Yankees Stun Sox in 11, Win Pennant (10/16/03)

25 years ago when Bucky Dent hit his famous home run in the one game playoff to decide the 1978 AL East division race in favor of the New York Yankees, some fan was heard saying "They killed our fathers and now those sons of bitches are coming after us." Well now its a new generation that can say the exact same thing. This generation got its first dose of true heartbreak in tonight's Game 7 loss to the Yankees. The Red Sox were enjoying a 5-2 lead in the 8th inning when Sox manager Grady Little left Sox ace Pedro Martinez in too long, allowing the tying runs to score and sending this game to extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, the light hitting Aaron Boone sent ALCS MVP runner up Tim Wakefield's pitch into the stands for a walkoff home run to win the pennant for the Yankees. As Joe Buck said on the broadcast "Fans in New England....more heartbreak" once the Yankees won the game 6-5 in Yankee Stadium.

                                                              Damn Yankees

The retiring Roger Clemens took the ball in the top of the first inning and Johnny Damon grounded out to short to start. Todd Walker sliced a single to center before moving to second on the fly out by Nomar Garciaparra. Manny Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. Martinez took the mound to a chorus of boo's and blew away Alfonso Soriano to start. Nick Johnson drew a walk but Derek Jeter popped up to Kevin Millar in foul territory. Bernie Williams lined a base hit to left before Hideki Matsui popped up nto center to end the inning.

The Sx struck first in the top of the second inning although David Ortiz lined out to center to begin. Millar lined a single to right and Trot Nixon continued to haunt Clemen by pounding a 2 run home run to right center to put the Sox on top. Bill Mueller whiffed on a pitch in the dirt but Jason Varitek doubled into the right field corner. Damon hit a routine grounder to Enrique Wilson but he threw the ball away, allowing Varitek to score another run. Walker grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                      Nixon puts the Sox on top

Could Pedro pitch with a 3 run lead in the bottom of the second? YES! Jorge Posada popped up to center, Jason Giambi whiffed on a high fastball and Wilson popped up to left to end the inning.

Clemens settled down in the top of the third as Nomar popped up to first to start. Manny flied out to right and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning. Pedro matched Clemens in the bottom of the third as Karim Garcia popped up to center to start before Soriano whiffed. Johnson popped up to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth when Millar swatted a solo home run just over the fence in right to increase the lead. Nixon walked and Mueller singled him to third to chase Clemens. In what could be Rocket Roger's final game before retiring, he was knocked out after 3 innings. Mike Mussina came on for his first relief appearance ever and in what turned out to be the turning point, Mussina got Varitek to strike out and Damon to bang into a double play to end the inning. The Sox had a 4-0 lead but their only chance to blow it open was lost.

                                                   Millar adds to the lead

Pedro kept the Yankees out of sorts in the bottom of the fourth as Jeter grounded out to third to begin. Williams whiffed but Matsui doubled over the head of Damon in center. Posada grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox blew another chance in the top of the fifth although Walker popped up to left to start. Nomar and Ramirez stroked back to back singles but Ortiz whiffed. Millar grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees began their comeback in the bottom of the fifth as Giambi crushed a solo home run to dead center to put them on the board. Wilson flied out to left, Garcia whiffed and Soriano looked at strike three to end the inning but it was 4-1 Sox.

                                                     Giambi tags Pedro

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Nixon was rung up for strike three to start. Mueller grounded out to third before Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro kept up the pace in the bottom of the sixth as Johnson grounded out to first to start. Jeter whiffed and Williams flied out to right to end the inning.

Felix Heredia came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Damon whiffed to start. Walker popped up to third and that was it for Heredia. Jeff Nelson came in to get Garciaparra to strike out to end the inning. Pedro got tagged again in the bottom of the seventh although Matsui grounded out to second to begin. Posada lined out to center but Giambi blasted his second homer of the night to wake the crowd up. Wilson and Garcia stroked back to back singles as Pedro looked like he was running out of gas. Pedro turned up the velocity thinking it was his last batter to blow away Soriano on his 100th pitch to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-2.

                                                             Giambi does it again

Nelson returned briefly in the top of the eighth to get Ramirez to ground out to third. The Yankees turned to David Wells, the hero of Game 5, to keep the Sox at bay but Ortiz had other plans. David launched the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for a home run to once again quiet the crowd. Millar grounded out to short and Nixon popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                                 Ortiz goes yard

The trio of Mike Timlin, Alan Embree and Scott Williamson had given up a combined 1 run in 20 innings through 12 playoff games but Grady Little defied all logic by bringing back Pedro to pitch the top of the eighth when everyone knows he's out of gas out of 100 pitches. Pedro did manage to get Johnson to pop up to short to put the Sox 5 outs away from the pennant but Jeter lined an 0-2 high fastball over the head of Nixon for a double. Timlin and Embree were ready in the bullpen when Williams lined Pedro's 115th pitch into center to score Jeter to cut the lead. Finally Grady Little bounded out of the dugout and Sox fans exhaled thinking help was on the way to pitch to Matsui. In what proved to be one of the most monumental mistakes, all Little did was ask if Pedro could get Matsui. Pedro said yes and Little went back to the dugout. Matsui lined an 0-2 fastball down the right field line for a ground rule double to put the tying runs into scoring position. With Embree and Timlin standing in the bullpen and Sox owner John Henry staring a hole at him, Little never budged. Posada made Little pay by lining a blooper into center out of the reach of both Nomar and Walker. Williams and Jeter scored and with nobody covering second, Posada took second on the double to tie the game. Yankee Stadium went absolutely nuts in one of the loudest ovations in Stadium history. FINALLY Little took Pedro out but the damage was done. Little had been a decent manager the past two years but this one decision to leave in Pedro despite all scouting reports saying he was done after 100 pitches will haunt him forever. As for Pedro, what should have been 7 innings of 2 run ball turned into a nightmare no-decision.

