed 5 runs, not his shining day.

                                                       Brutal

Meche continued to cruise in the top of the fifth inning as Crisp was rung up on a full count strike three to start. Pena Jr made a great play to Pedroia of a base hit before Lugo was rung up on a high curve by the notorious Tim Tschida to end the inning. Javier Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and plunked Gordon to start. Shealy grounded into a double play and Gload grounded out to first to end the inning.

Youkilis hit a hard grounder to third and Gordon threw the ball away but the alert Shealy threw out Youkilis at second. ESPN analyst Jon Miller said it wasn't a smart thing to do with Ortiz, Ramirez and Drew coming up and sure enough, Ortiz was hit on the left foot. Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning anyway.

Hideki Okajima's major league debut started auspiciously as the first pitch he threw was hit 5 million feet into the Gulf of Mexico for a home run by Buck to increase the lead. Okajima recovered to get Pena Jr to strike out swinging and Dejeus to fly out to the centerfield warning track. Grudzielanek grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals ahead 6-1.

                                               Welcome to the big leagues

Meche dominated in the top of the seventh as Drew grounded out to first to start.  Lowell flied out to left and Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Okajima returned for the bottom of the seventh and Teahen whiffed on a high fastball to start. Sweeney stroked a base hit to left then moved to second on the grounder by Gordon. That was it for Okajima who looked good after the first pitch and Brendan Donnelly was brought in. Donnelly made his Sox debut by punching out Shealy swinging to end the inning.

Meche returned for the top of the eighth and Crisp grounded out to first to start. Pedroia dropped a base hit to center to chase Meche after 7 1/3 brilliant innings. Joel Peralta came in and Lugo singled up the middle, but Youkilis whiffed to effectively end the game. Ortiz waived at strike three down and in to end the inning. Joel Pineiro made his Sox debut in the bottom of the eighth by allowing a single off the first base bag by Gload to start. Buck popped up to short but Pena Jr hit another triple off the left field wall to increase the lead. Sox manager Terry Francona came out to argue that Lowell made the tag but New York Yankees personal umpire Tschida told him to get lost. Francona did take Pineiro out and bring in lefty JC Romero. Dejesus grounded out to first and Grudzielanek flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals leading 7-1.

                                               Another triple for Pena

Peralta returned for the top of the ninth and Manny took strike three to start. Wily Mo Pena pinch hit for Drew only to strike out swinging but Lowell extended the torture by doubling down the left field line. Varitek flied out to right to end the game. The Royals had defeated the Sox on Opening Day 7-1.

             Royals win this one


Jackass of the Night is Curt Schilling. He lasted just 4 innings and gave up 5 runs to take the loss. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks.

                                                    Schilling the Jackass



The Good:

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a hit by pitch.

JD Drew was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3.

Javier Lopez tossed a scoreless 5th inning.

Brendan Donnelly struck out the only man he faced.

JC Romero retired the last 2 hitters he faced.



The Bad:

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wily Mo Pena struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with a strikeout

Coco Crisp was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Joel Pineiro allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Julio Lugo was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mike Lowell was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hideki Okajima allowed a home run on the first pitch in 1 2/3 total innings.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox seem to have a habit of losing Opening Day only to go on to have a successful season so let's hope the tradition continues. Today was a bad day all around as Schilling got beat up, the offense only scored a single run and Okajima got tagged on the first pitch he threw. The Royals aren't very good and the Sox have to win some of these road games early if they want to get ahead of the New York Yankees early. Still, its only one game and better to lose the first one than to lose the last one at the end of the season. The Sox ran themselves into outs but I'm sure that'll be addressed and corrected as the season goes on. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to rebound Wednesday night against the Royals. Josh Beckett makes his season debut opposite Odalis Perez at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Hansack "No-Hits" Orioles In Season Finale (10/1/06)

In a season that turned into a complete disappointment, the 2006 Boston Red Sox season ended on a high note. The Red Sox finished in third place for the first time since finishing dead last in 1997 but tonight career minor leaguer Devern Hansack (1-1, 2.70 ERA) ended the season with an unofficial no-hitter. Hansack held the Baltimore Orioles hitless for 5 innings as the Red Sox bashed Hayden Penn and the Baltimore bullpen for 9 runs. Then a huge rainstorm swept through Boston and since it was the last game of the year with nothing on the line, the umpires said to hell with it and called the game. It goes down in the record books as an unofficial no-hitter for Hansack and a 9-0 season ending win over the Orioles at Fenway Park.

