Sox Beat Orioles, Lose Pedro (6/29/00)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves, one good and one bad. The bad news is Pedro Martinez was placed on the 15 day Disabled List with a bad shoulder. Reportedly Pedro fought like hell against this move, even getting in manager Jimy Williams' face about it. The bottom line is it was the right move to make. The Sox are slumping badly and an injured Pedro isn't going to help them. They need him healthy and refocused for the second half of the season especially if the Toronto Blue Jays are for real, let alone the New York Yankees. Sox GM Dan Duquette's Korean import Sang-Hoon Lee was called up from Pawtucket to replace Pedro on the roster. In a much more positive move, the Sox signed free agent outfielder Bernard Gilkey to give them some much needed depth. The 33 year old veteran was hitting just .110 in Arizona for the Diamondbacks so a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered. He hit .294 last year off the bench and if Troy O'Leary can't get hit his head out of his ass, the Sox are going to need Gilkey for the stretch run.

                                                                      OUT

                                                             IN

As for the game, the Sox temporarily stopped their slide against the Baltimore Orioles. After being embarrassed the previous two games, this time the Sox left no doubt and no hope for a comeback. The Sox offense pounded Orioles starter Scott Erickson and reliever Darren Holmes for 12 runs and 14 hits. Tim Wakefield (3-5, 5.27 ERA) stepped up big by pitching into the eighth inning to give the bullpen a rest. Korean import Sang-Hoon Lee made his major league debut and the Sox pounded out 16 total hits to beat the Orioles 12-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Bobbie Brown approves of the win

Wakefield took the ball in the top of the first inning and Brady Anderson flied out to center to start. Mike Bordick singled to right but Will Clark hit one up the elevator shaft. Albert Belle singled to left but BJ Surhoff flied out to center to end the inning. Erickson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman greeted him with a base hit to left. Jeff Frye banged into a double play and Carl Everett went down hacking to end the inning.

Wakefield cruised in the top of the second as Harold Baines flied out to left to start. Ryan Minor flied out to center and Mark Lewis grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second although Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to start. Morgan Burkhart singled to right, Scott Hatteberg walked and Jason Varitek beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Brian Daubach pummeled his 12th home run of the year to put the Sox on top before Wilton Veras grounded out to second to end the inning with Boston ahead 3-0.

                                                    Sox go up early

Wakefield cruised in the top of the third as Greg Myers went down swinging to start. Anderson whiffed and Bordick grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a chance to ice the game early in the bottom of the third as Offerman doubled to center before taking third on a wild pitch. Frye popped up to first and Everett grounded out to second, but Nomar walked. Nomar stole second and Burkhart walked to load the bases....only for Hatteberg to ground out to first to end the inning.

Clark grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Belle flied out to right. Surhoff flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Varitek grounded a base hit in the hole at second to start. Daubach was plunked for hitting a home run but Veras dropped down a bunt to advance the runners over. Offerman scored Varitek with a sac fly before Frye struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                    A random ticket to this game

The O's threatened in the top of the fifth although Baines popped up to second to start. Minor and Lewis stroked back to back singles but Myers flied out to center. Anderson grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Everett singled to center to start. Nomar forced Carl at second but Burkhart singled and Hatteberg clubbed his second home run of the season to put the Sox up big. Varitek flied out to center but Daubach and Veras stroked back to back singles only for Offerman to strike out swinging to end the inning. The Sox were in total control with a 7-0 lead.

                                                          That ball is outta here

Wakefield got Bordick to fly out to left to start the top of the sixth but Clark got a base hit. Belle flied out to center and Surhoff grounded out to second to end the inning. Chuck McElroy came in for the bottom of the sixth and Frye grounded out to short to start. Everett flied out to left but Nomar singled to center. Burkhart walked and Hatteberg singled to load the bases, but Varitek popped up to first to end the inning.

