In what turned out to be a battle of the bullpens, the Rangers pen nor the Red Sox pen faltered after both starters left the game. The end result was a 5-4 win for the Rangers, spoiling the debut of Jacoby Ellsbury. Slammin’ Sammy Sosa’s 602nd career homerun in the 5th ended up being the game winning run after terrible outings from both Robinson Tejada and Josh Beckett.
The local nine struck for 2 runs in the 1st inning as Tejada struggled with his control. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis both walked to start the inning. David “Big Papi” Ortiz brought in Pedroia with a single to make it 1-0 Sox. With Manny Ramirez at the plate, both Youk and Big Papi moved up a base as Tejada uncorked a wild pitch. With the infield in, Manny grounded out to third for the first out. With J.D. Drew at the plate, the Rangers decided to intentionally walk him to set up the double play. It also loaded up the bases for Mike Lowell. Lowell brought in Youk with a sacrifice fly giving the Sox a 2-0 lead. Jason Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning.
In the 2nd inning, Alex Cora led off with a triple. This brought Ellsbury to the plate for his first MLB at bat. It will be one that he won’t forget as he checked his swing and the ball rolled fair and he was tagged out. Pedroia followed that with a strikeout. Youk brought home Cora with a 2-run homer that landed in the top row of the Green Monster seats, making it 4-0 Boston. After the homer, Big Papi worked a walk and Manny was grazed with a pitch. Drew drew another walk loading the bases up for Lowell again. This time Lowell couldn’t get the job done as he flew out to the base of the wall.
The Red Sox threatened again in the 3rd inning but couldn’t push a run across the plate. Varitek led off the inning with a ground out to second. Cora then had his second extra base hit of the game, this one a double. Ellsbury then beat a deep ground ball to short for his first hit of his young career. When the ball was rolled in, Youk pretended to throw it in the crowd before putting Ellsbury’s first hit ball in the dugout. Pedroia ended the inning with a double play.
Back at the beginning, I had said Beckett was terrible. Well he was brilliant for the first 3 innings as he scattered 2 hits. He then retired the first batter of the 4th inning before the seams came unglued. After the Young groundout, Slammin’ Sammy singled. Noted Red Sox killer Frank Catalanotto followed with a single that advanced Sosa to third. Marlon Byrd brought in Sosa with a single, with Catalanotto going to third. Brad Wilkerson cleared the bases with a double cutting the Sox lead to 4-3. For some strange reason, Gerald Laird tried to bunt with Beckett struggling with his command. He popped it up to Varitek for the second out of the inning. Ramon Vazquez hit a ball that Cora knocked down, temporarily saving a run. Kenny Lofton continued his hot streak against the Red Sox as he brought Wilkerson in with a single to tie the game at 4. Beckett would finally get out of the inning as he got Jerry Hairston to ground out.
The 5th inning would provide the last run of the game for either team. After Young struck out, Slammin’ Sammy hit his homerun that just got over the Green Monster, making it 5-4 Rangers. Catalanotto then doubled but Beckett got ground ball outs from Byrd and Wilkerson. This was the last inning that Beckett pitched.
Beckett went 5 innings, giving up 10 hits, 5 runs. He did strikeout 4 batters on 92 pitches.
The game was in the hands of the bullpen at this point. Actually, the Rangers had gone to their bullpen in the 5th inning, as former Sox outfielder Ron Mahay came in and pitched 2 innings, only allowing 1 hit. Javier Lopez pitched the 6th inning for the Sox and only Lofton reached base on a walk.
Kyle Snyder set down the Rangers in order in the 7th inning. Joaquin Benoit pitched the 7th for the Rangers and only allowed a single to Lowell. Synder allowed one hit to Byrd in the 8th.
Akinori Otsuka came in for the Rangers in the 8th inning. Cora led off with a bunt groundout and Ellsbury was retired on a groundout to second base. Pedroia followed with a double and was pinch-run for by the slumping Julio Lugo. Lugo tried to take matters in his own hands and steal third base but was caught stealing with Youk at the plate. It was his first caught stealing of the year and seemed to catch everyone in the Sox dugout by surprise. After the game, Terry Francona said “it was a case of Lugo trying to do too much.”
Mike Timlin came in and worked a 1-2-3 9th inning. The Rangers brought in their closer, Eric Gagne, and he worked a scoreless 9th for his nineth save of the game.
The Rangers bullpen went 5 innings, allowing three hits while the Sox bullpen went 4 innings, allowing just one hit.
The Sox finished the month of June at 13-14. Julian “Yo-Yo” Tavarez takes the mound for the Red Sox tomorrow and he will look to pick Beckett and the Sox up. Gametime is 2:05 PM.
The Sox have scored 21 runs in their past 7 games going into tonight.
Ellsbury was a 1st round draft choice in 2005 (23rd overall). He wore #46 tonight, which is double his age.
Ellsbury is the 3rd Red Sox player to make his MLB debut. The others are Okajima and Matsuzaka.
Ellsbury had hit safely in 41 of 50 games down in Pawtucket.
Matt Clement threw a bullpen session today before game. Brendan Donnelly threw from flat ground as well.
No Julio Lugo again tonight obviously.
The Best of Remy and Orsillo will debut on July 8th at 5 PM on NESN.
The guy singing the National Anthem had some trouble with the words but Red Sox Nation picked him up and helped him finish the song.
The Red Sox are averaging 7.71 runs per 9 innings that Beckett pitches.
