Maddux took the mound in the top of the first inning and the Sox immediately squandered. Jeff Frye opened the game with a walk before Trot Nixon singled. The rally ended as Nomar Garciaparra banged into a double play and Carl Everett struck out to end the inning. Fassero got the ball in the bottom of the first and Quilvio Veras lined out to third to begin. Andruw Jones took strike three before Chipper Jones popped up to second to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Brian Daubach looked at strike three to begin. Troy O'Leary flied out to right and Wilton Veras flied out to center to end the inning. Fassero kept pace in the bottom of the second as Andres Galarraga grounded out to short to start. Brian Jordan singled but Reggie Sanders flied out to left, advancing Jordan to second. Rafael Furcal watched strike three go by to end the inning.
Nothing went well in the top of the third as Scott Hatteberg looked at strike three to start. Fassero whiffed but Frye singled. Nixon flied out to right to end the inning. The Braves struck first in the bottom of the third as Fernando Lunar singled to start. Maddux flied out to center and Veras flied out to left, but Andruw Jones singled. Chipper Jones drove in Lunar with a single to give the Braves the lead. Galarraga grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 1-0 Braves.
The Sox answered right back in the top of the fourth as Nomar doubled to start. Everett hit a squibber in front of the mound but Nomar moved to third and he scored on the Daubach single. O'Leary grounded back to the mound but Daubach moved to second. Veras whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.
All of a sudden Fassero crapped his pants in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jordan and Sanders drew back to back walks before Furcal doubled home Jordan. Lunar singled both men home to make it a three run game. Maddux sacrifice bunted Lunar to second and Veras walked to chase Fassero. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings giving up 4 runs....he runs out of gas quickly it seems.
Veras stole second but Lunar was thrown out at home on a grounder to Nomar by Andruw Jones. Chipper Jones lined out to right to end the inning but it was 4-1 Braves.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Hatteberg looked at strike three to start. Alexander grounded back to the mound and Frye grounded out to second to end the inning. Pichardo kept the Braves off the board in the bottom of the fifth as Galarraga whiffed before Jordan popped up to second. Sanders whiffed to end the inning.
Maddux dominated the top of the sixth as Nixon whiffed before Nomar grounded out to second. Everett whiffed to end the inning. The Braves added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Furcal doubled to start before swiping third on the Lunar strikeout. Maddux scored Furcal with a safety squeeze to increase their lead. Veras grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 5-1 Braves with Maddux driving in as many runs as he's allowed.
Somehow the Sox struck back in the top of the seventh as Daubach clobbered his 10th homer of the year to start the inning. O'Leary grounded out to short before Darren Lewis pinch hit for Pichardo and doubled. Lewis moved to third on the ground out by Hatteberg as Jason Varitek pinch hit for Alexander. Varitek and Frye drew back to back walks to load the bases before Nixon singled to score Lewis and Varitek and put the tying run at second. That was it for Maddux as Mike Remlinger came in and slammed the door by getting Nomar to fly out to right to end the inning with the Braves still ahead 5-4.
Varitek took over behind the plate, Donnie Sadler took over at third, Lewis took over in right and Rich Garces took over on the mound to begin the bottom of the seventh. Not even Garces could quel the Braves as Andruw Jones flied out to left before Chipper Jones flied out to center. Galarraga crushed a 5,480 foot home run to increase the lead. Jordan grounded out to third to end the inning with the Braves ahead 6-4.
The Sox had a chance to crack Remlinger in the top of the eighth but Everett whiffed to start. Daubach flied out to center but O'Leary singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately Lewis lined out to second to end the inning. Garces returned for the bottom of the eighth and Sanders popped up to second. Furcal singled but was gunned down at second by the alert Varitek trying to steal. Lunar whiffed to end the inning.
Rudy Seanez came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Sadler whiffed, Varitek took strike three and Frye flied out to right to end the game. The Braves had won it 6-4.
Jackass of the Night is Jeff Fassero. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs, a quality start by him and the Sox might have won the game.
The Good:
Jeff Frye was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.
Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.
Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis including a solo home run.
Darren Lewis was 1 for 2 with a run scored.
Jason Varitek walked and scored as a pinch hitter.
The Bad:
Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Wilton Veras was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Donnie Sadler struck out in his only plate appearance.
Manny Alexander was 0 for 1 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4.
Hipolito Pichardo allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.
Rich Garces allowed a run in 2 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
That sucked. Not only could the Sox not break through in the seventh when Maddux was gone but the bullpen couldn't lock it down. If Pichardo and Garces were able to shut down the Braves then its possible the Sox could have won. The champs are looking to repeat as NL champions and with their rotation it will be very, very tough to beat them. The offense did what they could with who they had but the regression of Mike Stanley and O'Leary plus the loss of John Valentin is hurting right now. Tomorrow Pete Schourek (2-5) goes for the Sox up against Terry Mulholland at 7:10 PM at Turner Field.
No comments:
Post a Comment