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

David Ortiz’s two-run homerun lifts Sox to 5-3 victory in the day half of twin bill

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RED SOX TAKE GAME 1 AGAINST BREWERS 5-3; MOVE TO 25-19
David Ortiz’s two-run homerun lifts Sox to 5-3 victory in the day half of twin bill

(May 17, 2008) – Back in their comfort zone of Friendly Fenway and playing in front of the home crowd, the Red Sox ended their four game losing streak with a 5-3 win against the third place Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the day-night doubleheader. It was the first time Milwaukee returned to Fenway Park since joining the Senior Circuit after the 1997 season.

The Sox got on the board first when David Ortiz walked with two outs against Jeff Suppan to extend the inning for Manny Ramirez. Two homeruns shy of the magical 500^th career homerun, Ramirez is almost certain to achieve the feat at home after failing to hit the heralded achievement on the past 10-game road trip. But after his Oscar winning performance of acting as if a Suppan fastball hit him on the hand instead of the bat knob, the Sox had runners on first and second with Kevin Youkilis at the dish.

Youkilis singled to right field moving up Ortiz and Ramirez a base hit. Suppan was wild early on in the game. After hitting Ramirez with a fastball, he walked in the first Sox run of the game on a five pitch walk to J.D. Drew. Drew was credited with his 18^th run batted in of the season when Ortiz crossed plate.

They would add to their 1-0 led the next inning when Julio Lugo lined a base hit up the middle behind Suppan with one out. He move up to second another base hit to left by the center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, who was only in the starting line up because Coco Crisp was still feeling side effects of the migraines that forced him from the game on Wednesday. After Dustin Pedroia failed to drive in the runners, but no need Ortiz broke the game open with a three-run homerun over the Green Monster.

Ortiz’s eighth homerun of the season and RBIS 30,31 and 32 barely made its way over the left field wall. In any other ballpark it would be just your average fly ball to the left fielder but not in Fenway. It is one of the advantages to playing 81 home games a year at baseball’s oldest ballpark but with advantages it also has disadvantages and throughout Red Sox history fans have seen both.

Milwaukee was not able to piece anything together against Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka until the top of the seventh inning. The Brewers were able to get the lead off hitter on base in four of the six innings Matsuzaka was on the mound but ended up stranding the runners on base. In the seventh, Matsuzaka easily got third baseman Bill Hall and catcher Jason Kendall to fly out to center and right, respectively but allowed second baseman Rickie Weeks to reach on Youkilis’s throwing error. Youkilis’s first error of the 2008 season prolonged the inning for center fielder Mike Cameron. Cameron cut the Sox lead in half with two run bomb over the Monster. Both runs unearned due to Youkilis’s very, very bad throw to first. He is no longer a third baseman and needs to stick with first to hide his weak arm. In 6.2 innings of work, Matsuzaka allowed just two runs – although neither run earned – on seven hits while walking two and striking out seven.

After giving up a base hit to last year’s Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun, Terry Francona had seen enough and opted to pull Matsuzaka in favor of the left handed Javier Lopez to face Prince Fielder. But Lopez was not all too effective and walked Prince Fielder on five pitches before being relieved by Manny Delcarmen. Delcarmen came on to get right fielder Corey Hart to ground into a fielder’s choice to end Milwaukee’s seventh inning threat.

After relieving Lopez, who faced just one batter, Delcarmen stayed on to pitch the eighth and allowed no runs on one hit before turning the game over to closer Jonathan Papelbon. But the ninth inning for Papelbon would not be without drama. Braun took a Papelbon fastball offering and launched it over the Monster to cut the Sox lead to two runs but the Sox closer was able to get Fielder to pop to shortstop to get the final out of the game and his 12^th save on the season.

The Sox return to action tonight in the night cap of the double header and will send Tim Wakefield to the hill to oppose Brewers righty Dave Bush who is 1-4 on the season with a 6.06 ERA.

WIN: Daisuke Matsuzaka (7-0)

LOSS: Jeff Suppan (2-3)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (12)

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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.

Red Sox Notes:

Mike Lowell is getting the late afternoon game off with three games being played in 36 hours.

Coco Crisp is not in the afternoon starting line up after he had to be taken out of the game in Baltimore with headaches and nausea in the sixth inning. He told Terry Francona that he will be able to pinch-run, pinch-hit or enter the game as a defensive replacement late in the game.

