June 15, 2005

G64: Red Sox 7, Reds 0

So I check the Red Sox schedule at ESPN this morning and I find myself happy about tomorrow's off-day, because it means that David Wells will be pitching on Monday in Cleveland, and not on Sunday afternoon at home against the Pirates (when I'll be at work). ... Yes, I'm actually looking forward to Dunkin' David's next start.

The big man, Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke combined on a one-hitter as the Red Sox bashed away at the Reds for the second night in a row. [The last combined one-hitter by the Red Sox was against the Yankees on June 7, 1990 (Greg Harris and Jeff Reardon).] We've seen a lot of flip-flopping from this bunch over the first two months of this season, but I feel like things are really turning around.

Manny Ramirez homered for the third game in a row -- this one, a no-doubt bomb to the Monster Seats in left center that a fan caught on the fly! -- Bill Mueller got two hits and three RBI, Kevin Millar and Trot Nixon each collected two singles, and John Olerud continues to amaze as a sub, rolling off the bench for three innings in the field and whacking an RBI double into the left field corner in his one plate appearance.

Wells allowed the only Reds hit of the game with two outs in the sixth -- a clean line drive single to right center by Ryan Freel. Timlin struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth and Foulke retired the first two Reds in the ninth on five pitches, before getting Ken Griffey looking at strike three.

It was a night of convincing victories for the Sox, Baltimore (6-1) and the Yankees (9-0). Toronto, the team separating Boston and New York in the East, lost to the Cardinals 7-0 on Chris Carpenter's complete game one-hitter.

I have no idea what the record is for most uniform numbers worn by one player in one season with one team, but Wells must be close. At the press conference at his signing, he had #30, he began the season with #3, and he now wears #16.

Bronson Arroyo / Aaron Harang at 7:00.

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