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A’s blast Red Sox, deny Wakefield’s 200th again

dommmicker — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:30:42 +0000

BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 26: Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox signs autograph before a game against the Oakland…

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Game Information

Stadium	Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Attendance	38,239 (103.5% full) – % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time	3:36
Weather	81 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind	8 mph
Umpires	Home Plate – Brian Runge, First Base – Marvin Hudson, Second Base – Ted Barrett, Third Base – Tim Mcclelland

Research Notes

Tim Wakefield has now had 6 starts since recording his 199th career win. Over those 6 starts, he is 0-3 with 3 no-decisions and an ERA of 4.97.

ESPN Stats & Information

Associated Press

BOSTON — The Oakland Athletics didn’t hide their feelings over being able to rebound so nicely after such a miserable loss.

Scott Sizemore and Josh Willingham each hit two-run homers during a six-run fourth inning that carried the Oakland Athletics to a 15-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday, one day after they lost 22-9 at Yankee Stadium and allowed a major league-record three grand slams.

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“It’s a huge lift,” winning pitcher Gio Gonzalez said. “It’s stopping the bleeding right away and not letting it spiral out of control.”Like Thursday in New York, the Athletics opened a big lead early. The difference was they kept scoring and held the hot-hitting Red Sox down.”I think it’s good,” said second baseman Jemile Weeks, who had three hits and scored three runs, of the team’s rebound. “I think we came out and set a tone. We started out great in New York and they pounded us in that game.”The win denied Tim Wakefield’s bid for his 200th career victory.Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz hit consecutive homers for Boston, which opened a nine-game homestand after going 6-2 on a recent trip through Texas and Kansas City.Wakefield (6-6), trying for the sixth time to become the 108th pitcher to reach 200 wins, gave up eight runs — four earned — on eight hits, walking two and striking out three. He’s 0-3 with a 4.97 ERA during the six games.”Not a real good night (for Wakefield). Kind of an inconsistent knuckleball tonight — some he threw so well and had sharp break and then some were up,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “Then it looked like we get the third out and the ball gets by (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) because it is moving and they tack on four more, so just kind of a rough night all the way around.”Cliff Pennington also had three hits, and Willingham drove in four runs for the Athletics, who won for the seventh time in nine road games after losing 30 of their previous 37 away from home.”We just tried to move on (from Thursday),” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said, downplaying it a bit more than his players. “We really just tried to move on.”Gonzalez (11-11) gave up four runs, seven hits, striking out five and walking three in 5 2/3 innings for his second straight win after losing five in a row. He picked up just his third road win in 10 decisions.Leading 2-1 in the fourth, the Athletics scored six runs off Wakefield — four coming after Saltalamacchia’s passed ball on Weeks’ strikeout with two outs.”I think that’s my biggest disappointment, knowing that we had a doubleheader tomorrow and I was only able to go four innings,” Wakefield said.Sizemore started the scoring with a home run into the last row of Green Monster seats in left, making it 4-1. After Weeks fanned but reached first, Coco Crisp walked before Hideki Matsui doubled both home with a drive off the center-field wall. Willingham then homered into the Monster seats, his 23rd, making it 8-1.Boston outfielder Darnell McDonald pitched the ninth, allowing Willingham’s two-run double after walking the first two batters.For a while it looked as though it could be similar to Thursday afternoon in New York when Oakland opened a 7-1 lead before its pitching staff was pounded.Boston answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on consecutive homers by Pedroia and Ortiz. Pedroia’s was his 17th, tying his career high set in 2008 when he won the AL’s MVP award. Jacoby Ellsbury tripled and scored in the fifth.The Red Sox had runners on first and second with one out in the sixth, but Gonzalez got McDonald to pop to second. Brian Fuentes relieved and Ellsbury fouled weakly to third. Boston stranded two more in the seventh.Oakland ended any likelihood of a comeback by scoring four in the eighth against Matt Albers, opening a 13-4 lead.Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI single before Oakland took the lead with two in the second, coming on RBI singles by David DeJesus and Pennington.Game notes
Red Sox LF Carl Crawford didn’t play, getting a night off to rest before playing both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader. “He was cramping up a little bit (Thursday),” said Francona, who hoped to rest some other players but also knew the club has both Sunday and Monday off after Sunday’s afternoon game was moved to Saturday night because of the expected severe weather from Hurricane Irene. … Francona said RF J.D. Drew, on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, was scheduled to DH for the Class-A Lowell Spinners on Friday night and he’s also scheduled — along with Kevin Youkilis, on the DL with a strained lower back — to get some at-bats with Triple-A Pawtucket Tuesday or Wednesday. … Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks (back) is scheduled to pitch an inning at Class-A Salem on Saturday and the hope is he can get in some work at Pawtucket before he returns from his third stint on the DL. … Boston is planning to go with Jon Lester (13-6) in the opener on Saturday against Guillermo Moscoso (6-7), scheduled for a noon start. Erik Bedard (4-9) is slated to face Graham Godfrey (1-1) in the nightcap that’s planned for 5 p.m. Godfrey will be recalled from Triple-A Sacramento before the game. He made four starts with the A’s earlier this season. … Oakland recalled left-handers Josh Outman and Jerry Blevins from Sacramento before the game, sending Jordan Norberto and Bruce Billings to the Triple-A club.

