After pounding out 21 hits and scoring 15 runs, the Red Sox were only able to muster 5 hits and 2 runs as the reigning AL Champs, the Tigers, spanked the Sox 9-2 behind bat of Marcus Thames. Thames was only 1 for 3 in the game but that one hit was a grand slam in the 5th inning. Andrew Miller pitched 7 strong innings while Julian “Yo-Yo” Tavarez started strong and then stunk up the joint worse than Pepe Le Pu.
The Boys from Beantown went quietly in the first two innings as Miller set them down in order. Tavarez matched Miller for the first two innings allowing just 2 hits. Tavarez also pitched a scoreless 3rd inning as well, giving up a single to Sean Casey.
In the 3rd inning, the local nine got a run on the board. Wily Mo Peña led off the inning with a triple that got under the glove of Curtis Granderson in the cavernous center field at Comerica (420 feet to straightaway center). Jeff Bailey followed with a fly ball to Granderson who uncorked a throw that got to the plate in the air and got Wily Mo out at the plate. It’s debatable as to whether Sox third base coach, DeMarlo Hale, should have sent Wily Mo on ball that wasn’t hit that deep. Miller issued a 2-out walk to Julio Lugo. With Coco Crisp at the plate, Lugo stole second and came around to score on a Crisp single, giving the Sox a 1-0 lead. Coco proceeded to steal second with Dustin Pedroia at the dish but Pedroia ended up striking out to end the inning.
The 4th inning was the beginning of the end for Yo-Yo. Gary Sheffield led off with an infield single that Mike Lowell made an amazing diving stop on, but ended up sailing the ball over Bailey’s head, allowing Sheffield to get to second on the throwing error. Magglio Ordonez made Lowell pay for the error as his single drove in Sheff to tie the game at 1. Carlos Guillen followed with a single moving Mags up to second. Both Mags and Guillen moved up a base on a deep fly ball to center by Casey. Thames brought Mags in with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Tavarez followed that up by plunking Mike Rabelo. Brandon Inge brought in Guillen with a double and Rabelo was thrown out at the plate trying to score ending the threat. The run gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
After the Red Sox went quietly in the 5th inning, Yo-Yo got pounded like a rented mule. Granderson led off the inning with a solo shot, making it 4-1 Tigers. Tigers’ All-Star second baseman, Placido Polanco hit a single and then Tavarez plunked Sheff with a pitch. The plunking caused the home plate umpire to issue warnings to both benches. Yo-Yo rebounded with a strikeout of Mags and then got Guillen to groundout. The groundout allowed Polanco and Sheff to move up a base. Rather than pitch to Casey, Terry Francona decided to intentionally walk him to face Thames. On a 1-2 count, Yo-Yo left a fastball up that Thames planted in the left field seats for a grand slam, giving the Tigers an insurmountable 8-1 lead. After the grand salami, Javier Lopez came in for Yo-Yo and got Rabelo to ground out to Bailey at first.
Yo-Yo went 4â…” innings, allowing 10 hits, 8 runs and 1 walk. He did strikeout 4 Tigers in his 85 pitches thrown, by far his worst outing of the season.
In the 7th inning, the Sox managed a threat off of Miller but he overcame his struggles and worked out of the jam he caused. Jason Varitek led off with pop out to second. Miller then issued walks to J.D. Drew and Wily Mo. After a visit from his manager, Jim Leyland, Miller got Bailey to ground into a fielder’s choice and Lugo to line out.
The Tigers pushed a run across the plate in the 8th inning off of Kyle Snyder. After a Granderson ground out, Polanco doubled to center. Snyder would then walk Sheff. Ryan Raburn, pinch-hitting for Mags, laced a single bringing in Polanco for a 9-1 lead. Synder got out of the inning by getting Guillen to fly out.
Doug Mirabelli managed to get another run for the Sox as he led off the 9th with a homerun off of Chad Durbin. Durbin settled down after the homer getting Wily Mo and Bailey to strikeout, and Lugo to ground out ending the game.
It seemed as though the Sox were a little flat after the 4 am arrival last night. It also could have been the fact they were facing stronger pitching. Either way, it’s a loss ending the Sox 4-game winning streak. Kason Gabbard will take the mound on Saturday against one of the Tigers’ aces, Jeremy Bonderman.
Notes and Musings:
Correction: Last night I had wrote that D’Rays catcher had suffered a broken jaw. He didn’t. X-rays were negative and he said he was feeling fine.
Andrew Miller was the Tigers first round draft pick in 2006 (6th overall) out of North Carolina.
Jeff Bailey wore #55 in his MLB debut.
Kevin Youkilis probably won’t play this weekend. He is available to pinch-hit depending on the situation.
David Ortiz had the day off today to give his body a rest. He really won’t have time to relax as he will be in San Francisco for the All-Star game.
The Tigers are without utility infielder Neifi Perez for the next 25 games as he was suspended by MLB for testing positive for a banned stimulant.
Position players will have all 3 days off during the break. The pitchers will come in and throw on Wednesday during the break.
Magglio Ordonez has not hit a homer since June 2nd (106 abs).
This was the first time that Mike Lowell has batted third as member of the Sox.
Wily Mo’s triple was the first of the season for him.
Mike Lowell’s 13 errors are the most by a MLB third baseman.
Dustin Pedroia’s hit streak ended at 9 games.