Hideki Okajima has a minor wrist injury and is day-to-day. The team will continue to monitor the injury but does not foresee the left-handed reliever to spend any time on the disabled list.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. David Ortiz, BOSTON --- 2-2; HR, 2 BB, 3 RBIs,2 Runs-Scored

2. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOSTON --- 6.2IP, 7H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 7K

3. Prince Fielder, MILWAUKEE --- 2-3; 2 DB, BB

Another former Red Sox comes back to haunt his old team with a two-out, 8th inning Grand Slam

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RED SOX SWEPT BY ORIOLES 6-3; MOVE TO 24-19
Another former Red Sox comes back to haunt his old team with a two-out, 8^th inning Grand Slam

(May 14, 2008) – The Orioles entered today’s game looking to sweep the Red Sox in a two game series for the first time in Camden Yards. Baltimore was able to accomplish the feat with a come-from-behind victory off the bat of former Sox and Yellow Jacket outfielder, Jay Payton’s seventh inning Grand Slam.

After Javier Lopez came on to relieve Sox starter Jon Lester, Lopez got the first two outs of the inning quickly and easily but allowed shortstop Freddie Bynum to reach on a base hit to second that Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia could not handle. That would be it for Lopez as interim manager Brad Mills came out to pull Lopez in favor of the right handed Craig Hansen. But Hansen did not do all that much better either, giving up a single to the first batter he faced in Guillermo Quiroz then walked Brian Roberts to load the bases before giving the ball up to Hideki Okajima.

This year Okajima has not done particularly well with inherited runners on base this year and his numbers would not get any better after this inning. With the bases loaded and the Orioles down 3-2, the journeyman outfielder would hit his fourth career Grand Slam to the Orioles the 6-3 lead and the win. The Orioles tall, lanky and unpredictable starter, Daniel Cabrera, pitched seven complete innings allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out three to earn his fourth win.

For Lester, the loss became his sixth no decision of the year. Very disappointing because he pitched an outstanding six innings allowing just two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out four Orioles. It is definitely a tough loss to take for the team as well as the youngster.

Before Lester threw a pitch he had a 1-0 lead to work with. The Sox got to Cabrera early in the first inning when Jacoby Ellsbury reached base on a ball hit to shortstop, Freddy Bynum. The rookie center fielder would keep his stolen base streak alive with his 15^th steal of the season. So far Ellsbury is 23-for-23 in steals just four off the pace of Tim Raines who began his career 27-for-27 before being caught. He would score on the big swinging, little guy, Dustin Pedroia’s 21^st RBI and just like that Lester had a lead.

For the first five innings, it appeared as if that would be all the team would need because the Sox left hander was on his game. But in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lester was grateful for two homeruns off the bat of catcher Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell in the of the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to put the Sox up 3-0. The Orioles mounted a rally in the sixth when Quiroz led off the inning with a base hit into center and went to third on a double to right off the bat of Roberts. Payton would drive in the Orioles first run of the game with a ground ball to Alex Cora at short, driving in Quiroz. Baltimore’s third hitter, right fielder Nick Markakis would drive in Roberts for the second run of the game.

When the Red Sox return to action at Fenway on Friday, they will briefly begin interleague play with a three game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The last time the Sox faced the Brewers in interleague action was June 6-8, 2003 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI where the Sox took the season two games to one.

Making his first career start against the Brewers, Daisuke Matsuzaka will face former Red Sox starter Jeff Suppan. Suppan can be remembered for his base running blunder at third base in Game Four of the 2004 World Series against Boston when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is also the pitcher that many equate current Sox prospect Michael Bowden to become. But this year, Suppan holds a 2-2 record with a 4.63 ERA, 21 strike outs with 19 walks and a 1.56 WHIP.

The Milwaukee right hander is coming off a 5-3 win against his old team, the Cardinals, where he completed seven innings allowing just one run on six hits while striking out four and walking five. He will try to make it a clean sweep of his former teams on Friday but in the past the ex-Sox pitcher has had trouble against the Boston line up. Against Boston, he is 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA, 28 strike outs, 19 walks and a 1.42 WHIP while allowing Sox batters to hit at a .271 clip against him.