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Red Sox drop finale, series to M’s

DallPeath — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:17:27 +0000

Boston Red Sox’ Kevin Youkilis watches his two-run home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)AP

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SEATTLE — The streak of series domination by the Boston Red Sox that stretched more than a month was bound to end at some point.

The fact it ended in Seattle is the surprising part.

Charlie Furbush allowed just one run in a career-best seven innings, Casper Wells homered and scored two runs and the Seattle Mariners beat Boston, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon, taking two of three from the AL East leaders.

Furbush (3-4) held the Red Sox bats in check, giving up four hits in just his fifth start of the season. He struck out a career-high six and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning.

“Everything kind of was working, depending on the hitter,” Furbush said. “I’ve faced these guys before, so there were a few things I wanted to stick to in certain situations, certain counts, certain hitters.”

Boston had not lost a series since the end of June, a stretch of 11 straight sets either winning or splitting. It spanned a total of 36 games between July 1 in Houston and last Wednesday in Minnesota where the Red Sox went 26-10.

They arrived in Seattle having won six of nine, but the Mariners managed to take two of three knocking around Josh Beckett on Saturday and Tim Wakefield on Sunday.

And, if not for John Lackey working through some early struggles on Friday night and giving Boston time to rally for a 6-4 win, the Red Sox could have been swept.

“Some hits mixed in, they get a couple tack-on runs and that’s the formula we talk about all the time,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “You score a few or three and tack on, and that’s what they did and it was enough to beat us.”

For Wakefield, he missed on a fourth chance at career victory No. 200. He picked up No. 199 on July 24 at home against Seattle, but has now lost his last two decisions.

Wakefield (6-5) was credited with a complete-game pitching eight innings, giving up nine hits, four earned runs and striking out four. In the previous win over Seattle, he was knocked around for 10 hits and seven runs.

“I don’t care about it. The first couple, yeah, but I’m just trying to pitch quality starts and quality innings to get us wins,” Wakefield said. “It is getting to that time of year where it is time to win games.”

Seattle managed to piece together a trio of runs in the third inning, but not without a little bit of controversy. With runners on first and second and no outs, Ichiro Suzuki grounded to first base. Adrian Gonzalez threw down to second and it appeared Jed Lowrie slipped his toe on the bag to force Kyle Seager, who had reached on a single.

But second base umpire Ed Hickox said Lowrie had missed the bag and Seager was safe, despite Francona coming out to argue. Seager later scored on Mike Carp’s RBI single to give Seattle a 3-0 lead.

“I was trying to cover first and I look up and they called him safe at second. So I’ve got bases loaded and no outs instead of one,” Wakefield said. “You just try and limit the damage as much as possible. I wasn’t able to do that.”

The three early runs were plenty for Furbush. He struck out five of the first 10 batters he faced and didn’t give up a hit until Gonzalez’s one-out single in the fourth inning. He was also efficient, getting through seven innings throwing just 95 pitches.

And he benefited from some defensive help as well. Dustin Pedroia was robbed of a base-hit leading off the fourth when Jack Wilson went horizontal to make a diving snag at shortstop. The out became even more important when the Red Sox got two more hits in the inning and a sacrifice fly from Lowrie to cut Seattle’s lead to 3-1.

