Manny Ramirez’s 500th career homerun seals the deal as Sox take Game 2 against Baltimore

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com

sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX OVERPOWER ORIOLES 6-3; MOVE TO 34-24
Manny Ramirez’s 500th career homerun seals the deal as Sox take Game 2 against Baltimore

(May 31, 2008) – Friday and Saturday nights in Baltimore during the school year are student nights where college students can get in for a small fee of $5. Well the hundreds of thousands of students who benefit from MICUA* (the Maryland Independent College and University Association) and paid the $5 for last night’s game got to witness history as well as the Red Sox’s 6-3 victory.

In the top of the seventh inning, Manny Ramirez lifted his 500^th career homerun into the bleachers in right center field off former Sox pitcher Chad Bradford. Bradford joins the likes of Melido Perez, Tanyon Sturtze, Dave Eiland, Ramon Ortiz and Gil Meche who allowed all of Ramirez’s milestone homeruns (first, 100^th, 200^th, 300^th and 400^th, respectively).

Ramirez’s homerun in the seventh was the second run of the inning. Before the Sox left fielder stepped to the dish looking for the illustrious 500^th homerun, Boston had already taken the lead for good. Ellsbury led off the inning with a triple into the gap in right center. After Dustin Pedroia grounded out to shortstop – with the infield pulled in – David Ortiz lifted a sacrifice fly ball to left that pushed across the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. It was Ortiz’s second RBI of the game.

The Orioles jumped on the board first with a two-run second on three weak base hits. Millar led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on Hernandez’s base hit into left field. Another former Red Sox, Jay Payton drove in Millar on squibbler down the third base line. Center fielder Adam “I’m not Pac-Man” Jones lined a base hit into center for Baltimore’s second run of the game.

Baltimore’s two-run advantage would only last until the third batter of the third when Ortiz tied up the game with his 13^th homerun of the season on the back end of back-to-back homeruns. Before Ortiz stepped to the plate, Pedroia hit his fourth homerun of the season to cut the Orioles lead in half.

As former Yankee catcher and Hall of Famer, Yogi Berrea once said “it was deja-vu all over again,” when the Red Sox and Orioles took the field on Saturday night. No you were not watching a replay of yesterday’s Sox-O’s game. Once again these two teams could not score more than two runs a piece for the first 4.1 innings. Orioles second baseman and son of a former UNC baseball coach, Brian Roberts broke up the tie game with his fourth homerun of the season in fifth.

After Roberts solo homerun in the fifth, Jon Lester ran into a bit of difficulty. Right fielder Nick Markakis lined a double down the left line past the out stretched arm of Manny Ramirez. It appeared as if Lester was not going to make it through the fifth inning after he walked Kevin Millar (for the second time) and Aubrey Huff back-to-back to load the bases with two outs in the inning. The Sox had right handed reliever David Aardsma warming up in the bullpen to come on for Lester should the left hander struggle. But Lester would make catcher Ramon Hernandez nothing but a figment of the past by striking out the Baltimore catcher for his fourth strike out of the game and third out of the inning.

It would also end up being the last inning for Lester. Meaning the Sox lefty could not get the win but only the loss. But fortunately his cohort and Ramirez were able to take care of things and give the Red Sox their 34^th victory on the season. In five innings, Lester allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking three.

The Sox would tie up the game in the top of the sixth when Mike Lowell was hit by Lance Cormier, who came in at the beginning of the inning in relief of starter Garrett Olson. With Kevin Youkilis at the dish, Cormier stuttered on the mound as he was ready to deliver the second pitch to Youkilis. According to baseball statistical rules, this constitutes a balk and Lowell was able to advance on to second base on the play. Youkilis would advance Lowell to third on a base hit just under shortstop Alex Cintron’s glove.

Sox captain Jason Varitek is known more for his defensive work than for his production at the dish but last night the Sox catcher came through with his second base hit of the night. Varitek’s single to left drove in Lowell to even up the score at three a piece. Center field Coco Crisp would reached on a fielder’s choice –first to short – moving Youkilis up to third. Shortstop Julio Lugo ended the inning with a pop up to Roberts who snow-coned the final out of the inning.

The Sox will deal with another Baltimore left hander on Sunday afternoon at Oriole Park when they face 27-year-old, Oregon native Brian Burres. The Orioles left hander is 4-4 on the season with a 4.15 ERA, 29 strike outs, 18 walks and a 1.35 WHIP and will be opposed by the 2-0 Bartolo Colon, who is making his third start of the season.

Burres is coming off a very poor, 3.2-inning outing against the Yankees where he allowed eight runs on 10 hits including four homeruns. Against the Red Sox, he has pitched in eight games with one start and he is 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA, 9-9 strike out to walk ratio and a 1.56 WHIP. Sox batters are hitting at a .250 clip against the Baltimore left hander as well in 14.2 innings.

After starting the season on the disabled list and pitching in a few rehab games in Pawtucket, Colon is in search of his third win of the season. If he receives the win Sunday’s matinee with the Orioles, he will have reached his third win faster than teammate Jon Lester. Colon is coming of a 5-3 win against the Seattle Mariners up in Washington state, where he pitched seven strong innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out four and walking one. Colon has made 17 starts against the Orioles and has eight wins and six losses to show for it in 113 innings. Along with an 8-6 record, he also has a 3.27 ERA, a 3-2 strike out-to-walk ratio and a 1.38 WHIP against Baltimore. Oriole batters are hitting at a .257 clip against the former Cy Young Award winner as well.

WIN: David Aardsma (2-1)

LOSS: Lance Cormier (0-2)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (16)

--

Game Notes:

David Ortiz left the game in the middle of his fifth at-bat in the top of ninth inning. Sean Casey replaced him at the plate with a 3-2 count.

After being put on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, starter Daisuke Matsuzaka has begun his shoulder strengthening program and hopes to return as soon as he is eligible on June 14.

The Red Sox have activated Clay Buchholz from the 15-day disabled list from a broken finger nail on his throwing hand. He will make a few rehab assignments in Pawtucket and probably will remain down their for a while due to the full house of pitchers at the Major League level. But GM Theo Epstein, Terry Francona and John Farrell have and will continue to meet to discuss the young, 23-year-old’s plans for the future.

J.D. Drew sits out another game after experiencing symptoms of vertigo yesterday when he woke up in his Baltimore hotel room. (Although my personal experience is that any Baltimore hotel room can do that to you.)

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON ---- 1-4 Homerun, RBI 500^th Career homerun

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON ---- 3-4 Double, RBI

3. Nick Markakis, BALTIMORE ---- 2-4 2 Doubles

(* MICUA is the Maryland Independent College and University Association and it provides support and additional services to those independent colleges and universities in the state of Maryland. Click the link in the story to find out more about the organization if you wish.)

Mike Lowell’s single down the left field in 13th gives the Sox second win of the 10-game trip

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com

sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX OUTLAST ORIOLES 5-2 IN EXTRA FRAMES; MOVE TO 33-24
Mike Lowell’s single down the left field in 13^th gives the Sox second win of the 10-game trip

(May 30, 2008) – It was a good night for Boston. On the same night the Boston Celtics returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years, the Red Sox pulled out the 5-2 victory in 13 innings with Mike Lowell’s third hit of the game off Chad Bradford. The Sox third baseman drove in the birthday boy, Manny Ramirez, who reached on Melvin Mora’s second error of the game to lead off the inning. It was Lowell’s 22^nd RBI of the year.

But the scoring was not done the lucky thirteenth inning. First baseman Kevin Youkilis got into the action with a base hit to shortstop, moving Lowell up to third. The right handed Dennis Sarfate came in to relieve Bradford but the damage was done. To add insult to injury, Lowell swiped his first bag of the season with his steal of third in the inning on a double steal. After Jason Varitek struck out for the first out of the inning, Coco Crisp drove in Lowell and Youkilis when he was safe at first on shortstop Freddie Bynum’s throwing error.

