Sox Rally Past Yankees on Patriots Day (4/19/04)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Frank Castillo was optioned back to Pawtucket and 24 year old lefty Lenny DiNardo was called up to take his place. Castillo didn't do THAT bad up here but Sox brass wants to give DiNardo a chance after picking him up in the Rule 5 draft back in September. With Byung-Hung Kim returning someone else has to go soon, so unless there's an injury, this could be the last of Castillo.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                           IN

The bad news was the Boston Bruins gagged Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Montreal Canadiens but the good news is the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees in three of the first four games they've played. The Yankees bolted out to a 4-1 lead over Bronson Arroyo after three innings but Arroyo hung tough. The Sox got to Yankees starter Kevin Brown for three runs through six before rallying in the seventh to tie the game against Gabe White. Gabe Kapler knocked in David McCarty in the bottom of the eighth to put Boston on top and Keith Foulke slammed the door in the top of the ninth. The Sox had taken three of four from the Yankees including this one 5-4 at Fenway Park on Patriots Day.

                                                 Shannon Elizabeth approves of the win

Arroyo got the ball in the top of the first and Derek Jeter led off with a bunt attempt snuffed out by Bill Mueller. Bernie Williams got a seeing eye single into right but Alex Rodrguez took strike three on the inside corner and Jason Giambi flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Brown got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon led off by grounding out to first. Bill Mueller took strike three down the middle but David Ortiz doubled into the right field corner. Manny Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second as Gary Sheffield ripped a base hit to center to start. Hideki Matsui walked and Travis Lee lined a base hit to the left field wall. Sheffield scored easily but Crespo bounced the relay throw home for an error to score Matsui. Old pal John Flaherty dumped a base hit to right just in front of Kapler to score Lee. Enrique Wilson dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Flaherty to second as Sox analyst Jerry Remy scoffed at the Yankees for giving up an out with Arroyo on the ropes. Jerry had a point as Jeter was hit with a pitch but Williams grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees did lead 3-0 but Arroyo was out of further trouble.

                                                        "I don't got it" - Varitek

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek dumped a base hit to center to start. David McCarty struck out swinging and Varitek moved to second on a grounder to Brown by Crespo. Gabe Kapler stepped up with a base hit down the left field line to score Varitek to cut the lead. Pokey Reese dumped a base hit to right but Kapler forgot there were two outs and hesitated, only moving to second. Damon flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                         Kapler drives in a run

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third although A-Rod grounded out to Mueller to start. Giambi then hit a home run all the way to Baghdad to increase the lead. Sheffield struck out swinging but Matsui pounded a ground rule double over the head of Kapler into the stands. Lee grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-1.

                                                      Giambi goes yard

Mueller tried to start a rally in the bottom of the third by chopping a base hit by Brown to start. Ortiz took strike three on the outside corner and Ramirez flied out to right. Varitek flied out to center to end the inning.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the fourth as Flaherty struck out swinging to start. Wilson fisted a base hit to center and moved to third on an error by Mueller that allowed Jeter to reach first. Williams popped up to second and A-Rod forced Jeter at second to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as McCarty grounded out to third to start. Crespo grounded out to second and Kapler grounded out to third to end the inning.

Arroyo plunked Giambi to start the top of the fifth but Sheffield popped up to Crespo. Matsui dropped a single to right but Lee banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Reese flied out to center to start. Damon grounded out to short but Mueller doubled past Williams to the centerfield wall. Ortiz ripped a base hit to center to score Mueller to cut the lead in half but Ramirez flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                  Ortiz drives in a run

Flaherty struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Wilson grounded out to first. Jeter hit a routine grounder to Mueller who threw the ball into the Monster Seats for an error. Williams grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the sixth as Varitek launched his second home run of the year to start. McCarty grounded out to second, Crespo struck out swinging and Kapler grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                       Varitek with a home run

