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

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

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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)

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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

Four Milwaukee errors in the night cap help Mike Lowell & Co. sweep day-night doubleheader

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RED SOX TAKE GAME 2 AGAINST BREWERS 7-6; MOVE TO 26-19
Four Milwaukee errors in the night cap help Mike Lowell & Co. sweep day-night doubleheader

(May 17, 2008) – Tonight was not a game youth baseball coaches will be showing their youngsters when they resume practice this week. The Brewers and the Red Sox, combined, committed seven errors in the field during the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader. Due to the numerous miscues half of Milwaukee’s six runs were unearned while the game winning run against Brewers reliever Solomon Torres was also unearned.

Tim Wakefield cruised through the Brewers order for the first five innings before he ran into trouble in the top of the sixth. With one out in the inning, Milwaukee right fielder Corey Hart lined a shot over the Monster seats for the Brewers’ first run of the game. Former Sox outfielder and current Brewers left fielder, Gabe Kapler lined a single into center before the Sox knuckleballer hit third baseman Bill Hall in the left arm with a pitch. After seeing enough of Wakefield, Terry Francona knew his starter had enough and he had to get him out of there.

But David Aardsma, who relieved Wakefield did not fair much better. After getting catcher Mike Rivera to strike out of the second out of the inning Aardsma hit Craig Counsell on the right thigh to load the bases. The lead off batter of the game, Rickie Weeks made Aardsma pay for the hit batter, with a base hit into left plating Kapler and Hall – both runs charged to Wakefield –narrowing the Sox lead to two. Aardsma would settle down and “minimize the damage” by getting designated hitter Ryan Braun to pop out Kevin Youkilis over by the Sox dugout to end the inning. After just allowing three runs, there was still the possibility of Wakefield picking up the win with the Sox leading 5-3, but enter the right handed Craig Hansen.

Next inning, Hansen came on in relief of Aardsma and gave up a single to left to first baseman Prince Fielder. Hansen struck out Hart for the first out of the inning before allowing Kapler and Hall to reach on back-to-back errors by Mike Lowell at third and Alex Cora at shortstop, respectively, to load the bases. This is not a good predicament for the 2005 Red Sox Draft pick to be in.

During the 2005 season, many amateur prospects – within the Sox organization and outside – said Hansen was the player in the draft who was the most Major League ready and could pitch that year. Well it has been three years since Hansen was drafted and so far he has spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues. He has not done what the Sox as well as other amateur scouts projected he was able to do: become a strike out, power pitcher.

Hansen failed to become that pitcher once again. Brewers catcher Mike Rivera grounded into a fielder’s choice to force out Hall at second, but Fielder snuck in through the back door for Milwaukee’s fourth run. Two-time World Series winner, Counsell cleared the bases with a double down the right field line to drive in Kapler and Rivera and give the Brewers the 6-5 lead and costing Wakefield his fourth win of the season. The Sox starter pitched a fine 5.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five Brewers.

But Milwaukee’s lead was short lived. Just as the Red Sox made back-to-back errors in the top of the inning, the Brewers made two costly miscues to begin the bottom half. Left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury reached base on Weeks’s throwing error while second baseman Dustin Pedroia reached on a fielder’s choice to third. Third baseman, Hall’s throw to the second baseman Weeks was off the mark allowing Ellsbury to be continue to third safely. David Ortiz would wind up plating Ellsbury to tie the game with a ground out to shortstop for his 33^rd RBI of the season. Having a knack for the timely hits, Youkilis blooped base hit over the head of Weeks and Fielder to drive in Pedroia from third with the winning run. Just like that Hansen went from being the losing pitcher to recording his first win of the season.

Earlier on in the game, Lowell got the Sox started on the right foot of Milwaukee starter Dave Bush, thus why he receives the number one star even though he made a costly error later in the ballgame. In the first inning with two outs and runners on second and third, the Sox third baseman lined a base hit down the left field line to plate Youkilis and Ortiz. Two innings later, Lowell added two additional runs with a two-out homerun that traveled well over the Monster in left and onto the parking garage on Lansdowne Street. It was Lowell’s fifth homerun of the year while driving in his 14^th and 15^th runs batted in. Overall on the night, Lowell was 2-4 with a homerun and four RBIs.

