Mussina, Yankees Defeat Sox (4/14/02)

Sweeping the New York Yankees in a four game series is damn near impossible because they have four aces in their rotation. The Boston Red Sox were looking for their third straight win against the Yankees but ran right into Mike Mussina. Mussina held the Sox scoreless through six innings until Manny Ramirez hit a two run home run in the seventh inning. Tim Wakefield (1-1, 4.09) held the Yankees to two runs in six innings himself but New York teed off on Willie Banks and Sun-Woo Kim for another four runs to put the game away. The vaunted Yankees bullpen such as Ramiro Mendoza and Mariano Rivera slammed the door on the Sox as New York defeated Boston 6-2 at Fenway Park.

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first inning and Derek Jeter grounded out to second to start. Nick Johnson and Bernie Williams both struck out swinging to end the inning. Mussina got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Johnny Damon grounded back to the mound to start. Jose Offerman grounded out to second and Nomar Garciaparra flied out to center to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second as Jason Giambi singled to right to start. Jorge Posada singled to right and both runners moved over on the strike three passed ball to Robin Ventura. Rondell White hit a sac fly to center to score Giambi to put the Yankees on top. Shane Spencer grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                        White puts New York on top

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez lined out to right to start. Brian Daubach and Shea Hillenbrand both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Alfonso Soriano hit a home run to New Mexico to increase the lead. Jeter walked and stole second but Johnson struck out swinging. Williams flied out to left and Giambi struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                           Soriano hits one out

Trot Nixon flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Doug Mirabelli struck out swinging. Lou Merloni flied out to right to end the inning.

Wakefield cruised in the top of the fourth and Posada popped up to third in foul territory to start. Ventura lined out to second and White grounded out to short to end the inning. Mussina cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Damon flied out to center to start. Offerman took strike three and Nomar flied out to right to end the inning.

Spencer struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Soriano flied out to right. Jeter beat out a ground ball to Wakefield and Johnson flied out to center to end the inning. Ramirez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Daubach struck out swinging. Hillenbrand flied out to left to end the inning.

Wakefield came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Williams popped up to short to start. Giambi walked but Posada flied out to center and Jason took second on a passed ball. Ventura struck out swinging to end the inning. Wakefield did the best he could, holding the Yankees to just 2 runs in 6 innings but the Sox bats went silent.

                                                     Wakefield gives six solid innings

The Sox failed to pick up Wakefield in the bottom of the sixth as Nixon lined out to center to start. Mirabelli singled to left but Merloni flied out to right. Damon grounded out to third to end the inning.

Willie Banks took the mound in the top of the seventh inning and White hit a home run all the way to Baltimore, Maryland to increase the lead. Spencer walked and Soriano doubled to center to score him to ice the game. Jeter walked and Johnson singled to center to score Soriano to chase Banks. Sun-Woo Kim came in and Williams struck out swinging before Giambi flied out to right. Posada took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-0.

                                                        Johnson drives in a big run

The Sox finally woke up in the bottom of the seventh as Offerman lined out to left to start. Nomar singled to left and Ramirez clobbered his second home run of the year to cut the lead. Daubach grounded out to first but Hillenbrand singled to left. Nixon pounded an opposite field double to left and Yankees manager Joe Torre pulled Mussina for Ramiro Mendoza. Sox manager Grady Little countered by pinch hitting Carlos Baerga for Mirabelli. Baerga grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                     Ramirez jacks one gone

Jason Varitek took over behind the plate to start the top of the eighth but Ventura led off with a home run all the way to Venus to wrap up the scoring. White grounded out to first, Spencer lined out to second and Soriano flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-2.

