July 26, 2007
...
By winning three of four against the Indians, including tonight's
wild 14-9 victory, the Sox made a strong case for top dog. After
winning the series opener behind an emotional comeback performance by
Jon Lester and splitting a pair of 1-0 games, tonight's starter,
Kason Gabbard, fell apart after being staked to a 9-1 lead, but the
Sox offense, which had been quiet of late, picked him up by exploding
for 17 hits.
Manny
Ramirez homered twice, Wily Mo Pena went deep once, and the pair knocked in
eight runs between them, while Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell each drove in a
pair of runs and Coco Crisp had the other RBI. The Sox broke it open with a
five-run fifth against Indians starter Cliff Lee, while Pena added some late
fireworks with a three-run homer in the seventh. Pena also had an RBI double in
the fifth.
Gabbard
wasn't around long enough to get the win, pitching only 4 2/3 innings before
giving way to Julian Tavarez. Tavarez allowed four runs in the seventh, topped
off by Ryan Garko's three-run homer, but the Sox were able to hold on.
Ramirez's
second-inning home run was precisely the type of lined shot he's known for: a
pure swing through the ball, the pitch finding the sweetest spot of wood. Lee's
first offering of the second inning was sent sailing over the trees in
left-center field, traveling 481 feet, the third-longest home run in Jacobs
Field history. It was Ramirez's 486th career home run and it continued his
assault on left-handed pitching this season - 34 for 89 (.382) entering last
night's game. It was also his eighth homer off a lefty, matching his total
against right-handers.
Ramirez's
two-run homer to center in the eighth made it 14-9. Ramirez seemed to be in the
middle of just about every Sox rally. He walked to lead off the fourth and
triggered a two-run inning. Lee also walked Kevin Youkilis and surrendered a
single to right by Lowell to load the bases for Varitek, who delivered a two-run
single.
Lee started
the fifth as badly as he started the second, third (two hits, run-scoring double
play grounder by Dustin Pedroia), and fourth. Pedroia singled to left, Ortiz
walked, and Ramirez again used another sweet stroke to knock in Pedroia with a
double to left. After Youkilis reached on an error by shortstop Jhonny Peralta,
Lowell knocked in a pair with a single up the middle, ending Lee's night. Jason
Stanford got Varitek to hit into a double play, but Crisp singled to left and
Pena, batting ninth, stroked a long double to right-center for Boston's fifth
run of the inning.
It's hard to
relinquish a 9-1 lead, but Gabbard tried. Gabbard, who won his last start, 11-2
over the White Sox July 21, could stay in the rotation even after Curt Schilling
returns. Gabbard was 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his previous four starts and was
been unbeaten in his last eight starts dating to Sept. 5.
His only
early mistake was a solo homer by Franklin Gutierrez in the third. But the
Indians rallied in the fifth when Gabbard walked Peralta and Jason Michaels
singled. Gabbard struck out Gutierrez on a changeup, but No. 9 hitter Josh
Barfield stroked a two-run double off the left-center-field wall, and Grady
Sizemore followed with a single to score Barfield. All of a sudden it was 9-4.
That
prompted a visit from pitching coach John Farrell. But Gabbard's control issues
continued when he walked Casey Blake and Victor Martinez to load the bases, and
then hit Travis Hafner to force in the fifth Indians run. That was it for
Gabbard. Tavarez made his first bullpen appearance since being demoted from the
starting rotation July 22, and he retired Ryan Garko on a fly to center to end
the fifth.
If the Red
Sox do not make a deal between now and Tuesday, which will be Curt Schilling's
final rehab start, the team has prepared Jon Lester's agent, Alan Nero, of the
possibility Lester could return to Pawtucket.
With
lefthander Cliff Lee pitching for the Indians, Drew got the night off. Francona
said he needs to get some of the bench guys playing time. Wily Mo Pena played
right field and had four hits and four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the
seventh. Frank Robinson threw out the first pitch.
