Red Sox Wire
Masterson’s effort soiled by Sox bullpen
April 24, 2008
The Red Sox were all lined up for a clean getaway on Thursday afternoon. Highly touted prospect Justin Masterson, summoned from Double-A Portland for an emergency start from, pitched brilliantly.But once he exited after six fine innings — two hits, one run, four walks, four strikeouts — it all fell apart. A collective bullpen meltdown in the top of the seventh inning led to the disappearance of a two-run lead and, ultimately, a 7-5 loss to the Angels in the rubber match of the three-game series.
After the game, the Sox packed their bags and headed to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a three-game series against the Rays. During a seven-game homestand in which several players were sidelined by the flu while others remained idled by injures, Boston managed to go 5-2.
Masterson, known for his sinkerball, got 11 out of his 18 outs on the ground. He threw 95 pitches.
Immediately after he left, the bullpen got into trouble. Javier Lopez opened what turned out to be a four-run seventh, giving up a walk and a hit. On came Manny Delcarmen. The right-hander, who had been sidelined with the flu the last two days, walked Mike Napoli. Then Delcarmen got a grounder to the right side that first baseman Kevin Youkilis tried to make a play on, but it wound up as an RBI infield single to bring the Angels within one.
With the bases still loaded with nobody out, Sox manager Terry Francona looked for Hideki Okajima to bail the team out of a sticky situation. But Okajima was greeted with a game-tying RBI single from Chone Figgins and a go-ahead, two-run single by Gary Matthews Jr.
The Red Sox had a chance to blow this one open early, loading the bases with nobody out in the second. But Julio Lugo and Kevin Cash both stuck out. In between, Coco Crisp got a run home on a fielder’s-choice grounder to make it 1-0.
Masterson kept it right there until the Sox extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth. With one on and two outs, Crisp drilled a ground-rule double to right-center to bring home Youkilis. Cash followed with another ground-rule double, making it 3-0.
The Angels got one back in the fifth, when Napoli hammered a solo homer to left. Other than that, the Angels accomplished next to nothing against Masterson.
Home sick (L 4-6)
April 23, 2008
Jon Lester was out in right field doing some prep work with pitching coach John Farrell on Wednesday in advance of his scheduled start the following day. But things changed rapidly when manager Terry Francona came out to inform Farrell that Daisuke Matsuzaka had fallen victim to the flu that has roamed all over the Red Sox’s clubhouse in recent days.Lester then casually mentioned to Francona that he could pitch a day early — on three days’ rest for the first time in his career.
With hardly any other options — and game time approaching within a couple of hours — Francona took Lester up on his selfless gesture. As it turns out, Lester (five innings, nine hits, four runs, two walks, one strikeout) didn’t pitch well enough to win, but his flexibility was appreciated even though the Red Sox fell the Angels, 6-4, on Wednesday night.
“He stepped up, and we made sure he knew that,” said Francona. “I don’t think he was happy with the results, because we didn’t win, but he gave us five innings. When he left, it’s 4-4 and we had a chance. It didn’t work out for us, but we also didn’t ruin our bullpen.”
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Sox.
Things are getting ridiculously unpredictable these days at Fenway. Just one day earlier, Josh Beckett had been the one scratched at the last minute and David Pauley came up from Pawtucket to pitch. The Red Sox were able to come back from a four-run deficit to win that game, 7-6. This time, however, they fell short.
Down, 4-2, entering the bottom of the fifth, David Ortiz unloaded for a two-run homer into the box seats in right. It was Ortiz’s 211th homer in a Boston uniform, moving him into ninth place on the club’s all-time list. In the more immediate scheme of things, Ortiz has recovered nicely from his slump, hitting in nine of his last 10 games at a .309 clip.
As much as Ortiz’s equalizer was appreciated, the game didn’t stay tied long.
Craig Hansen, who was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket before the game, was thrust into a tie game to start the sixth. Though his pitches seemed to have far more bite to them than when he was last with the Red Sox in 2006, he made a mistake with two outs and nobody on, and Casey Kotchman made him pay for it in the form of a solo homer.
“[It was an] inside fastball, but it got too much plate,” said Hansen, who was sent right back to Pawtucket after the game to make room on the roster for Justin Masterson, who will start Thursday’s game in what will be his Major League debut.
Considering the tough spot he was put in, it wasn’t all that surprising that Lester didn’t have his best stuff. Just two batters in, Gary Matthews Jr. crushed a solo homer to left.
“I don’t think it had that big of an effect on me,” said Lester of the short rest. “My body felt fine or else I wouldn’t have offered to do that. I don’t really know. It’s the first time I’ve ever pitched on short rest. It was different. There wasn’t any pain or soreness; it just didn’t feel like everything was under me.”
