| 13 April 2009
The Red Sox have had a tough start the 2009 season, dropping tow of three to the Rays and another two to the Angels this weekend. The games have been well fought, but the losses could come back to haunt them when these same teams are all battling for a playoff spot in September.
Saturday 4/11 - Red Sox, Angels 4
Saturday's game was a mini home run derby, featuring two ding dongs from Halos catcher Mike Napoli, two homers from our own Jason Bay, a 9th inning blast from Torii Hunter and Mike Lowell's first ding dong of the season.
It was Bay's second homer of the game that put the Red Sox up by two in the 9th... and it proved to be a crucial run for the Sox when Hunter responded in the bottom of the 9th with a home run of his own.
Brad Penny looked good in his first start as a Red Sox, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. He threw 86 pitches and looked tired in the 5th, but he found some extra juice in the 6th and retired the Angels in order, fanning Morales with a fastball to end his outing.
Not bad, considering the guy was still throwing on flat ground about a month ago.
Notes: Jonathan Papelbon gave us all a scare with a rough 9th inning that included Hunter's home run and a bases loaded situation, but he earned the save with 39 pitches... Varitek, Baldelli and Bay all has two-hot games... Jacoby stole his third base of the season.
Sunday 4/12 - Red Sox 4, Angels 5
Youkilis and Drew gave the Sox two quick runs in the second, each hitting solo home runs. But that was after Josh Beckett buzzed Bobby Abreu's tower and a bench clearing "scrum" took place. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia was ejected and was still upset after the game, asking the MLB to look into the situation, but Josh Beckett said it was unintentional.
"Usually the pitcher will show a little bit of remorse and say that wasn't a part of it. But obviously, we didn't see any of that with Beckett," Scioscia said. "That was as blatant as anything I've seen in this game. What happened today absolutely crossed the line, and I think it was inexcusable. I really feel the league has to look at it."
"I've never hit anybody in the head, and it's not really on my list of stuff to accomplish. But people can think what they want to think," Beckett said. "I know Bobby Abreu. He knows I'm not trying to hit him in the head. Obviously, there's been a lot of emotion in this series with them--not only facing us, but obviously the tragedy that all of them went through."
In the end, the Halos shipped away at Beckett posting 4 runs on 8 hits allowed by Beckett. The Red Sox kept things close with a double steal by Pedroia and Youkilis in the 6th, but after David Ortiz drove in Nick Green in the 9th, JD Drew struck out with Ortiz and Youkilis on base to end the threat.
Notes: Nick Green had two hits while filling in at short stop for the struggling Jed Lowrie... Youk remained hot adding two more hits to his 2009 campaign... and Ortiz had two hits and an RBI but remains searching for his first extra base hit of the season.
Bottom Line: The Sox battled through this emotional series, but after dropping two to the Rays as well, Red Sox Nation will be looking for a big series against the Oakland A's this week.
It's early, but "Every Game Counts" this year and these losses could hurt come September.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
