July 23, 2008
Sox Blow First Game without Paps, Drop Series to M's
Seattle 11, Boston 10
It is going to be interesting for the Red Sox the next week to week and a half. Manager Terry Francona has yet to announce his closer in the wake of Papelbon's shoulder injury. The Sox are saying two weeks and he'll be back, but you have to wonder if this will push Theo Esptein to improve his bullpen.
With Josh Beckett and Felix Hernandez facing off in the series finale, fans must have been expecting a pitcher's duel, but, what they got instead, was an offensive back-and-forth battle.
The Red Sox went ahead by three in the first on a RBI-single by Kevin Youkilis and a two-run home run by J.D. Drew, but the Mariners came right back as they did all day long. A pair of wild pitches and an error in the bottom of the second tied the game at three a piece.
In the third, the teams once again traded three runs, as a wet field seemed to play into four Red Sox errors, a season high.
"I was surprised they kept the roof open with the rain," Josh Beckett said afterwards. "I know it was tough to get a grip out there tonight, but I just couldn't locate when I needed to."
Beckett managed to last five innings while allowing seven runs, four earned, on eleven hits. Hernandez lasted only two and two thirds, surrendering seven runs on six hits.
After Beckett left after five, Bryan Corey and Hideki Okajima combined to pitch three solid innings of relief, allowing just two base runners until Francona turned the game over to Manny Delcarmen to start the ninth.
After retiring the first two batters, Delcarmen fell apart, surrendering three straight singles on three straight hits by Jeff Clement, Jose Vidro and Ryan Rayburn to cut the lead to one. With first base open, Francona decided to intentionally walk Mike Morse, a star of the first game of the series, to face Tony Gwynn Jr. with the bases loaded. Ahead 2-1 in the count, Delcarmen served up a juicy fastball over the center of the plate that Gwynn lined down the right field line to bring home the game-winning run.
The loss marked the Sox first with Delcarmen closing games in Papelbon's absence but rumors coming out of the Sox front office has Epstein and Francona considered putting starter Justin Masterson into the closer's role until Papelbon is healthy.
"They brought the kid up and his stuff was strong early in the year," an opposing scout said. "They could use his arm in the 'pen, as they won't move Lester or Buchholz out of the rotation. Plus, who is going to be worried facing Delcarmen or Gronkiewicz in the ninth."
W: O'Flaherty (1-4) L: Delcarmen (4-3)
Player of the Game: J.D. Drew (2-5, HR (10), 2 Rs, 3 RBIs)
Around the League:
Troy Glaus (StL) his his 300th career home run off of Milwaukee CL Luis Pena...Houston signed SP Hidetaka Kawagoe (3-7, 6.47 ERA w/ Orix) to a minor league contract...
Torino to bid for Parkshurt
A national football website reports that Torino are about to offer $3m for New England's defender Michael Parkhurst.
Whether the Rev's will be prepared to let the 24-year old Parkshurt leave, however still remains to be seen. He is currently a first teamer at Gillette Stadium, appearing in all 16 matches this season.