Arroyo returned briefly for the top of the seventh as A-Rod struck out swinging to start. That was it for Arroyo as Sox manager Terry Francona lifted Bronson for Alan Embree. Arroyo battled back to go 6 1/3 innings allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and a walk. Giambi grounded out to a diving Reese in the shift z and Sheffield flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                    Arroyo gets a good hand

The Sox finished off Brown in the bottom of the seventh as Reese dumped a base hit to left to chase him. Gabe White came in to face Damon and Johnny ripped a base hit down the first base line to move Pokey to third. Mueller struck out swinging and Ortiz hit a routine grounder to A-Rod. Rodriguez threw the ball 100 feet over the head of Wilson at second for an error to score Reese with the tying run. Damon moved to third on the play and Tom Gordon was brought in to face Ramirez with runners at the corners. Manny grounded into a double play to end the inning but the game was tied 4-4.

                                                              Nice throw A-Rod

Matsui lined a base hit up the middle to start of the top of the eighth. Lee took strike three and that was it for Embree. Mike Timlin came in to face pinch hitter Jorge Posada and struck him out swinging. Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Wilson and grounded out to first to end the inning. Miguel Cairo came in to play second in the bottom of the eighth and Varitek struck out swinging to start. McCarty hit a pop up to left but Matsui misplayed it for a "double". McCarty moved to third on a grounder to second by Crespo and Kapler scored David with a base hit to left. Reese struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox had the lead 5-4.

                                                                Kapler gets it done

Keith Foulke came in to close out the top of the ninth and Jeter was called out on strikes on a questionable pitch on the outside corner. Ramirez crashed into the Monster on a Williams line drive but A-Rod got a base hit to left. Giambi took strike three at the knees to end the game. The Sox had rallied to win it 5-4.

                                                                  Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Gabe Kapler. His rbi single in the eighth put the Sox up for good.

                                                           Hero Kapler

The Good:

Bill Mueller was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

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

Pokey Reese was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Alan Embree pitched a full scoreless inning.

Mike Timlin got the win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Keith Foulke got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4.

Cesar Crespo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4.

David McCarty was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bronson Arroyo allowed 4 early runs but battled back to go 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Final Thoughts:

Its only April but beating the Yankees three out of four is nothing to sneeze at. Not just winning but rallying to win was an even bigger accomplishment. The rumors is Byung-Hung Kim will be returning to take the fifth starter spot and Arroyo pitched like his life depended on it in the final four innings. If Kim does push Arroyo to the bullpen, that would guarantee either Mark Malaska or Lenny DiNardo will be sent down to Pawtucket. As for the offensive side, the Sox are getting some pop up at the bottom of their order and they desperately need it until the Sox get their guns back in June. A win like this shows the Sox resilience from last year carried over. The bullpen trio of Timlin, Embree and Foulke once again was lights out and that's going to win a lot of games this year. Kapler was the hero in this one with a couple of big hits and on days when Manny Ramirez is kept quiet, a day like that is always welcomed. The Sox now look to continue their winning ways against the Toronto Blue Jays as they head up there for a three game set. Tomorrow night Pedro Martinez (1-1) gets the start against Jays ace Roy Halladay in a re-match. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Yankees Strike Back, Pound Sox (4/18/04)

After the Boston Red Sox dropkicked the New York Yankees around during the first two games of this series, the Yankees were bound to get revenge. It came today as the bats came alive against Derek Lowe (1-1, 9.35 ERA). The well balanced Yankee attack pounded Lowe for 7 early runs and the pitching of the bullpen surrendered just 3 hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings. When the game was over the Yankees had won it 7-3 at Fenway Park.

The Yankees wore down Lowe early in the top of the first inning. Derek Jeter grounded out to second before Bernie Williams struck out swinging. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi worked back to back walks before Gary Sheffield grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Yankees starter Jose Contreras in the bottom of the first inning. Johnny Damon whiffed to start but Bill Mueller singled to left. David Ortiz whiffed but Manny Ramirez singled. Kevin Millar put the Sox on top with a double to score Mueller before Ellis Burks flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                   Swing and a miss

The Yankees wasted no time coming back against Lowe in the top of the second inning. Hideki Matsui grounded out to second but Jorge Posada walked. Travis Lee singled to left but Enrique Wilson flied out to left. Jeter singled home Posada to tie the game. Williams grounded into a force to end the inning but it was tied 1-1.