                                                         Kim gives up a run

Mendoza returned for the bottom of the eighth and Merloni grounded out to third to start. Damon grounded out to short and Offerman hit a routine grounder to Soriano....booted for an error. Offerman moved to third on the base hit to center by Nomar and Torre pulled Mendoza for closer Mariano Rivera. With the game on the line, Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Casey Fossum took the mound in the top of the ninth and Jeter grounded out to short to start. Johnson struck out swinging and Williams grounded out to second to end the inning. Rivera returned to close out the bottom of the ninth as Daubach lined out to Mariano to start. Hillenbrand flied out to right but Nixon walked. Williams grounded out to second to end the game. The Yankees had won it 6-2.

                                                     Rivera saves it for the Yankees

Jackass of the Night is Willie Banks. He allowed 3 runs in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach.

                                                            Banks The Jackass

The Good:

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Doug Mirabelli was 1 for 2.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher is on the Good list but Tim Wakefield tossed six solid innings and allowed just two runs. If the Sox had any offense, this would have been enough to win.

Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 4.

Jose Offerman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Baerga was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Lou Merloni was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Manny Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sun-Woo Kim allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its extremely hard to beat the Yankees when their pitching holds up like this and the Red Sox bullpen proved why they're still not at that elite level yet. You have essentially 6 innings to beat the Yankees before Mendoza, Stanton and Rivera are summoned and the Sox did almost nothing against them today. Banks and Kim allowed 4 runs to put the game out of reach while Mendoza and Rivera avenged yesterday by slamming the door. The Sox couldn't beat Mussina or the bullpen and on this day, the Yankees were the better team. Wakefield did the best he could and he'll shine again another day. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow morning on Patriots Day in the final game of this series when Derek Lowe (1-1) takes on Andy Pettitte of the Yankees. The game begins at 11:05 AM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Yankees (4/13/02)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox made it two wins in a row against the defending AL Champion New York Yankees. The Yankees bolted out to a 4-0 lead against Pedro Martinez in the first inning but the Sox answered with a three run rally in the bottom of the fourth to get back in the game. The Yankees finished off Pedro and scored another run against Rolando Arrojo to take a commanding 6-3 lead. Trailing 6-5 with two outs in the eighth inning, Shea Hillenbrand hit a 2 run home run off Mariano Rivera to put the Sox ahead. Ugueth Urbina slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox had rallied to beat the Yankees 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Anka Romensky approves of the win

The Yankees pounded Pedro in the top of the first as Derek Jeter struck the first pitch he saw into center for a double. Pedro buzzed Nick Johnson after hitting a home run last night before striking him out swinging, but Bernie Williams walked. Jason Giambi was hit in the process of swinging but it was ruled a hit by pitch. Yankees commentator Michael Kay said Jorge Posada was 2 for 29 with 19 strikeouts against Pedro and naturally Jorge hit a gap shot triple past the diving Johnny Damon to clear the bases. Robin Ventura hit a ground ball past the diving Tony Clark to Rey Sanchez who threw the ball 100 feet wide of Pedro for an error to score Posada with another run. Red Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger waddled to the mound to ask Pedro what he thought about the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rondell White popped up to short and John Vander Wal grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0 and Pedro up to 23 pitches.

                                                     Bad throw by Sanchez

Wells got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson led off by beating out a roller to third to start. Damon forced Henderson at second and Nomar Garciaparra hit into a double play to end the inning.

Pedro settled down in the top of the second as Enrique Wilson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jeter grounded out to short but Johnson dumped a base hit to right. Johnson swiped second but Williams grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez flied out to right to start. Tony Clark continued his slump to 0 for 19 by taking strike three on the outside corner before Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short to end the inning.

Giambi was drilled in the ribs to start the top of the third before taking second on a wild pitch. Posada froze for strike three and Ventura whiffed on a 95 mph fastball. White popped up to Damon to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Jason Varitek grounded out to short to start. Wells threw behind Trot Nixon in retaliation of Giambi getting plunked twice and home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth warned both benches. Yankees manager Joe Torre stormed out and said "how DARE you warn US, we're the YANKEES!" After Culbreth told him to beat it, Nixon grounded out to first and Rey Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                       "HOWWW DAREEEEE YOUUUUUUU!!!!" - JT