Suzuki also made a fine running catch in right-center field to rob Kevin Youkilis of extra bases with a runner on in the sixth.

“It’s one of those things where you just react,” said Wilson, who also had a run scoring infield single. “Those plays end up becoming huge.”

Youkilis hit a two-out, two-run homer off Seattle reliever Jeff Gray in the eighth inning to cut the lead to 5-3. Youkilis’ 17th homer came after he had missed the first two games in the series with a stiff back. Gray got a groundout from David Ortiz to end the eighth and Brandon League pitched the ninth for his 29th save in 33 chances.

“I’m still tight, but hopefully with the off day tomorrow it will loosen up,” Youkilis said.

NOTES: The Red Sox’ last series loss came June 28-30 when they dropped two of three at Philadelphia. They had won or split 11 straight series. … Francona said that Jon Lester will start Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader at home against Tampa Bay. Erik Bedard will start the second game. … Seattle won a series against an American League team other than Oakland for the first time since taking three of four from Tampa Bay in early June.

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Boston 4, Cleveland 3: Jacoby Ellsbury hits walkoff homer for Red Sox

argueme — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:17:09 +0000

BOSTON — Jacoby Ellsbury got the winning hit for the second night in a row, homering with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-3 win over Cleveland on Wednesday night.

Joe Smith (2-2) got the first two batters on groundouts before Ellsbury hit an 0-1 pitch over the wall in straightaway center field. Ellsbury, the former Oregon State star from Madras, singled to center with one out to end Tuesday night’s game.

Jonathan Papelbon (4-0) pitched a perfect ninth.

Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez each had two hits for Boston, which won for the 10th time in 13 games.

Jason Kipnis homered for the fourth straight game for Cleveland, which lost for the 10th time in 13 games to fall to .500 for the first time since the fourth game of the year. Starter Carlos Carrasco allowed three runs — two earned — on nine hits and three walks while striking out five before leaving with the game tied 3-all in the eighth inning.

Boston starter Tim Wakefield took a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning with a chance for his 200th career win, but he gave up doubles to Lonnie Chisenhall and Ezequiel Carrera to tie it. Red Sox manager Terry Francona headed to the mound, leading Wakefield to pound his fist in frustration and drawing boos from the crowd.

The fans cheered Wakefield as he left the field, but he did not react. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in all, striking out six in 6 2-3 innings.

The right-handed knuckleballer, who turned 45 on Tuesday and is the oldest active player in the majors, will have another chance at becoming the 108th pitcher with 200 wins — the 89th since 1900 — is expected to come on Monday or Tuesday night.

Carrasco, who had lost five straight starts, was suspended six games and fined $2,500 for throwing at the head of Kansas City’s Billy Butler on Friday night. He said he would drop his appeal and begin the suspension after Wednesday night’s game.

Notes: The teams are back for game four of the series on Thursday night, when newly acquired starter Erik Bedard will face former Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson. Masterson is 3-3 with a 1.76 ERA in his last 11 games (10 starts). He was part of the deal that brought Victor Martinez to Boston at the 2009 trading deadline. In three career starts against his former team, he is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA. … Bedard only went 1 1-3 innings and gave up five runs in his previous start, for Seattle against Tampa Bay — his first start since coming off the DL (sprained left knee). … To make room for Jimenez on the roster, the Indians optioned LHP David Huff to Triple-A Columbus. … Indians OF Michael Brantley was given the night off to rest his sore right wrist. … Kipnis is the first Indians rookie to homer in four straight games since Al Rosen in 1950, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. … Pedroia was the AL player of the month for July, with 46 hits in the month. … Boston SS Marco Scutaro was back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday’s game with dizziness.

–The Associated Press

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Ellsbury’s HR in ninth lifts Red Sox

gamebyngeancy — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:38:55 +0000

Updated Aug 3, 2011 11:34 PM ET

BOSTON (AP)

Jacoby Ellsbury never had a game-winning hit before this week.

Now he has two in as many games.

One night after his ninth-inning single drove in the game-winning run, the Red Sox center fielder homered with two outs in the ninth on Wednesday to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

”The guy’s got us two nights in a row,” said Indians reliever Joe Smith (2-2), who retired the first two batters in the ninth before Ellsbury hit a 0-1 pitch over the wall in straightaway center.

