Sox Bash A's at Fenway (5/12/01)

The Boston Red Sox have been smacked around by the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's the last two weeks, but today they took some measure of revenge against the A's. Pedro Martinez (5-0, 1.74 ERA) had his "worst" game of the season by allowing 3 runs in 7 innings of work, but the Boston bats woke up to bail him out. Trot Nixon and Manny Ramirez both hit home runs, the team as a total pounded out NINETEEN hits including 13 off Oakland starter Gil Heredia. 8 out of 9 starters all had at least one hit and the Sox cruised to an easy 9-3 win over the A's at Fenway Park.

                                                 Petr Sykora approves of the win

Pedro got the ball in the top of the first and Johnny Damon popped up to short to start. Mario Valdez struck out swinging and Jason Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox pounced on Heredia in the bottom of the first as Trot Nixon doubled to left to start. Jose Offerman singled to right and Carl Everett got a single to right to score Nixon with the first run. Manny Ramirez hit an infield single to third and Eric Chavez threw the ball onto the Mass Pike for an error to score Offerman. Dante Bichette singled to center to score Everett but Jason Varitek popped up to short. Shea Hillenbrand doubled to center to score Ramirez but Lou Merloni popped up to second. Mike Lansing flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                       Hillenbrand drives in a run

John Jaha struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Terrance Long doubled to right. Long moved to third on a grounder to third by Miguel Tejada and Chavez drew a walk. Mark Bellhorn took strike three to end the inning. Nixon singled to right to start the bottom of the second but was thrown out at third on the base hit to right by Offerman. Everett singled Offerman to third but Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Sal Fasano took strike three to begin the top of the third before Damon grounded out to first. Valdez watched strike three go by to end the inning. Bichette went down hacking to start the bottom of the third before Varitek grounded out to second. Hillenbrand popped up to short to end the inning.

Giambi grounded out to short to open the top of the fourth and Jaha flied out to right. Long grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Merloni grounded out to second to start. Lansing grounded out to short but Nixon launched his fourth home run of the season to right to increase the lead. Offerman took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                        Nixon hits one out

Tejada grounded out to third to begin the top of the fifth and Chavez struck out swinging. Bellhorn took strike three again to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the fifth as Everett grounded out to short to start. Ramirez then cracked a home run 500 feet to left....just inside the foul pole for a home run. Bichette grounded out to short but Varitek doubled to center. Hillenbrand singled to left to score Varitek and chase Heredia from the game. TJ Mathews came in and Merloni struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

                                                       Ramirez hits one out

The A's struck back in the top of the sixth as Fasano was plunked to start. Damon struck out swinging but Valdez singled to right. Giambi hit a home run all the way to Mount St. Helens to cut the lead. Jaha struck out swinging and Long flied out to center to end the inning but Giambi's blast put the A's down 7-3.

                                                           Giambi gets Pedro

The Sox responded in the bottom of the sixth as Lansing hit a line drive to center to begin. Nixon struck out swinging and Offerman flied out to center, but Everett doubled home Lansing to stop Oakland's momentum. Ramirez was intentionally walked and Chad Bradford was brought in to pitch to Bichette. Bichette singled home Everett then both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 9-3 Sox.

                                                          Bichette drives in a run

Pedro returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh and Tejada struck out swinging to start. Chavez popped up to short and Bellhorn took strike three for the third time today to end the inning. Martinez made one mistake to Giambi but still pitched well, tossing 7 innings and allowing just the home run.

                                         A "bad" start by Pedro standards is better than most

Merloni grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Lansing grounded out to third. Nixon singled to right and Offerman doubled Trot to third. Everett struck out swinging to end the inning.

"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in for the top of the eighth and Fasano struck out swinging to start. Damon grounded out to first and Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning. Ramirez struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the eighth but Bichette singled in the hole at short. Varitek flied out to left and Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in to close out the top of the ninth and Giambi flied out to left to begin. Frank Menechino pinch hit for Jaha and took strike three. Long grounded out to first to end the game, the Sox had won it 9-3.

