Basebawful Report of The Month

Rolando Arrojo - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Jackass

Rod Beck - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly

Dante Bichette - 5 Good, 1 Bad, 10 Ugly

Frank Castillo - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

David Cone - 3 Bad

Paxton Crawford - 1 Bad, 1 Hero

Brian Daubach - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly

Carl Everett - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 12 Ugly, 1 Hero, 2 Jackass

Rich Garces - 3 Good, 5 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Craig Grebeck - 1 Bad, 1 Honorable Mention

Scott Hatteberg - 2 Good, 6 Bad

Shea Hillenbrand - 9 Good, 7 Bad, 8 Ugly, 1 Hero

Mike Lansing - 7 Good, 5 Bad, 6 Ugly

Darren Lewis - 5 Good, 5 Bad, 1 Ugly

Derek Lowe - 7 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Pedro Martinez - 2 Good, 4 Hero

Lou Merloni - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Honorable Mention

Trot Nixon - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 8 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Hideo Nomo - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Jose Offerman - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 14 Ugly

Tomo Ohka - 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Troy O'Leary - 5 Good, 2 Bad, 8 Ugly

Hipolito Pichardo - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Manny Ramirez - 17 Good, 3 Bad, 5 Ugly

Pete Schourek - 2 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Jackass

Chris Stynes - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

John Valentin - 4 Good, 5 Bad, 4 Ugly. 1 Honorable Mention

Jason Varitek - 9 Good, 6 Bad, 7 Ugly, 2 Hero

Tim Wakefield - 5 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Most Valuable Player is Manny Ramirez with 17 Good

Least Valuable Player is Shea Hillenbrand with 7 Bad

Ugliest Player of The Month is Jose Offerman with 14 Ugly

Hero of The Month is Pedro Martinez with 4 Hero

The Co-Jackasses of The Month are Rolando Arrojo and Carl Everett with 2 Jackass

Honorable Player of The Month is Trot Nixon with 2 Honorable Mention

Sox Rally Past Blue Jays Late (5/31/01)

Well this game between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays wasn't exactly a pitcher's duel. For five innings Hideo Nomo held the high powered Jays to just 1 run before getting knocked out in the sixth. The Red Sox rallied to take a 4-2 lead thanks to a two run bomb by Manny Ramirez. In the bottom of the seventh, Shannon Stewart hit a three run blast off Rod Beck to put the Blue Jays ahead. The Sox rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth against the Jays bullpen and three more in the ninth to take a commanding lead. Rolando Arrojo shut the door in the ninth and the Sox had outslugged Toronto 11-5 at the Skydome.

                                                      Angelina Jolie approves of the win

Jays starter Chris Michalak got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Offerman grounded out to short to start. Brian Daubach flied out to center and Carl Everett grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Nomo got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Shannon Stewart grounded out to second to start. Alex Gonzalez popped up to second and Carlos Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning.

Manny Ramirez popped up to short to start the top of the second but Dante Bichette doubled to left. Troy O'Leary struck out swinging and Shea Hillenbrand flied out to center to end the inning. Raul Mondesi grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second and Jose Cruz took strike three. Brian Simmons grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Jason Varitek lined out to left to start. Mike Lansing doubled to left and Offerman got a base hit up the middle to score him. Daubach grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                               Jose drives in a run

Tony Batista struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Darrin Fletcher flied out to left. Homer Bush grounded out to third to end the inning.

Everett grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Ramirez flied out to right. Bichette walked but was picked off to end the inning. Stewart lined out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Gonzalez struck out swinging. Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as O'Leary popped up to short to start. Hillenbrand popped up to third but Varitek smashed his sixth home run of the year to increase the lead. Lansing got a base hit to center but Offerman forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                            Home run Varitek

The Jays answered in the bottom of the fifth although Hillenbrand made a great diving catch to rob Mondesi of a hit. The perfect game was broken up when Cruz beat out an infield single to short. Simmons got a base hit to right and both runners moved over on a passed ball. Batista singled in the hole at short to score Cruz and Simmons moved to third on a fly ball to right by Fletcher. Bush walked to load the bases but Stewart popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

