It looked like another night the Red Sox were going to piss me off yet again.Josh Beckett gave up four runs in the first two innings, and walked five Texas Rangers on the night. Another crappy start by the Sox was under way. But the bats got going in the second, with a Mike Lowell home run.
In the third, J.D. Drew hit a ball with the bases loaded right down the right field line that landed in the first rows of seats for a grand slam to give the Red Sox the lead, 5-4.
They added another in the fourth when new Fenway cult hero Darnell McDonald hit his second homer in two nights. (For the rest of the night, the park was abuzz every time he stepped to the plate. He also drew two walks as well.) The Sox added another in the fifth, and Josh Beckett was cruising into the seventh with a 7-4 lead.
But he ran into trouble, putting the first two on, and with one out, Josh Hamilton hit a bomb into the bleachers in dead center to tie it up. Beckett went seven and gave up seven runs, and got a no-decision.
Then it became a battle of the bullpens. Daniel Bard, Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima allowed Texas only one hit for the remaining five innings, and the Texas pen was just as good, retiring 18 Red Sox in a row until the 12th. Neftali Feliz was tremendous, retiring all six he faced, and the NESN radar gun said he hit 102 MPH in striking out Kevin Youkilis.
Marco Scutaro singled with one out in the 12th. He tagged up on a deep Drew fly to center, and just made it to second. It would be a big play, as the Rangers walked Dustin Pedroia intentionally, and Youk came up and singled off the Green Monster to give the Red Sox their second straight win in their final turn at-bat.
Another win they desperately needed. These late night wins can take a toll. Can we please have a laugher soon, guys?
yes some of the problems still exist (except the bullpen guys are getting better) but I think their energy level is returning thanks to these walk off wins. Can't lolligag around this year with Rays and Yanks in same division. It will in fact get late early this year
ReplyDeleteGood sign to see the runs coming, even when the Sox fall behind. But the starters really have to get their act together. You can't depend on late rallies too often.
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