Tied for the American League lead in wins with six, Matsuzaka will be making his ninth start of the season against the Brewers. With Josh Beckett in a funk right now, Matsuzaka has been the Sox ace for the first month and a half of the season. He leads the Sox in ERA with an average of 2.45 and is third on the team with 40 strike outs, behind Beckett (47) and the rookie Clay Buchholz (43). Matsuzaka is coming off his sixth win of the season with a 5-2 victory against the Minnesota Twins last Saturday, where he pitched seven innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking just three.

WIN: Daniel Cabrera (4-1)

LOSS: Craig Hansen (0-2)

SAVE: George Sherrill (15)

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Game Notes:

Last time the Orioles swept the Red Sox in a two game series was April 25-26, 2005 at Fenway Park but in Baltimore, the Orioles swept the Sox in two games on August 4-5 of 1970.

MANNY MOMENT:

Manny Ramirez made a leaping grab on a Kevin Millar deep fly ball and then doubled up Orioles third baseman Aubrey Huff who was trying to scamper back to first. In the midst of the play, Ramirez high-fived a fan in the stands, as his momentum forced him to climb the wall before throwing the ball back to the infield to double up Huff.

WEB GEMS:

Nick Markakis – diving line drive into right field off the bat of David Ortiz in the top of the sixth inning.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jay Payton, BALTIMORE --- 1-5 Grand Slam, 5 RBIs

2. Daniel Cabrera, BALTIMORE --- 7IP, 10H, 3ER, 0BB, 3K

3. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 2-4 Homerun, RBI, Run-Scored

Orioles’ Luke Scott’s three-run homerun in the bottom of the third push Baltimore to 5-4 win

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RED SOX DROP GAME 1 of 2 TO ORIOLESS 5-4; MOVE TO 24-18
Orioles’ Luke Scott’s three-run homerun in the bottom of the third push Baltimore to 5-4 win

(May 13, 2008) – The theme of tonight’s game: deceiving. Although, Josh Beckett gave up five runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings the Red Sox’s 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, his stuff was there. He did not miss it was just Oriole batters hit him hard. It was just like Marylanders. They gave us one of the worst vice presidents ever in Spiro Agnew and now their baseball team hands the Red Sox their third consecutive loss.

From the start of the game it looked as if it was going to be a Red Sox romp. The Sox got to Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie in the first inning and hit him hard. Getting the start in center field for the fourth straight game, Coco Crisp led of the game with a base hit into right field. Following a Dustin Pedroia pop out to shortstop, David Ortiz lined a doubled to left field, sending Crisp to third and giving Manny Ramirez a chance to drive in two runs.

Besides Fenway Park and Progressive Field, Camden Yards has seen the third most Ramirez homeruns after Yankee Stadium and the Rogers Centre in Toronto. In Baltimore, Ramirez has 15 career homeruns and could have made it 16 with one in the first inning of tonight’s game. But the RBI Machine settled with an RBI single into center to plate Crisp and send Ortiz to third.

With runners on the corners, in the first inning, and one out, third baseman Mike Lowell reached base on his Baltimore counterpart, Aubrey Huff’s fielding error, allowing Ortiz to saunter in from third. After Kevin Youkilis flew out to center, Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar, did his best Bill Buckner impersonation, letting J.D. Drew’s ground ball go through his legs and into right field, plating Ramirez.

Before Beckett even stepped on the Camden Yards mound, he already had a three run lead to work with but in the bottom of the first he did not need it. Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts became his first strike out victim of the night. Beckett then got shortstop Freddie Bynum and right fielder Nick Markakis to fly out to right and ground out to second, respectively, to quickly end the inning. After one inning everything favored the Red Sox but there is a saying that “things are not always as they appear to be.”

Baltimore got on the board in the bottom of the second when Luke Scott lined a two-out base hit into center field. Adam “I’m not Pacman” Jones would keep the inning alive with single to the right of Alex Cora, who had no play when recovered the ball to bring left fielder Jay Payton to the dish. Jason Varitek’s former college teammate, put the Orioles on the scoreboard with a single up the middle to plate Scott.

In the bottom of the third, the Oriole batters would tee off on Beckett like the Sox did against Guthrie in the first. Roberts led off the inning with a base hit to right and advanced to third on another single by Bynum that would drop just in front of the sliding Drew. Drew would leave the game in the middle of the inning with a sprained wrist and be replaced by the rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. With two men on and no outs, Beckett almost got out of the inning with no damage done, catching Markakis and Huff looking a change up and fastball, respectively.