Jason Varitek singled to open the bottom of the second but Cesar Crespo whiffed. Pokey Reese flied out to left and Varitek was gunned down trying to steal to end the inning.

The Yankees knocked Lowe out in the top of the third inning. A-Rod walked before Giambi singled A-Rod to third. Sheffield doubled A-Rod home to give the Yankees the lead before Matsui singled in Giambi to put runners at the corners. Posada doubled home Sheffield but somehow Lowe punched out Lee. Wilson singled home Matsui and moved Posada to third before Jorge scored on the Jeter groundout. Williams doubled home Wilson and Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough. Lowe was absolutely hammered in the third inning and left allowing 7 runs in just 2 2/3 innings...woof! Mark Malaska came in and A-Rod flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-1.

                                                           A-Rod trots around the bases

The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the third as Damon singled to start. Mueller walked and Damon went to third on the fly out by Ortiz. Ramirez doubled home both men to cut the lead. Millar walked and a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Yankees manager Joe Torre had seen enough and lifted the incompetent Contreras mid at-bat. Paul Quantrill came in and the rally ended when Burks hit a ground ball to to third, Manny getting thrown out at home on the play. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were down 7-3.

                                                  Ramirez drives in two

Malaska came out for the top of the fourth as Giambi flied out to right to start. Sheffield doubled to left and Matsui walked but Posada popped up to second. Lee grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fourth although Crespo grounded out to second to begin. Reese walked but was erased on the Damon force. Mueller singled to left but Ortiz popped up to short to end the inning.

Malaska returned for one final inning in the top of the fifth. Wilson flied out to center to start but Jeter singled to right. Williams popped up to first before A-Rod looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Manny flied out to right, Millar whiffed and Burks flied out to right to end the inning.

Phil Seibel came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Giambi was plunked to start. Giambi was erased on the Sheffield force before Matsui flied out to center. Posada grounded into a force to end the inning. Gabe White took the mound in the bottom of the sixth and Varitek singled to start. The rally ended as Crespo lined out to second before Reese popped up to first. Damon grounded into a force to end the inning.

                                                                Nice try Crespo

Seibel returned for the top of the seventh and Lee flied out to right to begin. Wilson grounded back to the mound before Jeter and Williams drew back to back walks. A-Rod grounded out to second to end the inning. White got Mueller to fly out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before Ortiz grounded out to first. Tom Gordon came in to pitch to Manny and Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning.

Seibel got Giambi to strike out swinging to open the top of the eighth. Sheffield grounded out to short before Matsui flied out to center to end the inning. Gordon cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Millar popped up to short to begin. Burks flied out to center before Varitek flied out to left to end the inning.

Seibel returned for the top of the ninth but ran out of gas, walking Posada to start. Lee flied out to center and Wilson flied out to right but Jeter walked to chase Seibel. A yeoman's effort by Seibel who tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings against the high powered Yankees lineup. None other than Frank Castillo came on for the final out although he walked Williams to load the bases. A-Rod flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                Great effort by Seibel

Yankees manager Joe Torre took no chances and brought in Mariano Rivera with a four run lead to close out the bottom of the ninth. Crespo grounded out to third before Gabe Kapler pinch hit for Reese and singled to right. Damon flied out to right and Mueller grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees bullpen tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings to win the game 7-3.

Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. He got knocked out in the third inning and gave up 7 runs that the offense couldn't come back from.

                                                              Jackass Lowe


The Good:

Bill Mueller was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Kevin Millar was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4.

Gabe Kapler singled as a pinch hitter

Mark Malaska tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Phil Seibel held the Yankees scoreless for 3 2/3 innings.

Frank Castillo got the final out of the top of the ninth.



The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ellis Burks was 0 for 4.