Hero of the Night is Carl Everett. He started the rally with an rbi double in the first inning and stopped Oakland's momentum with an rbi in the sixth.

                                                        From jackass to Hero

The Good:

Trot Nixon was 4 for 5 with a home run and two total runs scored.

Jose Offerman was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run, two total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Dante Bichette was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Pedro Martinez earned the win with 7 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and struck out 12.

Rich Garces pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Derek Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Lou Merloni was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

Mike Lansing was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

After the game was over Boston media were joking that this was a "bad" start by Pedro but better than most other's "good" games. The truth is he made one mistake to Giambi, otherwise it would have been on par with all his other starts. As long as Pedro is healthy, the Sox have a guaranteed chance to win 1 out of 5 days. Obviously he can't possibly win every game but today was a big one. The Seattle Mariners and A's have had their number and to smack them around was pretty good. Everybody but Merloni got a hit and 6 of the 9 had multiple hits. The grumbling from players such as Bichette and Lansing about playing time worked because they've responded. It sounds like the clubhouse is pretty volatile when things go wrong so let's hope for everyone's sake they go on a nice long winning streak to overtake the New York Yankees. Speaking of New York,  the win improved the Sox to 21-15, 0.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox have one more showdown with the A's tomorrow afternoon and it'll be Hideo Nomo taking the hill against Oakland ace Mark Mulder. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

A's Drop Sox Late (5/11/01)

In one of the most frustrating games of the season, the Boston Red Sox bullpen officially became a liability against the Oakland A's. The A's jumped out to a 4-0 lead and knocked Red Sox starter Paxton Crawford out after the second inning. Boston managed to cut it to 4-3 but Rolando and Pete Schourek allowed two runs to make it 6-3. A furious Sox rally in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at 6-6 but Mark Bellhorn singled home Miguel Tejada against Rod Beck in the top of the ninth. Then in one of the dumbest plays in memory, Carl Everett was thrown out trying to go to third on a fly ball by Troy O'Leary, negating the tying run scoring by Trot Nixon to end the game. The A's had won it 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                                        Dammit

The A's bushwhacked Crawford in the top of the first inning as Johnny Damon legged out a double through the hole at short to start. Both Jeremy and Jason Giambi walked to load the bases with nobody out and John Jaha walked home Damon to give the A's the lead. Terrance Long beat out a double play ball to score Jeremy but Miguel Tejada hit into a double play to end the inning with the A's up 2-0.

                                                           Damon starts the rally

Cory Lidle got the start for Oakland and Trot Nixon led off the bottom of the first with a fly out to right. Jose Offerman flied out to left and Carl Everett popped up to left to end the inning.

The A's struck again in the top of the second although Eric Chavez struck out swinging to start. Mark Bellhorn flied out to left but Ramon Hernandez hit a home run all the way to Jacksonville, Florida to increase the lead. Damon hit a swinging bunt to first and Brian Daubach threw the ball all the way to Maine for an error to move Damon to second. Jeremy Giambi singled to right to score Damon with another run. Jason Giambi got a base hit to left but Everett made a great catch rob Jaha of extra bases to end the inning with the A's ahead 4-0. Sox manager Jimy Williams pulled the plug on Crawford after just two innings and 4 runs allowed.

                                                        Crawford sucks again

Lidle dominated the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez, Troy O'Leary and John Valentin all struck out swinging in short order.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the third and Long lined out to third to start. Tejada singled to left and moved to second on the grounder to second by Chavez. Bellhorn grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Daubach singled to center to start. Hillenbrand forced Daubach at second but Hatteberg doubled off the Monster to score Hillenbrand. Hatteberg moved to third on a grounder to second by Nixon but Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                     Hatteberg drives in a run

Hernandez singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Damon banged into a double play. Jeremy Giambi walked and Jason Giambi blooped a single to left, but Jaha took strike three to end the inning. Everett flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Ramirez took strike three. O'Leary grounded out to third to end the inning.