                                                       Frodo is glad to see the season end

Hansack got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brian Roberts led off with a grounder to third to start. Corey Patterson struck out swinging on a hanging slider and Melvin Mora flied out to left to end the inning. In what could be his final game in Boston, Trot Nixon led off the bottom of the first against O's starter Hayden Penn with a ground ball base hit up the middle. Mark Loretta was plunked but David Ortiz hit one up the elevator shaft. Mike Lowell clobbered his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Jason Varitek flied out to center and Eric Hinske struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                   Last home run of the season for Lowell

Hansack froze Miguel Tejada for strike three on the outside corner but Fernando Tatis walked. Chris Gomez banged into a double play to end the inning. Carlos Pena dropped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second and Gabe Kapler hit a grounder under the legs of Mora for an error. Alex Cora hit a bullet to Roberts who doubled off Pena at second for a double play and Nixon

                                                             Yerrrr out!

David Newhan grounded out to first to start the top of the third and Brandon Fahey grounded out to second. Raul Chavez flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the third although Loretta flied out to right to start. Ortiz walked and Lowell hit one in the hole at short, but Varitek struck out swinging. Hinske walked to load the bases and Pena walked to score Ortiz with another run. Kapler then cleared the bases with a double down the third base line. Kapler took third on the throw and that was it for Penn. Julio Manon came in to pitch and Cora grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead by a touchdown 7-0.

                                                       Kapler with his final rbis

Hansack stayed strong in the top of the fourth as Roberts struck out swinging to start. Patterson struck out swinging and Mora popped up to Pena in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth although Newhan made a great sliding catch to rob Nixon of a hit to start. Loretta smashed his 5th home run of the season just inside the left field foul pole to increase the lead and Ortiz walked. Doug Mirabelli came in to pinch run and that was it for Ortiz for the 2006 season, hope he wins MVP. Lowell took strike three and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                       Loretta hits one out

Dustin Pedroia took over at second for Loretta to start the top of the fifth as the rain came. Tejeda struck out swinging and Tatis took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth. With the rain coming down and unlikely the game would last much longer, Sox manager Terry Francona pulled Trot Nixon out so he could get one last standing ovation at Fenway. David Murphy replaced him and Gomez flied out to center to end the inning. Hansack had thrown 5 no-hit innings and Nixon got a heroes sendoff.

                                                       Goodbye Trot

Russ Ortiz came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Hinske hooked his first home run in a Sox uniform around the right field foul pole to increase the lead. Pena walked but Kapler banged into a double play. Cora grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                    Hinske's first homer in the last game.

Before the top of the sixth inning could commence, umpires had the tarp pulled on the field for a rain delay. The area was so soggy it took a whole team to move it into position as what was left of the crowd roared with laughter. An hour later with it pouring out, the game out of reach and nothing left to play for...the game was called and the Red Sox were winners in their final game. Hansack had pitched a 5 inning no-hitter.

                                                              Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Devern Hansack. He threw a 5 inning no-no against the Orioles to earn his first ML win.

                                                           Hero Hansack

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Mark Loretta was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch, home run and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz walked twice and scored a run.

Mike Lowell was 2 for 3 with a 3 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Eric Hinske was 1 for 2 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Carlos Pena was 1 for 1 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Gabe Kapler was 1 for 3 with 3 rbis.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Alex Cora was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

None

Honorable Mention:

Dustin Pedroia played second base in the top of the fifth.

Doug Mirabelli pinch ran for Ortiz in the bottom of the fourth.

David Murphy replaced Trot Nixon for the final out of the bottom of the fifth.

Final Thoughts:

Sox manager Terry Francona had some chilling words before the game today when he said "This is the first time since I've been here that we know this is the last game of the year." The 2004 and 2005 seasons were very successful so Francona and the remnants of the "Idiots" aren't used to failure. This could possibly be Trot Nixon's last game here after nearly a decade and it'll be sad to see him go. Injuries and incompetence are the reasons the Sox are in third place at the end of this season. Curt Schilling had a nice bounceback season but Josh Beckett served up longballs like hot dog vendors serving barkers. Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester looked good but both of them were lost for the year. Coco Crisp for about a week looked like the real deal before he got hurt. The catching situation nosedived in August and the Sox didn't really have a third starter when both Matt Clement and Tim Wakefield went down. Julian Tavarez looked like a starter for next year's team with his September showing but the Sox are gonna have to do better than that if they want to rebound in 2007. The Sox are going to need another elite starter because Schilling is getting old and Beckett didn't appear to be the answer. They're also going to need to replace Nixon in right field if he's gone. Mark Loretta is rumored to not be coming back either. One thing is for sure, if the Sox can remain healthy and add a few key pieces, 2007 could be a good year. Hats off to Hansack who pitched a no-hitter, even if it was only 5 innings. At least the season ended on a positive as the Sox finished 86-76. Its now on to 2007....hope that season turns out better.