Well I guess the Red Sox had this coming to them. After the Red Sox gave the Braves a beating in game 1 of the day-night doubleheader, the Braves decided to return the favor defeating the beloved 14-0.
This game was about John Smoltz shutting down the Sox. Smoltz was virtually unhittable as the Sox managed only 3 hits off of Smoltz. The Sox got Smoltz in a little trouble in the first inning. After a Julio Lugo strikeout, Coco Crisp hit a double to deep right field. David “Big Papi” Ortiz then drew a walk. Manny Ramirez then struck out swinging. With Eric Hinske at the plate, Smoltz uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Crisp to move to third base. However, Hinske struck out swinging to end the threat.
The Braves had gotten on the board first in the top half of the inning when Devern Hansack served one up to Larry “Chipper” Jones that he blasted out over the Green Monster in left center.
Atlanta added another run in the 2nd inning on back to back doubles by Scott Thorman and Matt Diaz. Meanwhile, Smoltz was crusing right along. He set the Red Sox down in order in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings.
The Braves added another run in the 4th inning when Matt Diaz took a Hansack offering and planted in the Green Monster seats. This put the Braves up 3-0. After Hansack retired Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Willie Harris reached on an Hinske error. Kelly Johnson drove in Harris with a double, making it 4-0 Braves. Edgar Renteria actually knocked Hansack out of the game after his shot up the middle hit Hansack on the hand and deflected to Alex Cora, who threw to Hinske at first to get Renteria.
Hansack went 4 innings, gave up 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), walked 1 and struck out 2.
Joel Piñero came in and replaced Hansack and basically took one for the team giving up 4 runs in his two innings. Brian McCann and Jeff Francouer had back to back doubles, with the latter driving in McCann. Francouer then advanced to third on Piñero wild pitch. Thorman drove him in on a ground out to Cora at second base. The score at this point was 6-0.
In the 6th, Piñero served up a 2 run gopher ball to Johnson. Harris had walked before the home run. Javier Lopez took over in the 7th and things didn’t get any better.
Francouer reached on a Lugo error. Lopez then walked Diaz after he had just struck out Thorman. Saltalamacchia kept up his hot hitting since being called up and drove a double to right field that scored Francouer. Lopez got Harris to pop out then the star of the game, Johnson, hit a triple that scored Diaz and Saltalamacchia. It was now 11-0.
At this point , I think you could say Terry Francona wanted to throw a white flag like Bobby Cox did in the first game and yell out “Uncle!” J.C. Romero came in and pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Oh your wondering what the Sox batters did all this time. Not much at all. Smoltz was masterful. Smoltz ended up going 7 innings, gave up 3 hits, no runs, walked 1 and struck out 7.
Just as you thought the 9th inning would go smooth for the Sox bullpen, Brendan Donnelly came in and stunk up the joint as well. The Braves got to Donnelly for 3 more runs. Harris and Chris Woodward got on base with singles. Pete Orr, who was pinch hitting for Chipper, hit an infield single that Cora threw away, which allowed Harris to score. Donnelly then uncorked a wild pitch with McCann at the plate that allowed Orr to move up to second. Orr and Woodward came around to score when McCann hit a double to the triangle in center that Coco almost caught. This ended the beating.
I guess this was bound to happen to the Sox at some time. Two double headers in 3 days will take a lot out of you.
Notes and musings:
Josh Beckett was officially placed on the 15 day DL, retroactive to May 14th and was replaced on the roster by Hansack.
The win by Smoltz was the 199th of his career. He is also now 17th on the career strikeout list with 2,833. Smoltz also hasn’t allowed a run in 20 2/3 innings at Fenway.
Johnson was a single short of the cycle for the Braves.
Jon Lester was sent out on another rehab assignment and pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings for the Pawsox. He gave up 1 hit, walked 1 and struck out 2. Good to see him pitch well after the forearm cramp sidelined him.
Lowell had hits in both games to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Hansack went for x-rays and they came back negative. He is listed as day-to-day with a contusion to his finger.
Cora made his first ever appearance at first base in his illustrious career.
Some idiot decided to run on the field during the game. Unfortunately, NESN chose not to show it.
And in another Don and Jerry moment, someone in the crowd was holding up a sign that asked Remy to come visit them for his next colonoscopy. This put them both into hysterics.