Cesar Crespo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Pokey Reese was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Any loss hurts but against the Yankees it hurts even more. Lowe simply didn't have it but that was a tremendous effort by the little used members of the bullpen. Malaska, Castillo and Seibel held the Yankees scoreless after Lowe left the game but unfortunately so did the Yankees bullpen after Contreras left. That's an encouraging sign for future games if the bullpen doesn't crap themselves, normally the Sox could bop their way back into a game. Just not today it seemed as the Yankees owed them one. Still the Sox have won two games already in this four game set and tomorrow the finale will be the Patriots Day morning game. Bronson Arroyo takes the hill for the Sox up against Kevin Brown at the special start time of 11 AM at Fenway Park.

Schilling, Sox Drop Yankees (4/17/04)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Bruins lost Game 6 of their first round NHL playoff series. The good news was Curt Schilling (2-0, 2.66) ERA and the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees. The Sox traded for Schilling because of his reputation for a big game pitcher and Yankee killer, this game was no different. Curt dazzled the Yankees, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing just a run. Offensively the Sox got to Yankees starter Mike Mussina for four runs in just five innings. Manny Ramirez hit a home run in the fifth inning and a Johnny Damon rbi double in the eighth was more than enough insurance. Keith Foulke allowed his first run of the year in the ninth but the Sox had won the game anyway 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Eliza Dushku approves of the win

Schilling got the ball in the top of the first and Derek Jeter took strike three to start. Bernie Williams struck out swinging and Alex Rodriguez flied out to center to end the inning. Mussina got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon watched strike three go by to start. Bill Mueller grounded out to second but David Ortiz got a base hit to center. Manny Ramirez forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.

Jason Giambi popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the second and Gary Sheffield grounded out to short. Hideki Matsui walked and Jorge Posada smacked a ground rule double, but Tony Clark took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Kevin Millar grounded out to third to start. Jason Varitek and Mark Bellhorn drew back to back walks and Gabe Kapler dumped a base hit to right to load the bases. Damon walked to score Varitek and Mueller was hit with a pitch to score Bellhorn. Ortiz forced Mueller at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                          Mueller gets hit to drive in a run

Enrique Wilson grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Jeter grounded out to short. Williams pounded a ground rule double down the right field line but A-Rod took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. Jeter booted a grounder by Millar for an error and Varitek actually reached first on a bunt single. Bellhorn got a base hit to right to load the bases and Millar scored on the Kapler grounder to third. Reese grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                                 Bellhorn with the big hit

Giambi took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Sheffield walked. Matsui got a base hit to right but Posada grounded into a double play to end the inning. Damon got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Mueller popped up to third. Ortiz popped up to A-Rod who doubled Damon off first to end the inning,

The Yankees got a run back in the top of the fifth as Clark of all people hit a home run to Barbados to cut the lead. Wilson grounded out to second, Jeter struck out swinging and Williams grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-1.

                                                           Clark hits one out

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez slugged his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Millar walked and Varitek got a base hit to left, but Giambi doubled off Jason on a bullet hit by Bellhorn. Kapler grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                            Ramirez goes yard

A-Rod struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth but Giambi walked. Sheffield popped up to third in foul territory but Matsui singled to left. Posada walked to load the bases and Clark grounded out to first to end the inning. Donovan Osbourne came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Reese flied out to center to start. Damon struck out swinging but Mueller singled to left. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Schilling returned briefly for the top of the seventh as Wilson blooped a single over Pokey's head to start. Jeter took strike three and that was it for Schilling. He allowed a single run in 6 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 4 walks. Mike Timlin came in and Williams walked, but A-Rod banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                                   Good work Schilling

Ramirez singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh but Millar flied out to right. Somehow Manny stole second but was doubled off second on a line drive to Wilson by Varitek to end the inning.