                                                        Yankee fans taunt Pedro

Alan Embree came in to face the lefty Giambi and got him to line out to center, begging the question why didn't he come in to face Matsui two batters earlier? Little bounded out of the dugout again and a clearly pissed off Embree didn't move. It was clear Embree didn't want to come out and logic indicated now you've lost him for the rest of the game if you take him out. Since logic and Little weren't friends that night, in came Timlin to face the pinch hitter Ruben Sierra for Wilson. Sierra was intentionally walked and Aaron Boone came in to run for him. Timlin walked Garcia to load the bases but Soriano lined a ball off the second base bag right to Walker for the force to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the top of the ninth and the Sox were deflated. Mueller grounded out to second but Varitek singled to right to put the go-ahead run at first. Damien Jackson ran for Varitek and Damon grounded out to third, adavancing Damien to second. Soriano made a jumping stab on a Walker liner to end the inning. Timlin returned for the bottom of the ninth with Doug Mirabelli now bhind the plate and got Johnson to pop up to start. Jeter whiffed which made Grady Gump look even worse for leaving in Pedro to face him. Not known for his defense, Walker made a great stab to get Williams to end the inning. On to extra innings we went.

Rivera returned for the top of the tenth and whiffed Nomar to start. Manny grounded out to second but Ortiz lined a double into the left field corner to put the go-ahead run at second. Grady Gump then made another idiotic decision to pinch run Ortiz with Gabe Kapler. Millar popped up to short to end the inning and now Ortiz' bat was out of the lineup. Tim Wakefield was summoned to pitch the bottom of the 10th and got Matsui to ground out to first to start. Posada popped up to center and Giambi popped up to left to end the inning. At this point both candidates for MVP were going mano e mano.

Rivera returned for the top of the eleventh and froze Nixon for strike three to start. Mueller grounded out to second and Mirabelli whiffed to end the inning. As the bottom of the eleventh began, Jeff Weaver began warming up in the Yankees bullpen. If only Wakefield could get through the inning the Sox would have the advantage with Scott Williamson still available. Turns out he couldn't as Boone sent the first pitch Wakefield through into the left field stands to win the game and the pennant for the Yankees. After 19 regular season games, Pedro throwing down Zimmer, the fight in the bullpen, the Game 6 comeback and the Game 7 comeback for New York....Aaron Boone was the one who ended it for the Sox.

                                                         Poor Wakefield

Jackass of the Night is Grady Little. I refuse to blame Tim Wakefield for a game he should never have been in or Pedro Martinez for being left to rot by Grady Gump. He ignored scouting reports all year and cost the Sox Game 1 of the Division Series.....but this one takes the cake.

                                                      Grady Gump....Jackass



The Good:

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a solo home run.

Kevin Millar was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a home run.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Alan Embree retired the only man he faced.

Mike Timlin tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Tim Wakefield took the loss by allowing the walkoff home run by Boone.



The Ugly:

Todd Walker was just 1 for 5.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 5.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 5.

Pedro Martinez was left in too long and he left with a no decision, allowing 5 runs in 7 1/3 innings.



Honorable Mention:

Damien Jackson pinch ran for Varitek in the 9th.

Gabe Kapler pinch ran for Ortiz in the 10th.




Final Thoughts:

How do you come back from this? How do you get this close to the World Series only for an astronomically bad managerial decision to occur to take it all away? Its been 25 years since Bucky Dent's home run and this generation now has its own Bucky...named Boone. A whole new generation of fans have their own heartbreaking misery. There was no shame in losing to the Yankees in 99 because they were simply better, but this was far worse because they had the game won. They had a 3 run lead with 5 outs to go and nobody on base and lost. This was a choke for the ages and now the question is, what the hell do they do now? They just had one of the most prolific offenses in ML history an it'll be hard to duplicate that. Pedro Martinez will be a year older as will Derek Lowe. The one component they were inferior to the Yankees in was their starting pitching. Quite frankly at the rate they are going, Clemens, Wells, Pettite and Mussina will all be in the HoF someday so the Sox are gonna need another ace to compete with that. Obviously Clemens is retiring but the others should still be there and so will Rivera. This was one of the weaker Yankee lineups in the bottom of the order and they still beat the Sox with clutch hits. Maybe the Sox will need better bench strength as well. Either way the Cowboy Up 2003 Red Sox season is over but what a ride it was. How do you come back though? Hopefully with a new manager, a new ace and a better bench. Here's to 2004!

Wells, Yankees Push Sox To Brink in Game 5 (10/14/03)

The wild ride of the Cowboy Up Boston Red Sox took another step toward ending in Game 5 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees. The Yankees pushed the Sox to the brink by taking a hard fought contest 4-2 at Fenway Park. David Wells improved his post-season record to 10-2, Derek Lowe couldn't keep pace and the Yankees did just enough to take a 3-2 series lead going back to New York tomorrow night.

Lowe took the mound in the top of the first and got Alfonso Soriano to fly out to right on the first pitch. Derek Jeter grounded out to third and Jason Giambi was retired on a squibber back to Lowe to end the inning. Wells cruised in the bottom of the first as Johnny Damon grounded out to second to start before Todd Walker lined out to first. Nomar Garciaparra drew a walk but Manny Ramirez grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second although Bernie Williams led off by grounding out to first to start. Jorge Posada walked and moved to second on the grounder to third by Hideki Matsui. Nick Johnson was unintentionally intentionally walked before Grady Little bounded out of the dugout to make a pitching change but forgot there was no one warming up. When Lowe told him to get lost, Bill Mueller failed to corral a hard hit grounder by Aaron Boone to load the bases. Karim Garcia made Bill pay by lining a single up the middle to score Posada and Johnson to give the Yankees the lead. Soriano singled home Boone and advanced Garcia to third before Jeter grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up for good 3-0.

                                                Garcia the Sox killer

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as David Ortiz flied out to deep right to begin. Kevin Millar grounded out to third before Bill Mueller lined out to a leaping Soriano to end the inning.