Last time the Sox were in Baltimore, the Orioles were taking infield practice before the game – something that is not usually done by ball clubs during the season. But it was not all that effective. All of the runs scored in the top of the 13^th inning were unearned. Sure it will make the pitchers happy not see their ERAs sky rocket but it will make manager Dave Trembley’s blood pressure go through the roof. Honestly, six year olds can play better defense than the Orioles did tonight.

The Sox did not wait around against Oriole starter Daniel Cabrera. Ortiz got the Sox on the board early with a one-out RBI base hit into right center to plate Jacoby Ellsbury, who doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Still in search of that evasive 500^th homerun, Ramirez prolonged the first inning with another double down the left field line sending Ortiz to third. Ortiz would come home to score Boston’s second run of the game on a long, sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Lowell.

Baltimore cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second when former Sox first baseman Kevin Millar dropped a single in front of Ramirez with one out. Coming into tonight’s game, Orioles left fielder Luke Scott has been 4-for-5 against Josh Beckett and would continue his success against the Sox ace with a single into right to move Millar to third. Trying to piece something together against Beckett, Scott took off for second with Hernandez at the dish. Sox catcher Jason Varitek’s throw traveled a bit too far than the necessary 128 feet, from home to second, and allowed Millar to come on with Baltimore’s first run. Third baseman Aubrey Huff’s ninth round tripper of the season evened up the score at two a piece in the O’s half of the fourth.

It was hard to imagine that both starters started before the tip-off of Game Six but it was true and both were out of the game before the second quarter started. After getting off to a rocky first inning, Cabrera settled down long enough for the Orioles to tie the game in the fourth. Nothing came easy for the tall, lanky Baltimore pitcher but he was able to scratch and claw his way out of jams after a turbulent first. Cabrera went on to pitch seven innings allowing just the two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out three Sox before turning the game over to the Orioles relievers, who as a group, pitched extremely well this year.

In six innings, Beckett allowed one earned run on four hits while striking out 10 orange birds on 118 pitches. He did not pitch like the quintessential Josh Beckett Red Sox fans expect to see but he pitched well enough to have a chance to get his sixth win of the season. During the fifth and sixth innings, Beckett retired four consecutive batters via the strike out before allowing his first walk of the game. That first walk would soon turn into three more and next thing Beckett knew he was facing center fielder Adam Jones with the bases loaded. After a long at-bat, Jones finally succumbed to Beckett’s fastball for the all-star pitcher’s 10^th strike out of the game.

Sox left handed set-up, Hideki Okajima came on in relief of Beckett to pitch the seventh and eighth innings. In two innings of work, the Japanese left hander faced seven batters and retired five of them, giving up a one-out single to second baseman Brian Roberts in the seventh before turning the reigns over to Sox right handed set-up man Manny Delcarmen for the bottom of the ninth inning.

After recent call-up Jeff Bailey pinch-hit for the weak hitting Alex Cora in the top of the ninth, Julio Lugo found himself in a very rare situation. He was in the game in the ninth inning. Due to Lugo’s poor performance in the field – 12 errors on the season – Cora will come out as a defensive replacement but tonight it was vice-versa with Cora being pinch-hit for in the top of the inning.

Facing the bottom third of the Baltimore line up, Delcarmen quickly retired Hernandez and Jones on a fly ball to center and a strike out before giving up a base hit by the dive of Dustin Pedroia to shortstop Freddie Bynum. Bynum would steal his first base of the season to place himself in scoring position for Brian Roberts. The Orioles second baseman worked a walk against the Boston native to bring up the father of quintuplets, Melvin Mora. Coming into his at-bat in tonight’s game Mora is had been 0-for-4 with two strike outs and it would only get worse when he grounded out to Lowell at third for the final out of the inning and force extra frames.

Since relieving Cabrera in the eighth inning, Baltimore bullpen has pitched outstanding, retiring 12 consecutive Red Sox hitters since Lowell’s base hit to left center. The Orioles streak was retired when Albers walked Lugo to lead off the inning. With Lugo off on the pitch, Ellsbury hit a squibbler into right field sending the Sox shortstop to third base. For the first time all game the Sox had something boiling with Pedroia at the dish but unfortunately there were all ready two outs. Pedroia hit a weak ground ball to Mora but the second base umpire called base runners inference on Ellsbury to end the inning.

It will be a match-up of Southpaws in tomorrow night’s second game of the four game series. The Sox will send Jon Lester to the hill to face Garrett Olson. Lester is coming his first start since throwing his no-hitter and is 3-1 on the season with a 5.19 ERA with 45 strike outs while Olson is 4-1 with a 4.09 ERA and 26 strike outs.

WIN: Mike Timlin (3-3)

LOSS: Chad Bradford (2-2)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (15)

--

Game Notes:

SawxBlog gives a Happy 36^th Birthday shout out to the RBI Man, Manny Ramirez.

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis had the dreadful baseball hat trick of three consecutive strike outs in the third, sixth and seventh innings.

Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera recorded his first one-two-three inning in the top of the fourth inning when he got Kevin Youkilis to fly out to center, Jason Varitek to pop to shortstop and retiring Coco Crisp by way of the K.

Injury Report:

Before the game the Red Sox put Daisuke Matsuzaka on the 15-day disabled list and called up Jeff Bailey from Pawtucket.

J.D. Drew was a late scratch to Friday’s line up after having vertigo, giving Jacoby Ellsbury the opportunity to start in right field, according to Terry Francona.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Mike Lowell, BOSTON ---- 3-5 2 Singles, Double, 2 RBIs

2. David Ortiz, BOSTON ---- 2-6 Single, Double, RBI

3. Aubrey Huff, BALTIMORE --- 1-5 Homerun, RBI

Yuniesky Betancourt’s solo homerun in the third was all the M’s needed to send the Sox back east

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com

sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX DROP RUBBER GAME TO MARINERS 1-0; MOVE TO 32-23
Yuniesky Betancourt’s solo homerun in the third was all the M’s needed to send the Sox back east

(May 28, 2008) – It was a staring contest between Boston and Seattle. The first team to blink would end up with another digit added to the right side of the standings. The Sox blinked first and head back east after winning just one game on their six game trip to the left coast, after a 1-0 loss at the hands of Erik Bedard and the Seattle Mariners. (Special editor’s note: That would make a wonderful tee-shirt idea: “The Sox went west and all I got was ‘Seattle’s Best.’”)

Upset about being pinch-hit for in the bottom of the ninth inning by Jeremy Reed, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt put the Mariners on top with a one-out solo homerun in the third. The Seattle shortstop took the 1-1 high, knuckler for a ride and deposited it into the Red Sox bullpen in left. It was Betancourt’s third homerun and 19^th run batted in of the season.

The rubber game of was a pitcher’s duel between Seattle’s Southpaw, Erik Bedard and Boston’s knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield. Besides the one mistake to Betancourt, Wakefield’s knuckleball fluttered all over the strike zone, baffling Seattle batters for seven innings. It was evident that his knuckleball was working when he struck out the side in the Mariner’s half of the second. The Sox 41-year-old starter allowed scattered base hits but never gave the Mariners the opportunity to piece anything to together after Betancourt’s homerun. Wakefield would throw his 30^th complete game of his career allowing jut one run on five hits while striking out eight Mariners and walking none.

With Wakefield doing his part to make sure the Sox walked away with a series win, Bedard was doing everything in his power not to let that happen. Bedard matched Wakefield’s magnificent performance with an extraordinary performance of his own, even mirroring Wakefield’s second inning with three strike outs in the fifth. At one point during the game, the Mariners starter retired eight consecutive Sox hitters before walking Mike Lowell in the top of the seventh inning. His night would be over after getting Coco Crisp to fly out to left to end the inning.