Timlin returned for the top of the eighth and Giambi grounded out to short to start. Sheffield grounded out to short and Matsui lined out to short to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Bellhorn was hit with a pitch to start. Bellhorn took off for second and Posada's throw went wide, allowing Mark to take third on the error. Kapler took strike three but Bellhorn was thrown out at home on a comebacker by Reese. Damon doubled off the Monster to score Pokey but Mueller struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                                 Damon drives in a run

Keith Foulke came in to pitch the top of the ninth with David McCarty taking over at first for Millar. Posada flied out to right but Clark struck out swinging. Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Wilson and lined a base hit to center. Sierra took second on defensive indifference and scored on the Jeter single to left. Jeter took second on defensive indifference but Williams grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is Curt Schilling. He held the high powered Yankees to just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits, 4 walks and struck out eight batters.

                                                         Hero Schilling

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run and a stolen base.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mark Bellhorn was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch, stolen base and a run scored.

Mike Timlin tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Keith Foulke allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Millar was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Pokey Reese was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

David McCarty played first base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a damn good win and so far this season Schilling has been worth it. He held the powerful Yankees to just a single run and if that's the team to beat the season, at least the Sox have one starter that can do it. Keith Foulke got tagged for the first time all-season but he didn't really care about that runner after he got the first two out. The Sox got a lot of hits but also hit into a lot of double plays. A lot of them were bad luck but still, definitely need to clean that up. Its only two games against the Yankees with 17 more to play but two wins are better than one or none. Bellhorn has played out of his mind the first two weeks of this season but it'll be tough to replace Todd Walker's five home runs in October...if the Sox can make it there. All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to make it three in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon. Derek Lowe (1-0) makes his first start in 11 days taking on Jose Contreras of the Yankees. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Wakefield, Sox Down Yankees (4/16/04)

Last year was a bitter defeat suffered by the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and tonight was the first game of nineteen this season. The Red Sox opened the salvo with a convincing win over the Yankees by knocking around their off-season acquisition Javier Vazquez for four first inning runs. Bill Mueller and Manny Ramirez both hit home runs to lead 4-0 early. Tim Wakefield (1-0, 2.19 ERA) continued his mastery over the Yankees (starting anyway) by allowing just two runs in seven innings of work to keep the Sox in front. Doug Mirabelli knocked in two runs of his own including a home run to wrap up the scoring. Keith Foulke slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox had their first victory against the Yankees this season 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                 John Carroll approves of the win

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kenny Lofton led off by grounding out to Pokey Reese to start. Derek Jeter flied out to center and Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Vazquez in the bottom of the first as Johnny Damon reached on an error by Jason Giambi to start. Bill Mueller made Giambi pay with a two run homer into the bullpen. David Ortiz struck out swinging but Manny Ramirez was awarded a home run when replays showed it hit off the right field wall and should have been a triple. Kevin Millar singled off the Monster but Ellis Burks forced him at second. Mark Bellhorn walked and Doug Mirabelli hit a routine grounder to Jeter....through his legs for an error to score Burks for another run. Pokey Reese flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                      Ole!!!

The Yankees got one back in the top of the second although Giambi flied out to the right field warning track to start. Gary Sheffield popped up to Manny but Jorge Posada hit a home run into the Charles River to cut the lead. Hideki Matsui grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

                                                       Home run Posada

Damon flied out to left to begin the bottom of the second but Mueller slashed an opposite field single into left field. Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning.

Bernie Williams took strike three to start the top of the third and Enrique Wilson grounded out to third. Lofton also grounded out to third to end the inning. Vazquez turned up the heat in the bottom of the third as Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Millar and Burks both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jeter grounded a single up the middle to start the top of the fourth but A-Rod waived badly for strike three. Giambi walked but Sheffield grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Bellhorn flied out to right to start. Fox decided it would be cute to play Bucky Dent's home run from 1978 and Mirabelli stuck it up their ass with a home run into the bullpen to increase the lead. Reese popped up to short and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                 "Take THAT, Fox" - Mirabelli

The Yankees answered in the top of the fifth as Posada grounded out to second to start. Matsui lined a base hit past Reese then took second on a passed ball. Williams dumped a base hit to right to score Matsui to cut the lead. Bernie moved to second on a grounder back to the mound by Wilson and Lofton grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-2.