Lowe settled down in the top of the third as Giambi whiffed to start. Williams grounded out to second and Posada grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox caught a break in the bottom of the third when Nixon leaned into a pitch to begin much to the dismay of Wells. Varitek grounded a single to left and both runners moved over on the grounder by Damon. Wells got a big out when Walker popped up to a running Matsui before Nomar whiffed on a full count fastball to end the inning.

Walker threw wide of first and Millar missed the tag on a Matsui grounder to open the top of the fourth inning. Johnson grounded out but Matsui moved to second. Mueller threw wide of first on a Boone grounder for a "hit" but Garcia flied out to left. Soriano whiffed to end the inning. The Sox finally struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Manny blasted a solo shot into the Monster Seats to put Boston on the board. Ortiz followed with a bloop single to center to bring the tying run to the plate but Millar banged into a double play. Mueller whiffed to end the inning but it was now 3-1 Yankees.

                                                    Manny hits one out

The Yankees nearly answered in the top of the fifth although Jeter grounded out to first to begin. Giambi singled to center and took third when Millar ole'd a ground ball hit by Williams. Lowe recovered by getting Posada to bang into a double play to end the inning. It was the Yankees turn for a miscue as Nixon grounded one to Soriano who muffed it for an error to start the bottom of the fifth. Wells got a big out when Varitek whiffed before Soriano atoned for his error to make a great play on a grounder by Damon to get Nixon at second on a force. Walker singled to right and Nomar walked to load the bases but Manny grounded to third to end the inning. HUGE squander by the Sox.

                                                   Wells gets it done for the Yankees

Right on cue the Yankees struck in the top of the sixth although Matsui grounded to second to begin. Johnson also grounded out to second but Boone walked. Lowe and Varitek executed a perfect pitch out to nab Boone at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz grounded out to short to start. Millar whiffed on a curveball down the middle and Mueller grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees got their insurance run in the top of the seventh inning although Lowe froze Garcia on the outside corner to start. Soriano flied out to left and Jeter grounded out to short to end the inning. Had Grady Little pulled Lowe at this point, it would have been a heck of an effort. The Sox meanwhile had one last crack at Wells in the bottom of the seventh and Nixon whiffed after being up 3-0. Jeter made a great diving play to get Varitek at first on a grounder and Damon popped up to short to end the inning.

For whatever reason Lowe was asked to come back for the top of the eighth inning and the Yankees pounced. Giambi walked and David Dellucci ran for him but was erased on the Williams grounder to first. Posada singled Williams to third and that was it for Lowe. He shouldn't have come back for the 8th but left after being charged with 4 runs in 7 1/3 innings. Alan Embree was brought in and Matsui lined one off Alan and Mueller had no choice but to go to first for the out, scoring Williams with the insurance run. Johnson flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were down 4-1

                                                Lowe deserved better

The Yankees summoned Mariano Rivera for the six out save but the Sox refused to go quietly. Walker pounded a triple into the right field corner to lead off but Nomar could only bring him in with a ground out to second. How big was that fourth run now? Ramirez whiffed but Ortiz singled to center to bring the tying run to the plate. Millar grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

Bronson Arroyo got the call to pitch the top of the ninth inning and he whiffed Boone to start. Garcia walked but Soriano popped up to center. Jeter grounded into a force to end the inning. Rivera returned for the bottom of the ninth but the Sox had nothing left. Mueller grounded out to second, Nixon grounded out to third and Varitek popped up to short to end the game. The Yankees had won 4-2 and were one win away from the World Series.

Jackass of the Night is Kevin Millar. He was 0 for 4 and left men on base all game.

                                                       Stop smiling, Jackass



The Good:

Todd Walker was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Nomar Garciaparra walked twice in four plate appearances and drove in a run.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

Alan Embree got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Bronson Arroyo pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4.

Bill Mueller was 0 for 4.




The Ugly:

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Derek Lowe took the loss but tossed 7 1/3 innings of 4 run ball. A little offensive help might have turned the game around.




Final Thoughts:

If the wild ride is about to end the Sox made it a hell of a season. The most prolific offense in recent memory is one game away from elimination and its easy to see why, great pitching always beats great hitting. The Sox were shut down by Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens and David Wells and are going to have to somehow beat two of them if they have any hope of winning the AL pennant. They couldn't crack Wells and hit in the clutch at all and the game was at home. How are they going to do it on the road tomorrow? If the Sox hope to stay alive in the series they're going to have to take a stand tomorrow afternoon against Andy Pettite. The Sox turn to the veteran John Burkett to keep their season alive at 4:00 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees Clip Sox in Game 3 Amidst Fenway Mayhem (10/11/03)

In one of the most tense and hyped game in Boston Red Sox history, naturally the New York Yankees would come out on top. In Roger Clemens' final start at Fenway Park, he outpitched Pedro Martinez to guide the Yankees to victory. Tempers flared after Pedro plunked Karim Garcia, Ramirez took a high fastball by Clemens personal and Pedro threw Don Zimmer to the ground in a chaotic 4th inning. Later on Garcia and Jeff Nelson attacked a member of the Red Sox staff in the bullpen for even more mayhem. When it was over the Yankees had taken the game 4-3 and a 2-1 series lead at Fenway.

                                                     Wonderful NY Post cover

Pedro took the mound in the top of the first inning and Enrique Wilson popped up to the returning Johnny Damon in center to begin. Derek Jeter singled out of the reach of Bill Mueller but was erased on the force by Jason Giambi. Bernie Williams grounded out to second to end the inning. Damon lit the fuse on a first inning rally against Clemens in the bottom of the first when he lined one off Wilson to start. Todd Walker lined a double off the Monster but Nomar Garciaparra looked at strike three on the inside corner. Manny Ramirez lined a single into the gap in center to score both Damon and Walker to give the Sox the lead. The Yankees got a huge inning ending double play when Ortiz was rung up for strike three and Ramirez was easily thrown out at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Manny gives the Sox the lead

The Yankees struck back in the top of the second when Jorge Posada doubled off the Monster to start. Johnson grounded back to the mound and Hideki Matsui popped up to second, but Karim Garcia singled to right to score Posada to cut the lead. Alfonso Soriano flied out to left to end the inning but the Yankees were down 2-1.

