Sox Outlast Yankees on Patriots Day (4/15/02)

If the Boston Red Sox wanted to send an early statement that they can compete with the New York Yankees, they sure sent one today. The Sox took two of the first three games of this series including the second game where they rallied in the eighth inning. Today on Patriots Day the Sox had to hold off a Yankees rally in order to win. Nomar Garciaparra and Shea Hillenbrand drove in runs right off the bat against an ineffective Andy Pettitte while Derek Lowe (2-1, 1.29 ERA) continued his strong start to the season by holding the Yankees to one run in seven innings. Hillenbrand and Jason Varitek drove in runs against Adrian Hernandez but the Yankees rallied in the eighth against "El Guapo" Rich Garces. Ugueth Urbina had runners on second and third but was able to strike out Rondell White and John Vander Wal to end the game. The Sox had taken 3 out of 4 from the Yankees including today's win 4-3 on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.

                                                    Margaret Okayo approves of the win

Lowe got the ball in the top of the first inning and Derek Jeter was retired on a nubber to Lowe to start. Nick Johnson was hit in the backside but Bernie Williams flied out to left. Jason Giambi grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Pettitte in the bottom of the first as Rickey Henderson led off with a full count base hit to center to begin. Johnny Damon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Henderson to second and Nomar Garciaparra doubled off the Monster to score Rickey. Manny Ramirez was intentionally walked but Tony Clark hit a routine grounder to Jeter....bobbled for an error to load the bases. Shea Hillenrband walked to score Nomar but the Yankees caught a break when Jason Varitek smacked a line drive off Hillenbrand into right for runner interference base hit. Trot Nixon popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                  Nomar gets the party started

Lowe cruised in the top of the second inning as Jorge Posada grounded out to first to start. Robin Ventura grounded out to short and Rondell White struck out swinging to end the inning. Pettitte settled down in the bottom of the second as Rey Sanchez grounded out to second to start. Henderson also grounded out to second and Damon flied out to center to end the inning.

Shane Spencer was frozen for strike three to start the top of the third before Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging. Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third although Nomar popped up to Soriano in shallow right to start. Ramirez grounded out to first but Clark broke an 0 for 23 slump with a base hit off the glove of Soriano. Hillenbrand chopped a single up the middle but Varitek waived at strike three to end the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the top of the fourth although Johnson flared a pop up to Henderson to start. Williams walked and Giambi dumped a base hit to right to move Bernie to third. Posada beat out a double play ball to score Williams but Ventura took strike three on the inside corner for strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                                                       Posada beats it out

Mysteriously Pettitte left the game and Adrian Hernandez took over on the mound for the bottom of the fourth inning. Nixon dropped a base hit to right and Sanchez lined a single to left but Henderson struck out swinging. Damon popped up to a running White and Nomar struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lowe turned up the heat in the top of the fifth as White struck out swinging to start. Spencer struck out swinging and Soriano whiffed as well to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez was rung up for strike three to start. Clark walked and took second on a wild pitch as NESN analyst Tom Caron chatted with New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft. Hillenbrand doubled in the left field corner to score Clark and Varitek ripped a base hit to center to score Shea. Nixon beat out a double play ball but Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-1.

                                             Kraft cheers on the Sox rally

The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Jeter grounded out to third to start. Johnson grounded out to second and Hillenbrand made a great play to rob Williams of a hit to end the inning. Henderson lined a base hit inside the bag at third to start the bottom of the sixth and Damon walked to chase Hernandez. Steve Karsay came in and Nomar grounded out to first to move both runners over. Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases but Clark struck out swinging. Jeter made a nice play to force Manny at second to end the inning.

                                        Dustin Hermanson checking out the game

Lowe returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh as Giambi struck out swinging to start. Damon ran down a line drive at the centerfield wall by Posada and White went down swinging to end the inning. That was it for Lowe who was outstanding, allowing just 2 hits and a run in 7 innings of work while striking out nine.

                                                       Lowe gets it done

Varitek flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Nixon walked. Sanchez flied out to center and Henderson popped up to Johnson to end the inning.

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as John Vander Wal pinch hit for Spencer to start. Vander Wal hit a line drive to Clark but Soriano doubled down the left field line. Soriano swiped third but Jeter hit a home run all the way to Neptune to cut the lead. Sox analysts Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy questioned why Lowe didn't return for the eighth inning at 94 pitches but Johnson struck out swinging. Williams grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3.

                                                        Dammit Garces

Mike Stanton took over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth as Damon singled down the third base line, but Nomar banged into a double play. Ramirez flied out to Vander Wal to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the top of the ninth and Giambi grounded out to short to start. Posada dumped a base hit to center and Gerald Williams pinch ran for him. Ventura doubled into the right field corner and Enrique Wilson pinch ran for Robin. Urbina recovered to strike out White swinging to bring up Vander Wal. Wal took strike three on the outside corner that actually wasn't close to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win 4-3.

                                                       The Urbina fist pump

Hero of the Night is Derek Lowe. He dominated the Yankees by allowing just 1 run in 7 innings, just two hits and striking out nine batters.

                                                    Hero Lowe

The Good:

Rickey Henderson was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Johnny Damon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Tony Clark was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ugueth Urbina earned his sixth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rich Garces allowed a 2 run homer to Jeter in the bottom of the eighth.



