Back-to-back homeruns by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez help Sox to fifth win in a row

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RED SOX SHUT OUT THE TIGERS, AGAIN 5-0; MOVE TO 22-13
Back-to-back homeruns by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez help Sox to fifth win in a row

(May 6, 2008) –As with any Tim Wakefield start, the game just flew by. Before you knew it, it was already the eighth inning the Tigers had just one hit off the Sox knuckleballer. At one point during the game Wakefield retired 17 consecutive Detroit batters. In his best outing of the season, the 14 year Sox veteran led the team to their 22^nd victory pitching eight complete innings allowing just two hits while striking out six Tiger hitters.

Just like last night the Sox jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning. Mike Lowell led of the inning by drawing a walk of Detroit starter Nate Robertson. Kevin Youkilis would follow Lowell’s walk with the double down the left field line sending the Sox third baseman to third with nobody out in the inning. Bob Ryan’s favorite outfielder, J.D. Drew, stepped up to the dish and drove in Lowell from third with a bounding ball up the middle and into center field. Back up catcher, Kevin Cash, who is better known for his glove rather than for his bat, slapped a double into left field to bring Youkilis and send Drew to second for the second run of the game. Center fielder Coco Crisp would ground to shortstop to plate Drew for the third and final run of the inning.

The Sox sluggers were in was Seventh Heaven in the top of the seventh. In the inning former Boston College and current Detroit Lions offensive tackle, Gosder Cherilus’s double, David Ortiz provided the fourth Boston run of the game with his seventh homerun of the season. After Ortiz’s homerun cleared the right field fence Tigers manager Jim Leyland had enough of Robertson and opted for right handed reliever Freddy Dolsi. Robertson left the game after pitching 6.1 innings allowing four runs on 10 hits while walking two and striking out just four Sox hitters.

Dolsi did not fair much better. The first batter he faced was the RBI Machine, Manny Ramirez. Not wanting to be out done by his country man and best friend, Ramirez also hit his seventh homerun on the season. Not coincidentally it was Ramirez’s 497^th career homerun. He is just three homeruns shy of the illustrious 500 homerun mark and 24 homeruns shy of tying Ted Williams at 521.

Mike Timlin came on to pitch the ninth in relief of Wakefield. He would give up a lead off single to Curtis Granderson getting Tiger fans excited but there excitement was quelled when second baseman Placido Polanco grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Right fielder Carlos Guillen flew out to, defensive replacement Jacoby Ellsbury to end the ballgame and give the Sox their fifth straight win.

Clay Buchholz goes to the hill tomorrow when he faces the Tigers young starter Armando Galarraga. A kid with a 6’3” and 190 pound frame does not scream endurance but Buchholz has improved his game and his stamina immensely since the season began in Japan. He currently sits behind only Josh Beckett for the team lead in strikes with 33 (Beckett has 34) and pitched just his second complete game of his career a week a half ago in Tampa Bay.

Buchholz is coming of his second win of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays last Friday. The young gun pitched 5.1 innings allowing one run on five hits while walking four and striking out six in the Sox’s 7-3 victory over the Rays. Overall on the season, Buchholz sits at 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He will be opposed tomorrow night by Detroit starter Armando Galarraga.

Galarraga is 2-1 on the season with a 1.88 ERA with 15 strike outs and a 0.88 WHIP. In his last started against the Minnesota twins last Friday in Minneapolis, Galarraga pitched six innings allowing four runs, two of them earned on six hits while walking two and striking out two.

WIN: Tim Wakefield (3-1)

LOSS: Nate Robertson (1-4)

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Game Notes:

Coco Crisp gets the start in center field with the left hander on the mound.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Tim Wakefield, BOSTON --- 8IP, 1H, 0ER, 6Ks

2. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON --- 3-5 Homerun, RBI, Run Scored

3. Kevin Cash, BOSTON --- 3-4 Double, RBI, Run scored