                                                  Hillenbrand with a great catch

The Sox looked to have the game wrapped up in the top of the sixth when Daubach singled to right to start. Everett forced him at second then Manny hit his 16th home run of the season to the opposite field. Bichette flied out to right and O'Leary struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                       Another blast for Manny

Nomo fell apart in the top of the sixth when Gonzalez hit a home run all the way to Montreal to cut the lead. Delgado walked and Sox manager Jimy Williams felt that was enough for Nomo after 5 1/3 innings and 2 runs allowed. "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in and Mondesi grounded out to second to move Delgado to second. Cruz struck out swinging but Simmons walked. Batista struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 4-2.

                                              Perfect through 4 1/3, didn't last much longer

Kelvim Escobar came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hillenbrand grounded out to short to start. Varitek flied out to left but Lansing struck out swinging to end the inning. The wheels fells off in the bottom of the seventh as Fletcher got a base hit to center. Bush singled to left and that was it for Garces. Rod Beck came in to stop the bleeding and did the opposite. Stewart hit a three run home run completely out of the Skydome to put the Jays on top. Gonzalez grounded out to short and Delgado flied out to center, but Mondesi tripled into the centerfield gap. Cruz flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays ahead 5-4.

                                                        Dammit Beck

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Offerman got a base hit to center to start. Daubach also got a base hit to center and both runners moved over on a grounder to first by Everett. Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases and Bichette made them pay with a sac fly to right to score Offerman to tie the game. Dan Plesac came in to face O'Leary for the lefty on lefty....and walked him to re-load the bases. Old friend Paul Quantrill came in to face Hillenbrand but wait! Jimy Williams countered by bringing in Trot Nixon to pinch hit. Nixon got plunked to score Daubach with the go-ahead run and Varitek stoked a 2 run opposite field base hit to increase the lead. Lansing struck out looking to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 8-5.

                                                           Good work Varitek

John Valentin came in for Bichette's spot while playing third and Craig Grebeck came in to play short for Lansing with Nixon now in right for the bottom of the eighth. Simmons grounded out to second, Batista flied out to center and Fletcher flied out to left to end the inning.

Jays closer Billy Koch came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth as Offerman grounded out to second to start. Daubach took strike three but Everett got a base hit to center. Ramirez got a base hit to center to move Everett to third and Valentin followed with a single to center as well to score Carl. O'Leary doubled to left to score Ramirez and chase Koch from the game. Pedro Borbon Jr struck Nixon out swinging with the Sox ahead 11-5.

                                                              Valentin drives in a run

Rolando Arrojo came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Bush struck out swinging to start. Stewart took strike three and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-5.

Hero of The Night is Trot Nixon. His bases loaded hit by pitch put the Sox up for good.

                                                                  Hero Nixon

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk, a 2 run home run and 3 total runs scored.

Dante Bichette was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

John Valentin singled, scored and drove in two runs.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Mike Lansing was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Hideo Nomo allowed just 2 runs in 5 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Rolando Arrojo pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

Rich Garces allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Rod Beck vultured the win by allowing a run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Craig Grebeck played shortstop in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a mixed bag for sure. The pitching was concerning with Garces and Beck getting shelled and Nomo didn't do very well either. On the other hand the offense was smoothly operating thanks to the efforts of just about everyone. After the offense failed miserably last year, adding Ramirez and keeping Bichette is paying dividends already. Just have to hold the fort until Nomar Garciaparra comes back and this might be the most deadliest offense in baseball with a 3-4-5 of Nomar, Ramirez and Everett. Just have to keep everyone healthy. On the other side of the ball, the Sox need to fix their pitching woes because they've vastly underperformed. Both the rotation and the bullpen need to pick things up if the Sox want to hang on to first place and see October again. The win improved the Sox to 29-22, tied for first place in the AL East with the New York Yankees. The Sox look to make it 3 wins in a row and second straight against the Blue Jays tomorrow night when Frank Castillo (5-3, 3.74 ERA) takes on Steve Parris of Toronto. The game begins at 7:07 PM at the Skydome.