The Ugly:

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 with a strikeouts but walked twice.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Always good to beat the Yankees three out of four and listen to their fans cry after. YES Network, John Sterling, Joe Torre and fans in AOL Chatrooms were all over home plate umpire Larry Young for having the AUDACITY to ring up Vander Wal at the end. The Sox have had plenty of calls go against them, especially in the 1999 ALCS so none of us in Boston want to hear it. The bottom line is Lowe dominated the Yankees and the Sox took advantage of Pettitte having to leave the game to score the runs they did against Hernandez. Other than Jeter's home run off of Garces, this was a good day all around. Its only April and there's a long way to go but its still a feel good win on Patriots Day. With the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics in the playoffs together for the first time in seven years, this is shaping up to be a fun spring season. The Sox now hit the road and their first stop is a brief two game set in Toronto with the Blue Jays. Tomorrow night Frank Castillo gets the start for the Red Sox against Brandon Lyon of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Oliver, Sox Down Yankees (4/12/02)

Things are always ramped up when its the Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees. In the first game of the season series, the Red Sox drew first blood in this war. Darren Oliver (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the spot start for the Sox and tossed a shutout into the sixth inning. Orlando Hernandez was equally tough for the Yankees but a Sox rally in the bottom of the fifth gave them a 2-0 lead. The Yankees got a run back against Sun-Woo Kim and Casey Fossum but a Lou Merloni rbi double in the bottom of the eighth was the big insurance run. Yankees rookie Nick Johnson took Ugueth Urbina deep in the top of the ninth but Urbina finished the job as the Sox won the game 3-2 at Fenway Park.

                                              The Rock & Hulk Hogan approve of the win

Oliver got the ball to start the top of the first and Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter grounded out to short but Bernie Williams walked. Jason Giambi singled to left but Rondell White forced Giambi at second to end the inning. Hernandez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon led off by taking strike three to start. Jose Offerman grounded out to second but Shea Hillenbrand singled to left. Manny Ramirez singled to right but Tony Clark struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ron Coomer doubled to left to begin the top of the second and Shane Spencer walked, but Nick Johnson flied out to left. Alberto Castillo grounded into a double play to end the inning. Trot Nixon struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Baerga grounded back to the mound. Doug Mirabelli walked and Rey Sanchez singled him to third, but Damon flied out to center to end the inning.

Soriano froze for strike three to start the top of the third before Jeter grounded back to the mound. Williams grounded out to short to end the inning. Offerman caught the Yankees asleep with a bunt single to start the bottom of the second but was caught in a rundown. Hillenbrand flied out to right and Ramirez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

                                                    "You're out you dummy!" - Jeter

Giambi ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth before moving to second on the grounder to third by White. Coomer grounded out to second to move Giambi to third before Spencer grounded out to short to end the inning. Clark struck out swinging again to start the bottom of the fourth before Nixon flied out to center. Baerga singled to left but Mirabelli grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Johnson took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Castillo popped up to right in foul territory. Soriano singled to left but Jeter went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Sanchez ripped a base hit to right to begin. Damon singled in the hole at short and Offerman doubled home Sanchez to put the Sox on top. Hillenbrand grounded out to short to score Damon to increase the lead and Ramirez was intentionally walked. Clark flied out to right and Nixon popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                         Sox strike first

Oliver returned for the top of the sixth and Williams grounded out to third to start. Giambi pounded a ground rule double into the centerfield stands but White grounded out to third. Coomer walked and Sox manager Grady Little felt Oliver had done enough. He had tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings to give the Sox a chance to win. Sun-Woo Kim came in and got Spencer to ground out to short to end the inning.

                                                               Oliver gets it done

Baerga beat out an infield single to short and Lou Merloni pinch ran for him to begin the bottom of the sixth. Mirabelli struck out swinging, Merloni was thrown out at second trying to steal and Sanchez flied out to right to end the inning.

Kim returned for the top of the seventh and Johnson struck out swinging to begin. Castillo grounded out to short but Soriano doubled to center. Jeter grounded out to third to end the inning. Damon grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the seventh before Offerman flied out to right. Hillenbrand lined out to left to end the inning.

Williams struck out swinging to begin the top of the eighth but Giambi doubled to center. White struck out swinging and Sox manager Grady Little wanted Casey Fossum to pitch to Coomer. Yankees manager Joe Torre countered by bringing in Robin Ventura to pinch hit. Naturally Ventura singled to right to score Giambi and cut the lead. Torre sent in Enrique Wilson to run for Ventura and John Vander Wal to pinch hit for Spencer. This time Little countered by bringing in "El Guapo" Rich Garces to face John. Vander Wal took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                            Garces is pumped up

The Sox got that run back in the bottom of the eighth with old friend Mike Stanton now on the mound. Ramirez doubled to right and moved to third on the grounder to second by Clark. Nixon flied out to center but Merloni stepped up with a double off the Monster to score Ramirez with the insurance run. Steve Karsay came in to pitch to Mirabelli and Doug flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                          Merloni with a clutch double

Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the top of the ninth and Johnson greeted him with a solo home run to cut the lead. Jorge Posada pinch hit for Castillo but lined out to short before Soriano struck out swinging. Jeter flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

Hero of the Night is Darren Oliver. He tossed a 5 2/3 inning shutout by allowing 5 hits while striking out 4.

