Monday, September 13, 2010

Bats Bail Out Beckett

Going into Sunday's game the Oakland A's had one of MLB's best records in the daytime, and the Red Sox had one of the worst. So what happens?

The Sox win.

It didn't look that way early on, as Josh Beckett completely lost his command, as he walked four batters in the third, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead. (Good Lord, yet another bases loaded walk.) The damage was minimum, but they scored two more in the fifth to make it 3-0.

The Red Sox finally got on the board in the sixth, and scored four runs, all with two outs. J.D. Drew, who got nailed overrunning first base on a single earlier in the game, doubled in two, and Ryan Kalish hit a pinch-hit double that brought in two to make it 4-3.

Beckett went the first six innings, but the bullpen pitched the best. Scott Atchison and Jonathan Papelbon retired the final nine hitters in order, with Pap getting save number 36.

The Red Sox trail Tampa Bay by 7 1/2 in the Wild Card, and it would take a stunning miracle for the Red Sox to catch them. Right now, I would just settle for a dignified finish to 2010.

A sweep was avoided in Oakland, and now the Sox head for Seattle with three with the Mariners to conclude the west coast trip.

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