It was a game of missed
opportunities for the Red Sox on Saturday afternoon. With John Lackey and Hiroki Kuroda dueling it
out, the Yanks tops the Sox 5-2 as 3 runners were nailed on the bases for the
Sox and the Yankees used one solid inning off Lackey to the 2nd game
of the series setting up a rubber match game on Sunday night.
John Lackey wasn’t as good as he’s
been the past month but he put in a very solid effort. He went 6 and 1/3 innings giving up 4 runs on
10 hits while striking out 7 and walking none.
Facing a team he has never had success against in the past (he entered
Saturday with a 4.68 ERA lifetime against the Yanks), he pitched good enough
for the Sox bats to bail him out.
Unfortunately that would not happen.
Matt Thornton pitched an inning
of relief and worked around 2 hits, giving up no runs. Pedro Beato pitched 2/3 of an inning and
allowed an unearned run. Drake Britton
who was recently brought up from Double-A made his major league debut in the 9th
and pitched a scoreless frame.
Interested to see this young lefty can do for the team going forward.
The bats just couldn’t get anything
going against Kuroda. They had only 2
runs on 7 hits. They were 1 for 6 with
runners in scoring position and had some bad base running errors.
David Ortiz went 2 for 4 wit a
run and Mike Carp went 3 for 4 with a run and a double. Daniel Nava had a hit and Jonny Gomes went 1
for 3 with an RBI. That was basically it
for the Sox who just couldn’t get anything going all night.
The base-running errors really
cost the Sox as they had 3 men thrown out on the basepaths.
Daniel Nava was thrown out at
home in the 1st by Vernon Wells.
I’m not sure what 3rd base coach Brian Butterfield saw as
Vernon Wells already had the ball when he sent him. Nava was out by a mile and I’m not sure
exactly why he was sent. Mike Carp was
then nailed at home on a passed ball in the 5th.
The biggest base-running gaffe of
the night though came in the 9th when Nava was thrown out trying to
advance to 2nd on a diving catch made by Chris Stewart. There were 2 outs and David Ortiz was on deck
with the Sox down 2 runs. You can’t run
yourself out of an inning with your best hitter on deck. Not trying to advance to 2nd.
The Sox didn’t hit though and that
will get you a loss every time. They’ll go for the series win Sunday Night as
the Sox send Ryan Dempster to the mound to face Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia. Jon Lester was slated to pitch but the Sox
have opted to push him back a day because of arm fatigue. Hopefully it’s nothing serious as the Sox
badly need Lester to come out of his funk.
SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE –
GAME MVP
Mike Carp. Carp went 3 for 4 and had the Sox only extra
base hit on the afternoon.
ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP
Daniel Nava. Nava did have a hit on the game but his big
base-running error in the 8th was costly.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Lyle Overbay’s RBI single in the
7th to put the Yanks up 4-0.
NEXT
Sunday, July 21st vs. the Yankees.
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