Asked if the pitch was where he wanted it, Smith said: ”Four hundred and fifteen away to the middle of center? No.”

Jonathan Papelbon (4-0) pitched a perfect ninth for Boston, which won for the 10th time in 13 games. Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez each had two hits, and Tim Wakefield took a three-hitter into the seventh but could not collect career victory No. 200.

Jason Kipnis homered for the fourth straight day for Cleveland, which lost for the 10th time in 13 games to fall to .500 for the first time since the fourth game of the year. Starter Carlos Carrasco allowed three runs (two earned) and nine hits and three walks while striking out five before leaving with the game tied 3-all in the eighth inning.

Tony Sipp struck out two in a perfect eighth, and then Smith retired pinch-hitter Darnell McDonald and No. 9 hitter Marco Scutaro before Ellsbury, who was 0 for 4 so far in the game, came to the plate. Ellsbury, who hit a one-out single to win it on Tuesday, drove it over the high wall in center.

”I realized it was the ninth inning and I had been 0 for 4 both games. I’m just trying to get on base,” he said. ”The last two days have been pretty good.”

Wakefield took a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning with a chance for his 200th win, but he gave up doubles to Lonnie Chisenhall and Ezequiel Carrera to tie it. Red Sox manager Terry Francona headed to the mound, leading Wakefield to pound his fist in frustration and drawing boos from the crowd.

The fans cheered Wakefield as he left the field, but he did not react. He allowed three runs and five hits and two walks in all, striking out six in 6 2/3 innings.

”It’s hard,” Francona said. ”I knew what it meant to the fans wanting to see it — and so do I — and to him personally. But you do what you have to do to try and win the game.”

Notes: The teams are back for game four of the series on Thursday night, when newly acquired starter Erik Bedard will face former Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson. Masterson is 3-3 with a 1.76 ERA in his past 11 games (10 starts). He was part of the deal that brought Victor Martinez to Boston at the 2009 trading deadline. In three career starts against his former team, he is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA. … Bedard only went 1 1/3 innings and gave up five runs in his previous start, for Seattle against Tampa Bay — his first start since coming off the DL (sprained left knee). … To make room for Jimenez on the roster, the Indians optioned LHP David Huff to Triple-A Columbus. … Indians OF Michael Brantley was given the night off to rest his sore right wrist. … Kipnis is the first Indians rookie to homer in four straight games since Al Rosen in 1950, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. … Pedroia was the AL player of the month for July, with 46 hits in the month. … Boston SS Marco Scutaro was back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday’s game with dizziness. … The Red Sox batter with game-ending hits on consecutive days of the regular season was Butch Hobson in 1978, though David Ortiz did it in the 2004 playoffs against the New York Yankees.

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Sox score 12, sweep slumping Seattle

suzanneberkley — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:38:03 +0000

BOSTON (AP) – As if the Red Sox didn’t have enough hitting, now the lower part of the lineup is heating up.

Led by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Carl Crawford, their last four batters had seven RBIs and eight hits as Boston pounded Seattle pitchers for a 12-8 win that sent the Mariners to a franchise-worst 15-game losing streak on Sunday.

“Production, one through nine, is what we need,” said Saltalamacchia, who drove in four runs, “and that’s what we’ve got.”

With help from the top of the order to the bottom, the Red Sox swept the Mariners, won their 17th game in their last 20 and kept their three-game lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees, who beat the Oakland Athletics 7-5.

The Red Sox lead the majors with a .279 batting average. And Tim Wakefield (6-3) has benefited from that with his teammates scoring at least 11 runs in four of his last eight starts.

Wakefield joined Roger Clemens as the only pitchers to strike out 2,000 batters with Boston when catcher Saltalamacchia held on to Mike Carp’s foul tip to end the sixth then met him at the first-base line and handed him the ball.

He also moved one win away from his 200th victory. But the 44-year-old knuckleballer left after giving up Brendan Ryan’s grand slam that cut the lead to 11-7 with one out in the seventh.

The standing ovation he got when he struck out Carp to reach the milestone was “pretty special, very emotional for me,” Wakefield said. “I had no idea that it had happened and Salty was walking toward me. I’m like, ‘what’s going on.’ He said, ‘Congratulations on 2,000 strikeouts.’ It was a very cool ovation.”