Clemens settled down in the bottom of the second as he whiffed Kevin Millar on a high slider to start. Trot Nixon grounded out to second and Mueller lined out Johnson to end the inning.

The Yankees tied it up in the top of the third inning although Wilson whiffed to start. Jeter crushed a solo home run completely out of Fenway to start the inning. Giambi was caught looking on a breaking ball before Williams whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                        Jeter ties it up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third when Jason Varitek flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Damon lined one off the glove of Jeter for a hit but Walker popped up to center. Nomar grounded into a force to end the inning.

Things got testy in the top of the fourth as the Yankees took the lead. Posada walked to open the frame and Johnson advanced him to third with a single off the Monster. Matsui smacked a ground rule double to right to score Posada and give the Yankees the lead. All of a sudden Pedro intentionally plunked Garcia and Karim was justifiably upset. Joe Torre came out to complain about Pedro's headhunting and the Yankee dugout started shouting invectives. Soriano banged into a double play to score Johnson but Garcia slid late into Walker at second and the two started jawing at each other. The Yankee dugout then started shouting at Pedro again and this time Pedro responded. He pointed at his own head and shouted at what looked to be Posada. Torre saw this and the imbecile Tim McCarver on commentary said that meant he's going to hit Posada in the head. Posada and Pedro kept jawing at each other with Don Zimmer of all people shouting with Jorge. Wilson popped up to second to end the inning but it was 4-2 Yankees.

                                                             Things are getting hot

The powder keg exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Clemens threw a high fastball and Ramirez started barking at him despite the ball not coming that close to him. The benches emptied and old man Zimmer charged Pedro. Pedro threw Zimmer to the ground as Bill Lee stood up and applauded wherever he was. Joe Buck and McCarver cried foul on commentary as Ramirez had to be calmed down by Ortiz. When play finally resumed Clemens punched out Ramirez (not literally though) and Ortiz flied out to deep right. Millar grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                         Mayhem at Fenway Park

All of a sudden Pedro turned unhittable in the top of the fifth as Nixon made a leaping grab to rob Jeter of a 300 foot home run in right. Giambi flied out to left and Williams grounded out to second to end the inning. Clemens also stayed tough in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon grounded out to second to begin. Clemens blew away Mueller and Varitek to end the inning.

A pissed off Pedro blew away Posada to begin the top of the sixth and told him to go sit down afterwards. Pedro blew away Johnson and got Matsui to ground out to first to end the inning. The Sox looked to rally when Damon lined a single to left to begin. Walker drew a walk but the slumping Nomar whiffed. Manny banged into a double play to end the inning, huge squander by the Sox. That was it for Clemens in his final start at Fenway before he retires. Goodbye Rocket.

                                              Clemens goes out a winner at Fenway

Pedro returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and dominated. Garcia grounded out to first before Soriano whiffed. Wilson hit a high chopper to third to end the inning and that was it for Pedro. After he plunked Garcia not a single batter reached base but he left trailing giving up 4 runs in 7 innings.

                                                      Not good enough, Pedro

Felix Heredia replaced Clemens with Aaron Boone now taking over at third for the bottom of the seventh. The Sox finally rallied as Ortiz walked to start the inning and Yankees manager Joe Torre shook his head and took out Felix. Jose Contreras replaced Heredia and Millar greeted him with a base hit that advanced Ortiz to third. That was it as Nixon banged into a double play that did manage to score Ortiz but Mueller walked to put the tying run on. Varitek popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

Mike Timlin took over for Pedro in the top of the eighth and Jeter whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to begin. Giambi grounded out to a bumbling Nomar before Williams took strike three to end the inning. Mariano Rivera came on for the six out save in the bottom of the eighth and got Damon to ground back to himself to start. Walker flied out to the left field warning track and Nomar grounded out to short to end the inning.

Alan Embree took over for the top of the ninth and got Posada to ground out to first to begin. Johnson poked a single to center but Matsui banged into a double play to end the inning. Rivera returned to close out the ninth but before he could there was another fracas, this time in the New York Yankees bullpen. Apparently one of the Sox staff mouthed off to reliever Jeff Nelson and they went at it. Karim Garcia hopped into the bullpen and started punching the guy and both security and police had to get involved. Garcia apparently hut his hand punching the guy and had to be replaced by Juan Rivera.

                                                        Now what?

When action resumed, the Sox went quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Ramirez grounded to first and Johnson made a great play on an Ortiz liner. Millar popped up to center to end the game. The Yankees had taken Game 3 but a score of 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. He came up twice with two on an nobody out, striking out both times.

                                                          Nomar the Jackass


The Good:

Johnny Damon was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Todd Walker was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Alan Embree pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 but the one hit drove in two runs.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Millar was 1 for 4.

Bill Mueller was 0 for 2 but walked.

Pedro Martinez took the loss by giving up 4 runs in 7 innings but didn't allow a single runner to reach base after Garcia was plunked in the 4th inning.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox are in trouble now. If they couldn't beat the Yankees with their best pitcher, how are they going to do it with their worst tomorrow? I don't know what's wrong with Nomar but his bawfulness was the final nail in the Game 3 coffin. He came up twice with two men on and did nothing. Who would have ever thought Clemens would outduel Pedro either? I know the Yankees have figured out Martinez but still the offense only getting two first innings runs off Clemens isn't going to cut it.Its not going to get any better with David Wells going tomorrow either. The Sox are gonna have to dig deep to climb out of this hole and the series is guaranteed to finish in New York if the Sox don't win one of the next two games. The Sox look to bounce back in Game 4 tomorrow night with John Burkett taking the mound opposite David Wells. The biggest game of the season starts at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park

Pettite, Yankees Strike Back in Game 2 (10/9/03)

So much for taking two in Yankee Stadium for the Boston Red Sox. The New York Yankees sent the series back to Boston with a convincing romp over the Red Sox in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. The Sox took an early lead but the Yankees teed off on starter Derek Lowe and evened the series with a 6-2 win at the Stadium.

