Daisuke Matsuzaka with some help from Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon shut out the Cleveland Indians 1-0 at Jacobs Field in game two of a four game series. Matsuzaka would go seven shut out innings yielding 4 hits, 3 walks and would strike out 5 he also hit a batter. Then Okajima and Papelbon would kick the door closed in the 8th and 9th as the Sox would go onto their 61st win of the year.The Sox would get the only run they would need in the fourth inning.
After a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the second and third C.C. Sabathia would see his streak of 8-in-a-row end with one out in the fourth when Kevin Youkilis would get his second hit of the night on a ball that was trapped in right field by Trot Nixon. Manny Ramirez, who has had good success against Sabathia, got jammed and followed with a single to left. Coco Crisp would strike out for the second time in the game but Mike Lowell would come up with a two out RBI single to left when Ben Francisco started the wrong way and then dove and trapped the ball allowing Youkilis to score and Ramirez to go to third. Jason Varitek would foul out to Ryan Garko in front of the Boston dug out to end the threat and send Matsuzaka to the mound with a 1-0 lead.
While the Cleveland ace had a minor glitch in the first inning giving up a two out single to Youkilis. Boston starter Matsuzaka nearly crashed. Grady Sizemore singled to open up the first and he stole second. With Casey Blake hitting a ground ball to Julio Lugo at short Sizemore tried for third but was thrown out. Matsuzaka then walked Victor Martinez on a 3-2 pitch to put runners at first and second. Travis Hafner then hit a screaming grounder to Youkilis who could only get a force at second. Lugo tried to get Hafner at first with Matsuzaka covering but the throw was late. Matsuzaka would then plunk Ryan Garko with a pitch to load the bases but he would escape that jam when he struck out Jhonny Peralta.
Matsuzaka seemed to settle in after that first inning and through the first three innings would allow only a third inning lead off single to Sizemore, it was his second hit of the game. He would once again steal second but would end up stranded there.
Matsuzaka got into a mini jam in the fourth against the Erie Warriors. Garko would lead off with a double to left, Peralta would ground out to Lugo failing to move Garko to third, Nixon would work a walk but then Matsuzaka would get back-to-back strikeouts of Francisco and Josh Barfield with both swinging a high fast balls out of the zone. The Tribe would strand two more runners and had left 6 natives on the warpath through 4 innings.
We will be back with more after this short break: Spider Pig, Spider Pig, doing what ever a Spider Pig does……Well seeing as everyone else is on the Simpson’s movie bandwagon I thought we might as well be. You know the world is going Simpson’s. The Simpson’s Movie in theater’s this Friday.
Sabathia who was now cruising along worked a 1-2-3 5th inning getting a pair of strikeouts. Then in the sixth with two out would give up an infield single to Ramirez, his second of the game and the team’s fifth of the night but the Sox wouldn’t threaten any further as Crisp would ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Matsuzaka got the first two outs of the fifth finally keeping Sizemore off the base paths with a strike him out. The Sox would then get make a couple of nice plays in the field. Blake would fly out to Wily Mo Pena in left who crashed into the wall as he caught the ball for the second out. The ever dangerous Martinez would draw his second walk of the game but Hafner, who’s power numbers are down, would ground out into the shift to Dustin Pedroia to end the inning.
Matsuzaka buzzed through the Indians in order in the 6th as Garko would fly out, Peralta fouled out and Nixon popped out. Both pitchers through 6 innings looked pretty well in control each having struck out five and Matsuzaka had allowed 2 walks and a hit batsman in addition to 3 hits, while Sabathia had given up 5 Boston hits.
Tribe starter Sabathia would get yet another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh and Chief Wahoo’s boys would try to threaten in the home half of the inning. Francisco led off with a single to left, Barfield failed to sacrifice him to second when he bunted too hard right to Youkilis who threw to Lugo to force Francisco. After Sizemore flied out to center Barfield would steal second for the Tribe’s third theft of the night. But Blake would fly out to Drew in right and the Indians would blow another good opportunity to score against Matsuzaka because for the third time tonight they failed to execute at the right time.
The Sox tried for an insurance run in the eighth with one out, Lugo would double off of Indians reliever Rafael Betancourt but he would be left there as Pedroia would foul out to the catcher and Youkilis would fly out to left.
Okajima would work a perfect eighth against the heart of the Cleveland order, Betancourt in his second inning would work a perfect ninth setting the stage for Papelbon.
Pap would get Peralta to pop out to Pedroia as he and Lugo collided for the first out, former Dirt Dog Nixon became a strike out victim. Nixon would go down swinging on a high fastball for the second out. Papelbon would put some cheese on the ball as he got Francisco on 3 pitches for his 15th consecutive save since his only blown save on May 1st against Oakland. Papelbon has converted 23 of 24 chances this year.
Notes and Musings:
This was the third 1-0 win of the season for Boston and the 5 game win streak matches the seasons longest.
David Ortiz is expected to return to the line up Wednesday night at Cleveland.
Astro second baseman Craig Biggio announced this will be his final season and will retire after 20 years. Earlier this year Biggio surpassed 3,000 hits. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer.
Terry Francona made a line up adjustment tonight dropping J.D. Drew down to 8th in the order and putting Coco Crisp in the 5th spot.
Francona’s dad, Tito, was in attendance tonight. I guess he should be called the “Original Tito” as his son goes by the nickname as well.
NESN Analyst Jerry Remy doesn’t see a big change in Drew’s swing. He said he thought he might be coming around during the last homestand as he used the wall more but then last night being on the road he became more pull happy again.
With the trade deadline of July 31st looming, the Red Sox and Yankees along with the Angels, Dodgers, Braves and Giants are in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes. The Rangers have reportedly asked New York for either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes and have asked for Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholtz from Boston. Teixeira, who made $9 million this year, is arbitration eligible. He can not be a free agent until after the 2008 season. Expect the asking price to go down closer to the deadline but any deal would almost have to include Mike Lowell so Kevin Youkilis could move to third and Teixeira would play first base. The thought in general is that the Red Sox would rather make a bid for Alex Rodriguez in the off season.
The Red Sox are possibly interested in Bobby Kielty, a switch-hitting outfielder, who was just designated for assignment by the A’s. The Boston Globe’s Nick Carfardo is reporting the Sox are trying to do something bigger than Kielty and possibly involving Wily Mo Pena.
Another rumor is the return of Kevin Millar. The Orioles are willing to move him and according to the “Curly Haired Boyfriend” he’d be welcomed back with open arms by all in the clubhouse.
NESN’s Tina Cervasio talked with Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon in her nine innings segment. Jonathan claims that Frank Catalanotto is his toughest out. Pap said, “He just rakes me”. His favorite pre-game meal is PBJ, because he just loves peanut butter. And he closed with it’s harder to hunt a moose than strike out A-Rod. There’s a joke in there somewhere I can just feel it.
The Sox have spent the last 100 days in first place. Tonight was their 100th game.
If I were a chick, I’d be one of Grady’s Girls too.