                                                   Williams drives in a run

Mueller led off the bottom of the fifth with a base hit through the right side, but was thrown out at second trying to steal when Ortiz struck out swinging. Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jeter grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth but Reese bobbled a grounder by A-Rod for an error. Giambi walked but A-Rod was thrown out at third on a double steal attempt, although Jason moved to second. Sheffield took strike three on the inside corner for strike three to end the inning. The Sox finished off Vazquez in the bottom of the sixth as Millar hit a bullet to A-Rod to start. Burks singled off the bottom of the Monster then moved to third on a base hit to right by Bellhorn. Mirabelli doubled into the left field corner to score Burks, chasing Vazquez. Paul Quantrill came in to face Reese and he hit a comebacker, getting Bellhorn caught in a rundown. All of a sudden Joe Torre came out and lifted Quantrill in favor of Gabe White to pitch to Damon. Damon flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                  Mirabelli drives in a run

Wakefield returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Posada grounded out to second to start. Fox decided to be cute again by showing Aaron Boone's home run before Matsui walked. Williams walked and old pal Tony Clark pinch hit for Wilson. Clark struck out swinging and Lofton forced Williams at second to end the inning. That was it for Wakefield who went 7 strong innings and held the Yankees to 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks.

                                                     Wakefield gets it done

Miguel Cairo came in to play second in the bottom of the seventh as Mueller led off with a walk. Ortiz popped up to left and that was it for White. Jorge De Paula came in to face Ramirez and Manny grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Scott Williamson was all over the place in the top of the eighth as Jeter grounded out to second to start. A-Rod hit a bullet to Mueller but Ramirez dropped a routine pop up by Giambi for an error. A wild pitch moved Giambi to second and Sheffield walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Posada walked to chase Williamson. Alan Embree came in and struck out Matsui swinging to end the inning. Millar grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth and Fox once again tried to stick it to the Sox by showing a flashback to Grady Little leaving Pedro Martinez on the mound in Game 7. Burks, Bellhorn and Mirabelli all walked to load the bases and that was it for De Paula. Donovan Osbourne came in to pitch and Reese grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Keith Foulke came in to close out the top of the ninth with Gabe Kapler in for defense in right field. Williams popped up to center to start but Ortiz dropped a pop up in foul territory by Cairo for an error. Cairo was plunked and moved to second on a Lofton comebacker, but Jeter popped up to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Tim Wakefield. He got the win by tossing 7 innings and allowing just two runs (one earned) allowing 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out four batters.

                                                   Dave Wallace talks to our Hero

The Good:

Bill Mueller was 3 for 3 with a two run home run and a walk.

Ellis Burks was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Mark Bellhorn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Doug Mirabelli was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and two total rbis.

Scott Williamson got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Alan Embree got the final out of the eighth inning.

Keith Foulke pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Pokey Reese was 0 for 4 with an error.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but hit a home run.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Gabe Kapler played right field in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Fox thought they were being funny by making fun of Johnny Damon's hair and showing all those anti-Red Sox graphics throughout the game but the Sox shoved it up their keister tonight. Wakefield dominated the Yankees in two starts in last year's ALCS (but Fox doesn't want you to know that) and he had another great start tonight. The offense knocked around Javier Vazquez early and it was good to see Doug Mirabelli join the party after not playing for eight days. That eighth inning could have gotten a lot worse after Manny casually dropped the ball and Williamson couldn't find the plate, kudos to Alan Embree for making quick work of Matsui. Keith Foulke once again did the job and has been worth every penny so far. The Sox have to fight not only the Yankees but Fox itself moving forward apparently, they should use the ammo for tomorrow afternoon. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees when Curt Schilling (1-0) gets the ball against Mike Mussina of New York. The game begins at 1:20 PM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Humiliate Sox in 11 Innings (4/15/04)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Brian Daubach cleared waivers and returned to Pawtucket while Bobby Jones was sent to Pawtucket with him after a disastrous start to his season. 25 year old left handed pitcher Phil Seibel was called up to take his place. Seibel was claimed off waivers from the New York Mets back in November and could make his major league debut soon. Can't be any worse than Jones....right?