Wakefield continued his dominance in the top of the seventh as Baines grounded out to second to start. Minor grounded out to short but Lewis singled to left. Myers lined out to second to end the inning. Wakefield had tossed 7 shut-out innings, he was outstanding. Darren Holmes came in to take a beating in the bottom of the seventh as Daubach clobbered his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Veras grounded out to short and Offerman popped up to third, but Frye walked. Everett struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                         Daubach goes yard again

For no other reason than to eat up innings, Sox manager Jimy Williams sent Wakefield out to keep going in the top of the eighth. Things looked good when Anderson grounded out to first but the wheels fell off. Bordick singled to left, Clark doubled off the Monster and Belle crushed a home run into the Atlantic Ocean to chase Wakefield after 7 1/3 gutty innings. Sang-Hoon Lee made his major league debut and got Surhoff to line out to right. Jeff Conine pinch hit for Baines and bashed a home run into the Charles River to cut the lead. Minor singled to left but Lewis lined out to right to end the inning. The O's cut the lead in half but still trailed 8-4.

                                                     Wakefield gets it done

The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the eighth as Nomar got the party started with a double to center. Burkhart drew another walk and Hatteberg singled to left to load the bases. Varitek walked home Nomar and Daubach doubled home Burkhart and Hatteberg. Jose Mercedes came in to pitch and Veras grounded out to short, but Offerman scored Varitek with a sac fly. Frye flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-4.

John Wasdin came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Izzy Alcantara now in right. Myers flied out to left but Anderson singled to center. Anderson swiped second but Bordick flied out to left. Clark grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-4.

Hero of the Night is Brian Daubach. He was 4 for 4 with a hit by pitch, 2 home runs and 6 total rbis.

                                               Burkhart salutes our Hero

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Morgan Burkhart was 2 for 2 with 3 walks and 3 runs scored.

Scott Hatteberg was 3 for 4 with a walk, a three run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Tim Wakefield earned the win by tossing 7 1/3 innings of 3 run ball.

John Wasdin pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Sang-Hoon Lee allowed a run in his ML debut.

The Ugly:

Jeff Frye was 0 for 5 but drew a walk.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored 3 times.

Wilton Veras was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Izzy Alcantara played right field in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Finally the Sox looked like themselves again. Morgan Burkhart seemed to have breathed life into this group because they hit the ball all over the place tonight. A strong pitching performance by Wakefield helped and they're gonna need more like that with Pedro Martinez gone for a few weeks. Not much else can be said other than the Sox beat a team they were supposed to. If they have any hope of getting back in the race they're going to need good starting pitching. The win improved the Sox to 38-36 on the season, 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox travel to Chicago for a set with the White Sox. Hipolito Pichardo (2-0) gets the spot start for the BoSox with Jim Parque going for the ChiSox. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

O's Stun Sliding Sox In 11 (6/28/00)

The Boston Red Sox got bit by the "June swoon" big time as they have dropped their 5th straight game in a complete collapse. After battling the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays for 2 1/2 months, mediocrity caught up to the Sox as they fell to just a game over .500. The Sox trailed the Orioles 5-4 before tying the game in the 7th. The O's got the lead back in the top of the eighth but the Sox rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth. The normally reliable Derek Lowe blew his second consecutive save as the O's tied the game with one out in the ninth. The O's settled matters with a rally off Bryce Florie (0-3, 4.15 ERA) again in the top of the eleventh. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the frame and the O's had sent the Sox to their 5th straight loss 8-7 at Fenway Park.

                                               Sox fans share this sentiment

Ramon Martinez got the start for the Sox in the top of the first and Brady Anderson led off by hitting one up the elevator shaft. Mike Bordick grounded out to third but Delino Deshields singled to right. Deshields stole second but Albert Belle popped up to short to end the inning. Jason Johnson got the ball for Baltimore in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman walked to start. Jeff Frye whiffed and Offerman was thrown out trying to steal. Jason Varitek lined out to left to end the inning.

The O's rallied in the top of the second although BJ Surhoff popped up to short to start. Will Clark popped up to second and Ryan Minor whiffed....but the ball got away from Varitek and the inning continued. The O's capitalized as Harold Baines singled to right and Charles Johnson singled home Minor. Brady Anderson singled home Baines for another run before Bordick grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's ahead 2-0 after the miscue by Varitek.

                                                              Nice going Varitek

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the second as Nomar Garciaparra drew a walk to start. Morgan Burkhart drove in his first run with the Red Sox with a double to right that scored Nomar. Mike Stanley grounded out to short, Brian Daubach popped up to third in foul territory and Darren Lewis grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                          Burkhart's first RBI

Ramon froze Deshields for strike three to open the top of the third before Belle lined out to left. Surhoff singled to left but Clark flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Wilton Veras drew a walk to start. Offerman singled to right and the throw was nowhere near the plate and Veras scored on the error. Frye singled home Offerman to give Boston the lead, Frye taking second on the throw home. Frye moved to third on the grounder by Varitek and they walked Nomar to get to Burkhart. Morgan hit a routine grounder to first but it was booted to allow Frye. Stanley whiffed and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                       Frye drives in a run

Minor grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Baines grounded out to first. Johnson singled to left but Anderson lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Lewis whiffed to start. Veras flied out to right and Offerman whiffed to end the inning.