                                                     Oliver The Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carlos Baerga was 2 for 3.

Lou Merloni got an rbi double in his only at bat.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Rich Garces struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a hit to the only man he faced.

Ugueth Urbina allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Sun-Woo Kim was charged with a run in 2 full innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

To be the man you gotta beat the man....WOOOOO! If the Sox want to knock off the four time defending AL champion they need to win every game they can against them. Having Darren Oliver and Lou Merloni step up to win a game is huge considering the big guns haven't fired yet. The Yankees made a bold move replacing their championship core with AL MVP Jason Giambi, Ron Coomer and David Wells so they're not going to take their loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks lying down. The only two negatives about this game is the slump of Tony Clark and the ineffectiveness of Ugueth Urbina. It's early in the season but the Sox could be 8-1 if it wasn't for those two. Still, there's a long way to go and the Sox opened the salvo with a win. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when they send Pedro Martinez (1-0) to the mound against David Wells of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Stun Sox In Ninth (4/11/02)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed for their fifth victory in their first seven games of the season. Then in one inning the Kansas City Royals stunned the Sox with a monumental ninth inning comeback. The Sox broke out to a 4-1 lead after the second inning but the Royals tied the game against Boston starter Frank Castillo and reliever Rolando Arrojo. A Johnny Damon rbi triple in the bottom of the eighth seemed to put the game away. Ugueth Urbina (0-2, 8.31 ERA) got shelled for 4 runs and Carlos Beltran hit the killshot with a two run double off Willie Banks. What shuld have been a 5-4 victory turned into a bitter 8-5 defeat by the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                         "Dammit Urbina!"

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chuck Knoblauch struck out swinging to start. Castillo snuffed out a Neifi Perez bunt attempt but Carlos Beltran doubled to left. Mike Sweeney walked but Michael Tucker grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally against Royals starter Chad Durbin in the bottom of the first as Johnny Damon grounded out to first to start. Shea Hillenbrand took strike three but Nomar Garciaparra walked. Manny Ramirez walked and Durbin threw a pickoff threw away allowing both runners to move up. Tony Clark walked to load the bases but Brian Daubach took strike three to end the inning.

The Royals struck first in the top of the second although Joe Randa grounded out to second to start. Raul Ibanez hit a home run all the way to St. Louis to put KC on top. AJ Hinch grounded out to third but Luis Alicea walked. Knoblauch struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                            Ibanez hits one out

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The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek singled to left to begin. Trot Nixon singled to right and Rey Sanchez doubled to center to score Varitek. Damon grounded out to first to score Nixon and move Sanchez to third before Hillenbrand capped the rally with a 2 run home run into the screen. Garciaparra flied out to center and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                               Hillenbrand with a home run

Perez flied out to left to start the top of the third before Beltran's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Castillo. Sweeney popped up to short to end the inning. Clark grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the third before Daubach struck out swinging. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning.

Tucker went down hacking to start the top of the fourth before Randa was frozen for strike three. Ibanez flied out to center to end the inning. Nixon flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth before Sanchez singled to center. Damon walked and the duo pulled off a double steal, but Hillenbrand struck out swinging. Nomar popped up to right to end the inning.

Hinch flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Alicea lined out to second. Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning. Blake Stein took over for Durbin in the bottom of the fifth and Ramirez flied out to right to start. Knoblauch dropped a pop-up by Clark for an error and Daubach walked. Varitek popped up to short and Nixon struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals struck back in the top of the sixth inning although Perez flied out to right to start. Beltran waked and Sweeney ripped a base hit to left. Ramirez picked the ball up and threw it into the Royals bullpen for an error to move the runners over. Tucker grounded out to second to score Beltran but Randa grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals down 4-2. That was it for Castillo who tossed 6 innings and allowed just two runs. If only the bullpen could have held the lead.

                                                       Six solid innings from Castillo

Sanchez flied out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth before Damon popped up to short. Hillenbrand walked but Nomar flied out to center to end the inning.

Rolando Arrojo came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the seventh as Ibanez walked to start. Hinch was hit with a pitch and Alicea caught the sleep with a bunt single to third to load the bases. Knoblauch grounded out to short to score Ibanez and Perez flied out to center to score Hinch who had moved to third on the grounder. Beltran grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                              Arrojo blows the lead

Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Clark grounded into a double play. Daubach struck out swinging to earn the hat trick to end the inning. 

Casey Fossum came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Sweeney popped up to right to start. Tucker grounded out to first and Randa grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox took command against Jason Grimsley in the bottom of the eighth as Varitek flied out to left to start. Nixon grounded out to short but Sanchez singled to left. Grimsley threw the pickoff throw away but Damon tripled into the right field corner to put the Sox on top. Hillenbrand took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 5-4.

                                                             Damon with an rbi triple

Ugueth Urbina came in to crap his pants in the top of the ninth as Ibanez singled to center to start. Old friend Donnie Sadler pinch ran for Ibanez and promptly stole second. Hinch walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Alicea grounded out to second to score Sadler to tie the game and move Hinch to third. Knoblauch doubled to left to score Hinch to give the Royals the lead and Perez walked to chase the incompetent Urbina. Willie Banks came in and a passed ball moved Perez to second and Beltran iced the game with a two run double to center. Another passed ball moved Sweeney to third but Sweeney and Tucker both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Royals had taken the lead 8-4.