Pedro Dazzles, Sox Blank Yankees (5/30/01)

Thank goodness for Pedro Martinez (7-1, 1.44 ERA) this season. The Boston Red Sox are trying to match the New York Yankees hall of fame rotation of Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens more often than not with Hideo Nomo, Tomo Ohka and Frank Castillo. Tonight Pedro blanked the high powered Yankees with 8 innings of shutout ball. His counterpart Mike Mussina didn't give an inch as he went the distance for New York, allowing just 2 earned runs himself. The Sox bats managed just a 2 run double from Brian Daubach and an rbi single by Carl Everett but it was just enough. The struggling Derek Lowe slammed the door in the top of the ninth to preserve the win. The Sox pulled within a half game of the AL East lead with a 3-0 victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park.

                                            Congressman Joe Moakley (RIP) approves of the win

Pedro got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chuck Knoblauch led off by flying out to the right field warning track to start. Derek Jeter grounded back to the mound and David Justice struck out swinging to end the inning. Mussina got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman led off by getting rung up on a check swing strike three to start. Trot Nixon took strike three right down the middle and Carl Everett struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bernie Williams walked to start the top of the second inning but Tino Martinez banged into a double play. Paul O'Neill stroked a single to center but Jorge Posada struck out swinging on a nasty changeup to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez hit a dribbler off the glove of Scott Brosius for an error to start. Troy O'Leary doubled off the centerfield wall but Shea Hillenbrand popped up to Martinez in foul territory. Brian Daubach hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to put the Sox on top. John Valentin hit a ball deep to center to move Daubach to third but Jason Varitek struck out swinging on a high fastball to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Sox strike first

Pedro cruised in the top of the third as Brosius struck out swinging to start. Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging on a high fastball and Knoblauch popped up to left to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Offerman ripped a base hit to left to start. Nixon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to mover Offerman to second and Jose scored on a line drive off the Monster by Everett. Unfortunately Everett was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double and Ramirez flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Yerrrr out!

Jeter flied out to Nixon in the right field corner to start the top of the fourth as the rain started pouring down. Justice and Williams both struck out swinging to end the inning. O'Leary took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Hillenbrand grounded out to third. Daubach took strike three as well to end the inning.

Pedro dominated the top of the fifth as Martinez struck out swinging to start. O'Neill flied out to center and Posada struck out swinging to end the inning. Valentin grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Varitek took an inside fastball for strike three. Offerman struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the sixth as Brosius hit a seeing-eye single at short to start. Soriano somehow spun around to avoid getting hit and the ball clipped the bat into Varitek's glove for strike three. Yankees manager Joe Torre sprinted out of the dugout and DEMANDED the call be changed because how DARE they call something against the Yankees, but home plate umpire Mike Winters told him to scram. Knoblauch hit a routine grounder to Offerman who threw wide of second for an error. Jeter struck out swinging on a high fastball and Justice grounded out to short to end the inning. Nixon popped up to Soriano to start the bottom of the sixth before Everett struck out swinging. Ramirez popped up to right to end the inning.

Williams flied out to left to start the top of the seventh before Martinez was frozen for strike three. O'Neill singled off the Monster but Posada grounded out to first to end the inning. O'Leary hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the seventh before Hillenbrand grounded out to short. Daubach struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pedro came back for one final inning in the top of the eighth as Brosius grounded out to second to start. Henry Rodriguez pinch hit for Soriano and struck out swinging, but Knoblauch dumped a base hit in front of Everett. Jeter struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Pedro who tossed 8 shutout innings and struck out 13 Yankees, he was unhittable.

                                                                Great work Pedro

Luis Sojo took over for Rodriguez to start the bottom of the eighth and Valentin struck out swinging to start. Varitek walked but Offerman flied out to left. Nixon and Everett walked to load the bases but Ramirez popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Derek Lowe came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Justice swung at a ball in the dirt for strike three. Williams blooped a base hit to center but Martinez popped up to left. Williams took second on defensive indifference but O'Neill struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pedro Martinez. He tossed 8 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits while striking out 13.