The floodgates opened in the top of the fifth when Bordick hit a routine grounder to Veras who threw himself on the ball and wrestled with it for an error. DeShields singled to right and Belle singled home Bordick. Surhoff singled home DeShields to tie the game and send Belle to third. Clark scored Belle with a sac fly to give the O's the lead. Minor popped up to short and Baines flied out to right to end the inning with the O's ahead 5-4.

                                                     Nice error Veras

Frye lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Varitek went down hacking. Nomar walked but Burkhart grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ramon came back for one more inning in the top of the sixth as Johnson whiffed to start. Anderson was hit by a pitch but Bordick flied out to right. Anderson swiped second but DeShields popped up to first to end the inning. Ramon got lit up for 5 runs in just 6 innings although only 2 of the runs were earned.

                                                            Not Ramon's best effort

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Stanley whiffed to start. Daubach flied out to center but Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rheal Cormier came in for the top of the seventh and Belle flied out to left to start. Surhoff singled and moved to second on the Clark grounder before Minor walked. Baines popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the seventh as Veras walked to start. Offerman dropped down a bunt to move Wilton to second but Frye popped up to second. Mike Timlin came in to pitch to Varitek and Jason doubled to left to score Veras to tie the game. Nomar flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                 Varitek ties it up

Just as soon as the Sox tied it, the Orioles re-took the lead instantly in the top of the eighth with Rod Beck now on the mound. Johnson hit his second home run in many days to give the O's the lead before Anderson flied out to center. Bordick lined out to first and DeShields grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's ahead 6-5.

                                                        Thanks a lot Beck

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Burkhart singled to center to start. Carl Everett pinch hit for Stanley with Curtis Pride pinch running for Burkhart. Everett flied out to right as Chuck McElroy was brought in to pitch to Daubach. Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by pinch hitting Izzy Alcantara to pinch hit for Brian. Alcantara respinded with a base hit to left and Mike Trombley came in to pitch to Lewis. Lewis beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Veras, getting a base hit to right to score Pride and advancing Lewis to third. Manny Alexander pinch ran for Hatteberg and Offerman singled home Lewis to give the Sox the lead. Frye walked but Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.

                                                           Offerman gives the Sox the lead

For the second straight game Derek Lowe blew the save in the top of the ninth. Belle grounded out to short but Surhoff doubled to right. Clark tripled over the head of Lewis to score Surhoff with the tying run. Mark Lewis ran for Clark with Jeff Conine pinch hitting for Minor. Conine grounded out sharply to short and Baines was intentionally walked. Johnson grounded into a force to end the inning but the game was tied 7-7.

Alan Mills came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Nomar lined out to left to start. Pride flied out to center and with the Sox losing the DH, Lowe was scheduled to bat. Sox manager Jimy Williams remembered Pete Schourek had batting experience in the National League and sent him to pinch hit for Lowe. Pete got a base hit to center much to Jimy's delight but Alcantara flied out to center to end the inning.

                                         Pete getting more hits than he allowed in this one

Rich Garces came in for the top of the tenth and Anderson flied out to center to start. Bordick whiffed but DeShields singled to center. Belle struck out swinging to end the inning. Jose Mercedes came in for the bottom of the tenth and Lewis popped up to short to start. Alexander whiffed but Offerman singled to left. Frye walked and Varitek flied out to left to end the inning.

Bryce Florie came in for the top of the eleventh and the O's took command as Surhoff doubled to left to start. Lewis dropped down a bunt to move Surhoff to third and Varitek interfered with Conine to put runners at the corners. Baines doubled home Surhoff to give the O's the lead but Johnson struck out swinging. Anderson was intentionally walked but Bordick grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's ahead 8-7.