Vander Wal walked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the grounder to second by Wilson. Jeter struck out swinging and Johnson grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Henderson walked to start. Henderson swiped second and Damon dumped a base hit to right to score Rickey. Nomar hit a grounder to Ventura who airmailed the throw to second but Damon tripped over the bag making it just a "single". Ramirez ripped a base hit off the Monster to score Damon and Clark hit a routine grounder to short. Jeter flipped to Wilson who airmailed the throw to first and suddenly there were runners at the corners. Hillenbrand dropped a base hit to left to score Nomar but Varitek banged into a double play to kill the rally. Still, the Sox had clawed back and trailed 4-3.

              "The AUDACITY of the Sox to score runs, We're the YANKEES dammit!" - JT

Pedro dominated the top of the fifth as Williams struck out swinging to start. Pedro froze Giambi for strike three and Posada went down hacking to end the inning. Wells cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon watched strike three go by to start. Sanchez grounded out to first and Henderson looked at strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.

The Yankees finished off Pedro in the top of the sixth as Nixon had to make a sliding catch to rob Ventura of a hit to start. White walked and Sox manager Grady Little had seen enough of Pedro after 105 pitches. Pedro would be charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. Rolando Arrojo came in and Vander Wal dropped a base hit to left. Wilson slapped a base hit down the left field line that scored White but Henderson threw out Vander Wal at third on the play. Wilson moved to second on the throw and he scored on the Jeter seeing eye single to right to increase the lead. Johnson flied out to right to end the inning but things looked bleak for Boston trailing 6-3.

                                          "There there Pedro, its okay" - Little

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Damon lined out left to start. Nomar popped up to second but Ramirez walked. Clark forced Ramirez at second to end the inning.

Arrojo returned for the top of the seventh and Williams popped up to short to start. Giambi grounded out to short but Posada walked. Ventura drew a walk and Red Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger came out to ask Rolando Arrojo what he thought about the upcoming WWF Backlash pay-per-view and Fieldin Culbreth told Tony to beat it. Tony said he had two words for Culbreth and was thrown out of the park by armed security. White flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

                                "I've had it up to HERE with you, Tony. Get out!" - Culbreth

Hillenbrand dropped a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Varitek popped up to second. Nixon popped up to first and Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Arrojo returned for the top of the eighth and Vander Wal grounded out to short to start.Wilson dropped a base hit in front of Nixon but Jeter popped up to right. Johnson flied out to a stumbling Henderson to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth with Gerald Williams now in right although Henderson popped up to first to start. Damon hit a bullet to deep center and Bernie Williams dropped the ball for a "double" to chase Wells. As the YES announcers proclaimed the Sox didn't deserve any of the runs or hits they got....yes I'm serious, Ramirez dropped a base hit in front of Gerald Williams to score Damon and move Nomar to third. Yankees manager Joe Torre was miffed the Sox had the unmitigated audacity to score runs so he brought in Mariano Rivera. Clark hit a grounder to first to score Nomar and bring up Hillenbrand. Down to his last strike, Shea clubbed a 2 run home run into the net in left to put the Sox on top. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.

                                                   Rivera can't believe it

Ugueth Urbina took the mound to close out the top of the ninth and Bernie Williams grounded out to first to start. Giambi also grounded out to first but Posada ripped a base hit to right. Alfonso Soriano pinch ran for Posada but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the game. The Sox had won the game 7-6.

                                                        "You're out, you dummy!" - Nomar

Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His two run homer with 2 outs put the Sox on top for good.

                                                 Hero Hillenbrand

The Good:

Rickey Henderson was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

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

Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

Pedro Martinez was rocked for 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Rolando Arrojo allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2 2/3 innings but got the win.