Wakefield got Long to ground out to second to start the top of the fifth before Tejada flied out to left. Chavez doubled to right but Bellhorn flied out to right to end the inning. Valentin grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fifth before Daubach flied out to left. Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pete Schourek came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Hernandez flied out to left to start. Damon took strike three and Jeremy Giambi grounded out to short to start. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth although Hatteberg took strike three to start. Nixon walked, Offerman singled to center and Everett beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Ramirez cleared the bases with a triple to the centerfield triangle and O'Leary was plunked to put the go-ahead run on. Jim Mecir came in to pitch to Valentin and John lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                          Ramirez brings the Sox close

Just as soon as the Sox were back in the game, they gagged in the top of the sixth. Jason Giambi walked to start and that was it for Schourek. Rolando Arrojo came in and promptly walked Jaha. Long doubled to center to score Giambi and increase the lead. Somehow Tejada popped up to second and Chavez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bellhorn struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-3.

                                                          Long drives in a run

Daubach struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Hillenbrand grounded out to third. Hatteberg singled to center but Nixon grounded out to third to end the inning.

The A's looked to have iced the game in the top of the eighth as Damon walked to start. Jeremy Giambi singled Damon to third and Johnny scored on the force at second by Jason Giambi. Jaha flied out to right and Long flied out to center to end the inning with the A's up 6-3.

                                                           Giambi drives in a run

A's manager Art Howe brought in closer Jason Isringhausen for the six out save and the Sox roared back. Sal Fasano took over behind the plate as Offerman doubled to center to start. Everett doubled off the Monster to score Offerman and Ramirez doubled off the Monster to score Everett. O'Leary doubled in almost the exact same spot to tie the game and put the go-ahead runner at second with nobody out. Valentin made a huge out when he failed to move O'Leary over with a ground out to third. Daubach was intentionally walked but Sox manager Jimy Williams made the foolish decision to pinch hit Hillenbrand with Jason Varitek. Naturally Varitek struck out swinging and Hatteberg also struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 6-6.

                                                     O'Leary ties the game

Lou Merloni took over at short with Rod Beck coming in to pitch the top of the ninth. Tejada doubled to center to start but Chavez took strike three. Bellhorn singled to right and Tejada came around to score, Mark taking second on the rbi. Fasano struck out swinging and Damon grounded out to short to end the inning but the A's took the lead 7-6.

                                                      Bellhorn puts the A's on top

Mario Valdez took over in left with Mike Magnante came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Nixon walked to start but Offerman flied out to right. Everett singled to right to chase Magnante from the game. Jeff Tam came in and hit Ramirez with a pitch to load the bases. O'Leary then lofted a fly ball to left. Nixon took off for home but Everett took off for third. Valdez fired to third and Everett was tagged out before Nixon scored to end the game. A dumb baserunning play by Everett ended the game and the A's had won it 7-6.

                                           "He scored first, dammit!" - Gene Lamont

Jackass of the Night is Carl Everett. Everett had a great game but getting thrown out at third with the tying run coming home is inexcusable.

                                                           Everett the Jackass

The Good:

Jose Offerman was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Scott Hatteberg was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Tim Wakefield tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

John Valentin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jason Varitek struck out as a pinch hitter.

Paxton Crawford allowed 4 runs in just 2 innings of work.

Pete Schourek was charged with a run in an inning of work.

Rolando Arrojo allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in two innings of work.