                                                           Dammit Florie

Buddy Groom came in to close out the bottom of the eleventh but Nomar singled to left. Pride popped up a bunt to Groom and Sox manager Jimy Williams remembered Tom Wakefield used to bat for Pittsburgh in 1992 and sent him to pinch hit for Florie. Wakefield dropped down a bunt to move Nomar to second but Alcantara flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 8-7.

Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. For the second straight night it never should have come to Bryce Florie pitching the 11th if Lowe did his job in the ninth.

                                                        Lowe the Jackass



The Good:

Jose Offerman was 3 for 4 with an rbi, walk and a run scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Pete Schourek got a base hitter as a pinch hitter....yes you read that right.

Morgan Burkhart was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Izzy Alcantara was 1 for 3 at the plate.

Wilton Veras walked twice and scored twice in 3 at bats.

Scott Hatteberg singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Rheal Cormier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 10th inning.



The Bad:

Mike Stanley was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Carl Everett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3.

Manny Alexander was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ramon Martinez was lit up for 5 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings of work. He gave up 9 hits while only striking out 3.

Rod Beck allowed a run in the 8th inning.

Bryce Florie allowed the go-ahead run to score in the top of the 11th to take the loss.



The Ugly:

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 6 with an error but drove in a run.

Curtis Pride was 0 for 2 but scored a run.

Darren Lewis was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Tim Wakefield dropped down a bunt as a pinch hitter....yes you read that right.




Final Thoughts:

This month can't end fast enough but unless the Sox pull off a blockbuster trade, help doesn't appear to be coming. Everything that went right last year has gone wrong this year. Injuries and ineffectiveness on offense and in the rotation has sank the Sox to the point they are at now. Pedro Martinez may go on the DL, Trot Nixon is already on the DL, John Valentin is out for the season,  Troy O'Leary is rumored to be going through a messy divorce and all the bench guys that stepped up in May reverted back to normal this month. The Sox had their way with this Orioles in that early May series but these aren't the same Sox anymore. As for the game, that was absolutely insane. Pete Schourek pinch hitting and getting a hit, Tim Wakefield pinch hitting and dropping down a bunt. Can't say Jimy Williams doesn't get creative sometimes. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-36, 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage their three game set against the Orioles tomorrow night when they send tonight's pinch hitter Tim Wakefield (2-5) to the mound up against last night's pinch runner Scott Erickson at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Sweep Sox on Walkoff in 13 (6/25/00)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Not surprisingly the Sox designated Rob Stanifer for assignment and sent Brian Rose back to Pawtucket. Stanifer is expendable and its time to see if anyone else could pitch better. The same can be said for Rose who just isn't developing into the starter Sox brass envisioned him being a few years ago. He's 3-5 this year and maybe a demotion will kick him into gear to rebound. The Sox brought up Pawtucket sensation Izzy Alcantara to replace Stanifer and Rose. Alcantara has been swinging a hot bat in the minors and the Sox could use a buzz on offense for sure.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, this was not the best three game stretch for the Boston Red Sox. After failing to win back to back close games they sent their ace Pedro Martinez to the mound for this one. Wouldn't you know it, Pedro picked THIS game to throw one of his worst of the season. The possibly injured Pedro was mortal as he allowed 5 runs before being removed in the 7th inning. The Sox were done in by a gaggle of errors, including a crucial one by Carl Everett in the bottom of the 13th. Capitalizing on the break, Tony Batista singled home the winning run to win the game for the Jays. The first place Jays swept the Sox out of the Skydome with a 6-5 win in 13 innings.

                                                  Swept by the Jays? Ugh

The Sox wasted no time getting to Jays ace Chris Carpenter in the top of the first inning. Jose Offerman led off with a walk and Jeff Frye lined out to left. Carl Everett singled to center and Nomar Garciaparra doubled home both runners. Brian Daubach flied out to left and highly touted Red Sox prospect Izzy Alcantara made his major league debut by striking out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                           Nomar puts the Sox on top

Pedro got tagged in the bottom of the first inning as Shannon Stewart hit the second pitch he saw out of the yard for a solo home run. Chris Woodward grounded out to first, Tony Batista went down hacking and Carlos Delgado grounded out to first to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

Scott Hatteberg flied out to left to start the top of the second before Wilton Veras grounded out to short. Curtis Pride singled to to center and Offerman singled him to third. Frye grounded out to third to end the inning. Brad Fullmer hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Jose Cruz popped up to second. Marty Cordova hit a routine grounder to Nomar who dropped an elbow on the ball and pinned it for the 1-2-3 and the error. Alberto Castillo walked but Homer Bush grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Everett walked to start. Nomar flied out to right but Daubach walked. Alcantara forced Everett at third but Hatteberg doubled home both runners to increase the lead. Veras flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 4-1.