                                               "The Empire has struck back" - DV

Pettite got the ball in the top of the first inning and Gabe Kapler greeted him with an infield single off the glove of Derek Jeter at short for his first hit of the post-season. The Yankees then pulled off a strike em' out, throw em' out double play when Bill Mueller watched a full count strike three go by and Kapler was thrown out by a mile. Nomar Garciaparra hit a roller up the middle for a base hit and Manny Ramirez singled off the glove of Alfonso Soriano, moving Nomar to third. David Ortiz walked to load the bases but Kevin Millar popped up to short to end the inning. 3 hits and a walk with nothing to show for it. Lowe got the ball in the bottom of the first and Soriano foul tipped into the mitt for strike three to begin. Jeter grounded out to short but Jason Giambi walked. Bernie Williams grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Jason Varitek doubled down the right field line to start. Trot Nixon singled to center to move Jason to third and Damien Jackson blooped a single to center to score Varitek. At this point the Sox had Pettite on the run with 6 hits in just over an inning, but that was all she wrote as Kapler banged into a double play. Mueller grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                  Varitek scores to make it 1-0

The Yankees wasted no time taking the lead in the bottom of the second inning as Jorge Posada walked to open the frame. Hideki Matsui forced Posada at second but Nick Johnson broke a 2 for 33 slump going back to the regular season with a 2 run bomb to right to put the Yankees on top. Aaron Boone grounded out to third and Karim Garcia grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees had taken command and it was only the beginning.

                                                     "Damn you Johnson" - Lowe

Now that the Yankees had the lead, Pettite began to dominate in the top of the third. Nomar popped to short, Manny flied out to right and Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees pounced on Lowe in the bottom of the third although Soriano flied out to left to start. Jeter reached on a swinging bunt to third and Giambi singled to left. Williams singled home Jeter to increase the lead. The Sox briefly turned into bumbling buffoons as Posada hit a routine grounder to Jackson who booted it. They still had a chance to get Williams at second but Nomar bungled the throw by Jackson and everyone was safe. Lowe recovered to get Matsui to ground to first, the throw coming home to force Giambi at home for the second out. Johnson grounded out to short to end the inning but the Yankees had a 3-1 lead.

                                               Jeter scores to make it 3-1

Pettite kept the Sox off the board in the top of the fourth inning as Millar popped up to second to start. Varitek popped up to first but Nixon worked a walk. Nixon stole second but Jackson whiffed to end the inning. Lowe got in trouble when he plunked Boone to begin the bottom of the fourth and Aaron swiped second. He took third on the ground-out by Garcia but Lowe got a huge out when he whiffed Soriano. Jeter grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kapler led off the top of the fifth by whiffing on a pitch up in his eyes. Mueller grounded out to short but Nomar poked a single to left. Ramirez lined out to the right field wall to end the inning. The Yankees got another run in the bottom of the fifth although Lowe made a great stab to rob Giambi of a hit. Williams doubled to left but Posada flied out to left. Matsui singled home Williams but was thrown out at second trying to stretch. The inning was over but the Yankees now led 4-1.

The Sox finally tagged Pettite again in the top of the sixth inning. Ortiz flied out to left and Millar whiffed, but Varitek clobbered a line drive home run into left to cut the lead in half. Nixon flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox were back within two, 4-2.

                                                 Varitek trying to pump up Trot

Lowe did his part to keep it a two run game in the bottom of the sixth. Johnson hit a comebacker to Lowe, Boone grounded out to short and Garcia grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox had their last chance to do some damage in the top of the seventh but failed miserably. Jackson grounded out to second and Kapler whiffed, but Mueller singled to right to chase Pettite. The much maligned Jose Contreras got the call and with a chance to tie the game....Nomar popped up on the first pitch. Lowe came back for the bottom of the seventh and got Soriano to ground out to first to start. Jeter grounded out to third and Sox manager Grady Little stuck with Lowe to face Giambi instead of Scott Sauerbeck. The gamble backfired as Giambi singled and Williams walked to chase Lowe. David Delucci ran for Giambi as the Fox announcers all agreed Little never should have let Lowe pitch to Giambi. Sauerbeck came in to face the switch hitting Posada so naturally Jorge lined a ball into the gap to score both runners and ice the game. Not only did Grady Gump leave Lowe in too long, he brought the lefty in to face the guy who can hit right handed. A passed ball moved Posada to third and Matsui walked. Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up for good 6-2.

                                              Nice going Sauerbeck

Contreras returned for the top of the eighth and whiffed Ramirez to start. Ortiz popped up to third and Millar popped up to short to end the inning. Bronson Arroyo was tasked to pitch the bottom of the eighth and whiffed Boone to start. Garcia grounded out to first but Soriano was plunked. Jeter whiffed to end the inning.

Yankees manager Joe Torre took no chances and brought in Mariano Rivera to close out the top of the ninth with an off-day tomorrow. Varitek grounded out to second and Nixon whiffed. Todd Walker pinch hit for Jackson and singled. David McCarty pinch hit for Kapler as Walker took second on defensive indifference but McCarty whiffed to end the game. The Yankees had evened the series going back to Boston with a 6-2 win.

Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. Yes Sauerbeck gave up the last two but Lowe ultimately surrendered 6 runs in 6 2/3 innings. A performance like Pettite would have given the Sox a chance but being down 4 runs in the eighth took the life out of them.

                                                         Lowe the Jackass makes his exit


The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 2 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with 2 total runs scored and a solo home run.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Damien Jackson was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Todd Walker singled as a pinch hitter.

Bronson Arroyo pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

David McCarty struck out as a pinch hitter.

Kevin Millar was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Scott Sauerbeck gave up a 2 run double and a walk in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 4.