The Sox return to action tomorrow afternoon at 1:35pm where Josh Beckett will toe the rubber in his eighth start of the season against Brewers right hander Carlos Villanueva. In search of just his fifth win of the season, Beckett will try to give the Red Sox their first series sweep of the Brewers at Fenway since May 20-22, 1991. Not much of a better, but there is something there that told me the Sox will complete the sweep of the Wisconsin’s baseball team tomorrow at Fenway Park.

Sorry Dr. Upton but although Josh Beckett has been struggling to start the 2008 season, he still is one of the best pitchers – if not the best – in major league baseball. His record (4-3) and ERA (4.21) are not showing it this year but he is still just 11 off the American League (Javier Vazquez)lead in strike outs and 16 off the Major League lead (Tim Lincecum). Beckett is going to come out victorious tomorrow against Villanueva who is 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA 28 strike outs, 13 walks and a 1.60 WHIP.

WIN: Craig Hansen (1-2)

LOSS: Solomon Torres (3-1)

SAVE: Mike Timlin (1)

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Game Notes:

Last time these teams met: June 6-8, 2003 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Sox won the series 2-1, sandwiching a June 7 loss with two wins.

Red Sox-Brewers history:

When the Milwaukee Brewers were part of the American League, the Red Sox and Brewers played 394 games with Boston winning 211 of them. Since moving over to the National League after Major League Baseball expanded following the 1997 season, Boston and Milwaukee have faced each other just once – in 2003. But let’s reminisce back to the day when these two teams one another between 10 and 18 times a year. In 197 games played at Fenway between these two teams, the Sox came out on the winning end of 113 of them.

Manny Ramirez and Julio Lugo get the start of game two off while Kevin Cash is behind the plate catching Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball. Coco Crisp is in center field while Jacoby Ellsbury replaces Ramirez in left.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Mike Lowell, BOSTON --- 2-4; Double, Homerun, 4 RBIs

2. Kevin Youkilis, BOSTON --- 2-4; Double, RBI

3. Rickie Weeks, MILWAUKEE --- 2-5; 2 Singles, 2 RBIs

Mike Lamb drives in two with a walk-off single off of closer Jonathan Papelbon

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RED SOX FALL TO TWINS 7-6; MOVE TO 23-15
Mike Lamb drives in two with a walk-off single off of closer Jonathan Papelbon

(May 9, 2008) – Mike Lamb replaced the injured Brendan Harris in the top of the sixth but became the Twins hero in the bottom of the ninth with a base hit off of Jonathan Papelbon, to give Minnesota the 7-6 win.

Papelbon entered the ninth inning in hopes of saving Jon Lester’s third win of the season but first he would have to deal with the bottom third of the Twins line up. The Sox closer got off to rocky start, giving up a base hit into center field of the bat of right fielder Delmon Young. Twins third baseman Matt Tolbert would help the Sox out by sacrificing Young to second for the first out of the inning. Not really a smart play against one of the top closer’s in the game but tonight it paid off.

After former Sox prospect Adam Everett fouled out to Kevin Youkilis, it looked as if Papelbon would finally get out of the inning. But things are not always as they seem. The young, speedy center field Carlos Gomez earned a walk against Papelbon and quickly stole his 15 base of the year to put the winning run in scoring position.

The Twins started the game with a one out single into left field by second baseman Brendan Harris which would be followed by a single to center by Twins catcher and AL batting leader Joe Mauer. On Mauer’s single, Harris was running full speed on the play and had no intentions of stopping at second base; he was going to continue onto third. That is one thing that Jacoby Ellsbury is going to have to deal with in his career: runners running on his arm. He does not have strong arm in center and it showed in tonight’s game.

Ellsbury’s throw back into the infield overthrew the cut-off and allowed Mauer to move up to second base which took out the double play. A bad mistake on the part of the rookie center fielder. The next batter, first baseman Justin Morneau collected his 26^th RBI with a ground ball to shortstop allowing Harris to score before the right fielder Michael Cuddyer stepped to the plate. Cuddyer lined a single into center field to bring Mauer around from second base, putting the Twins up 2-0.

But on this 10 game road trip the second inning should be referred to as the Super Second because in four out of the five games the Sox have scored at least two runs in the second inning. Tonight it all start with a strike out. Yes folks you read that right. A strike out got the whole thing starter. After Boof Bonzer struck out Youkilis in the second inning, when Mauer could not regroup Bonzer’s wild pitch to and throw to first to record the out. Youkilis was safe on the strike out plus the wild pitch. J.D. Drew would follow with a base hit to left field that would send Youkilis to third to bring up the catcher Jason Varitek. Notoriously known for stranding guys on base, Varitek lined a base hit into center field to drive in Youkilis and send Drew to third. Shortstop Julio Lugo grounded out to shortstop for the second out of inning but in the back door came Drew to tie up the game at two a piece.

