September 25, 2008

G159: Red Sox 6, Spiders 1

Spiders - 000 001 000 - 1  2  1
Red Sox - 320 000 10x - 6 9 0
Lester did not allow a hit for five innings, no doubt bringing back memories of May 19 for many of the 37,726 fans at Fenway. But Josh Barfield began the sixth with a double into the left field corner and later scored on a one-out single to right by Jamey Carroll.

With the no-no gone, Lester was pulled after six innings (6-2-1-1-4, 86) and Terry Francona used three pitchers out of the pen: Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon -- each of whom pitched one inning, faced three batters, struck out one hitter, and threw 12 pitches.

The Red Sox struck early and often against Sowers. In the first, Jacoby Ellsbury singled and took third on a hit-and-run single from Jed Lowrie. Dustin Pedroia's sac fly to the track in left-center brought in Lyndon for a 1-0 lead. Sowers then walked Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay to load the bases. Jason Varitek's fly ball to center scored Lowrie and Mark Kotsay's doubled brought in Yook.

In the second, Ellsbury pulled a one-out double down the right field line and scored on Lowrie's two-bagger to left. Lowrie moved to third on Pedroia's fly to right and scored on Yook's single to left-center. The Sultan of Sweat capped the scoring with a solo home run to deep left in the seventh.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Tigers beat the Rays 7-5, keeping Boston's slim AL East hopes alive. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 8-2.

***

Jeremy Sowers (5.48, 81 ERA+) / Jon Lester (3.26, 140 ERA+)

Tampa Bay can clinch the AL East by beating Detroit this afternoon -- or if the Red Sox lose tonight's game to Cleveland.

***
Rays/Tigers at 1
East                     Magic #
Rays 96 62 ---
Red Sox 93 65 3.0 1

230 comments:

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johngoldfine said...

I grew up just down the road from the Larz Anderson museum, remember before the mansion was torn down (the museum is in the old carriage house), used to skate at the rink there in the winter. Over the hill to Jamaica Pond, down the Jamaica Way, and you're just about in Kenmore Square--and we all know what THAT means!

Amy said...

9C, it reads almost like a novel. Great reading. Lots of history, context, as well as baseball lore.

laura k said...

So this is the ML debut of Gil Velasquez, after 11 years in the minors.

laura k said...

Hey, a free plug from Amy! :)

laura k said...

That Larz Anderson house looks pretty amazing.

allan said...

In a way, it is like those books that come out the year following a championship. It takes you through the season and what happened along the way, etc.

P.S.: Future events do not enter the narrative at all.

Amy said...

Any time, Laura! You can put the blurb on the jacket or website.

Rob said...

Any time, Laura! You can put the blurb on the jacket or website.

Then she'd be plugging you, wouldn't she? :)

Rob said...

Or would it be like a testimonial...?

johngoldfine said...

The house was amazing, l-girl. The museum is where the horses and carriages were kept.

Rob said...

First round of dirty water is on ME!

Amy said...

Water is dirty!

Benjamin said...

Water.

allan said...

Plan To Win The East: 2/8 complete!!!

laura k said...

A two-hitter! Very nice, very dirty water.

efd said...

non-potable water!

allan said...

All three Sox relievers faced 3 batters, struck out 1 and threw 12 pitches!!!

Benjamin said...

TOR 8 - MFY 2; end of the 8th.

laura k said...

"I'll take potent potables for 100, Alex."

SoSock said...

Well, back from settling Cat in for the night.
I saw Bard's name mentioned. Did they pull him up from Portland? I've kept up with him most of the year since he's a Carolina boy (UNC, that is) and don't recall seeing him get to Pawtucket

Rob said...

If I was a betting man I'd say there will be one more regular season Red Sox game before the playoffs.

laura k said...

Sosock, Bard was there for a mini-interview w/ Heidi, he won a minor league award, w/ Lars Anderson.

Benjamin said...

MFY lose.

SoSock said...

Ah, thanks L.
I saw him play once when he was in HS, although he played short that game, and 1 game in college, Carolina at Elon about 3 years ago.
I believe his brother will be at Carolina next year.

efd said...

OK, early to bed for me. I'll see you all in the postseason! Between the expected rain and my weekend plans I don't think I'll be back during another regular season game.

andy said...

I love how everything is working out the way it is supposed to be.

Jere said...

"If I was a betting man I'd say there will be one more regular season Red Sox game before the playoffs."

I'm a betting man. Let's bet! (I say two games.) Here's my prediction: Friday's rained out and re-sked to 5:05 Sunday, with the 1:35 game moved up to 12:35. Saturday they play for Fox, and if the Rays win Friday, they get five innings in and call it since it'll be raining all day. Sunday, a drizzly first game, followed by the Pesky thing, followed by game 2. Wait, that's three games. Well, I say say at least two. Or--they have the Pesky thing in the rain Friday and get five innings in, and move Saturday's game to Sunday. I guess it depends on how hard it's raining each day.

Jere said...

Also, my midnight technique worked. You can get four in the grandstand for Sunday, four together in the bleachers on Friday, etc.

Rob said...

Things turned around in a hurry tonight with the four other big playoff contending teams.

In the span of one hour, the Brewers, who were in a 1-1 tie into the 10th, won their game with a walk-off grand slam by Ryan Bruan.

The Mets, who were down 6-3 after 6.5 innings, got 1 in the 7th, 2 in the 8th, then walked off with the win in the 9th inning.

And then, we go to Minnesota, where it was 6-2 White Sox after 4 innings. The twins came clawing back, getting one run in the 6th, then getting two to tie in the 8th. In the 10th, Alexi Casilla hit a walk-off single to win it for the Twins.


So... That means the NL Wildcard is still tied. But most importantly, it means the Twins, finally, have passed the White Sox, and are now leading the NL Central by a half-game.

Tampa's traveling secretary must be busy on the phone right now canceling things in Chicago and planning things for Minneapolis. AL Central still not done yet, though. But what a comeback by the Twins. Without Santana!

How ironic would that be if the Twins trade away Santana to the New York Mets... the Twins make the playoffs and the Mets don't?

Rob said...

As of today, the playoffs would look like this...

Red Sox at Angels
Twins at Rays

Brewers/Mets one-game playoff, with the winner playing the Cubs in Chicago...
Dodgers at Phillies

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