Final Thoughts:

It seems every April the Boston Red Sox pull a win out of their collective behinds against the Yankees and today was that one. On the same day last year, Manny Ramirez hit a walkoff against Rivera and today it was Shea Hillenbrand's tour. Not that wins in April guarantee October success but a win is a win. Pedro got rocked again just like Opening Day and Yankee broadcasters were proclaiming he would never be the same. If that's the case, the Sox are in deep trouble this year. Ace pitchers that were as dominant as Pedro was from 1998 to 2001 come once a generation and the Sox would be up the creek without a paddle if Martinez isn't going to be the same. We all saw last year how the Sox fell off a cliff without their ace as the season wore on. The flip side is the Sox beat the Yankees two straight and they're not going to be happy. George Steinbrenner paid a lot of money for Wells, Giambi, Steve Karsay and some of the others brought in to replace Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius and Tino Martinez and so far they haven't blown away the competition yet. The Sox may have the bats to compete with the Yankees this season but if Pedro can't be Pedro, they may need to think about a possible trade. Still the Sox showed some guts to win this game and the Yankees sure don't look invincible anymore. Tomorrow the Sox look to make it three in a row against New York when Tim Wakefield (1-0) gets the ball against Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

'

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.

Royals Pull Away Late, Beat Sox (4/10/02)

It was fun while it lasted but the Boston Red Sox four game win streak came to an end at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. Derek Lowe (1-1, 1.29 ERA) pitched great by allowing just two runs in 7 innings. The problem was Royals starter Paul Byrd was better, holding the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings. "El Guapo" Rich Garces took a four run beating in the top of the eighth to put the game on ice. It all added up to a 6-2 Royals victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                   Randy Quaid is angry again

The Royals wasted no time getting to Lowe in the top of the first inning as Chuck Knoblauch singled to left to start. Knoblauch moved to second on the grounder to third by Neifi Perez although Carlos Beltran popped up to second. Knoblauch swiped second and scored on the base hit to right by Mike Sweeney. Michael Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning but the Royals were up 1-0.

                                                          Sweeney drives in a run

Byrd got the ball in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon popped up to short to start. Rey Sanchez also popped up to short and Nomar Garciaparra popped up to second to end the inning.

Joe Randa doubled to left to begin the top of the second but Raul Ibanez popped up to short. Brent Mayne took strike three and Carlos Febles grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although Manny Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Tony Clark flied out to left but Brian Daubach obliterated his second home run of the season to tie the game. Shea Hillenbrand struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                                  Daubach ties it

Lowe cruised in the top of the third as Knoblauch grounded out to third to start. Perez grounded out to second and Beltran flied out to right to end the inning. Byrd cruised in the bottom of the third as Trot Nixon flied out to center to start. Jason Varitek took strike three and Damon grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Sweeney doubled to left to start. Tucker flied out to left and Randa watched strike three go by, but Ibanez walked. Mayne singled to right to score Sweeney and the runners moved up on the throw home. Febles grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 2-1.

                                                               Mayne drives in a run

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Sanchez grounded out to short to start. Nomar hit one up the elevator shaft and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowe got in trouble in the top of the fifth as Knoblauch singled to center and promptly swiped second. Perez beat out a roller to short and Beltran caught Lowe napping with a bunt single to load the bases. Sweeney banged into a 5-2-3 double play and Tucker flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox blew their own rally in the bottom of the fifth as Clark flied out to center to start. Daubach singled to center and took third on the base hit to right by Hillenbrand. Daubach moved to third on the fly out to right by Nixon and Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Randa flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Ibanez grounded out to second. Mayne lined out to center to end the inning. Damon flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Sanchez popped up to short. Nomar grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Lowe returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Nomar booted a ground ball by Febles for an error. Febles swiped second and Knoblauch moved him over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Perez popped up to center and Febles tried to score but was thrown out a the plate by Damon to end the inning. Lowe pitches great, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings but the Sox bats couldn't pick him up.

                                                             Lowe deserved better

Byrd cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to second to start. Clark grounded out to first and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning.