After the Twins put two more runs on the board in their half of the second and a fifth run in the fourth, the Sox mounted a comeback in the top of the fifth inning. Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia opened the inning with a base hit to second followed by a walk to David Ortiz. Next, Manny Ramirez hit a sinking line drive that Gomez trapped in his glove, to load the bases with nobody out and Mike Lowell stepping to the plate. Last year’s World Series MVP, hit a double into left field to drive in Pedroia and Ortiz to bring the Sox deficit to one run. Youkilis would then drive in his 28^th RBI of the season with a ground ball to second to plate Ramirez and Lowell would score on reliever Juan Rincon’s wild pitch to give the Sox the 6-5 advantage.

After getting off to a shaky first two innings, the Sox left hander settled down and pitched another 3.1 innings allowing just one run on three hits before being relieved in the sixth by David Aardsma. Overall Lester pitched 5.1 innings allowing five runs – three of them earned – on eight hits while striking out two and walking one. But one thing can be deduced from watching his start, it certainly was a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde outing for the talented, young lefty.

When Daisuke Matsuzaka steps on the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome mound tomorrow night he hopes to have better luck with command in Minneapolis than he did in Detroit. In his last start against the Tigers on Monday, Matsuzaka struggled with his command walking eight batters in just five innings while striking out just one. But the Sox offense bailed him out, producing six runs to give their Japanese teammate his fifth win of the season.

Matsuzaka will be opposed by the young left hander Glen Perkins who is making his first major league start for the Twins on Saturday. The St. Paul native fills a void in Minnesota’s starting rotation that was left by starter Scott Baker. The Twins put Baker on the disabled list on Wednesday, retroactive to May 4, with an injured right groin. Perkins will be recalled from Triple A Rochester after Minnesota put starter Scott Baker on the disabled list with a right groin injury, retroactive to May 4.

The former Gopher started the 2008 on the wrong foot at Minnesota’s Triple A farm team the Rochester Red Wings but steadied the ship as of late. While with the Red Wings, Perkins was 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 33.1 innings of work as well as holding opposing batters to a .220 average. Against Lehigh Valley on April 26, Perkins threw a two-hit shutout. But tomorrow the young Twins left hander will have his hands full with veteran-laced Red Sox line up who have been red hot as of late – especially first baseman Kevin Youkilis who is 12-for-37 (.324 average) in his last 10 games with five homeruns.

WIN: Jesse Crain (1-1)

LOSS: Jonathan Papelbon (2-2)

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Game Notes:

This is the first and only trip the Red Sox will make to Minnesota this year. After a three game series with the Twins at Fenway in July just before the All-Star Game Break the Sox will not play Minnesota for the remainder of the year.

The Sox won the season series last year against the Twins 4-3.

In 130 games played between the Twins and Red Sox at the Metrodome, the Twins are 75-55 against the Sox. Minnesota is also 162-113 against the Sox in the Land of 10,000 Lakes even though the Sox own the all-time series record with 934 wins and 910 losses.

David Ortiz’s double in the first inning extends his hitting streak to nine games.

Brendan Harris left the game in the top of the sixth inning with tightness in his right hamstring. He was replaced in the field by infielder Mike Lamb.

Halfway through this current road trip the Sox have scored 10 runs in the second inning alone and fourth time in five games.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Mike Lamb, MINNESOTA ---- 1-2 2 RBIs

2. Brendan Harris, MINNESOTA --- 2-3 2RBIs, Run-scored

3. Mike Lowell, BOSTON ---- 2-5 Double, 2 RBIs, Run-scored

Placido Polanco snaps Sox five game win streak with come back victory in the ninth

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RED SOX FALL TO TIGERS IN BOTTOM OF THE NINTH 10-9; MOVE TO 22-14
Placido Polanco snaps Sox five game win streak with come back victory in the ninth

(May 7, 2008) – For the first time this season fireball, closer Jonathan Papelbon could not close the door behind him in the bottom of the ninth. Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco became the Tigers hero when he took a two-out Papelbon offering and blooped it over the head of Julio Lugo.

Papelbon came on in the bottom of the inning to close out the game after Dustin Pedroia singled to left to drive in right fielder J.D. Drew in the top of the eighth inning for a 9-8 lead. The Sox looked as if they were heading towards win number 23 as Papelbon entered the game in the ninth. But tonight the Sox closer just did not have his quintessential control.