                                                                            OUT

                                                                   IN

It was a bad day in Boston sports as the Boston Bruins lost Game 5 to the Montreal Canadiens in their first round NHL playoff series and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox in eleven innings. In the opposite of Saturday's game, Orioles ace Sidney Ponson and Sox ace Pedro Martinez were hammered for seven runs apiece. Brian Roberts set the tone with a leadoff home run but the Sox got a two run Johnny Damon single and a three run Bill Mueller home run to take a 5-2 lead. Trailing 7-4 in the fifth, David Segui hit a three run bomb off Pedro and the score would remain the same until the 11th inning. Miguel Tejada hit a leadoff blast off of Bronson Arroyo (0-1, 8.53) ERA and the floodgates opened. The O's got five runs off Arroyo, rookie Phil Seibel and the returning Frank Castillo. The Sox continued their mediocre start to the season with a 12-7 defeat at the hands of the Orioles at Fenway Park.

                                                    "This sucks" - Andrew Raycroft

Four pitches into the game, Brian Roberts hit a home run all the way into the Potomac River to put the O's up instantly in the top of the first. Melvin Mora flied out to center but Miguel Tejada drew a walk. Rafael Palmeiro forced Tejada at second but Javy Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                        Home run Roberts

Ponson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon grounded out to third to start. Bill Mueller popped up to short but David Ortiz singled to right. Manny Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

The O's struck again in the top of the second as Jay Gibbons walked to start. David Segui banged into a double play but Luis Matos walked. Matos scored all the way from first on a Larry Bigbie double to left but Roberts grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's up 2-0.

                                                            Bigbie drives in a run

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Kevin Millar walked to start. Jason Varitek singled to right but Gabe Kapler popped up to short. Mark Bellhorn walked to load the bases but Pokey Reese popped up to first in foul territory. Damon singled to right to score Millar and Varitek then Mueller smacked his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox led 5-2.

                                                    Home run Mueller

Mora beat out a roller to short to start the top of the third but Tejada forced him at second. Palmeiro flied out to center and Lopez grounded out to second to end the inning. Mora heaved a ground ball by Ramirez into the stands to start the bottom of the third before Millar took strike three. Varitek forced Ramirez at second Kapler grounded out to second to end the inning.

The O's struck back in the top of the fourth as Gibbons beat out a roller to third to start. Segui singled to right to move Gibbons to third and he scored on the Matos force at second. Matos stole second and Bigbie singled to center to score him to cut the lead. Roberts took strike three and Mora forced Bigbie at second to end the inning with the O's down 5-4.

                                                         Matos is a menace

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Bellhorn singled to left to start. Reese caught the O's asleep with a bunt single and Damon singled to left to score Bellhorn. Mueller beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Ortiz scored Reese with a grounder to third. Ramirez technically hit a single in the hole at short but Mueller was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-4.

                                                          Damon drives in a run

The O's finished off Pedro in the top of the fifth as Tejada flied out to right to start. Palmeiro grounded out to first and Pedro was one out away from getting out of it unscathed. It didn't happen as Lopez doubled to left, Gibbons walked and Segui hit a home run all the way to Uranus to tie the game. Matos struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 7-7. That was it for Martinez who got rocked for 7 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 8 hits and 4 walks.

                                                          "I sucked tonight" - Pedro

Rodrigo Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Millar started off with a double to center. Varitek struck out swinging and Millar moved to second on the grounder to short by Kapler. Bellhorn hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Mark Malaska came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Bigbie flied out to left to start. Roberts grounded out to third but Mora walked. Tejada walked but Palmeiro took strike three to end the inning. Reese grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Damon walked. Mueller struck out swinging but Damon took second on the play, only for Ortiz to go down hacking to end the inning. 