                                                                 Sadler's revenge

Carlos Febles took over at second to start the bottom of the ninth and Nomar walked to start. Ramirez flied out to center, Clark struck out swinging and Daubach went down hacking to earn the golden sombrero to end the game. The Royals had won it 8-4.

Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. He got shelled in the ninth inning to give away the game.

                                                               Urbina The Jackass

The Good:

Rey Sanchez was 3 for 4 with a stolen base, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Frank Castillo pitched six solid innings and allowed just 2 runs.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Rolando Arrojo allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked, stole a base, walked and drove in 2 runs.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but walked.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Willie Banks allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a boot to the head. It looked like the Sox had them when Damon tripled home Sanchez but Urbina couldn't get the job done. After what the Sox went through last year with Derek Lowe, the LAST thing they need is the guy they traded the career of Tomo Ohka away for to turn into the next Lowe. Hopefully its just early season jitters because the Sox are going to need Urbina to match the bullpens of other teams in the league. The offense was fine for the most part but one bad inning by Arrojo and one terrible inning from Urbina sealed their fate. It sucks for Castillo who's pitched well in two straight games but has nothing to show for it. Still, its only one loss and the Sox have plenty more action to come this season. The Sox better get their gamefaces on because the current four-peat American League Champion New York Yankees come to town for a four game set. Darren Oliver gets the spot start tomorrow night to take the place of Dustin Hermanson against Orlando Hernandez of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep O's Behind Hillenbrand, Martinez (4/7/02)

After the Opening Day disaster many Boston Red Sox fans wondered if Pedro Martinez (1-0, 7.00 ERA) would ever be the same again. Well hopefully today's strong start against the Baltimore Orioles is the beginning of the comeback for Pedro. Martinez threw just 85 pitches in 6 innings but it was enough to hold the punchless Orioles to just an unearned run. Meanwhile Shea Hillenbrand was a one man wrecking crew with not one but two 2 run home runs to pace the offense. Nearly everyone in the lineup got on base at least once and the bullpen stepped up to finish Pedro's work. Ugueth Urbina notched his third save in a row as the Sox swept Baltimore out of their own stadium with a 4-1 victory at Camden Yards.

                                                    Tsianina Joelson approves of the win

Calvin Maduro got the start for Baltimore in the top of the first and Johnny Damon led off with a pop up to left. Carlos Baerga made his Red Sox debut by grounding out to first and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Pedro Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston popped up to left to begin. Chris Singleton flied out to center and David Segui struck out swinging to start.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez walked to start. Manny moved to second on the grounder to first by Clark and Trot Nixon struck out swinging. Shea Hillenbrand then smashed his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Jason Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.

                                                              Hillenbrand hits one out

Jeff Conine popped up to first to start the bottom of the second and Tony Batista grounded out to third. Jay Gibbons smacked a ground rule double to center but Melvin Mora struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Lou Merloni made his season debut by slapping a base hit to left to open the top of the third. Damon popped up to left in foul territory and Baerga popped up to third. Nomar singled to center but Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Geronimo Gil struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Mike Bordick flied out to right. Hairston walked but Singleton flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Clark doubled to center to start. Nixon lined out to second but Hillenbrand smacked his second two run homer of the day to ice the game early. Varitek flied out to left and Merloni popped up to second to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                     Hillenbrand does it again

The O's got a run back thanks to a blunder in the bottom of the fourth. Segui flied out to center to start but Conine doubled to left. Batistia hit one up the elevator shaft but Gibbons hit a little roller to third. Rather than just hold the ball and let Gibbons have his hit, Hillenbrand chucked the ball 100 feet over Tony Clark's head and Conine came around to score. Mora struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 4-1 Sox.

                                                        "Hillenbrand....."

Rodrigo Lopez came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Damon grounded back to the mound to begin. Baerga singled to left but Nomar flied out to right. Ramirez walked but Clark popped up to second to end the inning. Martinez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Gil was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Bordick popped up to second and Hairston struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lopez cruised in the top of the sixth as Nixon struck out swinging to start. Hillenbrand flied out to right and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. Singleton lined out to right to begin the bottom of the sixth and Segui popped up to second. Conine lined out to center to end the inning. That was it for Pedro who threw just 85 pitches but tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and a walk.

                                                            Pedro gets the job done

Merloni flied out to center to open the top of the seventh and Damon struck out swinging. Baerga got his first hit with a single to left but Nomar flied out to left to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Batista walked to start. Gibbons banged into a double play and Mora took strike three to end the inning.

Ramirez led off the top of the eighth with a ground out to short. Clark flied out to center but Nixon ripped a base hit to center. Hillenbrand flied out to center to end the inning. The O's threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Gil popped up to Clark in foul territory to start. Bordick was hit with a pitch but Hairston popped up a bunt to Varitek. Singleton singled to left to bring the tying run to the plate but Segui flied out to right to end the inning.

Jorge Julio came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Varitek grounded out to second to start. Merloni walked and Damon singled him to third, but Johnny could only move to second on the fly out to left by Damon. Nomar flied out to right to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Conine led off with a base hit to center. Batista popped up to short but Conine walked to second on defensive indifference. Gibbons singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners but Mora struck out swinging. Gary Matthews pinch hit for Gil as Gibbons also walked to second base on defensive indifference. Matthews grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had swept the Orioles with a 4-1 victory.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His two 2 run homers were the difference in the game.