One of the biggest rules in baseball for a pitcher is to get the lead off batter of an inning out. After Papelbon allowed a base hit by Matt Joyce to start the inning, the Sox closer did not get much help from his defense. Shortstop Julio Lugo would misplay and bobbled a slow roller by Tigers shortstop Edgar Renteria and allow the former Sox shortstop to reach base on Lugo’s error. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez would sacrifice pinch runner, Ryan Raburn and Renteria to third and second, respectively.

Although Curtis Granderson had failed to get a hit he was productive in the Tigers 10-9 win, with his ground out to second in the ninth for the second out of the inning he drove in Raburn with the tying run of the game. As well as the chance for Polanco to a hero.

It was not going to be Clay Buchholz’s night from the very first inning of the game and his 6.48 ERA away from Fenway Park was not helping much either. The Tigers bats woke up against Buchholz in the bottom of the third inning when Gold Glove award winning catcher Ivan Rodriguez singled into center field to lead off the inning. After center fielder, Buchholz struck out center fielder Curtis Granderson, Polanco took a fastball offering from the Sox young pitcher and hammered it into left for a double to drive in Rodriguez. First baseman Carlos Guillen would tack on another run by plating Polanco with a base hit into center field. Detroit’s number four hitter, right fielder Magglio Ordonez would add an additional run driving in Guillen with a base hit to right center. By the end of it all the Sox would have a 4-0 deficit on their hands.

The Sox would cut the lead in half right after the media came back from break. With two outs in the inning, third baseman Mike Lowell extended the inning with a single into center field to give first baseman Kevin Youkilis a chance to step to the plate. Youkilis would make the most of the opportunity and drove an Armando Galarrago offering around the left field foul pole that just barely stayed fair. It was his first homerun of the game

Sox were playing catch-up all game. It was a cat fight, no pun intended. Whenever they got close the Tigers clawed back offensively. After Youkilis homerun in the top of the fourth, Ordonez game back and drove in Polanco in the bottom of the inning for the 5-2 advantage. It occurred again in the fifth inning. Sox scored two runs with an RBI sac fly by rookie infielder Jed Lowrie, who was making the start at second to give Pedroia a day off, and base hit RBI single by David Ortiz. But Detroit would come back in the bottom with three of their own to push their lead to 8-4. It was a game of cat and mouse; just when the Sox thought they had the mouse, the Tigers would yank the string away.

But the Sox made a valiant come back starting in the sixth and with Youkilis’s second homerun of the game to bring them closer at 8-5. Can you say this guy is hot? Literally. No I am serious he is literally fuming. Not just is he hot at the plate but hot in the head. After Lowell’s second homerun of the season in the seventh off of reliever Zach Minor to even the score at eight a piece, Youkilis was rung up by home plate umpire Jim Reynolds. Unhappy with the call, Youkilis had a few choice words for Reynolds. The rift continued well into the bottom half of the inning with Youkilis barking towards the plate and then over to second. It might be a safe assumption that Youkilis has never heard of the saying “Do not get into a pissing match with a skunk.”

But he appeared to have learned his lesson. After getting caught looking at strike three for the second out of the top of the ninth inning, Youkilis said nothing and did not look back at Reynolds. Good Youkilis. You just might get that number one star of the game back.

Josh Beckett takes the mound in tomorrow night’s series finale against Tigers right hander Jeremy Guthrie. With the Sox leading the season series four games to two the best Detroit can not win or tie the season series, they can only hope to win three games instead of two. While the Tigers will be looking for win number three against Boston, Beckett is looking for his fourth win of the season to give the Sox the 5-2 season series win.

On the season, the ace of the staff is 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA and a 0.96 ERA. He is coming of a 12-4 win against the Tampa Bay Rays on last Saturday. In the win, Beckett was a work horse, as always, pitching eight complete innings while allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out five Ray batters and walking just one on 100 pitches. Beckett’s counterpart in the other dugout, Guthrie, is 1-3 with a 4.32 ERA with 32 strike outs and 1.26 WHIP. He is coming of a 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he pitched seven complete innings allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out six and walking just two Angels on 109 pitches.