                                                      Pedro Hero

The Good:

Carl Everett was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Derek Lowe earned his 5th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error but scored a run.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

It wasn't as epic as last year's pitcher's duel between Roger Clemens and Pedro in New York but tonight Mike Mussina didn't give an inch. Mussina was almost unhittable after allowing the early runs and Pedro kept pace the whole game. Its a sad state of affairs when only one member of the Sox rotation is feared by New York because if they were to ever meet in the playoffs, the rest of Boston's staff doesn't measure up. That was their problem in 1999 and that would be their problem this year as well. The Sox will get Nomar Garciaparra back at some point but the Sox are gonna need more out of their starters. Obviously you can't expect David Cone, Hideo Nomo and Frank Castillo to pitch like Pedro did tonight, but they need an improvement that's for sure. The Sox did what they had to do tonight to win and get them closer to first place, better than a loss. The win improved the Sox to 28-22, 1/2 game back of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Toronto for a set with the Toronto Blue Jays. Hideo Nomo of the Sox takes on Chris Michalak of the Jays tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at the Skydome.

Off-Day News (5/29/01)

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History:

1970 - Red Sox walkoff White Sox

1981 - Brewers rally past Red Sox

1999 - Sox defeat Indians

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night against the New York Yankees. Pedro Martinez (6-1) takes on Mike Mussina of New York. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Edge Sox Late (5/28/01)

No matter how good the Boston Red Sox are or can be they're always coming up short against the New York Yankees. The Yankees took a 3-1 lead on David Cone and the Red Sox, knocking David out in the third inning. Jose Offerman and Darren Lewis drove in runs to tie the game but in the eighth inning, Jorge Posada doubled off Rich Garces to put the Yankees ahead. Mike Stanton and Mariano Rivera slammed the door and the Yankees had beaten the Red Sox further into second place with a 4-3 win at Fenway Park.

The Yankees jumped on Cone in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter walked and stole second before David Justice walked. Bernie Williams got a base hit in the hole at short to load the bases and Tino Martinez hit a seeing eye single to right to score Jeter and Justice. Paul O'Neill grounded out to second to move both runners over but Jorge Posada flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

                                                         Martinez puts New York on top

Andy Pettitte got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman led off  by grounding out to short. John Valentin drew a walk and took second on a wild pitch, but Carl Everett struck out swinging. Manny Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Scott Brosius struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Alfonso Soriano singled to left. Soriano was thrown out trying to steal but Knoblauch drew a walk. Jeter singled to center and Justice walked to load the bases but Williams grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Dante Bichette got a base hit to left to begin. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging but Jason Varitek walked. Mike Lansing got a base hit to center to score Bichette but Darren Lewis struck out swinging. Offerman struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                Lansing drives in a run

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Martinez grounded out to short to start. O'Neil then hit a home run all the way to Homoa, Louisiana to increase the lead. Posada struck out swinging but Brosius singled to left to chase Cone. Sox manager Jimy Williams saw something he didn't like and decide to pull Cone before it got any worse. Rolando Arrojo came in to pitch and Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                                                 O'Neill hits one out

Brosius booted a grounder by Valentin to start the bottom of the third but Everett forced him at second. Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Arrojo cruised in the top of the fourth as Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Jeter grounded out to second and Justice grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bichette struck out swinging to start. Hillenbrand got a base hit to right but Varitek grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Williams grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Martinez flied out to center. O'Neill popped up to Arrojo to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as Lansing doubled to left to start. Lewis grounded out to second to move Lansing to third and Mike scored on the Offerman base hit to center. Valentin popped up to second but Everett lined a base hit to left. With the tying run at second....Ramirez lined out to second to end the inning.

Posada struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth but Brosius singled to center. Cone had Brosius picked off but Offerman missed the catch, allowing Scott to take second. Soriano struck out swinging but Knoblauch was hit with a pitch. Jeter forced Knoblauch at second to end the inning. The Sox came back in the bottom of the sixth as Bichette singled to left to start. Hillenbrand banged into a double play but Varitek tripled into the centerfield triangle. Lansing walked and Lewis caught the Yankees asleep with a safety squeeze bunt to score Varitek to tie the game. Offerman lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Lewis ties it up with a bunt single

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Justice took strike three to start. Williams got a base hit to left but Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning. Valentin popped up to first in foul territory to start the bottom of the seventh before Everett lined out to left. Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth with Trot Nixon taking over for Bichette in the field. O'Neill doubled off the centerfield wall and Rich Garces came in to pitch to Posada. The gamble failed as Posada doubled home Paul to put the Yankees back on top. Brosius dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Jorge Posada and Henry Rodriguez pinch hit for Soriano only to take strike three. Knoblauch was plunked to put runners at the corners but Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-3.