After pitching seven strong innings of two-hit ball with eight strike outs while walking just three batters, Bedard turned the game over to Brandon Morrow. Morrow was the reliever who entered Tuesday night’s game with runners on first and second and nobody out, to strike out Manny Ramirez and Lowell back-to-back before getting J.D. Drew to fly out to left. Last night, Morrow fast a little trouble after walking the pinch-hitting Drew to lead off the inning. Shortstop Julio Lugo attempted to sacrifice Drew to second with a bunt but first baseman Miguel Cairo sniffed out that one and threw Drew out at second. The Seattle reliever would get rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out to second before striking out Dustin Pedroia for the final out of the inning.

The Red Sox departed Seattle after the game for the “Land O’ Crabs” to face the Baltimore Orioles for a four game series beginning on Friday night. Josh Beckett will get the start for the Sox and will be opposed by the Orioles tall, lanky right hander, Daniel Cabrera. These two teams last met in a two-game series on May 13 and 14 where Baltimore walked away with their first two-game sweep in Baltimore since April 25-26 of 2005.

Beckett has not been too pleased with the start of his 2008 season. He started the season on the disabled list with a back and hip injury and since coming off the disabled list, the Sox ace is 5-4 with a 4.43 ERA, 65 strike outs and a 1.08 WHIP. Not the kind of start the 2007 ALCS MVP wanted to have. Beckett is coming of a 3-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics last Saturday where he pitched seven innings allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out nine.

Against the Orioles this year, Beckett’s outing was nothing to write home about. The last time he was on the Camden Yards mound, the Red Sox starter went 5.2 innings allowing five earned runs on 11 hits while walking two and striking out five. Oriole batters are hitting at a .707 clip against Beckett this year.

The normally short-fused Baltimore right hander, Cabrera is a surprising 5-1 on the season with a 3.70 ERA, 42 strike outs and a 1.29 WHIP. He is coming of a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 25 where he went 5.2 innings allowing four runs on nine hits while walking six and striking out one. The Orioles would go on to lose the game to the first place Rays, 5-4. Against the Sox this year, Cabrera is 1-0 with a 6-3 victory on May 14 where he went seven innings allowing two runs on 10 hits while striking out three and walking no opposing batters. Although his line score looks good, Sox batters are hitting a nice .387 against him this year. Can’t you smell the sweet smell of revenge (it smells like chicken) with that statistic plus the fact that Baltimore has fallen down the AL East standings very quickly?

WIN: Erik Bedard (4-3)

LOSS: Tim Wakefield (3-4)

SAVE: J.J. Putz (6)

--

Game Notes:

Jacoby Ellsbury “stole” his 20^th stolen base of the season. There are parentheses around stole because Bedard had a picked him off at first but first baseman Miguel Cairo threw wildly into left field allowing Ellsbury to reach second base safely. If Cairo made a good through Ellsbury would have been a dead duck.

Ichiro Suzuki reached base in the bottom of the eighth on fielder’s choice to second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Ichiro stole his 23^rd bag of the season to put him in a tie with Houston’s Michael Bourn for most stolen bases in MLB.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Erik Bedard, SEATTLE --- 7IP, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 8K

2. Yuniesky Betancourt, SEATTLE --- 2-3 Homerun, RBI

3. Tim Wakefield, BOSTON --- 8IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 8K

Jose Lopez’s ninth inning walk-off single drives home Seattle’s first win in eight games

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com
sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX DROP GAME TWO TO MARINERS 4-3; MOVE TO 32-23
Jose Lopez’s ninth inning walk-off single drives home Seattle’s first win in eight games

(May 27, 2008) – Although Julio Lugo had been ejected three innings prior, his spirit was still on the field in the bottom of the ninth inning. Second baseman Jose Lopez’s two-out single down the third base line, past the diving Mike Lowell, gave the Mariners the 4-3 victory.

Seattle right fielder Wladimir Balentien began the inning with single off the glove of replacement shortstop Alex Cora, against reliever Mike Timlin. First baseman and former Yankee Miguel Cairo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the right fielder up into scoring position for pinch hitter, Jeremy Reed. Reed, who was pinch hitting for the upset and angry Yuniesky Betancourt, did not do what he wanted to do. He grounded out for the second out of the inning but he made sure it was to the right side of the infield to move the winning run to just 90 feet away with Ichiro Suzuki coming to bat. Suzuki was already 2-for-4 on the night with a single and double, so the Sox played it smart and intentionally walked the Seattle center fielder, to face Lopez. (Well it was a smart play at the time.)

The lowly Mariners jumped out to the early 2-0 lead against Daisuke Matsuzaka in the bottom of the first inning. Coming into the game, Matsuzaka has owned his fellow countryman, Suzuki, but tonight was a different story. Suzuki led of the game for Seattle lining a base hit down the left field line. His incredible speed allowed him to cruise into second with the easy double. Matsuzaka would make a key mistake on Lopez’s ground ball. Instead of throwing to force out Lopez for the sure out, Matsuzaka tried to get the speedy Suzuki, who broke for third on the play. Just like that, the Mariners had runners at the corners with no body out.

I vividly recall telling the children at after school recreation baseball to get the sure out at first base. Maybe Matsuzaka needs to go back to tee-ball to re-learn the basic fundamentals of the game of baseball.

His first inning mistake ended up costing the Sox two runs. Designated hitter, Jose Vidro reached on a fielder’s choice – first to short – forcing out Lopez and in the back door came Suzuki with Seattle’s first run of the game. Left fielder Raul Ibanez hit line drive double just past the outstretched glove of the diving Coco Crisp in left center, to drive in Vidro with the second run. But Matsuzaka was able to “minimize the damage” by striking out third baseman, Adrian Beltre and catcher Kenji Johjima, back-to-back to end the inning.

Seattle would get another run two innings later after Suzuki led off the inning with a base hit into center field. He was able to turn a simple single into a double with his 22^nd stolen base of the season, putting him one steal behind Houston Astros’s center fielder Michael Bourn (23). Suzuki advanced to third on a ground ball to first by Vidro. Sean Casey reverted to his days as a little leaguer and threw the ball wide of Matsuzaka allowing Vidro to reach. With an extra life, Ibanez drove in his second run of the game with a ground ball, fielder’s choice to second.

The Sox bats were stifled for the first five innings by Seattle right hander Miguel Batista but were able to get to him an inning later. After making Crisp just his second strike out victim, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt bobbled a ground ball by Dustin Pedroia allowing the Sox second baseman to reach and giving Betancourt his seventh error of the season. The error rattled the Mariners pitcher and he gave up a base hit to right by the Sox big man, David Ortiz, giving Manny Ramirez the opportunity to tie up the game with one swing of the bat.

Stuck at 498 homeruns for over two weeks and 0-for-1 on the night, Ramirez lined an opposite field shot over the head of Balentien for his 499^th career homerun – ninth on the season. It is hard not be jealous of Manny’s swing. He has the perfect swing any baseball player – youth or professional – wants to have. There are even some golfers out there that watch in amazement of how still the eccentric left fielder’s head remains as well as the fluid motion of his arms as he swings through the ball.

After tying the game in the sixth, the Sox had their biggest opportunity of the game to take the lead two innings later. Facing Pedroia for the fourth time, Batista walked the Sox second baseman and was quickly pulled by manager John McLaren in favor the left hander Ryan Rowland-Smith. Brought in specifically to face Ortiz, Rowland-Smith failed to do his job, giving up a base hit to right center to the designated hitter and moving Pedroia up to second. That was it for the Seattle lefty as McLaren opted for the right hander Brandon Morrow to face Ramirez.

With no outs, runners on first and second and one of the most dangerous hitters at the plate, it did not spell good news for the Mariners. Two innings ago, Ramirez took an outside pitch over the right field fence to push him one homerun closer to the evasive 500 mark. Everything was in line for an offensive shower of runs, but just as unpredictable as the weather is, so is the Red Sox offense on this 10-game road trip. Morrow retired Ramirez and Lowell on back-to-back strike outs and got J.D. Drew to fly out to right to end the threat.

