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A SEASON IN THE DRINK
(CHICKEN & BEER) ...
Pedroia stands tall against the Royals
July 26, 2011 ...
Dustin Pedroia hit cleanup and stood tall, pounding out four hits to
help the Red Sox to a 13-9 victory against the Royals. Pedroia
extended his hitting streak to 23 games with a triple in the first
inning. He later added a double and two singles along with a walk. He
scored three times and drove in another.
Pedroia has
hit cleanup seven times in his career. He is 17 for 31 (.548) with seven
extra-base hits and nine RBIs. He came to the plate in the eighth inning a home
run shy of hitting for the cycle. The battered Royals had an outfielder, Mitch
Maier, on the mound by that time. He took a big swing and bit a fly ball to deep
left field. As the crowd of 37,460 tried to will the ball over the wall, it
landed in the glove of Alex Gordon.
David Ortiz
also had four hits, three of them doubles, and drove in five runs. Adrian
Gonzalez was on base four times and drove in two runs. The 3-4-5 segment of the
order had 10 hits, scored six runs, and drove in eight.
The Sox
needed all of the offense as starter Andrew Miller gave the team good reason to
seek a starter before Sunday's trade deadline. He gave up seven runs (five
earned) on nine hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings. Miller has a 5.45 earned
run average in seven starts since being called up from Pawtucket. The tall
lefthander pitched well in three starts against National League lineups after
his arrival. But in four starts against American League teams since, he has a
7.94 ERA and a 2.29 WHIP with just four strikeouts in 17 innings.
Francona had
a blunt assessment, saying Miller didn't locate his fastball very well or throw
to the spots where catcher Jason Varitek set up. Miller allowed two runs in the
first inning, then two more in the second after the Sox tied the score. When the
Sox took a 5-4 lead in the third inning, he gave up three runs in the fourth.
The
invaluable Alfredo Aceves (6-1) went 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, saving
the bullpen the night after a 14-inning game. Aceves is 5-0 with a 2.50 earned
run average in 25 relief appearances.
Rookie
lefthander Danny Duffy, the Kansas City starter, also had a rough night. He
allowed six earned runs on six hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings. The
fifth inning resembled a disorganized tee-ball game as the Sox sent 11 batters
to the plate and scored six runs. Josh Reddick and pinch hitter Jacoby Ellsbury
started it with singles against Nathan Adcock (1-1). Drew Sutton, another pinch
hitter, put down a bunt that was thrown away and two runs scored. Marco Scutaro
walked, bringing Blake Wood into the game. Gonzalez (RBI single), Pedroia
(single), Ortiz (two-run single), and Carl Crawford (single) had consecutive
hits. Reddick then had a sacrifice fly.
Pedroia's
hit streak is the longest for a Sox second baseman since Del Pratt had a
23-gamer in 1922. Dom DiMaggio has the team record with 34 consecutives games in
1949. |