                                                        Hatteberg adds to the lead

Normally a 3 run lead is more than enough cushion for Pedro but he seemed off in the bottom of the third. Stewart got plunked to start before Woodward struck out swinging. Batista flied out to left and Delgado hit a routine grounder to Veras. Veras picked the ball up and spiked it like a football before doing the boogie woogie for an error. Fullmer made Veras pay by doubling home Stewart to cut the lead. Cruz grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox lead was cut 4-2.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Pride doubled to center to begin. Offerman flied out to deep center which moved Curtis to third, and he scored on the Frye base hit. That was it for Carpenter as Lance Painter came in to get Everett to pop up to first. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 5-2.

                                                            Frye drives a run in

Pedro cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Cordova took strike three to start. Castillo grounded out to short and Bush whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox failed to add to the lead in the top of the fifth although Daubach doubled to right to begin. Alcantara grounded out to short but a wild pitch moved Brian to third. Hatteberg lined out to short and Veras took strike three to end the inning. Once again Pedro got tagged in the bottom of the fifth although Stewart was frozen for strike three to start. Woodward watched strike three go by but Batista pulverized a solo home run to cut the lead. Delgado flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox only led 5-3.

John Frascatore came in to pitch the top of the sixth and the red hot Pride singled to left. Offerman flied out to center and Frye moved Pride to second with a grounder. Everett flied out to center to end the inning. Fullmer hit a routine grounder to Offerman who kicked the ball and ran around in a circle screaming "GOALLLLLL" for an error to start the bottom of the sixth. Pedro recovered to get Cruz swinging but plunked Cordova. Pedro struck out Castillo and Bush swinging to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Nomar grounded out to third to start. Daubach whiffed and Alcantara grounded out to third to end the inning. Pedro uncharacteristically ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh. Stewart grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh and Woodward singled to left. Batista whiffed but Delgado pounded a 2 run bomb to tie the game. Fullmer singled and that was it for Pedro. Sox manager Jimy Williams figured out something was wrong and pulled his ace after allowing 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Rich Garces walked Cruz but Cordova grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                            A rare bad game by Pedro

Pedro Borbon Jr came in for the top of the eighth and Hatteberg flied out to center to start. Veras and Pride both whiffed to end the inning. Garces returned for the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Castillo flied out to center, Bush grounded out to third and Stewart flied out to left to end the inning.

Jays closer Billy Koch came in for the top of the ninth and Offerman singled to center to start. Frye dropped down a sacrifice bunt to get Jose to second but the Jays made a huge gamble by intentionally walking Everett to get to Nomar. Somehow the gamble worked as Nomar banged into a double play to end the inning. Sox closer Derek Lowe came in for the bottom of the ninth and Woodward went down hacking to start. Batista doubled to left and Delgado was intentionally walked to set up a double play. The gamble worked as Fullmer hit a bullet to Nomar who doubled off Batista to end the inning.

The Sox blew their chance to take the lead in the top of the tenth against Paul Quantrill as Daubach grounded out to short to start. Alcantara grounded out to short but Hatteberg singled to center. Veras doubled him to third but Pride whiffed to end the inning. Lowe returned for the bottom of the tenth and the Jays nearly walked it off. Cruz walked and Cordova singled to put the winning run at second. Castillo dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over but Bush hit a grounder to Veras who fired home to get Cruz with the second out. Stewart whiffed to end the inning and the game continued.

Quantrill returned for the top of the eleventh and Offerman grounded out to third to start. Frye popped up to first and Everett popped up to third to end the inning. Rod Beck came in for the bottom of the eleventh and Woodward flied out to center to begin. Batista grounded out to third but Sox manager Jimy Williams wanted the lefty/lefty matchup, bringing in Rheal Cormier to pitch to Delgado. Cormier did strike out Delgado but they lost Beck the rest of the night after two batters.