                                                     O'Neill starts the rally with a double

Old friend Mike Stanton came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Luis Sojo took over at second. Nixon and Hillenbrand both struck out swinging and Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Justice grounded out to short to start. Williams singled to left but Martinez lined out to third. Williams swiped second but O'Neill grounded out to second to end the inning. Mariano Rivera came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lansing flied out to center to start. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Lewis but grounded out to first. Offerman took strike three to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Manny Ramirez. He was 0 for 4 and left the tying run on base in the fifth inning.

                                                              Jackass Ramirez

The Good:

Dante Bichette was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

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

Mike Lansing was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Rolando Arrojo tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trot Nixon struck out in his only at-bat.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

David Cone allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 4 walks.

Pete Schourek took the loss by being charged with a run in an inning of work.

Rich Garces allowed the go-ahead run to score in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts and an error but drove in a run.

John Valentin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Typical Yankees, they always seem to get the hits they need exactly when they need. Cone had nothing but Arrojo stoned them cold. The Sox word hard to tie the game against Pettitte only to fail to do anything against Stanton and Rivera. The big bats like Ramirez, Valentin and Everett went a combined 1 for 11 with a walk. That's three straight bad starts by Cone and he may be all washed up. The Yankees dumped him for his subpar 2000 season and he's picked up where he left off. Its all bad news as the Sox needed to take this two game series to get back in the first place and instead they fell further behind. Cone better start pitching better or else Tomo Ohka or Paxton Crawford will be back up sooner rather than later. All in all it was a typical Yankees win when it counts but the Sox will look to stem the tide on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Sox to 27-22, 1.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action against the Yankees with Pedro Martinez (6-1) takes on Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Wakefield, Sox Down Jays at 100th Party (5/27/01)

Today was a day for fun as the city of Boston celebrated 100 years of the Boston Red Sox with a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though the Sox played their first game In April of 1901 Sox owner John Harrington decided to pick today to honor the franchise. Tim Wakefield (2-0, 2.36 ERA) survived a shaky first few innings to toss 7 solid innings to keep the Sox ahead. Down 2-1 in the fourth, Brian Daubach tied the game with a home run and Carl Everett put the Sox ahead in the fifth. Jose Offerman drove in the insurance run and Wakefield turned the game over to the bullpen in the eighth. Rod Beck and Derek Lowe slammed the door on the win as the Sox avenged yesterday's loss with a 4-2 win over the Jays at Fenway Park.

                                          Raoul Duke approves of the win 

The Jays tagged Wakefield in the top of the first inning as Shannon Stewart was plunked to start. Stewart stole second and moved to third on a grounder to second by Alex Gonzalez. Carlos Delgado grounded out to second to score Stewart to put Toronto on top. Raul Mondesi popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                     Stewart scores a run

Steve Parris got the start for Toronto in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman flied out to left to start. Trot Nixon hit one up the elevator shaft but Carl Everett singled to right. Everett stole second but Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the second as Brad Fullmer hit a home run all the way to Edmonton to increase the lead. Tony Bautista struck out swinging and Jose Cruz Jr grounded out to first but Darrin Fletcher singled to right. Homer Bush grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 2-0.

                                                                Fullmer hits one out

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Troy O'Leary tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. Tony Bautista booted a grounder by Shea Hillenbrand for an error to score Troy but Brian Daubach struck out swinging. John Valentin flied out to right but Jason Varitek walked. Offerman lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                               O'Leary scores a run

Stewart hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third before Gonzalez struck out swinging. Delgado walked and took second on a wild pitch but Mondesi struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Nixon singled to left to start. Everett caught the Jays asleep with a bunt single to the mound but Ramirez struck out swinging. O'Leary struck out swinging and Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning.