WIN: Todd Jones (1-0)

LOSS: Jonathan Papelbon (2-1)

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Game Notes:

Jacoby Ellsbury is five stolen bases off Tim Raines’s record of the first 27 stolen bases of his career with being caught. Ellsbury currently sits at 22. He stole two bases off of Ivan Rodriguez tonight.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Placido Polanco, DETROIT --- 5-6 Double, 3 RBIs

2. Ivan Rodriguez, DETROIT --- 2-4 2 RBIs, 2 Runs-Scored

3. Mike Lowell, BOSTON --- 3-5 Double, Homerun, 3 RBIs

Mike Lowell’s keeps Sox four game streak alive with a 3-for-5 night

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RED SOX TOP TIGERS 5-3; MOVE TO 21-13
Mike Lowell’s keeps Sox four game streak alive with a 3-for-5 night

(May 5, 2008) – It is tough to imagine a team called the Tigers would be this bad in 2008. Not after the World’s number one golfer is Tiger Woods, who won the first three PGA tournaments of 2008 season. But because of Detroit’s misfortune early in the year, Daisuke Matsuzaka did not have to be perfect to record his fifth win of the season in the Red Sox’s 5-3 victory in Comerica Park.

Matsuzaka was not particularly sharp this evening, walking eight Tiger batters in just five innings while striking out just one opposing batter. Walks were the only problem the Sox starter, who had not allowed a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning but was already well above 65 pitches by that point. It was awfully difficult to watch Matsuzaka have trouble finding the strike zone while he was in the game but he was still able to weasel his way out of jams.

Since coming off the disabled list on the May 1, the Sox third base man had been just 4-for-17 but tonight was the night that Mike Lowell produced offensively. Lowell put the Sox on the board first with a two-run homerun over the head of Detroit left fielder Gary Sheffield in the top of the second inning. As the game progressed, the Cuban ballplayer would flirt with the possibility of becoming the first Sox player to hit for the cycle since John Valentin accomplished the feat 12 years ago against the Chicago White Sox.

In the top of the fourth inning Lowell doubled to left field to lead off the inning. He came around to score on Kevin Youkilis’s fourth homerun and second in as many games. Youkilis’s 22 RBIs ties him with the Tigers Miguel Cabrera for second among AL first baseman, behind Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. David Ortiz would take another run on the board with a one out single in the top of the seven to plate second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

The Tigers would rally in the bottom of the inning against the young Craig Hansen, two innings after Matsuzaka was forced out of the game after throwing 109 pitches, 60 for strikes. Hansen would allow a base hit to second baseman Placido Polanco to lead off the inning then mishandle a dribbler out in front of the plate off the bat of Carlos Guillen. The Sox young right hander out of St. John’s University looked as if he would get out of the jam by getting right fielder Magglio Ordonez to ground into double play, but Hansen would go on to walk Cabrera and Sheffield before being relieved by Hideki Okajima. The left hander would gave up a bases loaded single to pinch-hitter Marcus Thames to close the lead to two runs.

Tim Wakefield will make the start in game two of the four game series with Detroit on Tuesday in what will be re-match of the April 10 game against Nate Robertson. The Sox’s elder statesman is in search of his third win of the season and is coming off a 3-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1. In that loss, Wakefield pitched seven innings allowing three runs on five hits while walking three Jays batters.

Robertson is 1-3 on the season with a 6.82 ERA with 27 strike outs. The Tigers right hander is coming of a win against the Yankees in New York where he pitched 5.2 innings allowing four earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out three. The last time he faced the Sox was against Wakefield on April 10 where he pitched 5.1 innings allowing four runs on eight hits in the Sox’s 12-6 win. In the win, Wakefield pitched five innings allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits while striking out five and walking five.

WIN: Daisuke Matsuzaka (5-0)

LOSS: Jeremy Bonderman (2-3)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (10)

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Game Notes:

The Tigers designated outfielder Jacque Jones for assignment. Jones was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Tigers with hopes that he would provide offense at the plate. But instead of starting the 2008 season off on the right foot, the former Minnesota Twin was hitting at a .165 clip with a .244 on base percentage and a .253 slugging percentage.

Craig Hansen was re-called from triple A Pawtucket to fill the void that Brandon Moss left when he was placed on the DL earlier today.

Mike Lowell is just a triple away from the cycle and what a good place to get the opportunity than at the spacious Comerica Park.

Red Sox are currently 20-15 in Comerica Park since it opened in 2000.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

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

2. David Ortiz, BOSTON 2-4 Homerun, 2 RBIs

3. Kevin Youkilis, BOSTON 1-4 Homerun, 2 RBIs