Rod Beck allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Lou Merloni played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a pretty disgusting loss considering how it happened. Even without the Everett blunder, the bullpen after Wakefield couldn't stop the A's. Schourek, Arrojo and Beck allowed 3 runs including the backbreaker in the ninth. With Rich Garces struggling lately, one of the strengths of the team has become a weakness in a hurry. What's more concerning is the erosion of Crawford and Tomo Ohka in the last few weeks. Just last week Crawford was outdueling Barry Zito in Oakland and he gets hammered at Fenway. Ironically, tomorrow David Cone starts his rehab with the Sarasota Red Red Sox tomorrow. They may need him sooner rather than later. The Sox have one game left against Oakland and the AL West in this stretch and it would be nice if they win it. The Sox have fallen out of first place thanks to their incompetence against Oakland and Seattle and that's not good moving forward. The loss drops the Sox to 20-15, 0.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon when Pedro Martinez (4-0) tries to stop the bleeding against Gil Heredia of the As. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Ohka Pounded, Mariners Take Series (5/10/01)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an expected roster move. Chris Stynes was placed on the Disabled List with a fractured cheekbone and Lou Merloni was called up to replace him. Its a shame Stynes got hurt because he was playing well when he took the fastball to the face. Thanks a lot Aaron Sele!

                                                                        OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the Seattle Mariners are damn good this year and the Boston Red Sox found out why big time. Timely hitting by the Seattle offense and a shut down bullpen were too much for the Red Sox today. Tomo Ohka (2-2, 3.57 ERA) was game but John Halama of the Mariners was better. Sox manager Jimy Williams rode Ohka too long and it paved the way for the 5-2 victory by the Mariners at Fenway Park.

                                                    Sox fans react

Ohka got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ichiro Suzuki led off with a fly out to left to begin. Stan Javier grounded out to short but Edgar Martinez walked. John Olerud grounded out to short to end the inning. Halama got the start for Seattle and Darren Lewis led off the bottom of the first with a groundout to third. Jose Offerman flied out to right and Carl Everett whiffed to end the inning.

Ohka cruised in the top of the second inning as Bret Boone flied out to right, Al Martin grounded out to second and David Bell flied out to left to end the inning. Manny Ramirez walked to start the bottom of the second but Dante Bichette banged into a double play. Jason Varitek grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ohka whiffed Dan Wilson to begin the top of the third but Carlos Guillen singled to right. Guillen was erased on the Ichiro force and Javier grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a huge chance to take the lead in the bottom of the third after John Valentin doubled to start. Shea Hillenbrand beat out an infield single to short but Valentin had to stay at second. Lansing dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but Lewis killed the rally with a pop up to short. Offerman grounded out to short to end the inning. What a waste.

The Mariners did nothing in the top of the fourth inning as Martinez looked at strike three to start. Olerud grounded out to first and Boone grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox also did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Everett whiffed to start. Ramirez flied out to right and Bichette hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Seattle struck first in the top of the fifth inning as Martin singled to start. Bell whiffed and Wilson flied out to right but Guillen singled into the gap. Martin came all the way around and Varitek applied the tag....SAFE! Martin was ruled safe at the plate and Varitek went berserk. He threw the baseball into the fourth row and chucked his mask at home plate umpire Mark Wegner. Varitek got the heave-ho and had to be escorted out of Fenway by armed mounted police officers. Guillen took second on the throw as the Mariners took the lead. Scott Hatteberg took Varitek's place at the dish and Ichiro singled home Guillen. Ichiro swiped second but Javier grounded out to second to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-0.

                                                      YERRRRRR OUT!!

The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the fifth although Hatteberg grounded out to short to start. Valentin walked and Hillenbrand hit a routine grounder to Boone...WHO THREW IT AWAY! Both runners moved into scoring position as Valentin scored on the sac fly by Lansing to cut the lead. Lewis looked at strike three to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 2-1.

                                                         Valentin scores a run

Sox manager Jimy Williams gambled by sending Ohka back out for the top of the sixth and it backfired. Martinez clubbed a 3,000 foot home run to give the Mariners the two run lead back before Olerud singled. Boone atoned for his error by launching a 200,000 foot home run to ice the game and chase Ohka. Tomo did well but fell apart in the 6th, allowing 5 runs in 5 plus innings. Derek Lowe came in to put out the fire and Martin lined out to center. Bell grounded out to third before Wilson singled. Guillen grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-1.