Fullmer singled to right to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on a passed ball. Batista and Cruz both struck out swinging before Fletcher flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach smashed his eighth home run of the season to tie the game. Valentin popped up to second, Varitek flied out to left and Offerman lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Daubach hits one out

Bush struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Stewart took strike three. Gonzalez singled to left but was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon doubled to center to start. Everett doubled into the same spot to score Nixon to put the Sox on top before Ramirez flied out to right. O'Leary was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Hillenbrand hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

 

                                                                     Everett with an rbi

Delgado flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Mondesi popped up to third in foul territory. Fullmer flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Daubach struck out swinging to start. Valentin struck out swinging but Varitek doubled off the Monster. Offerman ripped a base hit to center to score Varitek and chase Parris. Pedro Borbon Jr came in to pitch and Offerman swiped second. Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                Offerman drives in a run

Wakefield returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Batista popped up to second to start. Cruz beat out a bunt in front of the plate but Fletcher grounded into a double play to end the inning. Wakefield was outstanding, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 7.

                                                           Wakefield gets it done

Everett grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and that was it for Borbon. Paul Quantrill came in and Ramirez struck out swinging. O'Leary also went down hacking to end the inning.

Rod Beck came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Bush grounded out to short to start. Stewart went down hacking and Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the inning. Hillenbrand grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the eighth but Daubach singled to center. Valentin banged into a double play to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Delgado singled to right to start. Mondesi flied out to right and Offerman made a great diving stab to rob Fullmer of a base hit. Delgado moved to second on that grounder but Batista grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                         Offerman saves the day

Hero of the Night is Tim Wakefield. He earned the win by allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings of work to keep the Sox in the game and ahead.

                                                                  Hero Wakefield

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Everett was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Troy O'Leary was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Derek Lowe earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and stole a base.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Even though the Sox technically played their first game in April of 01 and won their first home game in early May, Sox brass felt today should honor 100 years of Sox baseball. At least the current incarnation delivered a win with timely hitting and pitching. Looks like the decision to demote Paxton Crawford and Tomo Ohka in favor of putting Tim Wakefield and David Cone in the rotation is working so far. Hopefully both Paxton and Crawford can turn things around for themselves in case god forbid somebody gets hurt. The offense is doing well despite not having Nomar Garciaparra and it'll only get better when he comes back. The Sox needed to win this game because they got two big games coming up at home against the New York Yankees. They dropped the two in New York earlier this week and they need to win both if they want to get back in first place. The win improved the Sox to 27-21, 0.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Now the Sox face the Yankees in a weird two game series as they play tomorrow night, are off Tuesday and play again Wednesday night. David Cone gets another crack at his old team when he takes the hill for the Sox up against Andy Pettite of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Blank Sox Behind Michalek (5/26/01)

After Hideo Nomo tossed a complete game 1 hit shutout in last night for the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays served the same humiliation back to the Boston Red Sox in tonight' game. Chris Michalak pitched the game of his life for the Jays, stoning the Sox cold for 8 shutout innings. Frank Castillo (5-3, 3.74 ERA) was game, holding the Jays to just a single run through six innings. Then the wheels fell off in the seventh as Castillo was chased and Rich Garces allowed both runners he inherited to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach. The Jays got another run against Pete Schourek in the eighth and old friend Paul Quantrill slammed the door in the ninth. One night after getting shutout this time it was the Jays shutting out the Red Sox for the first time all season 5-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Shannon Stewart grounded out to second to start. Alex Gonzalez grounded out to short and Carlos Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning. Michalak got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jose Offerman took strike three to start. John Valentin and Carl Everett stroked back to back base hits but Everett got picked off first. Manny Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Raul Mondesi popped up to short to begin the top of the second inning but Brian Simmons singled to left. Tony Batista struck out swinging and Jose Cruz Jr took strike three to end the inning. Dante Bichette reached on an error by Gonzalez to start the bottom of the second and moved to third on the grounder to short by Shea Hillenbrand. Jason Varitek and Mike Lansing both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Alberto Castillo struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Homer Bush grounded out to third. Stewart singled to center and swiped second but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              Stewart swipes second

Darren Lewis tried to drop down a bunt in the bottom of the third but Michalak snuffed it out. Offerman and Valentin both flied out to left to end the inning.