The Sox blew another chance to take the lead in the top of the 12th inning. Nomar grounded out to second and Daubach took strike three, but Alcantara singled. Hatteberg singled Izzy to third and Jason Varitek was sent to pinch hit for Veras. Varitek flied out to left to end the inning. Manny Alexander came in to play third in the bottom of the 12th and Fullmer singled to right to start. Cruz forced Fullmer at second and Cordova lined out to right. Castillo flied out to right to end the inning.

Matt DeWitt came in for the top of the 13th and the Sox blew their final chance to get a run. Pride grounded out to first to start but Offerman walked. Frye whiffed but Everett singled to right. Nomar flied out to center to end the inning. Bryce Florie came in for the bottom of the 13th but the Sox made a fatal mistake. Bush grounded out to third and and Stewart grounded out to short to start. Woodward hit a routine pop up to Everett but he tried to catch it in his hat and the ball dropped in for an error that allowed Chris to take second. Batista ended the game with a base hit to end the game and give the series sweep to the Jays 6-5.

Jackass of the Night is unfortunately Bryce Florie. Everett should have caught the ball in the 13th but he still gave up the base hit to Batista to end it.

                                                              Florie the Jackass



The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 5 with 2 walks and run scored.

Carl Everett was 2 for 5 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Scott Hatteberg was 3 for 6 with 2 rbis.

Curtis Pride was 3 for 6 with a run scored.

Rich Garces tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Derek Lowe tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Rod Beck got the first 2 outs of the eleventh.

Rheal Cormier tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Jason Varitek flied out as a pinch hitter.

Pedro Martinez got lit up for 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings. The Jays smacked him around for 6 hits and a walk even though Martinez struck out 10.



The Ugly:

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run.

Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 7 with an error but drove in a run.

Brian Daubach was just 1 for 5 but walked and scored a run.

Izzy Alcantara was just 1 for 6 but scored a run.

Wilton Veras was just 1 for 5 with an error and a strikeout.



Honorable Mention:

Manny Alexander played third base in the final two innings.




Final Thoughts:

Well this series was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox were in 3 consecutive close games and lost all three of them. The Jays managed to outpitch and outhit the Sox when it counted. They even smacked around Pedro Martinez to drive home the fact their offense is no joke. If the Jays pick up a starter at the trade deadline, they may be a bigger threat than the New York Yankees for the AL East supremacy. This game was frustrating as the Sox kept making errors which led to runs that spelled their doom. The Everett one in the 13th hurt the most because the Sox would have been out of the inning had he caught the ball. The less said of this disgrace, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-34, 2.5 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night when they return home to face the Baltimore Orioles. Mike Mussina takes on Pete Schourek at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Falls Short in Toronto (6/23/00)

After the Boston Red Sox jumped back into first with two big wins over the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays kicked them in the gut and hit the Stone Cold stunner in tonight's game to bring them back to reality. Frank Castillo of the Jays held the Sox in check for most of the game while the vaunted Jays offense lit up spot starter John Wasdin (0-3, 5.46 ERA). If there was ever a "scheduled loss" it was this game. Still, the Sox got with in a run in the eighth inning but got shut down by Billy Koch again. When the dust settled the Jays had knocked off the Sox and took over first place 5-4 at the Skydome.

                                          "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT WASDIN??"

The Sox struck first right off the bat against Castillo in the top of the first inning as Darren Lewis walked to start. Lewis was thrown out trying to steal and Jeff Frye took strike three, but Trot Nixon launched his 8th home run of the year to put Boston on top. Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Nixon goes yard

The Jays looked to answer in the bottom of the first when Shannon Stewart walked to start. Alex Gonzalez struck out but Jason Varitek airmailed a throw to second that allowed Stewart to swipe second and advance to third. Raul Mondesi popped up to first and Carlos Delgado flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck again when Carl Everett pounded his 23rd home run of the season to start the top of the second. Brian Daubach grounded back to the mound but Jason Varitek drew a walk. Manny Alexander singled to center but Wilton Veras struck out swinging. Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Home run Everett

The Jays pounced in the bottom of the second as Brad Fullmer hit a home run all the way to Winnipeg to cut the lead instantly. Tony Batista took strike three and Jose Cruz Jr grounded out to second but Alberto Castillo doubled to right. Homer Bush singled in Castillo to tie the game before swiping second. Stewart flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

Castillo settled down in the top of the third as Frye grounded out to short to start. Nixon got a base hit to right but Nomar forced him at seconds and Everett popped up to third to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the third as Gonzalez singled to center and Mondesi cracked a home run all the way to Montreal to put the Jays up for good. Delgado flied out to center, Fullmer grounded out to first and Batista struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 4-2.