                                                       Ohka ran out of gas

The Sox did manage to strike back in the bottom of the 6th as Offerman doubled to start. Everett flied out to center to move Offerman to third as that was it for Halama. Jeff Nelson came in and all Ramirez could do was ground out to score Offerman with a run to cut the lead. Bichette grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                       Ramirez drives in a run

Lowe returned for the top of the seventh and got Ichiro to ground out to short to begin. Javier walked and moved to second on the Martinez ground out. Olerud was intentionally walked to get to Boone who flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox pissed away a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Hatteberg singled and Valentin walked to bring the tying run to the plate...but Hillenbrand whiffed. Norm Charlton was brought in to pitch as Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by bringing in Brian Daubach to pinch hit for Lansing much to Mike's dismay. Daubach whiffed and Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning, what a waste.

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the eighth and he whiffed Martin to start. Bell struck out swinging before Wilson grounded out to second to end the inning. Charles Gipson came in for Martin for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox went quietly. Offerman whiffed, Everett lined out to second and Ramirez flied out to left to end the inning.

Rod Beck came in to pitch the top of the ninth and got three straight flyball outs. Guillen flied out to center while both Ichiro and Javier flied out to left to end the inning. Kazuhiro Sasaki came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bichette doubled to start. Hatteberg grounded out to short but Dante moved to third. Valentin popped up to short and Hillenbrand flied out to right to end the game. The Mariners had held on to win 5-2.

Jackass of the Night is Tomo Ohka. He got knocked out in the 6th inning while allowing 5 runs on 5 hits and a walk.

                                                       Jackass Tomo

The Good:

Scott Hatteberg was 1 for 3.

John Valentin was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Mike Lansing sacrificed twice and drove in a run.

Derek Lowe pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Tim Wakefield pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Rod Beck pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 4 with a strikeout

Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 1 before getting ejected.

Brian Daubach struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

The Mariners are off to a hot start and the Sox got caught up in the blaze. The Mariners are pitching, hitting and defending well and today was no different. The Sox couldn't get that clutch hit to put them in the game and Ohka pitched well until he ran out of gas. The Sox are going to need to find a way to beat the Mariners because they look for real this year. Getting Nomar Garciaparra, David Cone and Chris Stynes back healthy is a must going forward. The Mariners have won 4 of 6 against the Sox but the good news is they don't have to play each other again. The loss knocked the Sox out of first place as they are now 20-15 on the season, 0.5 games back of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the visiting Oakland A's. Paxton Crawford (3-1) fresh off beating Barry Zito goes for the Sox up against Cory Lidle of the A's tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Stynes Bloodied, Sox Battered Late (5/9/01)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a much welcomed roster move. Long time shortstop/third basemen John Valentin was activated off the Disabled List after missing the last year after blowing his knee out almost a year ago. Whether or not he'll be the same player he was two years ago is anyone's guess but he's automatically an upgrade over who he replaced. Offensively challenged Craig Grebeck was placed on the Disabled List with left shoulder tendonitis to mercifully get him out of the lineup. With the Sox struggles at third since Valentin went down, its good to see Valentin back.

                                                                             OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, not only did the Boston Red Sox lose the game to the Seattle Mariners, they lost Chris Stynes to a horrific facial injury. In an eerily similar event to Bryce Florie getting hit in the face with a line drive last September, this time it was the opposite as Stynes took a fastball to the face by old friend Aaron Sele. It was a game for a while but eventually the Boston Red Sox bullpen melted at the hands of the Mariners. Sox starter Frank Castillo lasted just 5 innings and Rolando Arrojo (1-1, 3.57 ERA) got hammered for 5 runs in the eighth inning which led to a 10-5 victory for the Mariners at Fenway Park.

Castillo got the ball in the top of the first inning and got hammered. Ichiro Suzuki singled to start and immediately stole second. Stan Javier walked but Edgar Martinez popped up to short right. John Olerud walked to load the bases and Bret Boone drilled a two run single to put the Mariners up early. Al Martin grounded out to second and David Bell flied out to right to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-0.

