Saturday, July 04, 2009

383

Tim Wakefield set the new mark for Red Sox pitchers last night against Seattle, starting his 382nd game in a Sox uniform, but couldn't come away with his 11th win of the year as Seattle took it in extra innings, 7-6 in 11.

Wake broke Roger Clemens' start record, and is still 18 wins behind the Texas Con Man and Cy Young's team record for victories. The night got off to a promising start, as the Sox bolted from the gate with two runs in the first.

Seattle scored three runs in the fourth to pull ahead, 4-2, and it stayed that way until the seventh, when J.D. Drew blasted a shot to center to make it, 4-3. But Jose Lopez took Wakefield into the Monster seats in the righth to answer it back and restore the two-run lead.

With two on and two out in the bottom of the frame, Nick Green hit a high fly that just missed going in the seats in left by about a foot, but it tied the game at 5. Both teams were stymied the next two innings, but the Mariners broke through in the 11th, on Rob Johnson's two-run double off Ramon Ramirez (who has been a lot more human lately after his hot start), as he hung a changeup that was whacked into the rightfield corner.

George Kottaras hit his first MLB home run with two outs to make it 7-6, but the game ended after Drew's single, and Dustin Pedroia's hard ground out to third.

Tim Wakefield gutted it out for eight innings, but it wasn't enough. Whether or not it costs him an All-Star berth, we'll find out tomorrow, when the rosters are announced. The Red Sox look to get even today, when Brad Penny takes the mound on Independence Day against Garrett Olson.

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