                                                       Hero Hillenbrand

The Good:

Carlos Baerga was 2 for 5.

Manny Ramirez walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Lou Merloni was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Pedro Martinez allowed an unearned run in 6 innings to get the win. He struck out 5 batters.

Rolando Arrojo tossed two scoreless innings.

Ugueth Urbina earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 5.

Tony Clark was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

I'd say the pitching has been spectacular the past three games but to be fair, the Orioles offense is as rancid as their bathroom facilities. The Sox allowed a total of 3 runs in 3 games and the run allowed in this one was on an error. Still, seeing Castillo, Lowe and Pedro pitch well is better than the alternative. Urbina has been used for three straight games but at least he's locked it down in all three. Hillenbrand carried the offense in this one the same as Nomar Garciaparra carried the offense in the previous game. Some days are going to be like that and other days its going to be a balanced attack. Still, the more wins they get from guys like Hillenbrand doing the damage is a bonus when Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Nomar heat up. All in all there wasn't much to complain about other than Hillenbrand's error but the home runs more than made up for that. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox look to make it four wins in a row as they come home for a set with the Kansas City Royals beginning on Tuesday night. Dan Reichert goes for the Royals against Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox making his season debut. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Nomar Powers Sox Past Orioles (4/6/02)

If only the Boston Red Sox had Nomar Garciaparra for most of last year, they may have been a lot more successful. After missing all but 21 games last season, Nomar's power bat was instrumental in the Sox beating the Baltimore Orioles in today's game. Frank Castillo got the start for the Red Sox and held the O's to 1 run on 1 hit through 6 innings. The problem was O's starter Scott Erickson held the Sox scoreless through six as well. The only hit the O's had was a Jay Gibbons home run in the third. The Sox tied the game in the seventh when Shea Hillenbrand hit a sac fly to score Nomar which set the stage for the eighth. With two on and two out, Melvin Mora dropped a wind carried pop up into the stands and the very next pitch Nomar smashed a three run home run to put the Sox up big. Casey Fossum allowed a home run to Mike Bordick but Ugueth Urbina slammed the door in the ninth inning/ It all added up to a 4-2 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

                                                         Kimberly Liebe approves of the win

Erickson got the ball in the top of the first inning and the legendary Rickey Henderson led off by striking out swinging. Johnny Damon grounded back to the mound and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning. Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston grounded out to third to start. Chris Singleton flied out to right and David Segui grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Brian Daubach made his season debut with a single to right but Shea Hillenbrand lined out to center. Trot Nixon beat out a roller to third but Doug Mirabelli made his season debut by grounding into a force to end the inning. Jeff Conine flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Tony Batista grounded out to third. Melvin Mora flied out to left to end the inning.

Rey Sanchez lined right back to Erickson to begin the top of the third before Henderson hit one up the elevator shaft. Damon grounded out to second to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the third when Jay Gibbons hit a home run all the way to Edina, Minnesota to put the O's on top. Geronimo Gill grounded out to short, Mike Bordick struck out swinging and Hairston flied out to left to end the inning but the O's led 1-0.

                                                                 Gibbons goes yard

The Sox couldn't crack Erickson in the top of the fourth as Nomar flied out to left to start. Ramirez took strike three and Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning. Singleton walked to start the bottom of the fourth and promptly stole second. Segui grounded out to first to move Singleton to third but Conine grounded out to short. Batista went down hacking to end the inning.

Hillenbrand grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Nixon flied out to left. Mirabelli grounded out to short to end the inning. Castillo cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Mora grounded out to short to start. Gibbons grounded back to the mound and Gil grounded out to first to end the inning.

Erickson dominated the top of the sixth as Sanchez watched strike three go by to begin. Henderson also took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning. Castillo had one last inning left in him and he got Bordick to strike out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth. Hairston lined out to center and Singleton popped up to third to end the inning. Castillo had allowed just the one hit to Gibbons for a home run but otherwise dominated for six innings of work.

                                                        Castillo gets the job done

The Sox did pick up Frank in the top of the seventh as Nomar singled to left to start. Ramirez followed with a base hit to move Nomar to third but Daubach went down hacking. Hillenbrand smacked a sac fly to center to tie the game and get Castillo off the hook. Nixon flied out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                           Hillenbrand ties it up

Casey Fossum took over for the bottom of the seventh inning and Segui struck out swinging to start. Conine flied out to center but Batista singled to center. Mora lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the eighth although Mirabelli flied out to right to start. Sanchez grounded out to short but Henderson singled to left. Damon singled to right and Mora dropped a pop up by Garciaparra into the stands. That proved fatal as Nomar smashed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Nomar puts Boston on his back

Fossum returned for the bottom of the eighth but Gibbons popped up to Sanchez to start. Gil flied out to center but Bordick hit a home run all the way to the Giant in Alexandria, Virginia to cut the lead. Hairston flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-2.

                                                        Bordick cuts the lead

B.J. Ryan came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Daubach popped up to second to start. Hillenbrand singled to center but Nixon took strike three. Willis Roberts came in to face Mirabelli and Doug struck out swinging to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Singleton popped up to short to start. Segui hit one up the elevator shaft but Conine doubled to left to bring the tying run to the plate. Batista flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

Hero of the Night is Nomar Garciaparra. His three run blast was the difference in the game

                                                            Nomar The Hero

The Good:

Shea Hillenbrand was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Frank Castillo allowed a run in 6 innings of work. He allowed just one hit and a walk.