Delgado flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Mondesi grounded out to third. Simmons flied out to center to end the inning. Everett flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fourth but Ramirez popped up to short. Bichette popped up to third to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the fifth as Batista struck out swinging to start. Cruz struck out swinging but Castillo hit a home run all the way to Russia to put the Jays on top. Bush grounded out to short to end the inning but the Jays led 1-0.

                                                             Castillo homers off Castillo

Hillenbrand tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Varitek flied out to right. Lansing forced Hillenbrand at second but Lewis got a base hit to right. Offerman hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

                                                                 Hillenbrand is out

Stewart popped up to first to start the top of the sixth and Gonzalez struck out swinging. Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning and its a shame the Sox couldn't score for Castillo after he held the Jays to 1 run in 6 innings. The Sox blew their only chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth as Valentin was hit with a pitch to start only to get thrown out at third on a base hit to right by Everett. Everett then got thrown out trying to move to second on a pitch in the dirt and Ramirez walked. What should have been bases loaded and 1 out ended up Bichette flying out to center to end the inning.

The wheels fell off in the top of the seventh as Mondesi got a base hit to left to begin. Simmons singled to center and that was it for Castillo. He did the best he could but the Sox bats let him down big time. "El Guapo" Rich Garces poured gas on the fire as Batista doubled off the Monster to score Mondesi almost immediately. Cruz was intentionally walked to load the bases and somehow Castillo went down looking. Bush beat out a double play ball to score Simmons and Stewart singled to center to score Batista to ice the game. Gonzalez forced Stewart at second to end the inning but it was 4-0 Jays.

                                                            "Thanks a lot Garces"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh although Hillenbrand singled to left to start. Varitek grounded into a double play and Lansing grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Delgado greeted him with a double to left. Mondesi singled to center to score Delgado but Simmons forced him at second. Batista popped up to first and Cruz Jr flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 5-0.

                                                           Mondesi drives in a run

Lewis doubled to left to start the bottom of the eighth and took third on the fly out to center by Offerman. Valentin lined out to short and Everett popped up to second to end the inning. Somehow Michalak had shut out the Sox through eight innings, it was the game of his life.

                                                      How do you lose to this guy?

Derek Lowe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Castillo grounded out to third to begin. Bush struck out swinging and Bichette dropped a line drive by Stewart for a 2 base error. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Old friend Paul Quantrill came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Ramirez singled to left to start. Bichette also got a base hit to left but Hillenbrand forced Dante at second. Varitek grounded into a double play to end the game. The Jays had shutout the Sox 5-0.

Jackass of the Night is Rich Garces. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                                El Jackass

The Good:

John Valentin was 1 for 3.

Carl Everett was 2 for 4.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4.

Darren Lewis was 2 for 3.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pete Schourek allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Frank Castillo was charged with 3 runs in 6 innings to take the loss but allowed just 1 through the first 6.

Final Thoughts:

Things aren't looking good for the Sox right now. Dropping 3 out of 4 to the New York Yankees and Blue Jays isn't the way you want to end the month of May. Not only that but getting shut out by Michalak was embarrassing. The worst part was its Boston's own fault getting runners thrown out trying to steal, getting picked off and running into outs. That seventh inning where Valentin and Everett ran themselves out in a 1-0 game with Ramirez coming up was the difference. If they stayed put then Bichette's fly ball would have scored Valentin to tie the game. Castillo pitched a good game but was let down by the offense and the bullpen. Garces and Schourek turned a 1-0 game into 5-0 pretty quick and usually Garces usually isn't that bad. All in all it was a bad game with errors, guys running into outs and not being able to score any runs. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-21, 0.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Jays when Tim Wakefield (1-0) makes his second start of the season against Steve Parris of Toronto. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Nomo Throws Gem, Sox Blank Jays (5/25/01)

