Dan Haren fools Sox while retiring 11 consecutive batters as Arizona edges past Sox 2-1

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RED SOX FALL SHORT TO DIAMONDBACKS 2-1; MOVE TO 47-32
Dan Haren fools Sox while retiring 11 consecutive batters as Arizona edges past Sox 2-1

(June 23, 2008) – It was an old-time baseball pitcher’s duel between grandfather (Red Sox) and grandson (Diamondbacks) and ended with young Trey being victorious while grandpa was left scratching his head.

Usually when we think of pitchers duels we think of nostalgic baseball, historic franchises – like the Sox – and Steve Buckley. So it made all the sense to think the Sox would be victorious in last night’s duel but not quite, the Diamondbacks proved they were for real against one of the best pitchers in baseball. Dan Haren retired 11 consecutive Boston batters between the third and seventh innings while Brandon Lyon picked up his 15^th consecutive save.

After the Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka failed to make it through the second inning on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Sox bullpen was forced to pick up the slack and it carried into the next day’s 13 inning affair. With this being said the Sox relievers were heavily relying on their Ace, Josh Beckett to give them a breather against the Diamondback. Beckett did just that, he went a solid eight innings allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out eight Arizona batters.

Enough to get himself his eighth victory of the season right? Wrong! Haren masterfully matched Beckett’s eight inning performance with a masterful seven innings of two hit ball with five strike outs and one walk. The Diamondbacks right hander retired the first six batters of the game before giving up his first base hit to catcher Jason Varitek who lined a double off the wall in left center. After a two out walk to rookie Jacoby Ellsbury, Haren struck out Dustin Pedroia and set the cruise control button on from there. The Sox could not catch a break against the 6’5” Arizona right hander for the next three innings.

With Harden mowing down the Sox, Beckett was doing the same to the Diamondbacks in the same time span, which included retiring six consecutive Arizona hitters between the third and the fifth innings. Cruising along at an 11 pitch per inning pace, Beckett had all ready accumulated seven strike outs and had yet to walk nobody. But that all changed with a lead off, seven pitch walk to first baseman Conor Jackson in the top of the seventh, leading to a 33-pitch inning for the ace of the staff.

Jackson worked the first walk by Beckett after being down 0-2 in the count. It was the first time in the game the Diamondbacks had the lead off hitter on base and they would not waste the opportunity. Third baseman Mark Reynolds would advance Jackson to second dropping a bloop single in front of Ellsbury before center fielder Chris Young drove in his 40^th RBI of the season with his second base hit of the season. Young’s rocket line drive off the wall drove in Jackson from second and sent Reynolds to third. Reynolds scored the winning run on Chris Snyder’s ground out to defensive replacement Brandon Moss at first base. (More on that later.)

After throwing 33-pitches in the seventh and Beckett’s pitch count at 104, it looked unlikely that Beckett was going to come back out for the eighth. But after Jason Varitek struck out with runners on first and second in the bottom half of the seventh, Beckett came back out to the mound to give himself another opportunity to win his eighth game of the season. He gave himself a good chance by retiring the side in order on 12-pitches and keeping the Boston deficit to just two runs.

The Sox bats would attempt another come-from-behind victory when Julio Lugo walked with one out in the bottom of the eighth to bring up the top of the Red Sox line up. Ellsbury singled back up the middle for his first hit of the game (1-for-3 on the night), moving Lugo up to second. Pedroia followed with a base hit of his own to left, loading the bases and bringing June’s hottest hitter, J.D. Drew, to the dish with less the two outs. Although Drew was hitless in last night’s game, he still managed to drive across Boston’s lone run of the game lifting a fly ball to deep center field to drive in the Sox shortstop from third. It was the right fielder’s 10^th RBI in his last 11 games and his 23^rd RBI this month.

Down by one run after Drew’s RBI, two runners on base and two outs, who would you rather have at the plate other than David Ortiz? That is correct. Manny Ramirez. He is called the RBI Machine for a reason and the reason being is that he is second all time in Runs Batted in since 1998 with 1,281. But as the rest of the night went, Ramirez was robbed off a sure RBI double down the left line as Reynolds made a diving play to snare Ramirez’s line drive. Reynolds had to double check his glove to make sure the ball did not go through the glove because the ball was hit so hard down to the hot corner.

The Sox will try to even up the series in game two tomorrow night when they send the rookie Justin Masterson (4-1 3.00 ERA, 28 strike outs, 1.08 WHIP) to face Diamondbacks left hander Doug Davis who is 2-3 on the season with a 3.65 ERA, 38 strike outs, 25 walks and a 1.60 WHIP. Masterson is making his first start against Arizona while Davis is making his seventh appearance and sixth start against Boston. Against the Red Sox, Davis is 3-2 with one complete game with a 3.78 ERA, 15 strike outs, 11 walks and a 1.56 WHIP. Boston batters are hitting at a .299 clip against the Arizona lefty.