The Red Sox will send their knuckleball pitcher to the hill to face the former Baltimore Oriole in tomorrow’s late night finale in the hometown of the co-founder of the world’s largest operating system. Tim Wakefield will face Seattle left hander Erik Bedard in the final game of the three game series with the Mariners. Looking for his fourth win of the season, Wakefield is coming off an 8-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics last Friday night. In the lose, the Sox veteran right hander allowed all eight runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out four.

Wakefield has faced Seattle 23 times including 13 starts against Mariners in his 14 year career. In 111.1 innings, he is 3-8 with one shut out, a 4.37 ERA and a 78-to-52 strike out-to-walk ratio. Also in his 13 starts, Wakefield has gone the distance thrice against the Mariners including one shut out.

Before being traded to the Mariners, the native Canadian spent the first five years of his career in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles, so he has seen a lot of the Red Sox. Against the Sox in his career, Bedard appeared in 11 games and has a 4-4 with a 4.95 ERA, a .222 opponent’s batting average and a 47-to-33 strike out-to-walk ratio. The Seattle lefty is coming of a 13-2 loss against the Yankees in the Bronx where he went just 4.1 innings allowing nine runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out three.

WIN: J.J Putz (2-2)

LOSS: Mike Timlin (2-3)

--

Game Notes:

Ichiro Suzuki’s double down the third base line to lead off the game for the Mariners, was only his second MLB hit against his fellow countryman, Daisuke Matsuzaka. With his third inning single, Ichiro is now 3-for-14 against Matsuzaka.

Daisuke Matsuzaka came out of the game before he threw a single pitch in the bottom of the fifth with an apparent right hip injury. More when it becomes available.

Third base umpire, Angel Hernandez ejected Julio Lugo and Terry Francona in the bottom of the fifth for arguing Raul Ibanez’s check swing on a 1-0 pitch. Alex Cora came into the game to replace Lugo at shortstop.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jose Lopez, SEATTLE ---- 2-4 Double, Game Winning RBI

2. Ichiro Suzuki, SEATTLE ---- 2-4 Double, Stolen Base

3. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON ---- 1-3 Homerun, 3 RBIs, 4^th outfield assist in the sixth on Beltre

Dustin Pedroia’s two-out ground rule double to left sparks late eighth inning rally, gives Sox 5-3 win

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com
sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX TOP MARINERS 5-3; MOVE TO 32-22
Dustin Pedroia’s two-out ground rule double to left sparks late eighth inning rally, gives Sox 5-3 win

(May 26, 2008) – Just what the doctor ordered. A nice dose of the AL West bottom feeders is what the Sox needed to end their seven game road losing streak. In just his second start of the 2008 campaign Bartolo Colon picked up his second win of the season in the Red Sox’s 5-3 victory over the hapless Seattle Mariners.

For the first seven innings of the game it was tight pitcher's duel, between Colon and Seattle’s youthful right hander Felix Hernandez. Hernandez retired 11 consecutive Sox batters before reaching David Ortiz in the top of the fourth inning. For the second time in three days, the Sox designated hitter broke up a potential no-hit bid with his solo homerun to dead center field. It was Ortiz’s 12^th homerun on the season tying him with Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton for second place in the American League homerun category. But that would be all the runs the Sox would score until the top of the eighth.

The Sox batted around in the top of the eighth and put a four spot on the board. At that point the game against a weak hitting Seattle team the game was over. The four run rally all started with two outs and when it looked as if the Sox would squander another opportunity to re-take the lead. But cocky little second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, came through, pulling a Hernandez fastball to left field for a ground rule double, scoring Julio Lugo from second base. Hernandez would intentionally walk Ortiz to face the equally dangerous left fielder Manny Ramirez.

After being in a horrific slump the past two weeks, the RBI Machine has begun to come around at the beginning of this 10 game road trip. In the eighth inning of last night’s 5-3 victory, Ramirez took an inside pitch to right, scoring Pedroia from second base and advance Ortiz to third. Sox third baseman Mike Lowell would drive in Ortiz from third with his first hit of the game, a line drive down the third base line that the Mariners Adrian Beltre could not make a play on.

Hernandez would give up a single to J.D. Drew and a bases loaded walk to Jason Varitek before Seattle manager John McClaren had seen enough and opted for the 25-year-old left hander Ryan Rowland-Smith. Smith was able to get Sean Casey, who was batting for the second time in the inning to ground out to second but the damage was done. In the words of Christine, “Take the ‘D’ from Dover and it’s over.” Hernandez pitched 7.2 innings allowing a streak of ugly fives (five runs on five hits while walking five and striking out five).

Even with a strict pitch count, the hefty Sox veteran right hander – Colon – was able to make his way through seven complete innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. In seven innings, Colon recorded just one run on five hits while walking one and striking out for Seattle hitters. Left handed set up man, Hideki Okajima came on in relief of Colon to pitch the bottom of the eighth. After giving up a single to right off the bat of Jose Lopez, Okajima stranded the second baseman at first, retiring the following three batters to end the inning.

Jonathan Papelbon came on in the ninth inning – in a non-save situation – to get some work. But things did not go the way the Sox closer would have liked. Papelbon struck out lead off batter, right hander Jeremy Reed to begin the inning but allowed first baseman Richie Sexson to reach on his throwing error. Catcher Kenji Johjima lined a base hit into right center that sent Sexson to third. Center fielder Ichiro Suzuki lined a base hit into center to plate Sexson with Seattle’s second run of the game and moving Johjima to third. With runners at the corners the Mariners appeared as if they had something going. Johjima would score on Papelbon’s wild pitch to designated hitter Jose Vidro to cut the Sox lead to two.

It was a gut-wrencher in the bottom of the ninth because it looked as if the Sox were doing everything in their power to give the game to Seattle. Papelbon’s error. Varitek not being able to handle a Papelbon pitch in the dirt to Vidro allowing the Mariners catcher to score. But like all good teams, the Red Sox were able to survive the rocky ninth and pull out their 32^nd win of the season when Vidro grounded out to Pedroia to end the ballgame.

Daisuke Matsuzaka looks to take game two of the three game series against the Mariners when he toes the rubber against Seattle right hander Miguel Batista. Matsuzaka is hoping to be come the first American League pitcher to reach the nine win mark. He is currently the last remaining MLB pitcher who is undefeated at 8-0 with a 2.40 ERA, 53 strike outs, 38 walks and a 1.32 WHIP.

Making his 11^th start of the season against the Sox Japanese pitcher, Batista is 3-6 on the season with a 6.47 ERA, 35 strike outs and a 1.97 WHIP. He is coming off a 9-2 loss against the Detroit Tigers in Motown where he allowed five runs – four earned, - on seven hits while walking one and striking out two in just three innings. Against the Red Sox in his career, Batista is 4-5 in 8 starts with a 6.20 ERA, a 33-to-34 strike out-to-walk ratio and a 1.92 WHIP.

Unlike Batista, the Sox starter tomorrow night has better numbers against the team from the Emerald City. Matsuzaka is currently 1-1 in four starts with a 4.33 ERA, 23 strike outs and a 1.15 WHIP. Mariner batters are hitting just .220 against Matsuzaka and that includes Ichiro’s 1-for-12 (.083) with two walks and three strike outs against his fellow countryman.

WIN: Bartolo Colon (2-0)

LOSS: Felix Hernandez (2-5)

--

Game Notes:

Kevin Youkilis was originally in the starting line up but was last minute scratch due to pain on the top of his right hand. Youkilis told the Sox medical personnel that he felt it yesterday against the Athletics and is currently day-to-day, according to the Sox public relations staff. The Sox first baseman was replaced in the line up by The Mayor Sean Casey.