Scott Williamson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Mueller heaved a grounder by Lopez into the stands for an error to start. Gibbons popped up to left but Segui walked. Matos struck out swinging and Bigbie flied out to center to end the inning. Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Millar popped up to short. Varitek forced Manny at second and Kapler struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mike Timlin came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Roberts got a base hit to left to start. Mora dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Roberts to second and Brian moved to third on the Tejada grounder to second. That was it for Timlin as Sox manager Terry Francona brought in Keith Foulke to face Palmeiro. Raffy hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. BJ Ryan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bellhorn struck out swinging to start. David McCarty pinch hit for Reese only to ground out to third. Damon took strike three to end the inning.

Cesar Crespo came in to play short in the top of the ninth and Lopez grounded back to the mound to start. Gibbons grounded out to second but Segui singled to left. Tim Raines Jr pinch ran for Segui and stole second, only for Matos to fly out to right to end the inning. Mueller struck out swinging to start the bottom of the ninth and Ortiz flied out to center. Manny got a base hit to center to put the winning run on but Millar flied out to right to end the inning.

Alan Embree came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Bigbie grounded out to short to start. Roberts struck out swinging and Mora flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to win in the bottom of the tenth with Mike DeJean on the mound. Varitek flied out to center to start but Kapler dumped a base hit to center. Bellhorn walked but Crespo popped up to third in foul territory. Buddy Groom was brought in to face the lefty Damon and ended up hitting him to load the bases. Unfortunately Muller flied out to center to end the inning.

Bronson Arroyo came in to pitch the top of the eleventh and immediately crapped his pants. Tejeda hit the fifth pitch he saw out of the galaxy to put the O's on top. Palmeiro singled to right but Lopez lined out to center. Gibbons tripled into the right field corner to score Palmeiro before Raines Jr walked. Matos hit a routine grounder to Mueller who booted it to load the bases and chase Arroyo. Phil Seibel made his major league debut by getting Bigbie to hit a grounder to Millar....also booted for an error to score Gibbons to ice the game. Roberts walked on four pitched not even close to score Raines and that was it for Seibel. Frank Castillo made his return to Fenway for the first time in two years and immediately allowed a base hit to center by Mora to score Matos with the final run. Tejada banged into a double play to end the inning but the Orioles scored five runs in the frame and led 12-7.

                                                        Home run Tejada

Jorge Julio came in to close out the bottom of the eleventh and Ortiz flied out to left to start. Ramirez went down hacking and Millar struck out swinging to end the game. The O's had won it 12-7 in 11 innings.

Jackass of the Night is Bronson Arroyo. He was charged with five runs in the top of the eleventh to take the loss.

                                                               Jackass Arroyo

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis, a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a walk.

Mark Bellhorn was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Pokey Reese was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Mark Malaska pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Mike Timlin got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Keith Foulke tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Alan Embree tossed a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

David McCarty grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Cesar Crespo was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Pedro Martinez was awful. He allowed 7 runs off 8 hits and 4 walks.

Phil Seibel allowed two inherited runners to score without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Bill Mueller was just 1 for 6 with 2 strikeouts and 2 errors but hit a three run home run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Millar was just 1 for 5 with an error and 2 strikeouts, but walked and scored a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Gabe Kapler was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Frank Castillo allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

What a way to lose. The Sox were 90 feet away from winning this thing in the tenth and it all fell apart in the 11th. Phil Seibel got thrown in the fire and its a shame to make your ML debut in a situation like that. It should have never come to any of that if the offense didn't fall asleep in the fourth inning and if Pedro Martinez didn't stink the joint out. Hats off to the Baltimore bullpen who ended up tossing 7 scoreless innings after Ponson left the game and the offense for fighting back to tie the game then take the lead in extras. The Sox defense failed them as well as the Mueller and Millar errors definitely hurt in that fateful inning. The Sox have only played eight games this season but they've looked like garbage in half of them. Still, missing two big bats and having to use your bullpen in all these extra inning games are tough to overcome. The schedule doesn't get any easier because the Sox now travel to the Bronx for an early season showdown with the New York Yankees. Tim Wakefield (0-0) gets the start for Boston against new acquisition Javier Vazquez of the Yankees. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.