WIN: Dan Haren (8-4)

LOSS: Josh Beckett (7-5)

SAVE: Brandon Lyon (16)

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Game Notes:

The start of the game was delayed 30 minutes due to scattered thunderstorms.

Sox are still win-less at home (0-4) against the Arizona Diamondbacks since they starting playing the Diamondbacks in interleague play back in 2002.

Bad Timing

On the same day when back up first baseman Sean Casey dropped his appeal of his three game suspension, Kevin Youkilis had to be taken out of the game before the start of the fifth inning. While throwing grounders to the rest of the infield in between the bottom of the fourth and the top of the fifth, Youkilis took a bouncer from Mike Lowell off his right eye. His eye started to swell up immediately and was replaced at first by Brandon Moss who has never played a Major League game at first in his career.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Dan Haren, ARIZONA ------ 7IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 5K

2. Chris Young, ARIZONA ---- 2-3 Double, RBI

3. Josh Beckett, BOSTON ------ 8 IP, 5H, 2R, 1BB, 8K

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

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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)

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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

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

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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)

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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

Beckett, bullpen retire 16 of last 17 Tiger batters to win the season series 5-2

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RED SOX TOPPLE OVER TIGERS 5-1; MOVE TO 23-14
Beckett, bullpen retire 16 of last 17 Tiger batters to win the season series 5-2

(May 8, 2008) – So far on the beginning of this road trip the second inning has been very, very good to the Red Sox. Except for yesterday, the Sox scored at least twice in the second inning. Tonight behind Josh Beckett’s masterful pitching performance the Sox took three out of four against the 15-21 Detroit Tigers with a 5-1 victory.

The lucky second inning started off with third baseman Mike Lowell, who appears to be coming around after starting the season hitting just above the Mendoza Line. Lowell and J.D. Drew lead off the inning with back-to-back base hits to center field and right field respectively, before catcher Jason Varitek stepped to the dish. Now everyone knows the captain is not known for his offensive prowess but the guy can and will produce at the plate from time to time. Varitek took the Justin Verlander offering and lined it just past the reach of Tigers shortstop Ramon Santiago.

After a base hit by center fielder Coco Crisp, moving Varitek up to second, Verlander hit Sox shortstop Julio Lugo. Even though, Beckett hit yesterday’s Red Sox killer, Placido Polanco, in the hand in the first, Verlander’s pitch was not retaliation. The ball just sailed too far inside and plunked Lugo on the back elbow. But pretty much that is all Lugo is useful for after making the costly error in the ninth last night.

On the mound, Beckett was pitched extremely well although he did run into some trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning. After getting the first two batters of the inning, Miguel Cabrera and Matt Joyce, to ground out and fly out, respectively, he gave up a single to left off the bat of Tigers designated hitter Marcus “It’s a river in England” Thames. Infield and back upt catcher, Brandon Inge was giving starter Ivan Rodriguez the night off behind the dish but delivered Detroit’s only run with a single into right field to drive home Thames.

With the Red Sox lead cut down to two and Detroit back in the ballgame, first baseman Kevin Youkilis decided it was up to him to put the Tigers back in their proper place in the fifth. After David Ortiz swung on a 3-0 count and flew out to left with Jacoby Ellsbury on first, the most patient hitter on the team wasted no time at the plate in his third at-bat of the night. On the first offering from Verlander, Youkilis saw what he liked and lined a pitch in the Sox bullpen in left field just over Tigers leaping left field Joyce. And just like that the Red Sox were on top 5-1 and would not look back.

Beckett went on to pitch two more innings retiring 10 consecutive batters after Santiago’s base hit in the bottom of the fourth. The Sox ace would go on to pitch seven innings allowing just the one run on six hits while walking none and striking out eight Detroit batters. How many batters did he strike out, Teddy? Beckett turned the reigns over to Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen to get the final six outs of the game. Hansen pitched a terrific eighth inning getting the side in order, one-two-three, making it 13 Tiger hitters retired by Sox pitching. Delcarmen could have made it 16 but gave up a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to Thames.

After tonight’s game the Sox will board their charter to New England’s feeder state – Minnesota – to personally thank the Timberwolves, Vikings and Gophers. Without their contributions, Boston would not be the City of Champions that they are today. Thank you, Minnesota for the Big Ticket, KG, Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss and the former University of Minnesota Gopher Laurence Maroney.