But again, what was the theme of the night? Ah yes deception. Another former Sox player, Millar would do more damage to his old team with an RBI single to left to plate Roberts. Millar’s single kept the inning alive for Scott to be the hero of the game. On a 1-0 count, Scott lifted the Beckett offering over the score board in right and into the hands of waiting Orioles. Ellsbury knew off the bat the towering fly ball was goner and just watched, in amazement, as the ball floated over the right field fence.

The Sox would try to mount a come back in top of the seventh then again the next inning but they fell one run shy. After Crisp left the game with a stomach bug in the bottom of the sixth, Sean Casey led off the seventh inning with a single into right. Pedroia followed Casey’s lead with a single of his own to right off of Guthrie. Orioles manager Dave Trembley had seen enough of his pitcher and quickly got him out of the game in favor of the left hander Jamie Walker to pitch to the left handed Ortiz. Walker failed to do his job by walking Ortiz to load the bases. Could it be the Sox finally taking back the lead and the game?

Everything was working in their favor: bases loaded, no outs and Ramirez at the plate facing the 0-1 Jim Johnson. But again this is baseball not death and taxes. Nothing’s certain. Ramirez grounded back to Johnson for the very rare 1-2-3 double play and Lowell flew out to Payton in left to end the inning. So the Sox had the bases loaded with no outs and could not push across a run across the plate. Very disappointing for all Sox fans especially those who had to sit next to the loud-mouth Marylanders from Harford and Carroll Counties.

But the Sox would push across a run in the top of the eighth inning when Ellsbury and Varitek walked with one out. Shorstop Alex Cora who was 0-for-3 going into the inning, came through with a base hit to right field. Although Markakis has one of the best arms in the game but it was no match for Ellsbury’s speed from second base and the Sox outfielder scored easily. There are only three other players in baseball who would be able to score on a plain single to the right fielder and all are in the AL East: Crisp, Roberts and B.J. Upton. But the Orioles would call upon closer George Sherrill to get the final five outs of the game and got Casey and Pedroia to fly out to left and ground out to first, respectively, to end the threat.

The Sox will play an afternoon matinee in the state that gave us Whitaker Chambers and CNN anchor Thomas Roberts before hopping on their charter at BWI for the 90 minute flight back to Boston. The Sox young left hander, Jon Lester will make his 10^th start of the season against the Orioles temperamental right hander Daniel Cabrera. Lester is 2-2 on the season with a 4.06 ERA, 29 strike outs with a 1.51 WHIP while Cabrera is 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA, 34 strike outs and a 1.20 WHIP.

But the Sox patient offense has always been Cabrera’s downfall. In 11 games against Boston, the Orioles right hander is 1-9 with a 7.84 ERA, 43 walks, and an opponent’s batting average of .296. Cabrera is coming off a 4-1 victory against the Royals in Kansas City where he pitched a three-hit complete game allowing jut one run while striking out seven Royals.

Lester is coming off another no-decision against the Minnesota Twins last Friday night; where he went 5.1 innings allowing five runs – three earned – on eight hits while striking out two. In his career against Baltimore, the Sox lefty is 3-0 in 18 innings with a 3.00 ERA, eight strike outs and a .275 opponent’s batting average.

WIN: Jeremy Guthrie (2-3)

LOSS: Josh Beckett (4-3)

SAVE: George Sherrill (13)

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Game Notes:

Tonight is the first game of 19 games these two teams will face. The Red Sox own the overall record against the Orioles with 1,104 wins and 911 losses. The Sox are 231 and 205 when they play in the birth city of Babe Ruth and 75 and 44 in Camden Yards.

Terry Francona will not be with the team for their final two road games in Maryland and will turn the reigns over to bench coach Brad Mills for the two games against the Orioles. His mother-in-law sadly passed away during last night’s game in her home in Arizona. Francona and his wife, Jackie, along with most of their children will join him in Arizona.

Although shortstop Julio Lugo tells the medical and coaching staff he is getting better every day, coming back from a Grade I concussion; the Sox opt to remain cautious and will keep him out of the line up for another day.

J.D. Drew left the game in the middle of the bottom of the third inning after injuring his left arm diving to make a play on Freddie Bynum’s bloop base hit. He was replaced in right by rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. It was confirmed by the Red Sox medical staff that Drew suffered a sprained left wrist. He is day-to-day.