The Angels tacked on another in the second on an RBI double to left by Maicer Izturis. The Red Sox cut down a potential second run on that play when Manny Ramirez hit cutoff man Julio Lugo, who then fired a perfect strike to get Kotchman.
The Red Sox got one run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI single up the middle by Lugo. But just as soon as they chipped into the lead, the Angels extended it again on an RBI single to center by Erick Aybar.
Then it was Boston’s turn to bounce back. Kevin Cash, thrust into a starting role the past few days with Jason Varitek sick, led off the third with a double to left. Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a single to left, putting Dustin Pedroia in position to drive a run home on a sac fly that cut the Angels’ lead to 3-2.
Once again, Matthews unloaded against Lester, this time drilling a solo shot to left to lead off the fifth. Thanks to Ortiz, Lester took a no-decision instead of a loss.
After giving the Sox five innings and 80 pitches, Lester exited.
“Tito told me before the game that they were going to cut it short, regardless of how good or bad I was doing, and keep a pretty strict pitch count,” Lester said. “It’s early in the season. They don’t want to set me back with an injury, so they were very cautious.”
Though the Red Sox aren’t much into moral victories, Francona couldn’t help but be proud of the way his team competed under tough circumstances. Aside from Matsuzaka not being able to pitch, Varitek was sidelined for the fourth day in a row with the flu. Reliever Manny Delcarmen is also sick and couldn’t go for a second day in a row. Kevin Youkilis was out with a lower back strain.
And still, the Sox were in it the whole way.
“We’re kind of fighting this as it comes,” said Francona. “It seems to grab someone different every day. [The] doctors are dong what they can, and everybody is trying to heed the best advice and win the game at the same time and field a team.”
“We showed up to win. I was proud of our guys’ effort. I don’t think you can just be proud when you win. I think we’re happier when we win, but a lot of guys are digging deep, and we’ll continue to do that. So the silver lining — not tonight that we lost — but I understand how our ballclub operates, and I feel good about that.”
Pedroia’s RBI double in eighth earns BoSox sixth straight win (W 7-6)
April 23, 2008
The Red Sox were hardly fazed after their ace pitcher was scratched from his start.
Dustin Pedroia’s tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning helped Boston rally for its sixth straight win, 7-6 over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night after Josh Beckettmissed the game with a stiff neck.
“Baseball isn’t a one-man game. It’s different guys every game,” saidKevin Youkilis, who tied it at 5 with a two-run homer. “There’s a lot of times when Josh will pitch well. There’s times when we’re going to need to score some runs for him.”
It was the teams’ first meeting since Boston swept Los Angeles in last year’s American League Divisional playoffs.
With last season’s postseason hero sidelined, the Red Sox mounted a comeback from a 5-1 deficit.
“We didn’t quit,” Pedroia said. “They had a lead. We strung together at-bats.”
Jacoby Ellsbury hit two solo homers and Pedroia went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a single. Every starter had at least one of Boston’s 16-hit effort, 10 in the final five innings.
Beckett, the majors’ only 20-game winner last year, started the season on the 15-day disabled list with a strained lower back before making his first start April 6. Boston manger Terry Francona said after the game that Beckett is likely to take his next turn in the rotation.
“My best guess at this point is we’ll probably keep him on his next start,” Francona said.
Boston emergency starter David Pauley, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Pawtucket, made his fourth major league start — and first since 2006 — and gave up five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The Angles knew they blew an excellent chance, having a lead and not having to face Beckett.
“Whether you have Beckett on the mound or this kid, you have to play baseball,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We just couldn’t minimize the damage and hold some leads.”
Jeff Mathis had a two-run homer and RBI double for the Angels, who lost for just the third time in nine games.
Ellsbury reached on a bunt against Darren Oliver (1-1) and scored the winning run when Pedroia hit a grounder off a pitch from Scot Shields that went just inside the third-base bag and past the dive of Chone Figgins.
Mike Timlin (2-1) retired one batter in the eighth for the win and Jonathan Papelbon got three outs for his eighth save.
“To be honest, I am tired of … our luck here,” said a frustrated Shields. “I’m tired of it. They beat us. Now let’s move on to the next day.”
Los Angeles had scored five runs to grab a 5-1 lead after Ellsbury homered in Boston’s first at-bat of the game.
Julio Lugo’s RBI single in the fourth cut it to 5-2. Boston tied it with three in the fifth off starter Jered Weaver. David Ortiz’s run-scoring single drove in Pedroia, who led off with a double.
After right fielder Vladimir Guerrero reached over a short wall for a running catch near the Pesky Pole to rob Manny Ramirez of what would have been his 497th homer and a tying shot, Youkilis tied it at 5 with a drive into the Green Monster seats.
Ellsbury homered into the right-field seats off Darren O’Day to make it 6-5 in the sixth, but Casey Kotchman tied it with a home run against Hideki Okajima in the eighth.