Nine lives

Ichiro Suzuki got another chance at the plate in the first inning against Sox starter Bartolo Colon. On the third pitch to the Seattle center fielder, Suzuki skied a pop up to Jason Varitek who bobbled the ball and let it slip out of his glove and into the stands; thus giving Ichiro an extra life at the plate.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Bartolo Colon, BOSTON --- 7IP, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 4K

2. David Ortiz, BOSTON --- 1-5 Homerun, RBI

3. J.D. Drew, BOSTON --- 2-3 2 Singles

Justin Duchscherer’s one-hit shut out pushes Oakland to the 3-0 win; gives Boston 16th road loss

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com

sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX GET SHUT OUT AT HANDS OF ATHLETICS 3-0; MOVE TO 30-21
Justin Duchscherer’s one-hit shut out pushes Oakland to the 3-0 win; gives Boston 16^th road loss

(May 24, 2008) – On the night where the Celtics ended their six-game, playoff road losing streak on the back of Kevin Garnett, the Red Sox fall to 10-16 on the road with a 3-0 loss to the Athletics. The former Red Sox prospect, Justin Duchscherer was making his first career start against his old team and held them hitless until the top of the seventh inning when David Ortiz lined a base hit into right center. But it was not enough and the 30-year-old recorded his fourth win of the season.

To start the game, Duchscherer mowed down the first 15 Sox batters until hitting catcher Jason Varitek with the first pitch in the top of the sixth inning. Until then the Oakland right hander retired the Sox with 12 flyballs, two strike outs and one ground out. But Boston starter Josh Beckett pitched an impressive seven innings allowing just two runs one seven hits while striking out nine Athletics.

The A’s got to Beckett in the second inning when, first baseman Mike Sweeney led of the inning with a bloop double down the right field line. The outfield Sweeney, Ryan, would sacrifice the first baseman over to third with a bunt for the first out of the second. Right fielder Emil Brown hit a bouncer to shortstop Alex Cora. Cora tried to come home to get the not-so-fleet-of-foot Sweeney but the throw was late and Sweeney was safe at the plate and Brown was safe at first. Red Sox killer second baseman Mark Ellis singled into right center moving Brown up to second; but the one run was all the A’s got after Beckett got Kurt Suzuki to line out to left and struck out Jack Hannahan for his first strike out of the game.

Beckett kept his team in the game but the Sox’s potent offense hit a power outage and could not scrap anything together against the tall and lanky right hander. Even after Duchscherer hit Varitek in the right thigh to lead of the sixth inning, center fielder Coco Crisp became the Oakland starter’s fifth strike out victim before retiring Cora and Jacoby Ellsbury on an infield fly and ground out, respectively. It would be deja-vu in the seventh as well after Ortiz took a one-out offering to right center for the Sox’s first hit of the game. Duchscherer retired both Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell with fly outs to right to end the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Ryan Sweeney added another insurance run for the Athletics when he took a 1-0 Beckett offering to right center for his second homerun of the season. The sox starter was able to get out of the inning without any further damage being done but the game was over for Beckett and he turned the game over to reliever Manny Delcarmen.

Delcarmen did not fair much better. Pitching the eighth inning, the right handed set up, gave up a one out base hit to Oakland defensive replacement Rajai Davis. Davis advanced into scoring position for the ever dangerous Frank Thomas, with his fourth stolen base. Delcarman walked Thomas before giving up a base hit to Mike Sweeney to drive in Davis with the A’s third run of the game. Huston Street came on in the top of the ninth and retired the Sox in order for his 10^th save of the season and that was all she wrote for the Sox.

Fresh off his first complete game and 18^th no-hitter in Red Sox history, Jon Lester makes his third start against the Athletics this year opposing Oakland right hander Joe Blanton. Blanton is coming of a 7-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays where he pitched six innings allowing four runs on six hits while striking out five but did not factor into the decision. The A’s righty has already faced Boston two times this year (once in Japan and once in the United States) and is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA, six strike outs and a 1.37 WHIP in 11.2 innings. Sox batters are hitting at a .292 clip against him in 2008.

Things have not gone all too smooth with Blanton this year. At 2-6, he will be looking for his third win of the season when he opposes the Jon Lester tomorrow afternoon in the Bay Area. So far this year, Lester is 3-2 with a 3.41 ERA, 42 strike outs, 31 walks and a 1.30 WHIP. Like Blanton, this will be the third time the Sox lefty will face the Athletics this year. Lester is currently 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA and seven strike outs in 10.2 innings against Oakland in 2008 and A’s batters are hitting just .216 against him.

WIN: Justin Duchscherer (4-3)

LOSS: Josh Beckett (5-4)

SAVE: Huston Street (10)

--

Game Notes:

After going 0-for-4 in last night’s 8-3, Manny Ramirez gets a mental health day and will be replaced in left by Jacoby Ellsbury and in the order by Kevin Youkilis. Ramirez is trying to capture that elusive 500^th career homerun but has struggled as off late. His last homerun came on May 12 against the Twins in Minnesota but his struggles pre-dates even that. In the month of May, the Sox slugger is 15-for-77 (.195), 114 percentage points below his career average for May. Not only his average down but so too are his doubles (3), homeruns (2) and slugging percentage (.312).

Before the game, Ramirez fooling around taking ground balls at shortstop and surprisingly according to Nick Carfardo he has fielded them all cleanly.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Justin Duchscherer, OAKLAND --- 8IP, 1H, 0ER, 0BB, 4K

2. Mike Sweeney, OAKLAND --- 2-4 Double, RBI

3. Josh Beckett, BOSTON --- 7IP, 7H, 2ER, 0BB, 9K

The Big Hurt snaps Sox seven game winning streak with a 3-for-4 night in Oakland’s 8-3 win

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com

sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX FALL TO ATHLETICS 8-3; MOVE TO 31-19
The Big Hurt snaps Sox seven game winning streak with a 3-for-4 night in Oakland’s 8-3 win

(May 23, 2008) – Like the Celtics in the post-season away from the TD Banknorth Garden, the Red Sox road woes continue with a late night 8-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics behind starter Rich Harden. In his third appearance against the Red Sox this season, the Oakland right hander continued his dominance over Boston leading to his third win of the season.

Harden began the game on fire, retiring the first 10 Red Sox batters before giving up second baseman Dustin Pedroia’s third homerun of the season to left on a 2-1 count. In six innings, the Athletics starter allowed two runs on four hits while striking out eight Sox before turning the game over to right handed reliever Joey Devine. Devine pitched two innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out two before handing the ball off to Oakland closer Huston Street in a non-save situation.

Oakland batters knocked the Sox knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield around early in the game. With one out in the bottom of the first, shortstop Bobby Crosby doubled down the left field line and scored on a base hit into center, just out of the reach of Pedroia, by left fielder Jack Cust. After beginning the season with the Toronto Blue Jays, Frank Thomas found himself back with Athletics, the team he played with last year. Once again, against the Red Sox, The Big Hurt did what he does best and lined a shot over Manny Ramirez’s head and into no-man’s land beyond the left field fence to give the A’s the 3-0 lead.

The Athletics knocked Wake around again two innings later when Jack Cust walked with one out in the third. After hitting a homerun in his last at-bat, Thomas lined a single a base hit into left field, sending Cust to second and bringing Ryan Sweeney to the plate with one out. Cust would advance to third on a passed ball that tipped off catcher Kevin Cash’s oversized catcher’s mitt and would score on line drive into right by Sweeney three pitches later. After Wakefield got right fielder Emil Brown to strike out for the second time in the game, Mark Ellis put the icing on the cake with a three-run homerun to cap off the four run inning and giving the A’s the 7-0 advantage.