Ugueth Urbina earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Doug Mirabelli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rickey Henderson was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Casey Fossum allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

For the second straight game the offense accomplished almost nothing but the pitching got it done. Castillo was great for 6 innings and Nomar stepped up big with the home run. The offense will be there this season with Damon, Ramirez and Nomar at the top of the order with Nixon and Varitek at the bottom of it, the key will be the pitching. The Sox will be banking on John Burkett and Frank Castillo to pitch well with Derek Lowe as a wild card. For the past two games its been good but have to remember its the Orioles. The O's don't have a very formidable lineup so let's see what happens when the Sox play the New York Yankees or the Oakland A's. You still have to win the games in front of you and its been two in a row for the Sox. The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon looking for the series sweep against the Orioles. Pedro Martinez goes for Boston against Calvin Maduro of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Lowe Dazzles O's, Sox Win First (4/5/02)

After two off-days and a rainout, the Boston Red Sox finally got back to work in Baltimore and what a performance it was. Derek Lowe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) had no-hit the Baltimore Orioles for seven innings in his first start of the season as the bats were able to scratch out a few runs against O's starter Josh Towers. Johnny Damon led the game off with a solo home run and two batters later Nomar Garciaparra added his first home run of the season as well. Nomar drove in Damon in the top of the fifth but that would be more than enough for Lowe. After the no-no was broken up in the eighth, "El Guapo" Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina slammed the door on the O's. It all added up to the first win of the season as the Sox blanked the Orioles 3-0 at Camden Yards.

                                                            Tina Jordan approves of the win

Towers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Johnny Damon immediately socked his first home run of the year to put the Sox up for good one batter into the game. Jose Offerman lined out to right but Nomar Garciaparra smashed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Manny Ramirez flied out to left and Tony Clark took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Damon and Garciaparra hit homers

Lowe got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jerry Hairston struck out swinging to start. Chris Singleton flied out to left and David Segui grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Trot Nixon lined out to short to begin the top of the second but Shea Hillenbrand lined out to right. Jason Varitek grounded out to second to end the inning. Jeff Conine grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Jay Gibbons grounded out to second. Tony Batista flied out to left to end the inning.

Rey Sanchez led off the top of the third with a pop up to short but Damon singled to left. Offerman popped up to short and Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. The O's beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third inning as Melvin Mora grounded out to third to start. Brook Fordyce also grounded out to third and Mike Bordick grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Ramirez grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Clark ripped a base hit to center. Nixon forced Clark at second and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The O's beat the ball in the dirt again in the bottom of the fourth as Jerry Hairston grounded out to short to start. Singleton and Segui both grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Varitek flied out to center to begin. Sanchez popped up to Towers but Damon singled to left. Damon stole second, Offerman walked and Nomar lashed a base hit to center to score Damon. Offerman got picked off second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                               Dammit Jose

The O's got their first baserunner when Hillenbrand threw a ground ball by Conine all the way to the Everglades for an error to begin the bottom of the fifth. Lowe recovered to get Gibbons to bang into a double play and Batista to ground out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Clark popped up to third in foul territory. Nixon stroked a single to left and Hillenbrand pounded a ground rule double down the left field line, but Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Lowe got in trouble for the first time all night when he walked Mora and Fordyce back to back to start the bottom of the sixth. Bordick hit one up the elevator shaft and Hairston grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Rick Bauer came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Sanchez grounded back to the mound to begin. Damon also grounded back to the mound and Offerman took strike three to end the inning. Lowe got Singleton to pop up to second to begin the bottom of the seventh. Segui popped up to short and Conine flied out to left to end the inning. Lowe was 6 outs away from repeating Hideo Nomo in the same venue a year later.

Nomar grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth but Ramirez singled to center. Clark hit into a double play to end the inning. There would be no repeat as Gibbons walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Batista beat out a roller to third to break up the no-hitter. Sox manager Grady Little came to get Lowe and that was a hell of an effort by Derek to hold the O's to just one hit and 3 walks in 7 plus innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch and Mora lined out to center before Gary Matthews pinch hit for Fordyce. Matthews popped up to third but Bordick walked to load the bases. Hairston forced Bordick at second to end the inning.

Fernando Lunar took over behind the plate for the top of the ninth and Nixon grounded out to second to start. Hillenbrand grounded out to third but Varitek singled to center. Sanchez hit a seeing eye single into left but Damon forced Sanchez at second to end the inning. Ugueth Urbina took the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth and Singleton led off with a double to right. Segui flied out to right and Singleton took third on the fly out to center by Conine. Gibbons lined out to Nomar to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0.

Hero of the Night is Derek Lowe. He was 6 outs from a no hitter and finished with 7 shutout innings where he allowed 1 hit and 3 walks.