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox missed a golden chance to bury the Yankees tonight. They had Pettite on the run in the second inning and let him off the hook. Lowe didn't have his A game and that was all she wrote. The Kapler double play was the beginning of the end as the Sox had just 4 hits the rest of the game. Pettite has always been a big post-season pitcher so with him you tip your cap and move on. This puts all the pressure on Game 3 just like 4 years ago, only this time the series is 1-1 instead of down 2-0. If Pedro Martinez beats Roger Clemens this time, the Sox move one step closer to the pennant and puts the Yankees in another hole. Hopfully Pedro can repeat his 1999 magic one more time in Game 3 on Saturday at Fenway Park.

Zito Shuts Down Sox in Game 2 (10/2/03)

So much for the number one offense in baseball. The Boston Red Sox are in deep trouble after falling down two games to none to the Oakland A's on the back of a 5 run second inning and lights out pitching from ace Barry Zito. The offense which set major league records for runs, total bases and extra base hits along with a team record for home runs were held to just 6 hits and one measly run as the A's put a stranglehold on the series. When it was over the A's had won it 5-1 at Oakland Coliseum to put the Sox on the brink of winter.

                                        Cartman can't stand bad presents or bad baseball

Zito got the ball in the top of the first and Johnny Damon grounded out to third to start. Nomar Garciaparra popped up to short and last night's hero Todd Walker grounded out to second on a 3-2 count to end the inning. Wakefield took the hill in the bottom of the first and Mark Ellis watched strike three go by to start. Eurbiel Durazo singled to center but Eric Chavez whiffed. Miguel Tejada grounded into a force to end the inning.

Manny Ramirez led off the top of the second inning with a walk but David Ortiz looked at strike three on the outside corner. Kevin Millar flied out to left and Bill Mueller flied out to right to end the inning. The A's exploded on Wakefield in the bottom of the second although Scott Hatteberg grounded out to first to start. Jose Guillen walked and advanced to second on a passed ball before Ramon Hernandez singled to right to score him to put the A's on top. Jermaine Dye got hit with a pitch and Eric Byrnes cleared the bases with a double over the head of Ramirez. Ellis walked and both runners moved into scoring position on the groundout by Durazo. Walker then turned into a bumbling buffoon when he booted a routine grounder by Chavez then threw wide of first to allow both runners to score on the error. Tejeda lined to center but Wakefield was down 5-0 and had thrown over 50 pitches, game over.

                                             Byrnes ends it early

The Sox fought back in the top of the third inning although Kapler hit a 400 foot out to center to begin. Doug Mirabelli doubled down the left field line and the A's caught a break when Damon hit a ground rule double to dead center. Mirabelli scored but Damon remained at second base. Nomar walked and Walker grounded out to first, moving both runners into scoring position. Had Damon been on third, he would have scored. With two men in scoring position....Ramirez flied out to a running Guillen in left to end the inning. The Sox could only muster 1 run and was down 5-1.

                                             Mirabelli scores to make it 5-1

Wakefield settled down in the bottom of the third by getting Hatteberg to fly out to right to start. Guillen walked and made the balsy move to tag up and go to second on the fly out by Hernandez to center. Dye grounded out to short to end the inning.

Zito made the Sox swing at air in the top of the fourth inning. Ortiz whiffed before both Millar and Mueller watched strike three go by to end the inning. The A's threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Byrnes singled and Ellis was hit with a pitch, but Wakefield got a huge out when he whiffed Durazo. Chavez flied out to right and Tejada grounded out to short to end the inning.

The strikeout streak continued in the top of the fifth when Kapler and Mirabelli both struck out to start. Damon and Nomar responded with singles but Walker hit a comebacker to end the inning. Wakefield whiffed Hatteberg to begin the bottom of the fifth before Guillen popped up to second. Hernandez hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Terrance Long replaced Guillen in the top of the sixth and Manny led off with a base hit. Ortiz flied out to left, Millar whiffed and Mueller popped up to left to end the inning. Wakefield came back for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth and finished with a flurry. Dye, Byrnes and Ellis all struck out swinging in short order. If it wasnt for the Walker error Wakefield would have fared a lot better. He left the game after allowing 5 runs on just 4 hits.

                                                        Wake went as far as he could

Zito returned for the top of the seventh and Kapler whiffed to start. Mirabelli also whiffed and Damon grounded out to second to end the inning. Zito ent 7 innings, allowed just 1 run and struck out 9. He was unhittable after the second inning. Alan Embree took over for Wakefield in the bottom of the seventh and Durazo grounded out to short to begin. Chavez flied out to center and Tejeda grounded out to short to end the inning.

Chad Bradford replaced Zito in the top of the eighth inning but the Sox were done. Nomar grounded out to short, Walker grounded out to first and Manny watched strike three go by to end the inning. Scott Williamson got the ball in the bottom of the eighth and immediately ran into trouble. Hatteberg singled to left-center and Long singled past Nomar. Williamson got a big out when Damon ran down a Hernandez line drive. Both runners advanced on the groundout by Dye but Williamson got Byrnes swinging on a 3-2 slider to end the inning.

Keith Foulke took the mound in the top of the ninth because A's manager Ken Macha didn't want to take any chances. Ortiz flied out to left and Millar hit a comebacker to the mound to start. Mueller slapped a single to left and Jason Varitek pinch hit for Kapler. Mueller took second on defensive indifference but Varitek popped up to short to end the game. The A's had won it 5-1 and took a 2-0 lead in the ALDS.

Jackass of the Night is Tim Wakefield. That five run 2nd inning killed the Sox even though they weren't touching Barry Zito. He allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits in just 6 innings.

                                       Tim Wakefield is the unfortunate Jackass


The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Doug Mirabelli was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Alan Embree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Todd Walker would have been a good choice for Jackass himself by going 0 for 4 with that huge error that allowed 2 runs to score.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kevin Millar was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Gabe Kapler was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Well this sucks. After a wild ride to the playoffs for the first time in four years, its all about to come to a crashing halt. The Sox are down 2 games to none and in order to win the series, they are going to have to beat Tim Hudson and Zito in succession. That's even if they beat Ted Lilly on Saturday which is no guarantee at this point. It also sucks that the record setting offense has been absolutely useless apart from Todd Walker this series. Still, if the Sox are going to have to rally, they're going to have to make a stand Saturday night at Fenway Park with Derek Lowe on the mound against Lilly. If Lowe sucks, this wild ride will come to an end.