Coco Crisp left the game after batting in the top of the sixth inning with an upset stomach. Ellsbury moved to center from right, Kevin Youkilis moved into right from first and Sean Casey entered the game at first.

Home plate umpire, Laz Diaz ejected David Ortiz in the top of the ninth inning for arguing a strike out.

Web Gems:

Top Third – Nick Markakis makes a leaping grab of a J.D. Drew fly ball to the warning track in right field that was sure to go for extra bases.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Luke Scott, BALTIMORE --- 3-4 Homerun, 3 RBIs, 2 Runs-scored

2. Brian Roberts, BALTIMORE --- 2-3 2 Singles, BB, Run-scored

3. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON --- 2-4 Double, RBI

Twins take three of four from Sox behind Justin Morneau’s 2-4 night

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RED SOX FALL TO TWINS 7-3; MOVE TO 24-17
Twins take three of four from Sox behind Justin Morneau’s 2-4 night

(May 12, 2008) – Clay Buchholz’s struggles on the road continue. Even an early three runs in the first inning could not turn around the Sox rookie’s misfortune. In one of his shortest outings of the year, Buchholz allowed seven earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings while walking five and striking out just four Twins to earn his third loss of the season.

I was right about Roger Clemens. I was right about Jose Canseco. And now I am right about Coco Crisp being the starting center fielder. After getting the start in center against the Cuban right hander Livan Hernandez, Crisp continued his red hot hitting with a double off the baggy in right field. Crisp deserves to be playing over rookie Jacoby Ellsbury because he is producing on the field. The Sox veteran outfielder would come around to score on an opposite field base hit to left off the bat of David Ortiz to give the Sox the 1-0 lead.

Just three homeruns shy of 500 career homeruns, Manny Ramirez stepped to plate, with Ortiz on first after recording his 29^th RBI of the season. With one swing the bat the Red Sox had the early 3-0 lead and Ramirez was narrowed his road to the magical number 500.

But the Sox only lead of the game would be short lived. Minnesota started mounting their come back in the bottom of the first with one out. After Carlos Gomez struck out looking at a Buchholz fastball, second baseman Brendan Harris – who returned to the line up after sitting out with a strained hamstring in games two and three – singled into center. The American League leader in batting, catcher Joe Mauer, moved Harris to second with a single of his own in left.

The game was not starting out the way Buchholz would have liked and would continue to get worse. Twins first baseman Justin Morneau lined a base hit into right field scoring Harris. Sox right fielder J.D. Drew’s bobble picking up the base hit allowed Mauer to score from first and Morneau to move up to second.

Minnesota took the lead two innings later when Mauer led of the bottom of the third with walk followed by a base hit into right by Morneau, sending the Twins catcher to third. Right fielder Michael Cuddyer would drive in Mauer with a single up the middle to tie the game at three a piece. After last night’s hero Craig Monroe walked to load the bases in the inning with nobody out, left fielder Delmon Young, hit a ground ball to Alex Cora at short but the Sox shortstop could not turn the double play. In the back door, came Morneau with the go-ahead run and eventually the winning run. But the Twins were not done with Buchholz yet. They tacked on four more runs in the next inning and a third before he was pulled by Terry Francona. The Twins would put three more on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Just like the Celtics and the Cavaliers a few miles to the southeast in Cleveland, the Sox offense was quieted by the Twins pitching staff. Buchholz was not on his game tonight. From the first inning it was evident the Sox young right hander had difficulty finding the strike zone and the normally impatient Twins jumped on that. When he was off he was way off, similar to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett tonight, being held to a combined 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists against the Cavs. They could not buy a point if they wanted, just as Buchholz could not pay his way out of jam if he wanted. And again also like the C's, poor Buchholz's road blues continue although, fortunately for the right hander it is the regular season and not the playoffs.

Before flying back to Boston, the Sox have one last stop in Baltimore to play the AL East foe, Orioles for a two game set tomorrow and Wednesday. Josh Beckett will get the nod in the first game of the series against Baltimore right hander Jeremy Guthrie.

At 4-2, Beckett is making his seventh start of the season and first against the Orioles this year. The Sox ace is currently seventh in the American League in strike outs just 10 behind Chicago White Sox starter Javier Vazquez who leads with 52 strike outs. Beckett is coming off a 5-1 win against the Tigers last Thursday where he pitched seven innings allowing one run on six hits while striking out eight and walking none. Overall he is 4-1 against the Orioles, in six starts, with a .229 opponent’s batting average, 38 strike outs and just four walks.