                                                            Mondesi puts the Jays up

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Daubach whiffed to start. Varitek grounded out to second and Alexander grounded out to third to end the inning. The Jays finished off Wasdin in the bottom of the fourth as Cruz Jr belted a home run all the way to Ottawa to start. Castillo grounded back to the mound, Bush grounded out to short and Stewart singled to center. Stewart tried to stretch a double but was thrown out at second to end the inning with the Jays up 5-2. "Way Back" Wasdin lived up to his billing as he allowed 3 homers and 5 runs in his spot start.

                                                            Way Back does it again

Castillo cruised in the top of the fifth inning as Veras grounded back to the mound to begin. Lewis grounded out to second and Frye lined out to second to end the inning. Bryce Florie came in for the bottom of the fifth and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Mondesi grounded back to the mound but Delgado and Fullmer stroked back to back base hits. Batista popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the sixth as Nixon flied out to center to start. Nomar flied out to right and Everett popped up to third to end the inning. Tim Wakefield took over for the bottom of the sixth and Cruz Jr popped up to third to start. Castillo took strike three and Bush grounded out to short to end the inning.

Castillo dominated the top of the seventh as Daubach hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Varitek flied out to left and Alexander went down hacking to end the inning. Wakefield returned for the top of the seventh and Stewart grounded out to third to start. Gonzalez flied out to center and Mondesi popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox finally sprung to life in the top of the eighth although Veras flied out to center to start. Lewis and Frye stroked back to back doubles to cut the lead and chase Castillo from the game. Pedro Borbon Jr came in and Frye got himself thrown out at third on a grounder by Nixon. Jays closer Billy Koch came in for the four out save with Curtis Pride now running for Nixon. Nomar walked and Everett doubled Pride home to make himself the go-ahead run at second base. Daubach walked to load the bases but Varitek popped up to left to end the inning. Still, the Sox had clawed back within a run to make it 5-4.

                                                         The Sox rally for a few runs

Wakefield held the fort in the bottom of the eighth although Delgado walked to start. Fullmer flied out to right but Batista banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the ninth as Alexander grounded out to third to start. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Veras and struck out swinging. Lewis grounded out to second to end the game. The Jays had held off the Sox to take over first place 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is John Wasdin. "Way Back" allowed 5 runs in 4 innings and put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                        Way Back Jackass



The Good:

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Curtis Pride scored a run as a pinch runner.

Bryce Florie pitched a scoreless 5th inning.

Carl Everett was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis and a solo home run.

Tim Wakefield tossed 3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Wilton Veras was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Scott Hatteberg struck out as a pinch hitter.




The Ugly:

Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 3 but walked.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.

Manny Alexander was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Too bad the Sox couldn't overcome the lousy spot start by Wasdin in this one. They had their chances in the 8th and 9th inning but just couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Kudos to Wakefield and Florie for holding the fort after Wasdin was sent packing. The Sox need to do something offensively as well as in the rotation because the bottom of the order is a black hole. If Troy O'Leary can get his head in the game when he comes off the DL, that will help big time since Darren Lewis is coming back to earth. The Toronto offense is for real and they can bop with the New York Yankees. Maybe its time to consider them a serious threat. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-32, 0.5 games behind the Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to bounce back against the Jays when they send Brian Rose (3-4) up against Roy Halladay at 4:05 PM at the Skydome.

Yankees Beat Pedro, Blank Sox (6/20/00)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. After getting his brains beat in in last night's game, Rob Stanifer has been sent down to Pawtucket. I don't know what Jimy Williams was thinking letting him get knocked around like that, but I doubt we see him until September. In his place the Sox called up Tim Young. The lefty had a hot streak in May before being sent down, let's see if he can recapture the magic.