Sox Survive in Detroit as Streak Reaches 4 (7/11/03)

The Sox are rolling as their 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park brought their current road win streak to 4 as well as 2 games behind the New York Yankees in the division race.

Mike Maroth (4-13, 4.89) was no match for the Red Sox offense as he took the hill for the top of the 1st. Gabe Kapler led the game off with a walk after falling behind 0-2. Todd Walker stepped in and doubled home Kapler (who ran through 3rd base coach Mike Cubbage's stop sign) after commentator Sean McDonough brought up his recent slump. Nomar Garciaparra continued his slump by striking out (2 for 33 now). Kapler moved to third on a wild pitch by Maroth and Manny Ramirez singled him in to give the Sox a quick 2-0 lead. Kevin Millar singled but the rally ended there as Jason Varitek struck out and Trot Nixon grounded out. John Burkett (7-4, 5.25 ERA) took the ball for the Sox in the bottom of the inning. Burkett was perfect by striking out Alex Sanchez and inducing ground outs from Warren Morris and Dimitri Young.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second. Damien Jackson (starting for lefty Johnny Damon) grounded out but Freddy Sanchez (starting for Bill Mueller who got the day off) singled. Kapler lined out sharply to second but Walker again doubled down the right field line to move Sanchez to third. Nomar finally contributed by singling home Sanchez and Walker to give the Sox a 4-0 lead. Manny struck out to end the top half. Burkett was perfect in the bottom of the inning by striking out Kevin Witt, grounding out Eric Munson and striking out Cody Ross.

Maroth got in trouble again in the top of the 3rd but this time got out of it. Millar flied out to right but Varitek and Nixon hit back to back singles. Unfortunately for the Sox, Jackson hit into a double play to end the inning. The Tigers broke through in the bottom of the third. Carlos Pena walked and AJ Hinch singled. Burkett managed to get Ramon Santiago to fly out but Sanchez doubled home Pena and Hinch to cut the lead in half, 4-2. Young singled but Burkett kept his cool and with a little help from the Sox defense, induced an inning ending double play from Dimitri Young.

Maroth appeared to have settled down in the top of the 4th. Sanchez took a borderline strike 3 on the outside corner then Kapler flied out on the first pitch. Walker grounded out to second to end the inning. Burkett returned for the 4th and got Witt to fly out on a broken bat pop up. Burkett retired Munson on a pop up to right and Ross on an infield pop up.

The 5th inning showed promise when Nomar whiffed and stole second but Manny lined out to second followed by Millar grounding out to short. Varitek was intentionally walked and Maroth got out of the inning by getting Nixon to fly out to right. Carlos Pena tagged Burkett with a line drive home run just over the right field wall to cut the lead 4-3 to open the bottom of the 5th. Burkett recovered to strike out Hinch and get Santiago to ground out to first on the first pitch. Sanchez flied out to right to end the inning.

Damien Jackson led off the 6th with a single up the middle and Sanchez also singled. Maroth caught a break when he got Kapler to bang into a 6-4-3 double play (Jackson moved to third). Walker then worked a walk to chase Maroth from the game after 99 pitches. Chris Spurling replaced him and Nomar hit a sure double to left but it was snared by third basemen Eric Munson. Burkett then got the side in order in the bottom of the 6th. Morris grounded out while Young popped up to 3rd and Witt popped up to short.

Manny led off the 7th and grounded out meekly to Spurling. As the commentators discussed Hair Club For Men, Millar lined out to short. Varitek was walked his last at bat so he made up for it with a blast off the foul pole (16th of the year and 11th from the left side) to give the Sox some insurance. Nixon poked one into left for a base hit but Jackson struck out to end the top half. Munson tried to get on with a swinging bunt but the alert Burkett gunned him down at first. Ross grounded out to Nomar and Pena grounded out to Walker to end the inning.

Fernando Rodney replaced Spurling for the top of the 8th. Rodney punched out Sanchez on a borderline call and got Kapler to ground out to first. Walker grounded out to short to end the 8th. Alan Embree took over for Burkett in the bottom of the 8th. Embree punched out Hinch to open the frame then induced a groundout from Santiago. Sanchez gave it a ride but ultimately Kapler ran down the fly ball to end the inning.

Nomar led off the top of the 9th by striking out and Ramirez grounded out. Millar worked a walk and Tigers manager Alan Trammell brought in old Sox lefty Steve Avery to pitch to Varitek (hitting from the right side). Jason grounded into a force at second to end the inning. Sox closer Byung-Hyun Kim took over for Embree for the bottom of the ninth. Morris grounded one to Millar who bobbled it but Kim had sprinted over the first to make the cover for the out. Kim struck out Young on 3 straight pitches (he did not hit the ball out of the infield all game) then struck out Witt also on 3 pitches to end the game. 

Hero of the Night is

The Good:

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Final Thoughts:

After Pena homered in the 6th inning not a single Tiger reached base. Kim picks up his 4th save in a Sox uniform and the Sox have now won 13 of 18 and are 54-37 on the year. Pedro Martinez takes the hill tomorrow against Matt Roney.

Rays Walkoff Sox on Opening Day Collapse (3/31/03)

It took only one game for the Boston Red Sox' "closer by committee" plan blew up in their faces as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays stunned the Sox in one of those most epic opening day collapses ever. The new look Red Sox got to Tampa starter Joe Kennedy for 4 runs with 3 rbis courtesy of Shea Hillenbrand. Pedro Martinez tossed 7 dominating innings, allowing just 1 run. Ex-Yankee Ramiro Mendoza tossed a scoreless eighth and fans thought the game was in the bag.....it wasn't. Alan Embree allowed a 2 run home run to Terry Shumpert and with 2 outs, Chad Fox (0-1, 27.00) allowed a stunning walkoff 3 run homer to Carl Crawford. Somehow the Rays beat the Red Sox to put a damper on Opening Day 6-4 at Tropicana Field.