This game shall be a good one because Guthrie is 1-3 on the season with a 4.32 ERA and 32 strike outs on the season. He is coming off a 6-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics where he did not factored into the decision. In Baltimore’s 14^th one run game of the year, Guthrie went 5.2 innings allowing four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out six on 106 pitches. In his career against Boston, he is 0-0 in four games with a 2.61 ERA, a .259 opponent’s batting average, 12 strike outs and eight walks.

WIN: Livan Hernandez (6-1)

LOSS: Clay Buchholz (2-3)

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Game Notes:

Julio Lugo suffered a mild concussion when he slid collided with Twins second baseman Matt Tolbert Friday night. He just resumed baseball activities today and the Red Sox medical personnel will decide when the shortstop will return to game-action.

Sean Casey was activated earlier today and is in the starting line up. To make room for Casey on the active roster the Sox designated pitcher Julian Tavarez for assignment. Tavarez was expendable since he was one of the only pitchers on the team not useful with the majority of the pitching staff going 6-7 innings a game thus rendering his position on the team wasteful.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Justin Morneau, MINNESOTA --- 2-4 RBI

2. Michael Cuddyer, MINNESOTA --- 2-4 RBI

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

Twins designated hitter Craig Monroe’s two homer night gives Minnesota their 19th win

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RED SOX COME UP SHORT TO THE TWINS 9-8; MOVE TO 24-16
Twins designated hitter Craig Monroe’s two homer night gives Minnesota their 19^th win

(May 11, 2008) –The Twins should thank Mrs. Monroe for allowing her son to spend an extra five minutes in the backyard swinging the bat because Craig Monroe’s second homerun was what gave Minnesota the 9-8 victory. If it was not for his seventh inning homerun the Twins and Red Sox would still be playing after Coco Crisp drove in Mike Lowell in the top of the ninth with the Sox’s eighth run.

The Sox tried valiantly to make Mother’s Day 2008 as memorable to their mothers and all of Red Sox Nation as they did last year. With one out in the top of the ninth, Lowell lined a single into center field sending Kevin Youkilis to third. (Youkilis reached by beating out Adam Everett’s throw to first on a ground ball to shortstop.) J.D. Drew would drive in Youkilis with a double over the head of Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez to send the hottest hitter of the game to the plate in Crisp. But the boys from Boston came up one run short when Manny Ramirez, pinch-hitting for catcher Kevin Cash grounded out to shortstop.

In his shortest outing of the year, Wakefield pitched just 2.2 innings allowing seven runs on seven hits while walking and striking out two. The Twins hit Wakefield hard in the bottom of the second when Canadian-born first baseman Justin Morneau led off the inning with a base hit into left center followed by a double to left by Michael Cuddyer. With nobody out and two runs on, designated hitter Monroe got Minnesota’s offensive show on the road with a three-run homerun. But the inning was not over yet.

Wakefield forced left fielder Delmon Young to ground out to Lowell at third base but walked Friday night’s hero, Mike Lamb to set up Everett’s first homerun of the season. With one swing of the bat the Twins had a 5-0 lead that the Sox would have to dig their way out of. But they have done it before on Mother’s Day so it was not completely out of the question.

They had a great opportunity to put some runs on the board and run Blackburn from the game in the top of the third after the Twins starter hit Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia to lead of the inning. David Ortiz drove his second hit of the game into right field but Ellsbury and Pedroia could only advance one base. What a perfect opportunity bases loaded nobody out and the Greek God of Walks stepping to the plate.

After striking out in the first, Youkilis had chance to redeem himself but his perfectly hit line drive found the web of Lamb’s glove on a diving ESPN web gem. You could not ask for a better, text book hit than Youkilis’s, Lamb just made a miraculous game saving catch. Have to give him credit for that catch. But the Sox would at least get one run out of the inning with sacrifice fly into right by Lowell to plate Ellsbury.

But Minnesota would keep widening their lead in the bottom of the third, starting with another base hit by Morneau. Young would walk after Cuddyer and Monroe struck and grounded out, respectively to give Lamb a chance to step to the plate in the inning. The Minnesota third baseman lined a base hit up the middle to plate two more runs for the Twins.

