Sunday, July 8, 2001

Braves Shut Out Sox (7/8/01)

What the hell was that? In the last game before the All-Star break the Boston Red Sox laid an egg against the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. Local boy Tom Glavine was magnificent by tossing 7 shut-out innings while the Braves offense pounded Tomo Ohka and a host of Red Sox relievers. When it all was said and done the Braves took 2 out of 3 to end the first half on a low note with an 8-0 victory at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Ohka started off strong by getting Quilvio Veras to ground out to second to start the top of the first. BJ Surhoff doubled to left but Andruw Jones flied out to right and Chipper Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox missed a chance to score off Glavine in the bottom of the first as Jose Offerman started with a walk. Chris Stynes flied out to right but Trot Nixon singled. Manny Ramirez flied out to right which sent Offerman to third, but Dante Bichette grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ohka whiffed Ken Caminiti to open the top of the second but Brian Jordan singled to center. Javy Lopez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Shea Hillenbrand popped up to second, Mike Lansing was thrown out trying to bunt and Doug Mirabelli whiffed to end the inning.

Rico Brogna grounded out to second to begin the top of the third but Mark DeRosa singled to center. Veras grounded out to second and Surhoff popped up to third to end the inning. Glavine cruised in the bottom of the third as Darren Lewis flied out to right to begin. Offerman grounded out to first and Stynes grounded out to short to end the inning.
                                                          Stynes can't crack Glavine

Ohka got the Braves to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth inning. Andruw Jones grounded out to short, Chipper Jones grounded out to first and Caminiti also grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Nixon grounded out to short to start. Ramirez walked but Bichette banged into a double play to end the inning.

All of a sudden Ohka lost it in the top of the fifth as Jordan cracked a 400,000 foot home run to put the Braves on top. Lopez flied out to center and Brogna flied out to left but DeRosa and Veras stroked back to back singles before moving into scoring position on a balk. Surhoff doubled home both runners to ice the game. Andruw Jones put the exclamation point on with a 2 run bomb. Chipper Jones whiffed to end the inning but the Braves had pounded the Sox for 5 runs. That was it for Ohka as he allowed 5 runs in 5 innings to trail 5-0 as he left.
                                                            Nice going Ohka

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Hillenbrand flied out to right, Lansing flied out to center and Mirabelli grounded out to third.

Hipolito Pichardo came in to crap his pants in the top of the sixth as Caminiti doubled to start. Jordan singled and Lopez singled in Caminiti to score a run and chase Pichardo. Bryce Florie was brought in and got Brogna to bang into a double play. DeRosa flied out to right to end the inning with the Braves ahead 6-0.

Glavine cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Lewis lined out to second to start. Offerman flied out to center before Stynes watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Florie cruised in the top of the seventh as Veras grounded out to second to begin. Surhoff flied out to right before Andruw Jones looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox had their only rally in the bottom of the seventh as Nixon and Ramirez stroked back to back singles to start. That was it as Bichette popped up to first, Hillebrand whiffed and Lansing grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bill Pulsipher was brought in for the top of the eighth and got no help from his defense. Chipper Jones hit a routine grounder to Lansing who fielded the ball and threw it over the Monster into the screen for an error. Jones ended up on second before moving to third on the grounder to short by Caminiti. Jordan doubled home Jones to increase the lead. Lopez walked before Wes Helms pinch hit for Brogna only to strike out. DeRosa walked to load the bases but Veras whiffed to end the inning with the Braves ahead 7-0.

Mike Remlinger relieved Glavine and cruised in the bottom of the eighth. Mirabelli whiffed but Lewis somehow singled. Offerman banged into a double play to end the inning.

Carlos Castillo came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth although Surhoff grounded out to first to start. Andruw Jones popped up to first but Chipper Jones launched a 5,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Caminiti grounded out to third to end the inning with the Braves ahead 8-0.

Steve Reed had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Stynes grounded out to short to begin. Nixon flied out to right and Ramirez took strike three to end the game. The Sox mustered just 4 hits, committed an error and was humiliated 8-0.


Jackass of the Night is Tomo Ohka. Now that the Sox offense were going to crack Glavine but he didn't do them any favors by allowing 5 runs in 5 innings.
                                                            Nice going Jackass


The Good:

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3.

Darren Lewis was 1 for 3.

Bryce Florie tossed 2 full scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Chris Stynes was 0 for 4.

Dante Bichette was 0 for 3.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 3 with an error.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Hipolito Pichardo faced 3 men and allowed 2 hits, a double and a run.

Carlos Castillo allowed a run in the top of the ninth.



The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 but walked.

Bill Pulispher allowed an unearned run in the top of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

Talk about limping into the All-Star break. The Sox entered July in first place and ended up in second just 7 days later. The red hot New York Yankees have won 10 out of 11 to take control of the division and the Sox are going to have to step it up in the second half to get back in first. The loss of Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek hurts but the Sox still have enough talent to compete, especially for the wild card if nothing else. As for this game, not much you can do against Glavine but tip your cap and go get em tomorrow...or in this case after the break. The Sox head into the All-Star break 51-36, 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox head out on a 4 team road trip beginning Thursday in New York against the Mets in interleague play. Nobody knows who's going to start but that's when the season resumes.

No comments:

Post a Comment