                                                           Dammit

The Sox wasted no time getting to Kennedy in the top of the first although Johnny Damon lined out to right to begin. Todd Walker made his Red Sox debut by reaching on an error by Brent Abernathy. Nomar Garciaparra lined a base hit up the middle and Manny Ramirez hit a routine grounder to Aubrey Huff but it bounced off his shoulder for an error to score Walker for the season's first run. Kevin Millar made his Red Sox debut with a seeing eye single to left to load the bases and Shea Hillenbrand cracked an opposite field double just out of the reach of Ben Grieve to score Nomar & Manny. Jeremy Giambi made his Red Sox debut by striking out swinging and Trot Nixon grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                  Shea drives in a pair

Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Carl Crawford led off with a grounder to short to start. Rhode Island's own Rocco Baldelli made his ML debut by striking out swinging and Aubrey Huff grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jason Varitek tried to start a rally with a double into the right field corner but Damon popped up the bunt to catcher Toby Hall. Walker grounded back to the mound and Nomar struck out swinging to end the inning. Travis Lee grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Al Martin took a fastball down the middle for strike three. Grieve hit a rocket but Walker dove and caught it to end the inning.

                                                   Great catch Todd

Manny tried to start a rally in the top of the third with a base hit to left but Millar struck out swinging. Hillenbrand just barely beat out a double play ball but was thrown at second after a pitch bounced in front of Hall to end the inning. Hall popped up to first to start the bottom of the third before Abernathy flied out to center. Rey Ordonez walked but Crawford grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Giambi grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth and Nixon popped up to short. Varitek doubled to the centerfield wall but Damon grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth as Baldelli doubled down the left field line for his first major league hit to start. Huff popped up to right and Baldelli moved to second on the grounder to second by Lee. Martin was plunked but Grieve struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                      Baldelli's first hit

The Sox got another run in the top of the fifth as Walker beat out a roller to third to start. Nomar lashed a base hit to left but Manny popped up to first. Millar got plunked and Tampa pitching coach Chris Bosio waddled to the mound to tell Kennedy to throw strikes. Hillenbrand grounded out to second but Walker scored to increase the lead. Giambi grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                     Walker scores a run

Hall lined out softly to Walker to start the bottom of the fifth before Abernathy grounded out to third. Ordonez took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Nixon grounded out to second to start. Varitek also grounded out to second before Damon popped up to second to end the inning. Crawford struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Baldelli grounded out to short. Huff lashed a base hit to right but Lee struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kennedy cruised in the top of the seventh as Walker grounded out to second to start. Nomar grounded out to third and Manny flied out to right to end the inning. The Rays tagged Pedro in his final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Martin singled to right to start. Grieve was plunked and Martin moved to third on the fly out by Hall. Abernathy hit a routine grounder to third by Hillenbrand bounced the throw to Varitek for an error to score Martin. Ordonez hit into a double play to end the inning with the Rays down 4-1. Pedro was Pedro tonight, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 6.

                                                       Pedro goes 7 strong

Seth McClung made his ML debut in the top of the eighth and Millar struck out swinging to start. Hillenbrand flied out to the right field wall. Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning. Ramiro Mendoza made his Sox debut in the bottom of the eighth with Bill Mueller making his debut at third base. Hillenbrand moved to first and Crawford grounded back to the mound to start. Baldelli flied out to a running Damon and Johnny outdid himself with a great diving catch to rob Huff of extra bases to end the inning.

                                                  Great catch Johnny

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the ninth as Nixon popped up to Baldelli to start. Varitek struck out swinging but Damon walked. Walker walked but Nomar flied out to left to end the inning. Alan Embree came in to close out the top of the ninth and everything fell apart. Lee singled to right and Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella sent in old friend Terry Shumpert to pinch hit. For some ungodly reason Embree threw him an inside fastball and Shumpert hit it out of the yard to cut the lead. Grieve singled to right to chase the incompetent Embree. Damian Rolls pinch ran for Grieve as Chad Fox made his Red Sox debut by getting Hall to strike out swinging. Abernathy hit a grounder to short and Nomar stepped on second but Rolls disrupted Garciaparra just enough that he couldn't get Brent at first. That proved to be fatal as Marlon Anderson pinch hit for Ordonez and walked. One strike away away from victory, suddenly Crawford launched a 3 run bomb to center to win the game. One of the most heartbreaking Opening Day games ever ended with the Rays walking off the Sox 6-4.

                                                          Devil Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Chad Fox. He served up the 3 run bomb to Crawford after getting the first two outs.

                                                  Jackass Fox

The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Kevin Millar was 1 for 3.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4.

Pedro Martinez dazzled by tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

Ramiro Mendoza tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jeremy Giambi was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4.

Alan Embree was charged with 3 runs without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4 but made a great catch and walked.

Todd Walker was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error but drove in 3 runs.

Honorable Mention:

Bill Mueller played third base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

What an absolute disaster. For eight innings the Sox did everything right. They made great defensive plays, they got some clutch hits and Pedro Martinez (and Ramiro Mendoza) pitched well. Then one inning undid the entire game. What was Alan Embree doing throwing Terry Shumpert a fastball and clearly Chad Fox is NOT a closer. That was one of the worst, most improbable losses ever and hopefully that's not a harbinger of a bad season. New Sox GM Theo Epstein pulled a Dan Duquette in 1994 and signed a whole bunch of players to see what will stick. Hopefully the Sox get a bonafide closer before the season gets out of hand. Its only one loss but this one hurts considering they had the game in the bag. Tomorrow night the Sox look to rebound when Tim Wakefield makes his season debut when he takes on Victor Zambrano of the Devil Rays. The game begins at 7:15 PM at Tropicana Field.