A win is a win no matter how you slice it. It doesn’t matter if it takes nine innings or six innings. Of course if you’re the Detroit Tigers, you’re not happy the Boston Red Sox were given a 4-1 win last night in the 6th inning due to rain.
It had been raining for almost the entire game and it was getting heavier as the game went on. So you knew it was only a matter of time before the tarp would go on. What wasn’t known was whether it would be a short delay or one long enough to end the game since it became official an inning ago.
Clayton Mortensen started the top of the 6th with a walk to Prince Fielder. He got Delmon Young to fly out before giving way to Franklin Morales who got pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn to ground into a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning. Morales gave up a single to Alex Avila. With the rain at its worst, Morales was given a chance to get the final out of the inning Jhonny Peralta but he walked him and the umpires called for the tarp.
After a lengthy wait and a forecast that called for the rain to continue into the early A.M. hours, the umpires decided to call the game with the Red Sox winning 4-1. So you can see why the Tigers were pissed. Bases loaded and chance to take the lead or tie the game. Why wouldn’t they be.
But that’s baseball.
Of course, the game wasn’t a total win for the Red Sox.
Josh Beckett, who dodged trade rumors during the day, made the start for the Red Sox and retired the first eight batters he faced. Omar Infante then reached on an infield single to Pedro Ciriaco who took his time making the throw.
Beckett then hit Austin Jackson with a pitch that grazed his jersey. He then walked Quintin Berry and followed that with a walk to Miguel Cabrera to force in a run. During the at-bat for Cabrera, you could tell something was wrong with him. After the at-bat, Beckett summoned the trainer from the dugout and after a meeting with him and Bob McClure and Bobby Valentine, Beckett left the game.
Mortensen came in and was able to retire Prince Fielder to keep the deficit at 1-0.
Facing Justin Verlander is no easy task for anyone. But on this night, he wasn’t exactly dominant. In the 4th, the Red Sox were able to load the bases up and they took full advantage of it.
Pedro Ciriaco got it started a with a single to right that scored Cody Ross to tie the game at 1. Jacoby Ellsbury then worked a walk to force in a run. The final two runs came on a Texas league chopper that got over Verlander and under the bare hand of Infante off the bat of Carl Crawford. The ball never got out of the infield but it was a good enough to get two runs in.
The Red Sox made one move before the the trade deadline and that was to help the bullpen. They acquired Craig Breslow from the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return they gave the DBacks Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik. The move will allow the Red Sox the flexibility to move Morales back into the rotation if need be. And given the injury to Beckett, this move couldn’t have come at a better time.
But it was the fourth straight win for the Red Sox who are hopefully getting hot at the right time. It would be nice to see the Red Sox pick up the sweep tonight before the lowly Minnesota Twins come to town for a four-game set.
We’ll be back later on today with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let’s take at look at the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.
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Short and sweet [boston globe]
Moves may just help but weren’t exciting [boston globe]
Broken knuckle sends Sweeney to the DL [boston globe]
Sox lose Josh Beckett in rain-shortened victory [boston herald]
Team’s bold idea: Stick with roster [boston herald]
Sox left to add Craig Breslow [boston herald]
AL rivals find help they need [boston herald]
Long day for Josh Beckett ends with more pain [boston herald]
‘Mistake’ costs Sweeney’s year [boston herald]
Red Sox, Rangers talked blockbuster [rob bradford – weei.com]
Why the trade rumors won’t necessarily go away for Josh Beckett [clubhouse insider]
Rain helps run winning streak to four [csn new england]
Red Sox bullpen overhauled … again [csn new england]
Not the departure Beckett was looking for [csn new england]
Beckett’s exit caused by back spasms [csn new england]
Sox get to Verlander in four-run fourth [csn new england]
Mortensen makes most of surprise appearance [csn new england]
Mazz: Sox have 25 percent chance of making playoffs [csn new england]
Red Sox stuck in limbo at trade deadline [csn new england]
Shaughnessy: Don’t see Beckett as a waiver move [csn new england]
Cherington: Crawford’s days off on as-needed basis [csn new england]
Kalish better prepared to help out [espn boston]
Beckett leaves in third with injury [espn boston]
Anderson: ‘Ready for a new scene’ [espn boston]
Middlebrooks didn’t have to sweat deadline [espn boston]
Rapid Reaction: Red Sox 4, Tigers 1 [espn boston]
Mortensen makes most of short stay [espn boston]
Lively tidbits from quiet deadline day [espn boston]
Leyland toes line, Tigers balk at umps’ call [espn boston]
This just in: Josh Beckett did not change his home warm-up routine [full count]
Matt Albers: ‘I enjoyed playing’ with Red Sox [full count]
Ben Cherington on deadline: ‘I was hoping to do more’ [full count]
Closing Time: Red Sox get an assist from rain in washing away Tigers [full count]
Scott Atchison Likely to Need Tommy John Surgery After Injuring Elbow in Minor Leagues [nesn.com]
Josh Beckett Cites Rainy Conditions on the Rubber for Subpar Footing, Back Spasms [nesn.com]
Red Sox Finally Finding Lady Luck on Their Side As Playoff Chase Heats Up [nesn.com]
Beckett’s eventful day capped by boos, back spasm [redsox.com]
Atchison likely needs Tommy John surgery [redsox.com]
Cherington keeps core intact at Trade Deadline [redsox.com]
Cherington clarifies Crawford rest plan [redsox.com]
Sweeney lands on DL; Kalish called up from PawSox [redsox.com]
Ortiz still limping, possibly could return this weekend [redsox.com]
Injured Beckett: ‘You always notice’ boos [alex speier – weei.com]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and MLive.com websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brothers, Detroit4lyfe and The Tigers Den Blog.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
photo credit: getty images
