Sean Casey’s 3 RBIs help push the Sox past the Tigers

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RED SOX POWER PAST TIGERS 12-6; MOVE TO 5-5
Sean Casey’s 3 RBIs help push the Sox past the Tigers

(April 10, 2008) – The two most disappointing players from the 2007 season provided the offense to take the rubber game against the Detroit Tigers. J.D. Drew’s one out single was the spark plug for a four run rally by the Sox in the fourth inning after the Tigers scored two runs of their own in the top half. Drew finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs batted. Center fielder Coco Crisp and catcher Kevin Cash would follow Drew with two RBI base hits of their own in the Red Sox’s 12-6 victory against the Tigers.

The veteran right fielder was batting with one out and two runs aboard in bottom of the fourth, Drew sent a Nate Robertson pitch into right field. Ramirez, who reached with a walk, decided that DeMarlo Hale’s stop sign was just a suggestion. Well there it was a good thing there were no Waltham cops in the ballpark tonight because Ramirez was safe at the plate. (Fearing Magglio Ordonez’s throw to the plate was going to be off line, Tigers first baseman Carlos Guillen quickly decided to caught off the throw.)

Crisp would follow Drew’s lead by sending a double down the right field line that would bounce into the stands. On first look, it appeared as if fan interference would be called but on replay the umpires made the correct call. The ball was not touched by a fan in the field of play, it took a hop off the warning track and caromed off the right field foul pole. Because the foul poles are set back in the stands the ball technically left the field of play hence why it was a ground rule double. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who had also walked, would score the tying run on the base hit while Drew had to be held at third. Drew would score the go ahead run on first baseman Sean Casey’s ground out to first before Cash would plate Crisp with the fourth run of the game.

The knuckleballer was not particularly sharp against Tigers hitters but he pitched well enough to get his first win of the season. Early on in the game, Tim Wakefield faced some difficulty. He walked four and hit two Detroit batters in the first three innings but thanks to the defense behind him he was able to get the outs when he needed them the most. The walks would come back to haunt Wakefield because the forced the right hander to throw more pitches then he wanted, thus forcing him from the game early with 108 pitches.

The Tigers would get a run back in the top of the seventh with a homerun to left field by Magglio Ordonez to make the score 4-3. But the Sox would bat around in the bottom half of the inning. Ramirez and Casey would give the Sox insurance runs with a double and single, respectively, in the bottom of the inning. Ramirez doubled to left scoring Dustin Pedroia (who stole his first base of the season off Tigers pitcher Zach Minor) and David Ortiz. Casey would push Jacoby Ellsbury (who ran for Ramirez) and Drew, who was intentionally walked.

Detroit would claw away at the Sox five run lead in the top of the eighth against reliever Julian Tavarez. The Tigers took it one base at a time against the Red Sox reliever. Edgar Renteria would lead off with walk, followed by a single by Ivan Rodriguez sending Renteria to third and then a walk to Marcus Thames to load the bass. Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco would drive in their second runs of the game with singles before Taverez got his first out of the inning with a ground ball to Lugo at short who quickly turned the double play. With the looks of Tavarez resorting back to his old self, Jonathan Papelbon was called on to get the final four outs of the ballgame.

The archrivals come into Fenway Park tomorrow night for a weekend, three game series with the defending champions. The New York Yankees currently sit tied for third in the division with the Red Sox at 5-5. Clay Buchholz will toe the rubber still in search of his win of 2008 while the Yankees will send the 2-0 Chien-Ming Wang. Wang is coming off a 2-0 win to Tampa Bay where he pitched six innings allowing four hits while striking out six Rays. Currently he is 2-0 on the season with a 1.38 ERA and eight strike outs whereas Buchholz is 0-1 on the season with a 5.40 ERA and seven strike outs.

WIN: Tim Wakefield (1-0)

LOSS: Nate Robertson (0-1)

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Game Notes:

Third baseman Mike Lowell was placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained left thumb. Minor league infielder, Jed Lowrie was recalled from Pawtucket to take Lowell’s place on the 25-man roster.

Coming into tonight’s game, David Ortiz is 1-for-18 in his last five games. The one hit was an RBI single in Sox 7-4 loss to the Blue Jays on April 6.

Kevin Youkilis hit a ground rule double to right to drive in Pedroia and Ortiz. Youkilis was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. J.D. Drew, BOSTON 3-3 2 RBI, Run-scored
2. Sean Casey, BOSTON 2-5 3 RBIs
3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON 2-3 Double, 2 RBIs, Run-scored

The Golden Donkey Award goes to: Julian Tavarez for allowing three earned runs on three hits in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 8-6