Hero Lowe

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 3 for 5 with a home run, stolen base and 2 total runs scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a home run and two total rbis.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ugueth Urbina earned his first save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Tony Clark was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

That was a nice bounceback win considering Pedro Martinez' disaster on Opening Day. Its a shame they lost Dustin Hermanson on Wednesday night but Lowe looked great tonight. Obviously expecting Lowe to go from closer to starter may not work but it did for one night anyway. He had the O's in fits all night and only the walks came back to bite him. Nomar and Damon were a nice 1-2 punch and once Manny Ramirez and Tony Clark get cooking, this is going to be a tough lineup to beat. The big thing when it comes to Lowe is his defense. If Nomar, Hillenbrand and Sanchez can field ground balls, that's going to do wonders for Lowe. Urbina and Garces slammed the door pretty good and if Urbina can pitch as well as Lowe did in 2000, this could be a tough bullpen this year too. All in all it was a good win and hopefully more wins are on the way. Tomorrow afternoon Frank Castillo makes his first start of the year for Boston against Scott Erickson of the Orioles. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Blue Jays Spoil Opening Day Slugfest (4/1/02)

Happy 2002 Season Boston Red Sox fans....it sucks already! In what was a memorable Opening Day the Sox engaged in a surprise slugfest with the Toronto Blue Jays. Jays ace Chris Carpenter and Sox ace Pedro Martinez both laid eggs as the two teams teed off with a lot of offense. The Sox trailed 8-3 before rallying to take an 11-8 lead only to give it up. Closer Ugueth Urbina couldn't keep it tied and after all of that it was the Jays that took Opening Day 12-11 at Fenway Park. Not a good start to the year.

Pedro took the mound in the top of the first and wasn't himself. Shannon Stewart drew a full count walk before rookie Eric Hinske popped up to a running Manny Ramirez in left. Raul Mondesi flied out to right but Carlos Delgado was plunked. Jose Cruz Jr stroked a double in front of the Monster to score Stewart and advance Delgado to third. Darrin Fletcher doubled into the gap to score both runners as Sox analyst Jerry Remy remarked not only was Pedro's velocity down but his changeup was out of sorts. Vernon Wells grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 3-0 Jays.

                                                         Pedro gets hammered

The Sox fought back against Blue Jays starter Chris Carpenter although new centerfielder Johnny Damon grounded out to third to begin. Jose Offerman struck the Sox' first home run into the season beyond the bullpen to cut into the lead. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to short before Manny Ramirez walked. New first basemen Tony Clark grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 3-1 Toronto.

                                                       Opening day homer for Offerman

Pedro returned for another beating in the top of the second as Homer Bush hit a blooping double down the right field line to start. Felipe Lopez dropped down a bunt and Pedro dropped it for an error. Stewart blooped a single to center to load the bases before Hinske blooped a single down the right field line to score both Bush and Lopez. Mondesi hit a roller up the middle that crossed up Nomar and Rey Sanchez to score Stewart. Delgado blooped a single to center to score Hinske. Pedro froze Mondesi for strike three on the outside corner before blowing away Fletcher. Pedro turned up the heat to blow away Wells to end the inning with the score now 7-1 Toronto.

                                                   Pedro couldn't find his groove

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Trot Nixon launched a solo shot to dead center to cut into the lead. Shea Hillenbrand popped up to center but Jason Varitek in his first at-bat since June of last year launched a home run of his own to right. Sanchez looked at strike three on the outside corner but Damon grounded one up the middle for a base hit. Offerman was rung up on a check swing for strike three to end the inning but it was now 7-3 Jays.

                                                 Nixon and Varitek go yard

The Blue Jays pounced again in the top of the third although Pedro got Bush to ground out to short to begin. Lopez motored around for a triple into the gap before Stewart was plunked. Hinske hit a warning track fly out to center but Stewart advanced to second and Lopez scored to increase the lead.

                                                            The score says it all

The Sox refused to go quietly in the bottom of the third as Nomar led off with a double off the top of the centerfield wall. Ramirez walked and Clark lit up the crowd with a 3 run home run to center to put the Sox back in it. Welcome to Boston Clark! Nixon whiffed but Hillenbrand walked to chase Carpenter. Scott Eyre replaced Chris and Varitek greeted him with a single. Sanchez walked to load the bases but Damon made a huge out by popping up to Hinske in foul territory. Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 8-6.

                                                        Clark with a three run homer

Pedro came out for the top of the fourth and Delgado blooped a single to right center to start. Cruz Jr drew a walk and that was it for Pedro. In one of his worst starts in memory, Pedro lasted just 3 innings while giving up a career high 7 earned runs (8 total). Guess he was rusty as hell.