                                                  Boone puts Seattle on top

The Sox tried to fight back against  Sele in the bottom of the first although Trot Nixon flied out to left. Jose Offerman singled to center but Carl Everett flied out to center. Manny Ramirez walked but Troy O'Leary grounded out to second to end the inning.

Castillo cruised in the top of the second as Dan Wilson popped up to right, Carlos Guillen flied out to right and Ichiro popped up to third to end the inning. Things got scary in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek flied out to right to start. Shea Hillenbrand flied out to left but Chris Stynes was hit in the face with a fastball by Sele. Stynes face immediately was bloodied and swollen as he was removed from the game. Brian Daubach ran for Stynes and Mike Lansing grounded into a force to end the inning.

                                           Stynes helped off the field after the beanball

Offerman moved to second with Daubach taking over at first as the Mariners poured it on in the top of the third. Javier flied out to left and Martinez flied out to center but Olerud was plunked. Boone singled Olerud to third and Martin singled him home. Bell singled Boone home and Wilson whiffed to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 4-0.

                                                          Martin drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Nixon whiffed, Offerman grounded out to first and Everett flied out to left to end the inning.

Castillo struggled in the top of the fourth inning as Guillen hit a routine grounder to Daubach who went OLE! for an error. Guillen was erased on the Ichiro force and Ichiro swiped second. Javier flied out to center but Martinez walked. Ichiro swiped third but Olerud popped up to center to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth when Ramirez and O'Leary smashed back to back jacks to cut the lead in half. Varitek whiffed, Hillenbrand grounded out to short and Daubach grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                          O'Leary hits one out

Boone hit a routine grounder to Hillenbrand to open the top of the fifth but Shea threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error. Castillo got Martin and Bell to fly out to center but Wilson singled. Guillen popped up to third to end the inning. That was it for Castillo who lasted just 5 innings and allowed 4 runs.

                                                    Not his best work

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Lansing grounded back to the mound to start. Nixon looked at strike three before Offerman popped up to third to end the inning. 

Rich Garces was first out of the pen in the top of the sixth inning and Ichiro grounded out to second to begin. Javier singled to left and stole second but Martinez popped up to left. Olerud popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Everett doubled and Manny singled him home to cut the lead to one. Arthur Rhodes came in for Sele and punched out both O'Leary and Varitek. Hillenbrand singled but Daubach lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                             Manny gets a run back

The Mariners tagged Garces in the top of the seventh after yet another error when Lansing booted a grounder by Boone to start. Martin popped up to second but Bell doubled into the corner to score Boone with an un-earned run. Wilson flied out to left and Guillen whiffed to end the inning but it was 5-3 Mariners.

The Sox answered back in the bottom of the seventh when Lansing doubled and Nixon croaked his third home run of the season to tie the game. Offerman looked at strike three and Everett flied out to center before Jeff Nelson was brought in. Manny hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                         Nixon ties it up

Just as soon as the Sox clawed back into the game, the Mariners exploded to end it in the top of the eighth with Rolando Arrojo on the mound. Ichiro grounded out to second but Javier singled. Martinez hit one up the elevator shaft but Olerud doubled home Javier to put Seattle up for good. Boone was hit with a pitch before Martin singled home Olerud. Bell singled home Boone and Wilson doubled home Bell to chase Arrojo and ice the game. Pete Schourek came in and walked Guillen but Ichiro flied out to center to end the inning with the Mariners up for good 10-5

                                                    Olerud hits the kill shot

Charles Gipson came in for Martin in the bottom of the eighth and O'Leary whiffed to start. Varitek grounded out to second but Hillenbrand and Daubach stroked back to back singles. Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Lansing and whiffed to end the inning.

John Valentin came in for Hatteberg to play short in the top of the ninth in his first game action since blowing his knee out almost one year ago as Javier singled to start. Martinez lined out to left before Olerud banged into a double play to end the inning. Jose Paniagua came in to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth and he punched out Nixon to start. Offerman walked, Everett singled and Manny walked to chase Paniagua. Kazuhiro Sasaki came in and got O'Leary to bang into a double play to end the game. The Mariners had won it 10-5 at Fenway.

