Two days into August and two four run 7th innings have led the Boston Red Sox to a pair of wins over American League East division foe, Baltimore. Today after giving away an early 3-0 lead the Sox put up their 4 spot in the 7th inning to break a 3-3 tie with the Orioles.
With reliever Rob Bell (3-2) on as the third Baltimore hurler he got Manny Ramirez to ground out to start the inning. Mike Lowell singled to left and got forced at second when Coco Crisp hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out. Crisp stole second, his second of the day and 20th on the season, Eric Hinske was intentionally walked and then pinch run for by J.D. Drew, who was a late scratch due to family considerations. Catcher Doug Mirabelli who was already 2 for 2 with a solo HR, single and a walk singled again to drive in his second run of the day and give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Alex Cora followed with a RBI single to score Drew and it was 5-3. The diminutive Dustin Pedroia doubled on a ball that looked like Orioles rightfielder Nick Markakis might have caught as he dove. But the ball hit his glove, bounced off the side of his face, rolled down his body and onto the grass as Mirabelli and Cora raced home with two more runs and a 7-3 lead. For the second day in a row the Baltimore bullpen had imploded at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox would stake starter Tim Wakefield, who was pitching on his 41st birthday, to a 1-0 lead in the third inning. After a one out double by David Ortiz, the scorching hot Ramirez produced a RBI single to center to drive him home.
The hometown nine increased their lead in the fourth inning. Hinske, a late addition to the starting line up, would homer over the bullpens off of starter Jeremy Guthrie and it was 2-0. Mirabelli then followed with a solo homer of his own into the Monster Seats. It was the 6th time this season the Sox have gone back-to-back and it gave his battery mate Wakefield a 3-0 lead.
The O’s struck right back in the fifth off of Wakefield (13-9). Aubrey Huff would hit a lead off triple into the rightfield corner, Jay Payton hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Huff and that cut the lead to 3-1. With two out Paul Bako singled, Brian Roberts doubled to left and then Corey Patterson singled to score Bako and Roberts to tie the game at 3-3.
In the 6th inning the Sox threatened again and loaded the bases with one out. Mirabelli singled, Cora sacrificed him to second, and Pedroia would walk. Kevin Youkilis ended up reaching on Markakis’ first error in 147 games when he dropped a fly ball in rightfield. This chased Guthrie from the game and with the bases loaded Jamie Walker was summoned to face Ortiz. Big Papi put a charge into one as he flew out to Markakis at the warning track in front of the Sox bullpen. Mirabelli who was tagging on the play, felt he left early, went back to re-tag third and was easily thrown out at the plate by Miguel Tejada to end the inning on a bizzare double play.
In the eighth Terry Francona turned the game over to his bullpen. Rookie lefty Hideki Okajima only needed six pitches to get out of the inning even after giving up a base hit.
In the ninth, in a non-save situation, newly acquired Eric Gagne made his Boston debut to the delight of the Red Sox fans. Gagne would make quick work of Kevin Millar and Tejada as they both went down looking at called third strikes. Huff then got a fluke ground rule double on a ball that was foul and blew back into fair territory and dropped behind Lowell and in front of Cora as the ball bounced into the seats. Payton’s cue shot single off the end of his bat to right brought home Huff and it was 7-4 Sox. But Gagne was able to get Jay Gibbons to fly out to Ramirez in left to end the game.
The Sox left after the game for Seattle where they have a three game series with the Mariners. The Sox will also travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels and finish up the road trip in Baltimore for a re-match with the O’s before coming home again.