                                                     Not Pedro's best work

Lefty Darren Oliver, who was supposed to be the fifth starter with John Burkett on the DL, came in to relieve Pedro as Fletcher bunted both men into scoring position. Some yahoo ran out onto the field and went to shake Nomar's hand before alert Fenway security seized the intruder and wrestled him to the ground. When action resumed Oliver got a key out when Wells hit one up the elevator shaft that Varitek snared in an eerily similar play to last June when he broke his elbow. Oliver whiffed Bush to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth although Nomar was rung up for strike three to start. Ramirez walked and Clark batting from the right side this time lined a base hit to center. Nixon walked on four pitched to load the bases and Hillenbrand lined a base hit up the middle to score Manny and reload the bases. Varitek blooped a single into right to score Clark, tie the game and once again reload the bases. Sanchez worked the count full and stroked a base hit to right center to score Nixon and Hillenbrand to give the Sox their first lead of the game. Jays manager Buck Martinez brought in rookie Scott Cassidy making his MLB debut to pitch to Damon only to uncork a wild pitch to advance Sanchez to second. A strange play occured when Wells made a diving catch to rob Damon and Varitek tagged up and scored. Damon didn't think the ball was caught and ran hard to second, confusing Sanchez into running back to the bag. The Jays thought that Sanchez was called out at second and ran off the field. The umpires got together and ruled it was a sac fly to score Varitek and Sanchez was safe at second although the irony was the replays showed Wells didn't actually catch the ball. Things suddenly got hot as the Jays appealled at third that Varitek left early and he clearly didn't. Jays bench coach Cookie Rojas stormed out of the dugout and shouted invectives at third base umpire Andy Fletcher. Fletcher told him to sit down and shut up which caused Cookie to run at him screaming, fists flying. First base umpire Derryl Cousins said that's enough of that and gave Cookie the heave ho. Buck Martinez then flew out of the dugout screaming like a banshee to home plate umpire Joe Brinkman that the first base umpire shouldn't be trying to interject himself while trying to hold back Rojas who had now torn his clothes off in frustration. Martinez hauled Rojas off the field and finally play resumed. Offerman walked to reload the bases but Nomar popped up to center to end the inning After all of that the Sox had scored 5 runs to take an 11-8 lead.

                                                     Mayhem at Fenway

Give the Jays credit for coming right back in the top of the fifth inning although Lopez grounded out to short to start. Stewart hit a routine grounder to Nomar who threw the ball straight in the air and caught it in his hat for an error to advance Shannon to second before Hinske singled off the leg of Oliver to put runners at the corners. Mondesi lined out to a running Damon to score Stewart to cut the lead. Delgado was plunked and Cruz Jr singled in Hinske. Fletcher blooped a single to center to tie game and chase Oliver. Rolando Arrojo made his season debut by getting Wells to ground out to short to end the inning with the game tied 11-11.

The offense was done for a while in the bottom of the fifth although Manny walked to begin. Clark walked before Nixon popped up to center. Hillenbrand popped up to second before Varitek walked to load the bases. Sanchez whiffed on a 3-2 fastball to end the inning, what a waste.

Arrojo came back for the top of the 6th and plunked Bush to start. Lopez advanced him to second on a bang bang play at first before Arrojo froze Stewart on a check swing strike three. Hinske walked and Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger went to the mound to inform Rolando a new episode of Friends was on that night. Arrojo got so excited he got Mondesi to ground into a force to end the inning. Felix Heredia was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Damon flied out to right to start. Offerman grounded out to first and Nomar lined out to third to end the inning.

Casey Fossum was brought in to pitch the top of the seventh and he walked Delgado to start. Cruz Jr flied out to left before Fletcher flied out to deep right. Wells grounded out to third to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the seventh by striking out swinging before Clark was robbed of extra bases by Cruz making a diving catch. Nixon walked and Hillenbrand blooped a single to no man's land in left before a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position. Varitek walked to load the bases and Cruz made an even better diving catch to rob Sanchez of a bloop single to end the inning.

                                                           Cruz saves the day for the Jays

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and got Bush to line out to right to start. Lopez flied out to left before Stewart grounded back to the agile Garces to end the inning. Dan Plesac came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Damon took ball four to start. The boo's rained down when Offerman popped up the bunt to first. That was it for Plesac as Buck Martinez brought in closer Kelvim Escobar. Damon was thrown out at second trying to steal and Nomar whiffed to end the inning.

Sox closer Ugueth Urbina took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Hinske to fly out to right to begin. Mondesi walked and Delgado singled to right before they executed a double steal. Cruz Jr was intentionally walked to set up the double play but Fletcher scored Mondesi with a sac fly to give the Jays the lead. Wells whiffed to end the inning but the Jays took the lead 12-11.

                                                     Fletcher gives the sox the lead

The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth but Ramirez whiffed to start. Clark singled to right and the legendary Rickey Henderson pinch ran for Tony. Nixon popped up to Lopez in foul territory and Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had survived the slugfest and had won it 12-11.

Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. Yes Pedro Martinez stunk the joint out and Darren Oliver gave up the lead but it was Urbina who blew the game in the top of the ninth.

                                            Why are you pumping your fist, Jackass?



The Good:

Manny Ramirez walked 4 times and scored 2 runs.

Tony Clark was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a home run.

Rolando Arrojo pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Pedro Martinez was terrible in 3 plus innings of work allowing 8 runs, 7 earned.

Darren Oliver was trusted with a 3 run lead and gave all 3 runs back.



The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a solo home run.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 6.

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, scored two total runs including a home run.

Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.



Honorable Mention:

Ricky Henderson pinch ran for Clark in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Well that was a very interesting opening day even if the Sox didn't win. The offense looked damn good and they can build on a lot of what happened today. Pedro Martinez was rusty and he probably won't give up 8 runs in a start the rest of the year. A normal Pedro start and the Sox would have won this game in a rout. Urbina is supposed to be their answer to Mariano Rivera and he sure didn't look it today. Still if Clark can be the hitter he was in Detroit then this will be the offense they invisioned last year with Nomar healthy. Still, a loss at home sucks and this one hurt. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Wednesday night against the Blue Jays as Dustin Hermanson makes his Red Sox debut opposite Luke Prokopec. The game starts at 6 PM at Fenway Park.