                                                           Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Rolando Arrojo. He allowed 5 runs in less than an inning to take the loss

                                              Arrojo is the Jackass

The Good:

Carl Everett was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Manny Ramirez was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a home run, and 2 total rbis.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4.

Chris Stynes was hit with a pitch before leaving the game.

Brian Daubach was 1 for 3.

Mike Lansing was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Pete Schourek tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Scott Hatteberg struck out as a pinch hitter.

Frank Castillo was lit up for 4 runs in just 5 innings. He gave up 6 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Trot Nixon was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a two run home run.

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Rich Garces gave up an unearned run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

John Valentin played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That game sucked. It wasn't just Arrojo who sucked but the defense did as well. You can't expect the offense to score 10 runs but keeping the other team from scoring 10 would be nice. Castillo didn't have it and a rare blunder led to an unearned run charged to Garces. All those factored in when the Mariners lit up Arrojo for the decisive margin. Bad games happen and I'm sure Arrojo and the bullpen will bounce back...but not tonight. Losing Stynes really hurt because he was hitting the ball very well before he went down and Valentin coming back would have shored up the defense even more. Hopefully Stynes won't be out for too long but its a damn shame he got hurt like this. The loss dropped the Sox to 20-14 on the season, 0.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to gain momentum against the Mariners when they send Tomo Ohka (2-1) to the mound up against John Halama at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pound Mariners at Fenway (5/8/01)

After the Boston Red Sox dropped 2 out of 3 games in Seattle last week, the Sox, and Hideo Nomo (4-2, 3.29 ERA) in particular got their revenge tonight against the Seattle Mariners. The Sox stomped the Mariners for 14 hits and 12 runs, crushing old friend Jamie Moyer in the process. Manny Ramirez, Shea Hillenbrand, Jose Offerman and Chris Stynes all went yard to pace the offense. Nomo faced Ichiro again with Japan watching intently and Ichiro won the personal battle this time. The Sox bullpen slammed the door in the final four innings as the Sox defeated the Mariners 12-4 at Fenway Park.

                                         Staff Sergeant Mike Vronsky approves of the win

Nomo took the mound in the top of the first and flashbulbs went off as Ichiro Suzuki stepped in for their first Fenway battle. Nomo got the duke as Ichiro lined out to second to start. Mark McLemore whiffed but Edgar Martinez walked. John Olerud grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning against Moyer although Chris Stynes lined out to center to start. Jose Offerman walked before Carl Everett hit one up the elevator shaft. Manny Ramirez smashed a tremendous home run to give the Sox the lead. O'Leary hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                Ramirez makes it 2-0

The Mariners wasted no time tying the game in the top of the second as Mike Cameron led off with a home run to cut into the lead. Bret Boone whiffed and Carlos Guillen grounded out to first but David Bell walked. Dan Wilson singled and Ichiro singled home Bell to tie the game. McLemore whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-2.

                                                                Ichiro gets Nomo

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Dante Bichette flied out to left to start. Jason Varitek grounded out to second before Shea Hillenbrand took strike three to end the inning.

Things looked bleak in the top of the third when Martinez doubled and Olerud singled him to third to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Nomo managed to get Cameron to pop up to right with the slow Martinez not advancing. Nomo got a huge out when Boone whiffed and ended the inning with Guillen popping up to third to end the inning. The Sox re-took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Mike Lansing flied out to right but Stynes singled. Third basemen David Bell booted a ground ball by Offerman to put runners at second and third. Everett whiffed and Ramirez was intentionally walked. The Mariners found out what Cleveland did two years ago when you walk someone to get to O'Leary when Troy smacked an infield single to score Lansing. Bichette hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                             O'Leary puts the Sox on top

Just as soon as the Sox went ahead, the Mariners tied it in the top of the fourth inning. Bell grounded out to third but Wilson walked. Ichiro doubled and Wilson scored on the McLemore ground out to tie the game. Martinez whiffed to end the inning but it was 3-3.