If Pedro Martinez is the unquestioned ace of the Boston Red Sox, then Hideo Nomo (5-3, 3.60 ERA) is the legitimate number 2. In his best start since his no-hitter against Baltimore, Nomo dazzled the Toronto Blue Jays in tonight's game. Nomo pitched a complete game 1 hit shutout while striking out 14 batters, better than any Pedro start this season. Offensively Carl Everett and Mike Lansing drove in all the runs the Sox needed as Nomo dominated. The Sox needed a bounce back win after dropping two in a row to the New York Yankees as they blanked the Jays 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Alice approves of the win

Nomo began the top of the first by getting Shannon Stewart to ground out to short to start. Alex Gonzalez dropped down a bunt but it was snuffed out by Shea Hillenbrand and Carlos Delgado struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                         Hillenbrand makes the play

The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Esteban Loaiza as Jose Offerman drew a leadoff walk to start. Trot Nixon doubled off the Monster and Carl Everett doubled home Offerman to put the Sox on top. Manny Ramirez struck out swinging, Troy O'Leary flied out to left and Jason Varitek took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Everett drives in a run

Raul Mondesi grounded out to to third to start the top of the second before Brad Fullmer struck out swinging. Tony Batista flied out to left to end the inning. Shea Hillenbrand singled to right to start the bottom of the second but Brian Daubach struck out swinging. Mike Lansing flied out to center but Offerman walked again. Nixon grounded out to first to end the inning,

Jose Cruz struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Darrin Fletcher grounded out to second. Homer Bush struck out swinging to end the inning. Everett grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Ramirez flied out to center. O'Leary grounded a base hit up the middle but Varitek popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

Stewart broke up the perfect game with a double to left to start the top of the fourth. Gonzalez dropped down a bunt to move Stewart to third but Delgado struck out swinging. Mondesi grounded out to short to end the inning. Hillenbrand flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Daubach grounded out to first. Lansing lined one off of Loaiza but Gonzalez threw him out at first to end the inning.

Fullmer struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth before Batista grounded out to third. Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning. Loaiza cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Offerman grounded out to third to start. Nixon lined out to second and Everett struck out swinging to end the inning.

Fletcher grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Bush struck out swinging. Stewart took strike three to end the inning. Stewart got so angry that he started tearing all his clothes off while screaming "Vete a la mierda!!" to home plate umpire Tim Timmons. Stewart was thrown out of the game and escorted out of Fenway by armed security.

                                                           Stewart gets ejected

Brian Simmons took over for Stewart for the bottom of the sixth and Ramirez grounded out to short to start. O'Leary grounded out to first but Varitek singled to right. Hillenbrand walked and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

Nomo turned up the heat in the top of the seventh as Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Delgado struck out swinging and Mondesi went down hacking to end the inning. Lansing flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Offerman got a base hit to left. Nixon flied out to left and Everett popped up to second to end the inning.

The strikeout streak continued as Fullmer went down hacking to start. Batista went down swinging but Cruz grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Ramirez grounded a single up the middle to start. O'Leary got a base hit to right to chase Loaiza. Kelvim Escobar came in and Varitek walked to load the bases with nobody out. Hillenbrand popped up to second and Daubach forced Ramirez at home, but Lansing doubled to the wall to clear the bases. Offerman took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                                 Ramirez starts the rally

Nomo returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Bush popped up to Hideo and Simmons grounded out to first to end the game. Nomo went the distance and the Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Hideo Nomo. He threw a complete game 1 hit shutout while striking out 14 batters.

                                                         Hideo Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

None.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 3 run double to put the game away.

Final Thoughts:

After two losses to fall out of first to the Yankees, the Sox needed just one win against the Jays to regain first place. The offense wasn't terribly exciting although they did just enough to win. Nomo has been schizophrenic this season as he's either throwing gems or stinkers with little in between. He nearly pitched back to back no-hitters and was damn near perfect in this one. What cost the Red Sox in 1999 against the Yankees (and last year really) was the lack of a number 2 starter and hopefully Nomo can keep this momentum going all season. The sooner Nomar Garciaparra comes back to complete the offense, the better. The win improved the Sox to 26-20, 0.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays tomorrow afternoon when Frank Castillo (5-2) goes up against Chris Michalak of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.