The floodgates opened with Rich Garces on the mound in the top of the eighth as Beltran singled to right to start. Beltran swiped second and moved to third on the infield single to short by Sweeney. Tucker ripped a base hit to center to score Beltran and Randa doubled home Sweeney to ice the game. Ibanez hit a sac fly to right to score Tucker and move Randa to third before Randa scored on the sac fly to left by Mayne. Febles grounded out to first to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           "Garces......"

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the eighth as Hillenbrand got a base hit to left to start. Nixon flied out to left but Varitek singled to right to chase Byrd. Old friend Brian Shouse came in and plunked Damon to load the bases. Carlos Baerga pinch hit for Sanchez and....hit a sac fly to center to score Hillenbrand. Old pal Corey Bailey relieved Shouse and struck out Nomar swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                         Baerga drives in a run

Sun-Woo Kim made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and plunked Knoblauch to start. Knoblauch stole second but Perez popped up to third. Beltran took strike three and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bailey returned to close out the top of the ninth and Ramirez went down hacking to start. Clark grounded out to short and Daubach whiffed to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-2.

Jackass of the Night is Rich Garces. He allowed 4 runs to put the game out of reach in the eighth inning.

                                                                  El Burro

The Good:

Carlos Baerga drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Brian Daubach was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Derek Lowe pitched great. He allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings while striking out three.

Sun-Woo Kim pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.

Nomar Garciaparra was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Manny Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tony Clark was 0 for 4.

Trot Nixon was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Johnny Damon was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3 but struck out twice and allowed 5 stolen bases.

Final Thoughts:

So thats what it felt like to lose huh? After the 3 off-days and four straight wins its been a while since the Sox lost. Sad part was the Sox could have made the game more competitive if Garces didn't lose his lunch in the eighth inning. It's a shame Lowe took the loss because he pitched well for the second straight game. Garces has been solid for years so that's probably just a hiccup, the real story was Ramirez, Nomar & Clark going 0 for 12 with 2 strikeouts. Can't win too many games when your heart of the order does absolutely nothing. Still, the Sox fought hard but couldn't generate any offense. Sun-Woo Kim looked good in his season debut and it's a shame Dustin Hermanson had to get hurt in order for Kim to get called up. All in all it's a bad loss but those are going to happen. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Kansas City when Frank Castillo goes for the Sox against Chad Durbin of the Royals. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Royals (4/9/02)

Don't look now but after the Opening Day disaster, the Boston Red Sox have won 4 games in a row. After sweeping the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox picked up where they left off by knocking around the Kansas City Royals. Brian Daubach and Manny Ramirez led the charge offensively as the bats pounded out 15 hits and 8 runs. On the other side of the ball, Tim Wakefield (1-0, 7.20 ERA) survived a fifth inning grand slam by Chuck Knoblauch to pick up the win. The Sox bullpen dominated the final four innings allowing no hits as the Sox beat the Royals for their fourth straight win 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Rob Zamuner approves of the win

Wakefield got the ball in the top of the first and ex-New York Yankees nemesis Chuck Knoblauch led off with a ground out to second. Neifi Perez flied out to left but Carlos Beltran reached on an error by Shea Hillenbrand at third. Mike Sweeney grounded out to third to end the inning. Dan Reichert got the ball for the Royals in the bottom of the first and Johnny Damon walked to start. Rey Sanchez hit a pop up to left but Knoblauch inexplicably let it drop. Damon was thrown out at second on the play and Nomar Garciaparra banged into a double play to end the inning.

Michael Tucker flied out to center to start the top of the second but Joe Randa singled in the hole at short. Randa stole second on the Raul Ibanez swinging strikeout but Brent Mayne grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second when Reichert threw a grounder by Manny Ramirez away for an error to start. Tony Clark flied out to center but Brian Daubach smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Hillenbrand atoned for his error with a base hit to left but Trot Nixon hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                        Daubach's first homer of 2002

Wakefield cruised in the top of the third as Carlos Febles lined out to short to start. Knoblauch and Perez both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game early in the bottom of the third although Jason Varitek grounded out to second to start. Damon beat out a ground ball to third but Sanchez struck out swinging. Nomar doubled Damon to third and Ramirez crushed his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Clark grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 5-0.