The Sox finally knocked out Moyer in the bottom of the fourth inning. Varitek singled and Hillenbrand crushed a 2 run home run to give the Sox the lead back. Lansing grounded out to short but Stynes walked. Offerman smashed a 2 run home run of his own for some insurance. Everett singled and that was it for Moyer. Brett Tomko was summoned to stop the bleeding for Seattle and he walked Ramirez. O'Leary flied out to center before Bichette grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                            Hillenbrand and Offerman put the Sox on top

Olerud walked to start the top of the fifth inning but Cameron grounded into a double play. Boone singled to left but Guillen struck out swinging to end the inning.  That was it for Nomo who battled to allow 3 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                   Not his best stuff but it'll do tonight

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Varitek singled to center to start. Hillenbrand forced Varitek at second but Lansing popped up to second. Stynes smacked his second home run of the season to increase the lead and Offerman flied out to right to end the inning with Boston ahead 9-3.

                                                                Home run Stynes

Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Bell lined out to second to start. Wilson flied out to center and Ichiro grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Everett grounded out to second to start. Ramirez struck out swinging but O'Leary tripled to the centerfield triangle. Bichette doubled off the Monster to bring Troy home but Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                     Another rbi for Bichette

Darren Lewis took over for Bichette to start the top of the seventh and McLemore grounded out to first to start. Martinez walked but Olerud flied out to right. Cameron took strike three to end the inning. Hillenbrand flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Lansing grounded out to third. Stynes doubled to right but Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning.

Derek Lowe came in for the top of the eighth and Boone grounded back to the mound to start. Guillen lined out to third and Bell lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox poured it on against Norm Charlton in the bottom of the eighth as Everett popped up to first to start. Ramirez swung and missed for strike three but took first when the ball got away from the catcher. O'Leary doubled home Ramirez to increase the lead and chase Charlton. Charles Gipson came in to get Lewis to ground out to short, but Varitek singled home O'Leary to add to the lead. Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-3.

                                                           Varitek drives in a run

Lowe returned for the top of the ninth and Wilson singled to left to start. Ichiro hit a double play ball to first and Offerman flipped to Lansing....who was too busy staring at a bird flying overhead that he missed the catch for an error to put runners at the corners. Ichiro took second on defensive indifference but McLemore struck out swinging. Wilson scored on the grounder to second by Martinez and Olerud grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-4.

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His 2 run homer broke the tie and put the Sox up for good.

                                                          Hillenbrand Hero

The Good:

Chris Stynes was 3 for 4 with a walk, a two run homer and 3 runs scored.

Manny Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a 2 run homer and two total runs scored.

Troy O'Leary was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Jason Varitek was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Hideo Nomo got the win by allowing 3 runs in 5 innings of work. He allowed 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 batters.

Tim Wakefield pitched two scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Darren Lewis was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Mike Lansing was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run homer. He also walked and scored two runs.

Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Dante Bichette was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Derek Lowe allowed an unearned run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed a win like this against a good team and pounding Moyer to do it was a strong message to send. It was a well balanced offensive attack and the Sox are finding a groove with Stynes back in the lineup and Grebeck out. Offerman and O'Leary are starting to heat up and the Sox are going to need them with Daubach not playing much lately. Nomo didn't look that great but rubber armed Wakefield and Lowe was there to pick up the slack. Once again Lowe allowed a run in the ninth inning but this time it was unearned. Still, it would be nice if he could go a game without allowing a run for once. All in all it was a good win and a good team and hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 20-12, 1 game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 3 overall wins in a row tomorrow night when they send Frank Castillo to the mound to take on old pal Aaron Sele of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (5/7/01)

On This Day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History

1901 - Kellum, Pilgrims beat Senators

1970 - Errors, Krausse doom Sox

1999 - Martinez strikes out 15 Angels in win

2000 - Sox offense drops Rays

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the visiting Seattle Mariners. Hideo Nomo (3-2) looks to keep the momentum going against old friend Jamie Moyer of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.