Ryan Franklin was able to work out of a jam in the bottom of the 9th inning to help the St. Louis Cardinals hold off the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in front of 37,671 fans at Fenway Park. The loss for the Red Sox was just their 8th at home in 36 games this season.

Tim Wakefield took the mound tonight in the green Red Sox jersey and really didn’t pitch all that bad. He was victimized by two more long balls but that’s something we’re used to with Wake on the mound. What he did though was keep the Red Sox in the game. He went 7 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks while fanning 4.

Hideki Okajima had thrown well in his last two outings but wasn’t on his game tonight. He gave up 3 hits and a run while striking out 2 in the 8th inning. David Aardsma was lights out as he was throwing some serious heat as he struck out the side in the 9th.

Every Red Sox starter had a hit tonight with Dustin Pedroia getting two of them. Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew both went 1-for-3 with 2 walks while Julio Lugo was 1-for-2 with a home run and 2 RBIs. He did make two errors in the field, one of which led to a Cardinals run.

Kyle Lohse was great on the mound for the Cardinals as he kept the Red Sox at bay for most of the night and was able to work out of some jams.

One of those jams came in the 2nd inning when they loaded up the bases.

Lohse started the inning with a walk to Manny and then Mike Lowell reached on a Cesar Izturis error.  After a Kevin Youkilis strikeout, Coco Crisp lined a single to load up the bases. Lugo made it 1-0 Red Sox as he hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Ramirez. Kevin Cash grounded into a fielder’s choice allowing Lohse to escape the jam.

The Cardinals loaded up the bases in the 4th but were unable to push a run across as Wakefield got Yadier Molina to line out and Adam Kennedy to fly out.

Jason LaRue tied the game up at 1 when he led off the 5th  with home run that just barely got into the Green Monster seats.

The Sox wasted another bases loaded situation in the bottom of the 5th.

Cash led off with a single and after a Ellsbury fly out, Pedroia reached on an infield single. Drew followed that up with single that dropped in between 4 Cardinals in short center to load them up for Manny. Unfortunately, Lohse got Manny to strike out looking and then Lowell grounded into a fielder’s choice.

Rick Ankiel led off the top of the 6th with a double and Troy Glaus then reached on a throwing error by Lugo. Wakefield then got Chris Duncan to ground into a fielder’s choice as the Red Sox were unable to turn the double play because of a bad relay throw by Lugo that allowed Ankiel to score on the error making it 2-1 Cards. Wakefield rebounded though as Molina and Kennedy both flew out to left to end the inning.

With two outs in the 6th, Lugo atoned for his error as his solo home run into the Monster seats tied the game up at 2.

The Cardinals retook the lead in the 7th on a 1-out 2-run homer by Skip Schumaker into the Red Sox bullpen.

The local nine blew yet another chance to get back in the game when Manny Ramirez grounded into a double play with the bases loaded as Randy Flores struggled with his control to start the inning. Ellsbury did score on the double play to cut the lead to 4-3. After getting the double play ball, Russ Springer struck out Lowell to end the inning with Pedroia standing on third.

Molina made it 5-3 Cardinals with a solo home run in the 8th off of Okajima.

After Ellsbury line out to start the 9th off of Ryan Franklin, working in his second inning, Pedroia hit a double. Franklin then got Drew to strike out but walked Manny. Lowell brought in Pedroia to cut the lead to 1 at 5-4 as Manny went to third but Youk flew out to right to end the game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka returns from the disabled list to start for the Red Sox tomorrow in the FOX Game of the Week.

Notes and musings:

6.20.08 Cardinals @ Red Sox boxscore

If you missed any of the pre-game celebration of the Boston Celtics being honored, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered here.

PGA Hall of Famers Curtis Strange and Hale Irwin threw out ceremonial first pitches tonight.

The PawSox game tomorrow night will be on NESN starting at 6 PM.

The Red Sox had been successful on 15 straight steal attempts before Jacoby Ellsbury was thrown out at 3rd in club’s last try on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Ellsbury has 2 or more steals 10 times this season. Since 1956, only Otis Nixon (11 in 1994) has that many for the Sox.

The Red Sox announced they’ve signed four more draft picks.

• 3rd rd – Stephen Fife, pitcher, Lowell
• 8th rd – Michael Lee, pitcher, Lowell
• 11th rd – Bryan Peterson, outfielder, Gulf Coast Red Sox
• 14th rd – Tyler Yockey, outfielder, Gulf Coast Red Sox

Jonathan Papelbon ranks 3rd in the A.L. with 21 saves, just the 3rd Red Sox pitcher with 20+ saves in 3 different seasons, joining Dick Radatz (4, 1962-65) and Jeff Reardon (3, 1990-92).

Papelbon is the 6th pitcher ever with 20 or more saves in at least his 1st 3 full major league seasons:

• 5—Gregg Olson, 1989-93
• 4—Dick Radatz, 1962-65
• 4—Billy Koch,1999-02
• 4—Todd Worrell, 1986-89
• 3—Kazuhiro Sasaki, 2000-02