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CLAY BUCHHOLZ |
A
POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Clay Buchholz wins his debut ...
while Eric Gagne blows another lead
August 17, 2007
...
With a six-run first inning in today's 8-4 win over the Angels in
Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader, the Sox served notice that the
last six weeks of this season should be worth sticking around for,
for everyone. That includes Manny Ramirez, whose tiebreaking double
in the eighth inning of the second game, one pitch after David
Ortiz's two-run double had erased the last of what had been a
three-run Angels lead, put the Sox three outs from a sweep.
But Eric
Gagne blew the save and the game, allowing three runs in an outing reminiscent
of his two meltdowns last weekend in Baltimore. That only sowed more doubt, in
the aftermath of a 7-5 loss, that the master plan to have Gagne share the
late-inning load with Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima is flawed. With Gagne
having allowed 14 hits and 10 runs in just six the Sox would seem to have no
choice but to contemplate whether the flaw is a fatal one.
The day was
not without other losses. The Sox, who traded outfielder Wily Mo Pena before the
first game to make room for 23-year-old pitcher Clay Buchholz, the winner of
Game 1 in his big league debut, placed catcher Doug Mirabelli on the 15-day
disabled list with a strained right calf. Mirabelli sustained the injury while
running the bases in the first inning of the first game, leaving Jason Varitek
to catch the final 17 innings. With general manager Theo Epstein saying that
Mirabelli is expected to be out at least two weeks, the Sox summoned Pawtucket
catcher Kevin Cash, who was in Ottawa and did not arrive until the second game
was underway.
Ortiz, who
hit his 20th home run off 15-game winner John Lackey in support of Buchholz,
singled and scored the team's only run off Ervin Santana, the Angels' Game 2
starter, in the seventh inning, then delivered a gap double against closer
Francisco Rodriguez. That came after Julio Lugo had boldly dashed home on a
bases-loaded wild pitch that drifted just a few feet away from rookie catcher
Ryan Budde. Ortiz then scored when Ramirez rifled K-Rod's next pitch into the
left-field corner
Gagne's
downfall began with an out, as Angels rookie Reggie Willits, pinch hitting for
Budde, battled Gagne through 13 pitches, fouling off five in a row before flying
out to Coco Crisp in center. Gagne walked pinch hitter Casey Kotchman, then gave
up ground singles to Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera to bring home pinch
runner Erick Aybar and tie the score at 5. Up came Vladimir Guerrero, who
already had doubled and tripled and reached on one of Lugo's two Game 2 errors.
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VLAD GUERRERO |
Guerrero
crushed a ball to center field for another double, two runs scored, and one
spectator in last night's crowd of 36,538 single-handedly gave credence to the
contention made by Angels center fielder Gary Matthews that Sox fans are "loud,
drunk, and obnoxious." The cretin in question hurled a plastic bottle that
landed on the grass near the pitcher's mound and skipped over the dirt, well
within Gagne's line of vision. Gagne's escape was better executed; he was long
gone from the clubhouse before the door was opened to reporters.
There was
controversy before the night came to its dissonant end. Francona and first
baseman Kevin Youkilis were both ejected when their pleas that Youkilis had
fouled off a two-strike pitch went unheeded. Francona was tossed by first base
umpire Mark Wegner, who refused to render an opinion. Youkilis then got tossed
by plate umpire Brian Runge, who missed the foul call.
Papelbon,
who had recorded the last four outs of Game 1 to register his 29th save after
Okajima had taken care of five outs upon replacing Buchholz (6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3
BB, 5 K's), said the nightcap defeat did not ruin a long day for all parties
involved. It was particularly long for Varitek, who entered Game 1 in the second
inning after Mirabelli was hurt running the bases on Alex Cora's RBI double, and
caught 17 innings, including Josh Beckett's unrewarded seven-inning, five-hit
stint in Game 2, which he left trailing, 2-0.
After Ortiz
came around to score on a double by J.D. Drew (five hits in the two games) and
an infield out by Mike Lowell in the seventh inning of Game 2, the Angels scored
twice in the eighth off Manny Delcarmen on Guerrero's triple, Garret Anderson's
sacrifice fly, and Matthews's home run, his 16th of the season.
But Gagne
could have delivered a knockout punch last night. He didn't, and it remains to
be seen how much the Sox will let him carry the fight going forward.
Theo Epstein
traded Pena to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named, and
acknowledged that the acquisition of Pena had fallen short of projections.
Tony
Conigliaro will be remembered at Fenway Park tomorrow, 40 years after he was hit
in the left eye by Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton. There will be an on-field
ceremony and video tribute before the game. |
