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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
June 20, 2007
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With Schilling back in Boston recovering from a cortisone shot in his right shoulder and about to go on the disabled list with tendonitis, the Red Sox won the rubber game of this three-game set with the Braves, who drew sellout crowds all three nights to Turner Field, including last night's gathering of 49,585 whose loyalties were divided but definitely were tilted north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The Sox tied a season high for home runs before heading out after the game to San Diego, where spacious Petco Park and the Padres' stingy pitching staff may make long-ball sightings rare this weekend. When the Sox weren't hitting home runs, they were pounding extra bases, with five doubles also part of their 15-hit attack. After Drew led off with his sixth home run of the season, Dustin Pedroia and Ramirez doubled, Pedroia scoring to make it 2-0. Carlyle struck out Kevin Youkilis, but after issuing an intentional walk to Jason Varitek, he was taken deep by Crisp, whose high drive landed in the right-field seats for his fourth home run of the season, third in three games here. Drew doubled with one out in the second, then scored ahead of Ortiz's moon shot to right, the first baseman's 13th homer of the season and second in two nights, to make it 7-0. Carlyle, a 29-year-old right-hander who has been with seven big league organizations and also pitched in Japan (Hanshin Tigers), looked every bit the part of dazed journeyman when he was finally lifted after loading the bases in the fourth, Cox calling for an intentional walk to Ortiz even though he was trailing by seven. Oscar Villareal whiffed Varitek to end that threat, but Ramirez hit reliever Peter Moylan's first pitch for a home run to start the seventh, and Hinske, who had replaced Ortiz at first in the bottom of the seventh, connected off Rafael Soriano for a two-run home run in the eighth, the Sox having already scored one run in the inning when Wily Mo Pena singled and Pedroia doubled him home. Tavarez set down the first 10 Braves. With the help of two double plays, he faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings. He allowed the Braves, who were playing without slumping star Andruw Jones (0 for 17 against the Sox, 0 for his last 18, and .202 overall), just three singles: Willie Harris in the fourth, Chipper Jones in the fifth, and Edgar Renteria in the seventh. Joel Pineiro gave up two singles to start the eighth but retired the next three batters. Mike Timlin pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Drew departed after two innings with what was described as tightness in his right quadriceps, but no one on the Sox had a worse night than Julio Lugo, who could not have had a crueler 0 for 5. He lined out his first four times. On his fifth at-bat, he dropped a soft liner into right field for an apparent hit, but Varitek, who had held up at second to see if the ball would be caught, was forced at third. The leadoff home run was the second of Drew's career. The first came nearly eight years ago, July 24, 1999, in Colorado, when he was playing for the Cardinals. It was also his fourth home run in the last 15 games. Shortstop Julio Lugo was back in the starting lineup, even though his replacement Tuesday night, Alex Cora, tripled and hit a sacrifice fly. The Sox already were playing a second straight game without third baseman Mike Lowell, manager Terry Francona saying he preferred to give Lowell another night off to rest his sprained left thumb. J.C. Romero cleared waivers and became a free agent. Any team can sign the left-handed reliever for the major league minimum of $380,000, with the Sox obligated to pay the remainder of his $1.6 million |
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