May 24, 2008
Oakland 6, Boston 2
For only the second time all season, the Red Sox have lost back-to-back games. No need to panic just yet, it is only May, but the lack of effort on behalf of the offense is curious against a pitching staff that lacks a superior arm.
The Red Sox were never really in this game, falling behind by four early before rallying to cut the lead in half in the seventh.
Bobby Crosby continued his hot hitting, going 2-4 to raise his average to .324 for the season. Despite his success, manager Bob Geren continues to hit the right hander in the eighth spot in the lineup, behind such sluggers as Eric Chavez (.167, 7, 20) and Daric Barton (.196, 2, 5).
The A's got on the board in the first when start Clay Buchholz had difficulty with his control. After hitting leadoff batter Eric Patterson, Buchholz surrendered a two-run home run to Travis Buck.
In the bottom of the second, the Red Sox threatened, but Manny Ramirez was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on a J.D. Drew double and Jason Varitek struck out looking with the bases loaded and two outs.
Varitek did redeem himself later in the game, when he hit a two-run single in the 7th inning when he came upon against Joe Blanton a second time with the bases loaded.
Oakland pulled away in the eighth with two insurance runs against Hideki Okajima. Robbie Robnett hit a two-run single to score Jack Cust (walk) and Wes Bankston (double) to secure the win for the A's.
W: Blanton (3-4) L: Buchholz (4-1) SV: Embree (2)
Player of the Game: Joe Blanton (7.0 IP, 7 Hs, 2 Rs, 5 BBs, 4 K's, 113 PI)
Around the League:
...Houston LF Carlos Lee (.251 avg., 7 HRs, 27 RBIs) could miss the remainder of the season after rupturing his MCL...SP Matt Albers joined the Red Sox on a 1-year, $390k contract. Albers was demoted to Pawtucket...The Chicago White Sox lost CF Jeff Davanon (.214 avg., 2 HRs, 17 RBIs) for four months with a fractured eye socket...
New England 1, Kansas City 0
Facing the only team in the league that they look up to in the standings, the Revolution brought their A-game to the pitch at Arrowhead Stadium in holding off the Wizards 1-0.
In a tightly-contested game, which on the balance of play could have been won by either side, it was eventually New England who did just enough to secure the win. Matt Reis' fine game kept the Revs in the mach until Khano Smith scored in the 67th minute to put New England ahead. The clean sheet is his third of the season.
Smith's goal came off a blocked free kick. Wells Thompson, after being pulled down in the goal box, punched the ball off the wall. Smith, bearing down on the goal, collected the rebound and skipped the ball past the Wizards' keeper for the score.
The victory enabled the Revolution (5-2-2, 17 pts.) to leap over the Wizard (5-1-2, 16 pts.) for top position in the Eastern Conference.