It was good news this afternoon all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics won Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series with the Philadelphia Sixers and the Boston Red Sox beat the daylights out of the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of their doubleheader. After spending the first three weeks of the season on the Disabled List, John Burkett (1-0, 3.60 ERA) made his Sox debut and showed why the Red Sox signed him to compete with the New York Yankees. Burkett tossed 5 gutty innings against the Royals and allowed just two runs to keep Boston in the game. On the other side of the ball, the Sox bats laid waste to the bungholes of the Royals pitchers. The offense pounded out 16 hits and 12 runs against the hapless Royals including five home runs. Johnny Damon hit one against his former team while Manny Ramirez hit two of his own. Jose Offerman and Brian Daubach also went yard to add to the carnage. Tim Wakefield earned his first save of the season by pitching four shutout innings as the Sox took Game 1 of today's doubleheader with a 12-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium.
Dan Reichart got the ball to start the game for the Royals in the top of the first and Johnny Damon led off with a grounder to short. Jose Offerman lined out to a running Raul Ibanez and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Burkett made his Sox debut in the bottom of the first and Chuck Knoblauch led off with a pop up to short to start. Michael Tucker doubled in front of Manny Ramirez but Carlos Beltran struck out swinging. Mike Sweeney popped up to short to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second and Manny Ramirez slid into first to beat out an infield single to short. Brian Daubach lined a base hit to center but Shea Hillenbrand popped up to second but Trot Nixon doubled to right to score both runners to put Boston on top. Doug Mirabelli walked but the Sox failed a double steal as Nixon was thrown out at third. Mirabelli did take second but Sanchez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the second as Ibanez doubled into the gap in right/center to start. Joe Randa popped up to right and Neifi Perez flied out to left, but Brent Mayne walked. Carlos Febles lined a base hit into centerfield to score Ibanez to cut the lead. Knoblauch popped up to first to end the inning with the Royals down 2-1.
The Sox got another run in the top of the third as Damon tripled past Mike Sweeney down the first base line to start. All of a sudden Kansas City manager Tony Muser came out to yell at home plate umpire Tim Tschida for no reason and Offerman hit a sac fly to score Damon to increase the lead. Nomar grounded out to third and Manny struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.
Tucker got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third and promptly stole second. Beltran struck out swinging on a changeup down and away but Tucker took third on a wild pitch. Sweeney popped up to first and Ibanez grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox got another run in the top of the fourth as Daubach clubbed his third home run of the season to add to the lead. Hillenbrand struck out swinging, Nixon grounded out to second and Mirabelli grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.
The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Randa hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Mongolia to cut the lead. Perez and Mayne both grounded out to third but Febles tripled over the head of Damon. Knoblauch grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals down 4-2.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Sanchez flied out to right to start. Damon grounded out to second and Offerman grounded out to first to end the inning. Burkett came back for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Tucker singled to right to start. Beltran forced Tucker at second and was doubled off first on a pop up to right to end the inning. Carlos forgot there were two outs and that was it for Burkett who tossed 5 solid innings in his Sox debut, allowing just 2 runs and putting the Sox in line for the win.
Nomar singled in the hole at short to start the top of the sixth but Manny hit into a double play. Daubach singled to left but Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the inning. Tim Wakefield took the mound in the bottom of the sixth and Ibanez grounded out to first to start. Randa struck out swinging and Perez grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh as Nixon singled to right to start. Mirabelli popped up to third in foul territory and a wild pitch moved Nixon to second. Sanchez grounded out to third to move Trot to third and Damon drew a walk to chase Reichert. Old pal Cory Bailey came in to pitch and Damon promptly stole second. Offerman then smashed his second home run of the season to put the game out of reach. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.
Wakefield cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Mayne grounded out to short to start. Febles grounded out to third and Knoblauch popped up to second to end the inning.
The Sox got another run in the top of the eighth when Manny smashed a home run to dead center to add to the lead. Daubach singled to center but Hillenbrand forced him at second. Nixon got a base hit to left but Mirabelli hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-2.
Carlos Baerga took over for Sanchez to start the bottom of the eighth and Tucker grounded out to third to start. Beltran hit one up the elevator shaft and Sweeney struck out swinging to end the inning.
Miguel Asencio came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Baerga doubled to right to start. Damon belted his second home run of the season to increase the lead and Offerman got a base hit to right. Nomar flied out to left but Ramirez hit his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Daubach flied out to right and Hillenbrand popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-2.
Wakefield returned to close out the bottom of the ninth as Ibanez grounded out to second to start. David McCarty pinch hit for Randa and lined out to third. Perez flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had taken Game 1 by a 12-2 score.
Wakefield closes it out
Jose Hero
Hero of the Night is Jose Offerman. He outproduced Kansas City by himself with a three run homer and drove in 4 total runs.
The Good:
Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a two run home run, stolen base, a walk and 3 total runs scored.
Manny Ramirez was 3 for 5 with 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and 3 total runs scored.
Brian Daubach was 4 for 5 with a home run and two total runs scored.
Trot Nixon was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
Carlos Baerga was 1 for 1 with a run scored.
John Burkett earned his first win in Boston by allowing just 2 runs in 5 innings. He allowed 7 hits and struck out 2.
Tim Wakefield earned the save with 4 shutout innings.
The Bad:
Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5.
Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Don't look now but the Sox have won 5 games in a row and they're doing it with their explosive offense. Damon has been worth every penny out of the leadoff spot while Jose Offerman and Rickey Henderson are having the good kind of competition over who hits second. Ramirez, Nomar, Daubach and Hillenbrand have gotten big hits this season as well. Today's game the bats were cooking with 5 home runs and its tough to beat them when everything is working. Burkett's velocity was down but that's to be expected in his first start after coming off the Disabled List. The best news of the day was that Wakefield sucked up the final four innings, leaving the bullpen rested for Game 2 later on. All in all it was a good offensive day and the hope is the momentum carries over to Game 2. The Sox have no time to celebrate the win because they're back at it later today against the Royals in Game 2. Derek Lowe (2-1) gets the start for Boston against former Tampa Bay punching bag Bryan Rekar. The game begins in a few minutes at Kauffman Stadium.
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