Boston would not give up; they are indeed the “Never say die Red Sox.” Just when you think it is over, it is not over with this Red Sox team. In the top of the fourth, Crisp led of the inning, with a stand up triple that bounced over the head of Young, and would score on a base hit up the middle by Cash. Shortstop Alex Cora singled into center to put runners on first and second with no one out until Ellsbury lined out to left.

Pedroia made up for Ellsbury’s mistake, batting out a would-be Twin killing. Minnesota second baseman, Matt Tolbert would airmail his throw to first into the first row of seats behind the Sox dugout allowing Cash to score the fourth run of the game. But the Twins would add another run in the fourth when catcher Joe Mauer walked with two outs and scored on when Lowell could not handle Monroe’s ground ball down the third base line.

After Ellsbury went 0-for-4 on the night, Crisp has proved to manager Terry Francona and Red Sox Nation that he, and only he, should be starter in centerfield. After a triple in the fourth inning, Crisp capped off his night with a two-run homerun in the top of the seventh, driving in J.D. Drew. The Sox right fielder kept the inning alive when he lined a two-out single into right field to bring Crisp to the plate.

But, yet again, the pesky Twins would not go away. In the bottom of the inning Monroe hit his second homerun of the game and drove in his fourth RBI of the game. Care to guess who the number one star of the game is, now?

The Sox look to split the series in Minnesota tomorrow when they send Clay Buchholz to the mound against Twins right hander Livan Hernandez. After the game, the team will hope on the silver bird and fly back to the east coast where the Orioles will host a two game set in the land of oh so many crab-cakes.

Buchholz has pitched remarkable on the season, owning a 2-2 record with 39 strike outs. The future is bright for the Red Sox in the starting pitching department – when they are at home. When the team is on the road it has been a different story for the young pitching phenom. Away from the Old Ballpark, Buchholz is 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four games with six walks and 24 strike outs and an opponent’s batting average of .300. Compare those numbers with his at Fenway, where he is 2-0 with an ERA barely above 1.00 while holding opposing hitters to just .226. The Sox tall, lanky right hander is coming off a 10-9 loss to the Detroit Tigers where he pitched just four innings allowing five runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out six, on 82 pitches. Buchholz will look to improve his road numbers with his third win of the season against the Twins.

The Cuban defector, Hernandez will be in search of his sixth win of the season when he faces the Red Sox for the third time his career. Against the Sox, Hernandez is 0-2 with a 12.38 ERA with five strike outs and an opponent’s batting average over .400. But this season, the Twins’ right hander is 5-1 on the season with a 3.83 ERA and 20 strikeouts. He is coming off a 13-1 win against the Chicago White Sox last Wednesday where he pitched a complete game allowing one run on nine hits while walking one and striking out three. On average, Hernandez has thrown 95 pitches per game and in four of his last five starts he has thrown above 100 pitches.

WIN: Nick Blackburn (3-2)

LOSS: Tim Wakefield (3-2)

SAVE: Joe Nathan (12)

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Game Notes:

Alex Cora has been activated for tonight’s game with the Twins and in the starting line up. Starting shortstop, Julio Lugo’s CT scans were clean and the Sox shortstop’s eyes appeared clearer when he came into the Metrodome visitors’ clubhouse. Infielder Jed Lowrie has been optioned to Pawtucket. Sean Casey has joined the team in Minnesota but has not been activated from the disabled list yet.

Manny Ramirez is not in the starting line up tonight due to a sore hamstring. He apparently tweaked the muscle after running hard down the line to stay out of the double play. Personally I would rather have Ramirez loaf it down the line than to pull a hamstring trying to beat out a throw from shortstop. He is not worth anything if he is sitting on the DL with a strained hamstring.

WEB GEMS:

Mike Lamb diving line drive catch off the bat of Kevin Youkilis in the top of the third inning, keeping the score, then, at 5-1.

Jacoby Ellsbury – diving line drive off the bat of Joe Mauer in left.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Craig Monroe, MINNESOTA ---- 2-4 2 Homeruns, 4 RBIs

2. Justin Morneau, MINNESOTA --- 3-3 2 Runs Scored

3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON ---- 2-5 Triple, Homerun, 3 RBIs, Run-scored

Sox pitchers retire last 13 of 14 Minnesota hitters to take game two of the four game set

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RED SOX HOMER PAST TWINS 5-2; MOVE TO 24-15
Sox pitchers retire last 13 of 14 Minnesota hitters to take game two of the four game set

(May 10, 2008) –No folks you were not seeing your five year old nephew on the mound in the third, when Daisuke Matsuzaka let a change up slip out of his hand on 1-2 pitch to Twins catcher Joe Mauer.