The Boston baseball team will send the young left handed, Jon Lester to the mound in Boston’s first trip to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to face Twins right hander Boof Bonser. (And no I am not joking with Bonser’s first name.) Bonser is 2-4 on the season with a 4.29 ERA with 27 strike outs and a 1.24 WHIP while Lester stands at 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA and 27 strike outs and a 1.49 WHIP.

Last time out for the Sox young lefty, Lester pitched six innings in a 7-3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays last Sunday. After throwing 112 pitches, Lester allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out five and walking just three Tampa Bay hitters. Bonser on the other hand is coming off a no-decision 7-6 Twins win against the Tigers last Sunday also. The Twins’s righty went six innings where he allowed six runs – five earned – on eight hits while striking out five Tigers on 99 pitches.

WIN: Josh Beckett (4-2)

LOSS: Justin Verlander (1-6)

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Game Notes:

Manny Ramirez got the night off for the last game against the Tigers. Jacoby Ellsbury will start in left field in place of Ramirez.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Josh Beckett, BOSTON --- 7IP, 6H, 1ER, 8K

2. Kevin Youkilis, BOSTON --- 1-5 Homerun, 2 RBIs

3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 3-4

James Shields gives the Rays their first three-game sweep of the Red Sox

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RED SOX SWEPT BY RAYS 3-0; MOVE TO 15-12
James Shields gives the Rays their first three-game sweep of the Red Sox

(April 27, 2008) – For the first time in the franchise’s 11 year history the Tampa Bay Rays swept the Red Sox in a three game series behind right handed starter James Shields. Shields pitched a complete game of two-hit ball recording seven strike outs while surrendering zero walks.

For the first six innings it was a one-run game coming from an errant pick-off throw by Sox starter Josh Beckett. After Rays shortstop, Jason Bartlett reached on a base hit past the reach of Sox shortstop Julio Lugo. Beckett’s attempted pick-off got by Kevin Youkilis and traveled up the first base line and into the Rays bullpen sending Bartlett to third base. The Tampa Bay shortstop would continue onward when right fielder J.D. Drew’s return throw to the infield slowly rolled down the base line and was gathered by rookie infielder Jed Lowie. But it was too late to get Bartlett at the plate.

After the rocky third inning, Beckett settled down and eventually retired nine Ray batters before surrendering a solo homerun to Tampa Bay rookie Evan Longoria for the second run of the game. The Sox bats failed Beckett in this afternoon’s game. In seven innings of work, the Red Sox Ace allowed just two runs – one of the runs was unearned – on four hits.

Along with an outstanding performance by Beckett – with the exception of one blunder – he also set a new single-game high for himself. In seven innings, he struck out 13 Tampa Bay hitters. His last single-game high in strike outs was against the Montreal Expos where he struck out 12 Expos on July 21, 2002 when he was a member of the Florida Marlins.

Manny Delcarmen came on in relief of the Beckett to pitch the eighth inning and hit the first batter he faced (Bartlett). The hit batter would come around to score on Carl Crawford’s one-out double to right field. Crawford got too greedy on the play and was thrown out by Drew trying to stretch a double into a triple. Delcarmen would strike out B.J. Upton to end the inning. Between Beckett and Delcarmen, they combined to strike out 15 Rays hits.

The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park to play the Toronto Blue Jays on April 29-May 1. The last time these two teams met was at the beginning of the season (April 4-6) at the Rogers Centre and saw the Sox being swept by Toronto. Daisuke Matsuzaka and his 4-0 record, 3.14 ERA and 28 strike outs will try to turn around this Red Sox losing streak when he steps on the mound against Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. Halladay is currently 2-3 on the season with a 3.73 ERA and 25 strike outs. In his last start Halladay went eight innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits while striking out five. Matsuzaka is coming of an 11-3 win against Texas that saw him pitch 5.1 innings allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking our four on 101 pitches.

WIN: James Shields (3-1)

LOSS: Josh Beckett (2-2)

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Game Notes:

Evan Longoria’s homerun in the bottom of the seventh was his third homerun this season and of his career.

David Ortiz gets another day off to rest his bruised knee. With the off day tomorrow, Ortiz will get three days off before the Red Sox return on Tuesday to play the Toronto Blue Jays.

Manny Ramirez stole his first base of the season and it was his first steal since April of 2005.

Jason Bartlett was hit in the head by a Manny Delcarmen fast ball in the bottom of the eighth inning. He would be all right.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. James Shields, TAMPA BAY 9IP, 2H, 7K

2. Jason Bartlett, TAMPA BAY 1-2 2-runs scored

3. Josh Beckett, BOSTON 7IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 13K