The Sox tried chip away at Oakland’s lead with Pedroia’s homerun in the top of the fourth and a two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth by Jacoby Ellsbury. Two innings later Lugo led off the inning with a base hit to third, the Sox shortstop advanced to second on third baseman Jack Hannahan’s throwing error. Making the most of his opportunity in the majors, the rookie outfielder drove in Lugo with Boston’s third run of the game. With just one out in the fifth, Ellsbury on first and Pedroia at the dish, the inning looked very promising with the two big guys looming in the on-deck circle and in the hole. But the inning was wiped out when the rookie was snapped back to reality trying to steal his 20^th bag of the season.

Down by five runs the Red Sox needed base runners. Although Ellsbury has good speed, stealing second trailing 8-3 and the power hitters coming up was not the smartest idea in the world. With his speed he would have scored any way with a base hit into the spacious outfield of McAfee Coliseum and even if it was a base hit right at an outfielder, the Sox would have had first and third with Ortiz at the plate and one out. (Even though there was the chance Pedroia could have grounded into an inning ending double play, I have “identified the negative but [focusing] on the positive.”)

Wakefield would leave the game in the middle of the sixth inning after walking lead off hitter and first baseman Daric Barton and allowing a double to the number nine hitter Kurt Suzuki. Right hander David Aardsma came on in relief of Wakefield and got Hannahan to ground out to Pedroia at second and holding Barton and Suzuki. But they were not there for long, Crosby hit a shallow sacrifice fly to a charging Ellsbury. Even with Ellsbury’s momentum carry him to the plate, Barton was still tagging from third and would score standing up easily as Ellsbury throw came up well short of Cash, for the eighth Oakland run. The book was closed on Wakefield, eight runs on eight hits while he walked and struck out four.

At least look on the bright side, no one in the Sox bullpen will be traded for a bag of bats come July like 26-year-old minor league right hander, John Odom, was earlier today. In relief of Wakefield, Aardsma and Mike Timlin combined to retired the last nine Athletic hitters.

Josh Beckett steps on the Oakland mound tomorrow night in search of his sixth win of the season against Athletics right hander and former Red Sox prospect Justin Duchsherer. At 5-3 with a 4.67 ERA and 56 strike outs, Beckett is coming off an 11-7 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers last Sunday. Although he pitched seven innings, Beckett had one of his worst outings of the season against the Brewers. In seven innings he allowed six runs on six hits with four of the hits being homeruns. Against Oakland, Beckett is 2-2 in four career starts with an ERA over five and 18 strike outs.

Tomorrow’s game two of the series will be the first start for the Oakland right hander against the team that drafted him. Duchsherer will be making his seventh start against Beckett and looks for his fourth win of the 2008 season. The 31-year-old is 3-3 with a 2.67 ERA, 26 strike outs and is coming off a 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves where he pitched five hits allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out two Brave batters. Against Boston, Duchsherer has appeared in 13 games as a reliever and is 1-0 with one save in 20.1 innings with 23 strike outs, a 2.66 ERA and a .181 opponent’s batting average.

WIN: Rich Harden (3-0)

LOSS: Tim Wakefield (3-3)

--

Game Notes:

Those Weery Road Blues
The Red Sox are four games under .500 on the road at 10 wins and 14 losses and are 8-3 against the AL West. After getting off to a bad start Oakland is second in the West with a 13-11 record and is 6-6 against the East.

Kevin Youkilis is third in the American League in hitting with a .324 batting average behind Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer’s .333 and AL league leader Texas center fielder Josh Hamilton’s .335 average.

David Ortiz is third in the American League in homeruns and RBIs with 10 round-trippers of the season and 38 RBIs. Josh Hamilton leads the AL triple crown categories with a .335 average (as noted above), 12 homeruns (tied with Chicago’s Carlos Quentin) and 53 RBIs (most in MLB).

Manny Ramirez is still stuck at homerun #498. His last homerun came against the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome on May 12. Ramirez has hit a snag in his last 10 games hitting only .229 (8-for-35) with only two extra base hits.

Red Sox hitting coach, Dave Magadan, was ejected from the game in the middle of the top of the sixth inning.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Rich Harden, OAKLAND ---- 6IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 8K

2. Frank Thomas, OAKLAND --- 3-4 Homerun, 2 RBIs

3. Dustin Pedroia, BOSTON ---- 1-4 Homerun, RBI

JACOBY ELLSBURY

In the top of the seventh inning Ellsbury managed to get himself thrown out trying to steal his 20^th bag of the season with the Sox down 8-3. He tried to argue that he was safe but second base umpire, Jeff Nelson, was having no part of the argument. Ellsbury clearly over-slid the bag and was tagged out by shortstop fellow Morman Bobby Crosby.

Minor League Ballplayer traded for bats....literally

For the first time in baseball history, a player was traded for a bag of baseball bats.

Independent league pitcher, John Odom will, one day, be in the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York - just not for his baseball prowess. The 26-year-old pitcher was traded from the Calgary Vipers of Calgary, Alberta, Canada to the Laredo, TX Broncos of the United League for $655 worth of wooden bats.

Actually it is not as bad as it sounds. According to a Weslaco, TX television station KRGTV-5, Odom was under contract with the Vipers but was stopped by Canadian immigration officials. Not being allowed to get into Canada, Calgary had no choice but to trade their pitcher. They were not entirely enthused with any player on the Broncos' roster so they asked for 10 maple wood, double-dipped black34-inch C243 baseball bats.

Broncos GM Jose Melendez chimed in on the deal and told USA Today "they just wanted some bats, good bats — maple bats."

Good deal for the Broncos; bad deal for the self-esteem of the pitcher.

Odom was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2003 and played 38 games for the Single A affiliate before being released at the beginning of the 2008 season.

Jason Varitek’s solo-homerun leads to a four run fifth and the Sox’s sixth consecutive win

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com
sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX OUT LAST ROYALS 6-3; MOVE TO 30-19
Jason Varitek’s solo-homerun leads to a four run fifth and the Sox’s sixth consecutive win

(May 21, 2008) – The Red Sox are on a roll, winning six of their last 10 games as they take game three of the four game series against the Kansas City Royals 6-3. The win gave starter Bartolo Colon his first win of the season in his first outing of 2008, pitching five innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out four.

The Sox got on the board first when right fielder and lead off hitter Jacoby Ellsbury took Royals starter Brett Tomko deep into the Kansas City bullpen for the early 1-0 lead. But the Royals would tie up the game in the top of the third inning against Colon. To begin the inning, center fielder Joey Gathright led off with base hit into left. Two outs later Colon walked the third baseman Alex Gordon move Gathright up to second. Brendan Donnelly’s “best friend” Jose Guillen drop a base hit in front of Coco Crisp to drive in Gathright from second to tie the game at one a piece before Mark Teahen popped out to Mike Lowell at third. And that is how the game would stay until the fifth inning.

After 2008 All-Star prospect, Gordon, drove in the Gathright for the second and go-ahead run of the game in the top of the inning, the Sox bats broke out in the bottom. With one out in the Sox half of the inning, catcher Jason Varitek launched his sixth homerun of the season into the Red Sox bullpen in right field, just out of the reach of right fielder David DeJesus. The Captain’s solo shot got the Sox bats going in the inning because Crisp followed Varitek’s homerun with a double to left.

Crisp’s double was not an easy double but the speedy center fielder was running hard out of the box and his head first slide clearly beat Guillen’s rocket overthrow that was gathered by Teahen at first. That is what hustle and speed will do for you in baseball. Crisp advanced to third on Tomko’s wild pitch before scoring on shortstop Julio Lugo’s base hit up the middle into center field. After giving up a base hit to Ellsbury, manager Trey Hillman had seen enough of Tomko and opted to go with former Sox left hander and outfielder Ron Mahay.