                                                                    OUT

                                                                    IN

As for the game, if last night was the equivalent of the New York Yankees setting Fenway Park on fire with a 22-1 embarrassment, then tonight's game was them pissing on the ashes. Andy Pettite pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning until Mariano Rivera finished off the shutout. Pedro Martinez (9-3, 1.18 ERA) allowed 3 home runs in 8 innings and that was all the Yankees needed. The Sox have given up 25 runs in two games while scoring just 1. The offense can't continue to disappear against good teams but they did tonight as the Yankees blanked the Sox 3-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

At first Pedro cruised in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch flied out to left to start. Derek Jeter flied out to center before Paul O'Neill watched strike three go by to end the inning. Pettite got the Sox to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the first inning. Jose Offerman grounded out to second to begin before Jeff Frye did the same. Nomar Garciaparra dumped a base hit to right but Mike Stanley grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pedro turned up the heat in the top of the second inning as Bernie Williams took strike three to start. Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada both went down swinging to end the inning. Carl Everett led off the bottom of the second by lining out to third but Jason Varitek singled to center. Darren Lewis forced Varitek at second and Trot Nixon grounded into a force to end the inning.

Shane Spencer swung at air to open the top of the third before Jim Leyritz also fanned. Scott Brosius flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox pissed their only chance to score away in the bottom of the third although Wilton Veras lined out to first to start. Offerman got a base hit to left, Frye walked and Nomar singled to left to load the bases. Stanley then popped up to right to end the inning.

                                                "Dammit Stanley"

The Yankees struck first in the top of the fourth as Knoblauch singled to center to begin. The alert Pedro picked him off but Jeter clobbered a home run into the Charles River to put the Yankees up for good. O'Neill grounded out to second but Veras booted a Williams grounder for an error. Martinez flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                         Jeter goes yard

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Everett popped up to second to start. Varitek walked but Lewis banged into a double play to end the inning.

Pedro recovered to get Posada to pop up to third leading off the top of the fifth. Spencer and Leyritz were both frozen for strike three to end the inning. Pettite matched Pedro in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon flied out to left to start. Veras whiffed and Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brosius got a base hit to start the top of the sixth before moving to second on the sacrifice bunt by Knoblauch. Jeter grounded back to the mound and O'Neill grounded out to first to end the inning. Clay Bellinger took over for Knoblauch in the bottom of the sixth as Frye grounded out to second to start. Nomar whiffed and Stanley took strike three to end the inning.

The Yankees got to Pedro again as Williams belted a home run into Walden Pond to ice the game in the top of the seventh. Martinez grounded out to second but Posada walked. Spencer was plunked and Nomar booted a ground ball by Leyritz to load the bases. Ricky Ledee pinch ran for Leyritz but Brosius whiffed to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0

                                                       Williams takes Pedro deep

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning as Lewis grounded out to second to start. Nixon grounded out to first and Veras grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees finished off Pedro in the top of the eighth although Jeter grounded out to short to start. O'Neill then pounded a home run all the way into Newfound Lake to increase the lead. Williams grounded out to first and Martnez flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 3-0. Pedro did what he could and nine times out of 10, 8 innings of 3 run ball should be enough to win. This was the tenth time.

                                                         No run support for Pedro

Offerman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Frye whiffed. Nomar doubled off the Monster to chase Pettite. Gotta give credit to Pettite for outpitching Pedro in a game like this. Mariano Rivera came in for the four out save and Brian Daubach pinch hit for Stanley. Daubach grounded out to short to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in for the top of the ninth and Posada walked to start. Spencer took strike three before Ledee flied out to left. Brosius struck out swinging to end the inning. Everett whiffed to open the bottom of the ninth but somehow Varitek walked. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Lewis only to pop up to short. Nixon flied out to center to end the game. The Yankees had blanked the Sox and guaranteed leaving Fenway in first place with a 3-0 win.

Jackass of the Night is Mike Stanley. He left a man on in the first inning and the bases loaded in the third inning.

                                                         Stanley the Jackass



The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra was 3 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Brian Daubach was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Darren Lewis was 0 for 3.

Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 1.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 4.

Wilton Veras was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4.

Jeff Frye was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 4.

Pedro Martinez took the loss but went 8 innings and allowed 3 runs while striking out 9.




Final Thoughts:

Don't know what else to say at this point. The Sox get their doors blown off and then Pedro is beaten. If the fans didn't think the Yankees were for real, they will now. The Sox defense, pitching and offense were exposed big time and we still have a game to go in this series. The Sox need to make a trade for a starter and an infielder if they have any hope of catching New York. They're not gonna get it done with Ramon Martnez, Jeff Fassero, Pete Schourek and Brian Rose. The loss dropped the Sox to 35-31, 1.5 game behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow night when Pete Schourek takes the mound up against David Cone at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.