Weaver lasted five innings, surrendering five runs on 10 hits.
Los Angeles scored three runs in the third on Garret Anderson’s two-run single and Mathis’ RBI single. Pauley nearly got out of a bases-loaded mess with the score 1-1 by retiring Gary Matthews Jr. and Guerrero on pop outs, but Anderson bounced one up the middle.
Mathis homered in the fourth to make it 5-1.
Ellsbury homered into the Angels’ bullpen on Weaver’s fifth pitch of the game.
Buchholz notches first win of season (Win 8-3)
April 21, 2008
Manny Ramirez was resting. Jason Varitek (flu), Coco Crisp (left hamstring) and Mike Lowell (sprained thumb) were still recovering. The marathoners outside of Fenway Park were huffing and puffing.
The Red Sox? They just keep rolling.
With a lineup that had a less-than-imposing 7-8-9 combo of Julio Lugo, Kevin Cash and Joe Thurston, the Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Rangers with a stress-free 8-3 victory in Monday’s annual Patriots Day game, which started at 11:05 a.m. ET.
The offense — short-handed or not — erupted for five runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Lugo (4-for-4) all had multi-hit games.
“It’s not always perfect,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “You get banged up, or sick and things happen, but we played a good game. On a day when you start at 11 and you want a lot of energy, our guys did that.”
The Rangers paid for it.
“They’re a good team and when you’re a team, it doesn’t matter who you put out there,” said Rangers manager Ron Washington. “They rely on everybody and seems like everybody seems to contribute. I think you ask any manager if it’s nice not to see Manny in the lineup and they’ll tell you, ‘Yes.’ I’m not different. But these guys, they scored runs.”
Right-hander Clay Buchholz took care of things from the pitching end, turning in what was easily his best start of 2008. Buchholz reeled off six strong innings, allowing five hits and no runs. He walked two and struck out six.
The performance gave Buchholz (1-1, 4.79 ERA) his first victory of 2008 and provided memories of the hot-shot prospect who threw a no-hitter on Sept. 1.
“I think you’re seeing some arm strength continuing to gain here,” said Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. “When he does have to go to his fastball in certain counts, he’s got a little bit more of a weapon than he did in his first couple of outings of the season. Today was more akin to the way Clay pitched when he came up to us last year.”
The 14-7 Sox have won five in a row, and nine of their last 10.
“We’re playing well — having good at-bats all throughout the game,” said Jed Lowrie, who contributed with a key bunt single. “We’re pitching well. Everything just seems to be clicking right now. It’s just one of those things you try to hold on to as long as you can.”
In what proved to be a big blow to the Rangers, lefty Kason Gabbard had to leave the game after just two innings with back stiffness. Reliever Dustin Nippert took the brunt of the punishment from the Boston bats, giving up nine hits and eight runs over 2 1/3 innings.
“With Gabby having to leave because his back was stiff, that doesn’t help them,” said Francona. “We got into their bullpen and they got into situations where they had to leave guys out there and we took advantage of it.”
The fun for the Sox started in the bottom of the fourth. J.D. Drew walked and then Lowrie pushed down a bunt, and it went right over Nippert’s head and dropped in.
“The initial thought was, ‘Bunt it down the right side, hard past the pitcher,’” Lowrie said. “The pitch was away, so I tried to push it by him on that side. I didn’t try to put it in the air. It was one of those things, I was trying to get it that way, hard on the ground past the pitcher, but it worked out when it got in the air.”
Lugo kept the heat on, lining a single up the middle to break the scoreless tie. From there, the hits kept coming.
The Rangers were hurt even on a lineout, as second baseman Ian Kinsler snared Cash’s ball out of the air and then tried to pick Lugo off at first. But the throw sailed away and Lowrie came home. Then it was Pedroia’s turn and he nailed a double into nearly the exact same spot in right-center field that his game-trying hit landed on Sunday, this time getting two runs home. Ortiz lofted what could have been a flyout to left, but the sun blinded Milton Bradley, who fell down, and another run came home, giving the Sox five in the inning.
The Red Sox were right back at it in the fifth. Ellsbury drove a run home on a single to left. Ortiz went the other way again, getting two runs home on a double.
Buchholz and the bullpen took it from there.
“I’ve felt like I’ve had good stuff just about every time I’ve gone out, but there’s a difference between having good stuff and just going out and pitching,” said Buchholz. “It’s a whole world of difference, and I actually pitched today instead of just going out there and throwing curveballs and changeups and hoping something good will come out of it. I felt like me and Cash were both in sync together today.”
The same could be said for the Red Sox, who looked like they had their A team out there, even if they didn’t.
“If you just pay attention to the task at hand, if you’re good enough, that usually works,” said Francona.