Mahay did not do much better giving up Dustin Pedroia’s second single of the game with a base hit to right, loading the bases for the most feared hitter in the Sox line up: David Ortiz. Typically in these situations Ortiz comes through and breaks the game open with a two run double but tonight there was no magic in the designated hitters bat. But he still drove in his 38^th RBI with a sacrifice fly to Gathright in center to plate Lugo with the Sox third run of the game. On a 2-2 count to Manny Ramirez, Royals catcher John Buck could not handle Mahay’s fourth pitch of the at-bat and the ball rolled to the backstop allowing Ellsbury to score the fourth and final run of the inning. Ramirez ended up striking out for the last out of the inning still two homeruns shy of the evasive 500^th career homerun.

Diasuke Matsuzaka toes the rubber tomorrow afternoon in hopes of becoming the first American League pitcher to reach eight wins. He will face Royals right hander Brian Bannister in the Fenway Park series finale against Kansas City. In nine games, Bannister is 4-5 with a 4.29 ERA, 34 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP. The Royals right hander is coming off a 7-3 loss against at Dolphin Stadium against the Florida Marlins where he pitched 6.1 innings allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking two.

The Red Sox are 9-0 in games when Matsuzaka starts this season and has been the ace of the pitching staff in just his second year in Major League Baseball. On the season, the Japanese import is 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA, 46 strike outs and a 1.23 WHIP. He is coming off a 6.2 inning win against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the day-night double header. In the first interleague match up, Matsuzaka allowed just two unearned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six Brewers.

WIN: Bartolo Colon (1-0)

LOSS: Brett Tomko (2-5)

--

Game Notes:

Jacoby Ellsbury got the start in right field when J.D. Drew sat out to rest his knee after getting hit in last night’s win.

Dustin Pedroia added the Sox’s sixth run of the game in the bottom of the seventh with a base hit into center to plate Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury led off the inning with his third hit of the ballgame and then swiped his 19^th base of the season before scoring on Pedroia’s third hit of the game.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Dustin Pedroia, BOSTON --- 3-5 3 Singles, RBI

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 2-3 Homerun, RBI

3. Joey Gathright, KANSAS CITY --- 2-2 2BB, 3 Runs-scored

Justin Masterson’s first Major League victory gives Sox their fifth win in a row

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com
sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX EDGE PAST ROYALS 2-1; MOVE TO 29-19
Justin Masterson’s first Major League victory gives Sox their fifth win in a row

(May 20, 2008) – It did not matter if it was a young 23-year-old rookie or a 41-year-old veteran whoever followed Jon Lester’s dazzling no-hit performance last night was going have a tough time. A no-hitter is just one of those things that the next pitcher in the rotation looks at and says “Geez I have to follow this? Why me?” But the young Justin Masterson, who was called up earlier today, pitched followed Lester’s no-hitter with a brilliant performance of his own.

Making only his second start of the year, Masterson pitched 6.1 innings allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five before turning the reigns over to the bullpen – which was really scary. The last time the young Born-Again was up in the big league, on April 24, the Sox bullpen blew a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh and any hopes of giving the young pitcher his first Major League win. But Masterson would have another shot three weeks later with Clay Buchholz on the disabled list tonight.

Although he did not receive much run support, two runs were enough to earn his first career win. The runs were provided by one of the more unlikely sparks of the line up: Julio Lugo. In the bottom of the second inning, Kevin Youkilis lined a one-out single up the middle and into center field. Right fielder J.D. Drew followed the first baseman’s base hit with one of his own to center as well. Having control issues, Royals starter Gil Meche walked catcher Jason Varitek to the load the bases and bring Lugo to the plate with just one out.

Lugo has notoriously been known for his lack of hitting during his time in Boston – and even dating back to the 2006 post-All-Star break when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. But tonight the shortstop came through to drive in Boston’s first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Youkilis and sending Drew to third. Center fielder and lead off hitter Coco Crisp drove in Drew with a double to right that would bounce over the fence forcing Varitek to hold at third base. But those were the only runs the Sox would need in the game.

When Masterson turned the reigns over to Javier Lopez in the middle of the top of the seventh, all Red Sox fans were collectively holding their breaths. They knew what happened to the young gun in April and did not want to see him get burned again. Lopez struck out first baseman Ross Gload for the second out of the inning before being yanked by Terry Francona in favor of the right handed Manny Delcarmen to face the right handed catcher John Buck.

Buck lined a single into center to drive in right fielder Mark Teahan who walked to lead off the inning and advance to second on a ground ball back to the mound by Billy Butler. Could it be happening again? Would the Sox bullpen blow another possible first win for Masterson? No. Delcarmen would strike out pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo, who pinch hit for shortstop Tony Pena, Jr. to end the inning.

Hideki Okajima would start the eighth inning but ran into trouble quickly allowing a lead off ground rule double down the right field line off the bat of center fielder David DeJesus. Okajima would get second baseman Mark Grudzielanek to ground back to the pitcher for the first out of the inning but allowed DeJesus to move up to third. The Sox left handed reliever would walk two of the next three batters with a strike out in between to load the bases before Francona opted for Jonathan Papelbon to record the last four outs of the game.

The Sox will return to Fenway for game three of the four game series against the Kansas City Royals. Bartolo Colon will make his first appearance of the 2008 season for the Red Sox. He is hoping to rebound from a dismal 2007 season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he was 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and just 76 strike outs. He will be opposed by Royals right hander Brett Tomko. Tomko is 2-4 on the season with a 5.32 ERA, 33 strike outs and a 1.42 WHIP. He is coming off his second win of the season against the Florida Marlins where he pitched six innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking just one and striking out four.

WIN: Justin Masterson (1-0)

LOSS: Gil Meche (3-6)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (13)

--

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 1-4; Double, RBI

2. Justin Masterson, BOSTON --- 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K

3. Alex Gordon, KANSAS CITY --- 3-3; 2 Doubles

Jon Lester retires 22 of last 23 to become the first Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter in 52 years

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com
sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX NO-HIT ROYALS 7-0; MOVE TO 28-19
Jon Lester retires 22 of last 23 to become the first Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter in 52 years

(May 19, 2008) – Call it May Magic. Jon Lester became the first Red Sox left hander since Mel Parnell, on July 14, 1956, to throw a no-hitter in tonight’s 7-0 win against the Kansas City Royals. On this unnaturally, cool mid-May night Lester allowed just two Royal batters to reach base against him, Billy “The Big Donkey” Butler in the second and Esteban German in the ninth.

Baseball is a funny game. Last year around this time, Lester was down in Pawtucket trying to make his comeback from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Then on a cool, fall night in Denver, Colorado Lester became the pitcher of record when the Red Sox won their second World Series in four years. Now that same young pitcher who suffered a catastrophic illness less than two years ago has become the fifth Sox left hander to throw a no hitter.

The Sox offense provided Lester with the runs he needed to perform his Monday Night Magic in the bottom of the third inning. J.D. Drew led off the inning with a line drive single into right field. Trying to stay out of the double play, Drew and catcher Jason Varitek perfected the hit-and-run when the captain lined a based hit into left field, sending Drew to third. If it was for the hit-and-run Varitek’s single would have been an easy 6-4-3 double play with two outs in the inning but with Drew off on the pitch, it pulled Royals shortstop Tony Pena, Jr. out of position; thus giving up a base hit to Varitek.

Number nine hitter shortstop Julio Lugo made the first two outs of the inning with a ground ball to Pena for the 6-4-3 double play but not before Drew came in the back door with the first run of the game. With two outs, Royals starter Luke Hochevar thought he would be able to “minimize the damage” (I will never be able to get that out of my head. Thanks Coach!) by allowing just one run and keeping KC in the game. But that was not going to happen. Lester was in the zone and so was the Red Sox offense.

Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury – who just four months older than Lester – kept the inning alive with a triple over the head of Royals center fielder David DeJesus. Hochevar continued to struggle, walking the bases loaded (Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz) before walking Manny Ramirez to put the Sox up 2-0 and getting the first RBI of the game. (Statistical rules state that a player who grounds into a double play but drives in a run will not be credited with an RBI. Do not mess with SIDs.)

