Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell’s back-to-back homeruns lead Sox to 9-4 win over Baltimore

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RED SOX POWER PAST ORIOLES 9-4; MOVE TO 35-24
Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell’s back-to-back homeruns lead Sox to 9-4 win over Baltimore

(June 1, 2008) – The Boston bats woke up earlier on the first day of June on the back of right fielder J.D. Drew and put a three spot up on the scoreboard in the third and fourth innings, giving the Sox the 9-4 win. Bartolo Colon picked up his third win of the season with the Sox victory.

The Red Sox version of the Game Theory, today’s center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury started the Sox out on the right foot with a base hit into center in the first inning. After Dustin Pedroia flew out to right field to for the first out of the inning, Ellsbury had the glimmer in his eye that he was going to attempt his 27^th stolen base of the season. The Sox rookie would not wait around long into Kevin Youkilis’s at-bat and took off on the 0-1 pitch but the young outfielder would be thrown out trying to swipe second. For the third time this season, Ellsbury had been thrown out attempting to pad his stats. The only thing that makes it worse is, Orioles catcher Guillermo Quiroz is 3-for-16 in throwing out base runners. The young Ellsbury is starting to get a bit too cocky when he is on the base paths. Now sounds like a good time to quote former Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin “calm down” little guy.

Although Youkilis lined a base hit into left field, the latest member of the 500 homerun club, would fly out to the deep center to end the inning. But Mike Lowell would put the Sox on the board in the top of the second. The third baseman blooped a base hit over Kevin Millar’s head and into right field. Normally a on a bloop hit like Lowell’s, Youkilis or David Ortiz would still be standing at third but the 2007 World Series MVP was hustling out the batter’s box and cruised into second with the double. Lowell advanced to third on catcher Jason Varitek’s single to right field and scored on J.D. Drew’s sacrifice fly to deep left that prompted Oriole left fielder Jay Payton to back up allowing Lowell to score.

The Orioles would come back to tie the game in the bottom of the second when Red Sox killer Luke Scott doubled off the scoreboard in right. Payton would sacrifice Scott to third with a bunt to make way for Adam Jones one-out single to right to plate Scott and tie the game at one. But that would be the last time Baltimore would be in the game.

Pedroia would lead off the fourth inning with his only base hit of the game into center field while Youkilis followed the second baseman’s lead with his second single to left, moving Pedroia to third. After getting the 500 homerun monkey off his back yesterday, Ramirez put a nice fluid swing on the first offering he saw from Brian Burress and lined double to left to drive in Pedroia. But the Sox offense would not go away quietly. Lowell would drive in Youkilis for his 23^rd RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to deep right, Ramirez also tagged on the play and went to third. After Varitek lined out to Aubrey Huff at third, Drew drove in his second RBI of the game and 24^th of the season with a single to right before Burres retired Lugo two batters later to end the third.

The Sox put up another three spot on back-to-back two out homeruns by Ramirez and Lowell. The day after Ramirez hit his 500^th homerun, he came back to hit his 501^st to the same general location – right field – to give the Sox the 6-1 lead. It is hard to follow a Ramirez home run if you are the next better in the line but Lowell has been doing it for the past two years and this time he drove a line drive into the front row of the bleachers in left field for his seventh homerun and 25^th RBI. Drew also added his fifth homerun of the year in seventh in the form of solo shot with one out.

Tim Wakefield makes his 32^nd career start against Baltimore tomorrow night and will try to complete the four game sweep. It will be the first time since September 20-23, 2002 they have swept the Orioles in a four game series in Maryland. Wakefield is coming of a 1-0 complete game loss to the Seattle Mariners, where the only run of the game came on a third inning homerun to Yuniesky Betancourt. The knuckleballer’s outstanding five hit, eight strike out and no walks performance fell victim to the Sox offense who were “Powerless in Seattle.”

The 41-year-old Sox veteran will be opposed by the Orioles right hander Jeremy Guthrie who is 2-6 on the season with a 3.64 ERA, 48 strike outs, 23 walks and a 1.21 WHIP. He is coming off a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees where he went seven innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four.

WIN: Bartolo Colon (3-0)

LOSS: Brian Burres (4-5)

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The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. J.D. Drew, BOSTON ---- 2-3 Homerun, 3 RBIs

2. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON ---- 3-5 Double, Homerun, 3 RBIs

3. Mike Lowell, BOSTON ---- 2-4 Double, Homerun, 2 RBIs