After coming off a start in Detroit where he allowed eight walks, it certainly looked as if tonight would be a repeat of Cinco de Mayo following three walks in the first two innings of the game. One of those walks was to centerfielder Carlos Gomez with the bases loaded to force home Michael Cuddyer with the tying run. But Matsuzaka would settle down to strike out seven Twin batters in seven innings of work allowing just two runs on six hits.

Until the top of the ninth, all the Sox runs were on solo shots into the left field grandstand. First baseman Kevin Youkilis got the solo homerun parade started with his eighth round tripper of the season in the top of the second inning for the short-lived 1-0 lead. With that homerun, Youkilis is now tied with Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena for the American League lead in homerun and the outright lead in the Sox clubhouse.

The Twins would score again in the top of the fifth inning starting with a lead off double down the left field line by second baseman Matt Tolbert. Tolbert came around to score on a single into center by first baseman Justin Morneau. But it would be the last time Minnesota would lead in the game and the last time, until the ninth, a batter reached base against Red Sox pitching.

In the top of the seventh inning, Coco Crisp proved he should be the starting center fielder with a lead off homerun, off Twins starter Glen Perkins, to tie the game at two a piece. Shortstop Jed Lowrie followed Crisp’s lead with his first major league homerun to put the Sox up for good and chase Perkins out of the game. Perkins exited the game after pitching six innings allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out three.

Sox third baseman Mike Lowell would tack on another run the next inning with his third homerun of the season off Minnesota reliever Brian Bass to give the Sox the two-run advantage. But before the game was over, Lowrie would appeal himself more to the Red Sox front office that he deserves to stay once Alex Cora returns from the D.L. The Sox rookie shortstop lined his third hit of the night into right field to lead of the top of the ninth and would score a base hit up the middle by second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon came on in relief of Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima in the bottom of the ninth. Coming off two blown saves Papelbon was facing the bottom of the Twins line up. Red Sox pitchers would combine to retire 12 consecutive hitters before last night’s hero for the Twins, Mike Lamb reached on Jason Varitek’s error on pop fly with two outs in the ninth. But Papelbon ended up striking out pinch hitter, Craig Monroe to end the game.

Tim Wakefield goes to the mound in tomorrow’s Mother’s Day matinee and looks to win his for all the mothers out there. He is coming off his third win of the season where he and Mike Timlin combined to throw a two-hit shut out against the Detroit Tigers. In the win, the Sox knuckleballer unusually used more fastballs and curves than he has done in previous games.

Against the Twins, in his career Wakefield is 13-4 with two saves and an ERA of 4.00 with 106 strike outs and 41 walks in 24 games. He will be opposed by Twins starter Nick Blackburn who is making his eighth start of the season and is looking for his third win of the season.

Blackburn is 2-2 on the season with a 3.65 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP and 20 strike outs. He is coming of a 7-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in ChiTown. In the loss he went six innings allowing four runs – three earned – on six hits while walking three and striking out one. The Sox of the red variety will try to make it a burn Blackburn with double losses to the “Sox.”

WIN: Daisuke Matsuzaka (6-0)

LOSS: Glen Perkins (0-1)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (11)

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Game Notes:

Coco Crisp’s homerun in the top of the seventh was his first of the year and was back-to-back with Jed Lowrie’s first homerun of his major league career.

Even with Glen Perkins, the left hander, on the mound, Jacoby Ellsbury still gets the start in right field giving J.D. Drew the night off. Also with the night off is Julio Lugo, who is undergoing tests for a concussion he received last night when he collided with second baseman Matt Tolbert last night trying to break up a double play. Jed Lowrie will make the start at shortstop in Lugo’s absence.

This day in Red Sox history: May 10, 1999

It was nine years ago today that shortstop Nomar Garciaparra hit two grand slams in a game against the Seattle Mariners and drove in 10 out of the 12 runs the Sox scored in their 12-8 victory over the Mariners.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOSTON --- 7IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K

2. Jed Lowrie, BOSTON --- 3-4 Double, Homerun, RBI

3. Justin Morneau, MINNESOTA --- 2-4 2 Singles