The Royals defense would shoot themselves in the foot with third baseman Mike Lowell at the plate. At the lowest forms of organized baseball, kindergarten tee-ball, children are taught “two hands when you catch the ball, two hands.” It is one of the fundamentals of baseball but it seems that many of our major leaguers have forgotten what they have learned as five year olds. And tonight veteran, Gold Glove second baseman Mark Grudzielanek made the infamous error to keep the inning alive when he let a routine pop up by Lowell clank off his glove, scoring two runs. First baseman Kevin Youkilis was the ninth hitter to bat in the inning and lined a Hochevar offering into right center that was fading away from DeJesus for a double, plating Ramirez.

Those were plenty of runs for the Sox lefty but Varitek felt the need to add two more runs three innings later with his fifth homerun of the season driving Drew to give the Red Sox the 7-0 lead. But the story and focus of the game was Lester. He flirted with a no-hitter earlier this season against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 29 at Fenway, pitching eight scoreless innings before turning the game over to Jonathan Papelbon with the game tied 0-0. In that game the Sox pulled out the 1-0 win the in bottom of the ninth, giving Papelbon his first win of the season.

But tonight was his night and he was on his game. He was one strike out shy of matching his single game high with nine strike outs. Lester struck out 10 National batters on June 21, 2006, 11 days after his Major League Debut against the Texas Rangers on Saturday June 10, 2006. If what everyone says is true, “our legacies are marked by our entrances and exits” then Jon Lester is going to have a good one to tell his grandchildren when he is 75 years old. With a one-hitter and no-hitter in the same season and a World Series clinching win under his belt, he is on his way to have a good career in the majors.

The Sox will return to action against the Royals tomorrow night when the young 23-year-old Justin Masterson makes his second career start. Masterson was re-called from Pawtucket earlier today to make the start for the injured Clay Buchholz. To make room for Masterson on the roster the Red Sox optioned Chris Smith back to Pawtucket. The last time he was in Boston he pitched six innings allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four and walking four before the Boston bullpen imploded for the 7-5 loss. Masterson will be opposed by the Royals right hander Gil Meche. On the season, Meche is 3-5 with a 5.98 ERA with 35 strike outs 19 walks and a 1.48 WHIP.

WIN: Jon Lester (3-2)

LOSS: Luke Hochevar (3-3)

--

Game Notes:

Since 1969, the Red Sox are 195-205 against the Royals but are 16 games over .500 while in the friendly confines of Fenway Park against Kansas City at 108-92.

Keep an eye on the Royals 24-year-old third baseman, Alex Gordon. In his sophomore season he has come around and has a good shot at being selected for the 2008 American League All Star team with lack of all star talent at the position this year. On the season, Gordon is hitting .286 with five homeruns and 20 RBIs and has an OPS of .799, trailing only Chicago’s Joe Crede for the AL lead at third.

Sox left handed set-up man Hideki Okajima told Terry Francona his sore left wrist is fine and available in tonight's game to pitch.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jon Lester, BOSTON ---- 9IP, 0H, 0R, 9K, 2BB

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 2-3; Homerun, 2 RBIs

3. J.D. Drew, BOSTON ---- 1-3; 2 Runs-scored

David Ortiz’s two homeruns power Sox to their first sweep of Milwaukee in 11 years

SAWX BLOG – http://sawxblog.blogspot.com

sawxblog@gmail.com

RED SOX SWEEP BREWERS 11-7; MOVE TO 27-19
David Ortiz’s two homeruns power Sox to their first sweep of Milwaukee in 11 years

(May 18, 2008) – In today’s series finale against the Brewers, under overcast skies at Fenway, the Red Sox had the opportunity to do something they have not done in 17 years. Luckily they had their ace Josh Beckett on the hill to change the Sox history books.

The Beckett, fans saw in 2006 returned against the Brewers this afternoon giving up four long balls in his fifth win of the season. Although Beckett allowed six runs on six hits, he did return to his 2007 Cy Young contending season by striking out nine Milwaukee batters placing him in two off the AL lead for strike outs with 56. But the Sox offense and the Brewers impatience saved him from his fourth loss of the season and gave the Sox their first sweep of the Brewers at the old ballpark since May 20-22, 1991.

David Ortiz was the hero in today’s game. He took it upon himself to make sure the Red Sox would sweep the Brewers into the Steel City. After the Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a Ryan Braun two-run shot over the wall in left, Ortiz lined a one out double to left to drive in Dustin Pedroia in the bottom half; cutting Milwaukee’s lead to one run.

Two innings later, after Pedroia hit a solo-homerun that just barely cleared the wall in left center, the big, bulky Ortiz was not going to be shown-up by the runt of the Sox litter. He wanted to get in on the homerun action as well and lined his ninth dinger of the season around Pesky’s pole and into the seats in right to give the Sox the 3-2 advantage.

But the Brewers would not go quietly. In the top of the fourth shortstop J.J. Hardy took a two-out Beckett curveball and lined it for a two-run homerun over the Monster after right fielder Corey Hart extended the inning with a base hit up the middle. It would be the last lead Milwaukee would hold for the remainder of the game. The Sox would send six batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning to place Boston back on top for good.

Mike Lowell would reach on Brewers third baseman, Bill Hall’s fielding error to lead off the fourth inning rally. In reminiscence towards last night’s game, Hall’s error would come back to haunt Milwaukee. Kevin Youkilis would move Lowell to second with a base hit of Brewers starter Carlos Villanueva. Villanueva would walk Jason Varitek to load the bases before striking out Coco Crisp for the first out of inning but he was not out of the woods just yet. After Crisp struck out, Julio Lugo walked to drive in Lowell with the fourth and tying run before Jacoby Ellsbury singled towards right to drive in Youkilis and Varitek to take the lead 6-4. From there the Sox started to pull away like Big Brown yesterday at the Preakness in the last turn.

Ortiz would add to his offensive power surge in the bottom of the fifth with his tenth homerun on the season, driving in Pedroia who led of the inning with a double off the wall. Although, the Brewers never quite reached the Sox lead, they kept clawing their way back with back-to-back homeruns by Braun and Prince Fielder. It was Braun’s second homerun of the game and 13^th on the season.

Youkilis would put the icing on the cake in the bottom of the seventh with his ninth homerun of the season and his 32^nd and 33^rd RBIs of the year – driving in Lowell, who singled to right to lead off the inning. The Brewers would get an additional run in the top of the eighth on a ground ball to second base by Braun to drive in second baseman Rickie Weeks. It was Braun’s fourth RBI of the game but Milwaukee would not get any closer and were swept out of the Hub by their former American League rivals.

The Sox will return to action tomorrow night when they face the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park in a four game series. The left handed Jon Lester will take the hill in search of his long awaited third win of the season and will be opposed by Royals right hander Luke Hochevar. Hochevar is 3-2 on the season with a 3.94 ERA, 24 strike outs and a 1.30 WHIP. Lester is coming off a no-decision against the Baltimore Orioles where he pitched remarkable – pitching six innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four – before the bullpen blew the win in the bottom of the seventh inning.

WIN: Josh Beckett (5-3)

LOSS: Carlos Villanueva (2-5)

--

Game Notes:

Justin Masterson will be called up to make the start on Tuesday against Kansas City Royals right hander Gil Meche.

Bartolo Colon will also make his first start of the 2008 season on Wednesday against Brett Tomko.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. David Ortiz, BOSTON --- 3-5; 2 Homeruns, 4 RBIs

2. Josh Beckett, BOSTON --- 7IP, 6H, 6R, 1BB, 9K

3. Ryan Braun, MILWAUKEE --- 2-4; 2 Homeruns, 4 RBIs