                                                                 Manny's first blast of 2002

Wakefield cruised in the top of the fourth as Beltran grounded out to second to start. Sweeney flied out to center and Tucker took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Daubach singled to right to begin. Hillenbrand flied out to left but Nixon doubled to left. Varitek failed to move anyone with a grounder to second and Damon was intentionally walked. Sanchez forced Daubach at third to end the inning.

Wakefield fell apart in the top of the fifth as Randa singled in the hole at third to start. Ibanez singled to right but Maybe flied out to left. Febles singled to left to load the bases and Knoblauch cleared them with a grand slam to cut the lead. Perez grounded out to short and Be;tran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-4. That was it for Wakefield who made one mistake to Knoblauch but it was a big one as he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                         One mistake by Wake in 5 innings

The Sox got two of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Garciaparra clobbered his third home run of the year to increase the lead. Blake Stein relieved Reichert and Ramirez doubled to center. Clark grounded out to second but Daubach doubled home Manny to add to the total. Hillenbrand and Nixon both struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-4 Red Sox.

                                                                Nomar hits one out

Casey Fossum came in to pitch the top of the sixth and struck out Sweeney to start. Tucker went down hacking but Randa walked. Brandon Berger pinch hit for Ibanez and took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Varitek led off with his second home run of the year. Damon grounded out to third but Sanchez singled to center. Nomar flied out to right and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                                  Varitek hits one out

The Royals beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh as Mayne grounded out to first to start. Febles grounded out to first and Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning. Jeremy Affeldt came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Clark took strike three to start. Daubach went down hacking and Hillenbrand grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Willie Banks made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Perez struck out swinging to start. Beltran grounded out to first and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Nixon ripped a base hit to right to start. Varitek singled to right to move Trot to third but Damon hit a bullet to Febles who doubled off Jason at first. Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Banks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Tucker grounded out to second to start. Randa grounded out to third and Luis Alicea pinch hit for Berger only to ground out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

Hero of the Night is Manny Ramirez. His 3 run homer was the difference in the game.

                                                Damon salutes our Hero

The Good:

Johnny Damon was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Rey Sanchez was 2 for 5.

Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Brian Daubach was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer and 3 total rbis.

Trot Nixon was 2 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Casey Fossum tossed two scoreless innings.

Willie Banks pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Shea Hillenbrand was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Tim Wakefield got the win but allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Now THAT'S what the offense can do when firing on all cylinders. Nomar, Manny, Daubach & Damon all were instrumental in getting on base and the long balls helped. Clark had a bad day but normally he'd be contributing as well. When Nixon, Sanchez and Varitek also hit well this offense is tough to beat. Wakefield only gave up one mistake to Knoblauch and the duo of Fossum & Banks slammed the door. Banks showed promise at the end of last year so hopefully he can combine with Rich Garces and Ugueth Urbina to shorten the games. Other than the inconsequential error by Hillenbrand and the grand slam by Knoblauch there isn't much to complain about. All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to make it five in a row tomorrow night against the Royals. Derek Lowe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes on Paul Byrd of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (4/8/02)

Just as everyone feared, the news wasn't good when it came to Dustin Hermanson. Apparently he suffered a severe groin pull that's going to knock him out of action for a while. Hermanson was officially placed on the Disabled List retroactive to April 4th and in his place the Sox called up Sun-Woo Kim from Pawtucket. The 24 year old pitched in 20 games last year and hopefully that experience under his belt will help him this season to improve.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                        IN

In other news unrelated to the Red Sox, the Boston Bruins are currently in 1st place in the NHL Eastern Conference and have 3 games left to play to lock up the first seed. The Boston Celtics are a few games back of the New Jersey Nets for first place in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. Its going to be a fun spring if both the Bruins and Celtics have long playoff runs.

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the Kansas City Royals. Dan Reichert goes for Kansas City against Tim Wakefield making his season debut for Boston. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.