The Mariners haven’t had many enjoyable moments lately, with each result the same as the previous one — a loss.

“It seems like once again it’s Groundhog Day,” Ryan said. “This is definitely frustrating. There aren’t too many laughs now. There shouldn’t be.”

Boston’s powerhouse lineup had 17 hits with Saltalamacchia, Adrian Gonzalez and Crawford getting three each. Crawford is hitting .330 in his last 27 games and .375 in six games since coming off the disabled list.

“He’s gotten himself comfortable real quick,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

“I thought he was comfortable before he went on the DL,” Saltalamacchia said. “He was starting to get his swing back. He’s a career .300 hitter. He’s not going to all of a sudden start hitting .220.”

Michael Pineda (8-7) allowed five runs in the first after Seattle took a 2-0 lead and gave up seven runs in 4 1-3 innings.

“He was missing some spots with his fastball and they were aggressive” in the first, Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “They’re a veteran hitting team. They obviously had a plan.”

The loss broke Seattle’s record for its longest losing streak, set in 1992. It is the longest in the majors since Kansas City lost 19 in a row in 2005.

Ryan’s grand slam?

“Nothing to celebrate there,” he said. “It would have been nice to celebrate with a W.”

Wakefield struggled in the first, giving up a two-run homer to Miguel Olivo, his 14th of the season. But the Red Sox took the lead after sending just four batters to the plate.

Jacoby Ellsbury started the first with a walk and scored on a single by Gonzalez before Kevin Youkilis hit his 14th homer for a 3-2 lead. David Ortiz then singled and Crawford doubled, putting runners at second and third. Saltalamacchia then lined a two-run single to right.

Wakefield allowed just one hit through the next three innings. But in the fifth Ryan doubled home Ichiro Suzuki, who had singled. Again, the Red Sox responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

They loaded the bases on a single by Gonzalez, a walk to Youkilis and an infield single by Ortiz. Crawford followed with a hard, two-run single just inside the third-base line, Josh Reddick doubled in a run and Saltalamacchia singled in two more.

After getting his fourth and last strikeout of the game, Wakefield retired just one more batter before giving up four straight hits — singles by Jack Cust, Franklin Gutierrez and Suzuki and Ryan’s second career grand slam and second homer of the year.

Boston’s last two runs scored on RBI singles by Gonzalez in the sixth and Ellsbury in the seventh.

Notes: Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a double in the sixth. He has reached base in a career-high 33 straight games. … Pineda has allowed five runs or more in four of his last five starts. … Wedge shaved off his long, drooping mustache before the game. “Everybody needs to relax and we need to smile in the clubhouse,” he said. “I was thinking about it for two days and before I went to bed (Saturday) night I did it. My wife approved.” … Boston is 24-8 in day games, second best in the majors behind the Yankees.

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Boston Red Sox ‘s 17-hit attack beats Mariners, 12-8

testdoorgold — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:01:47 +0000

By HOWARD ULMAN
Associated Press

Boston Red Sox’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia watches his two-run single in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Boston, Sunday, July 24, 2011. Boston won 12-8. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

BOSTON — Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in four runs, Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer and the Boston Red Sox extended the Seattle Mariners’ franchise-worst losing streak to 15 games with a 12-8 win on Sunday.

Tim Wakefield (6-3) joined Roger Clemens as the only pitchers to strike out 2,000 batters with Boston and moved one win away from his 200th victory. But the 44-year-old knuckleballer left after giving up Brendan Ryan’s grand slam that cut the lead to 11-7 with one out in the seventh.

Boston’s powerhouse lineup had 17 hits with Saltalamacchia, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford getting three each.

Michael Pineda (8-7) allowed five runs in the first after Seattle took a 2-0 lead and gave up seven runs in 4 1-3 innings.

The Red Sox kept their three-game lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees, who beat the Oakland Athletics 7-5.

Baseball’s best hitting team scored at least 11 runs for the fourth time in Wakefield’s last eight starts. The Red Sox swept the three-game series with their 17th win in 20 games.

The loss broke Seattle’s record for its longest losing streak, set in 1992. It is the longest in the majors since Kansas City lost 19 in a row in 2005.

Wakefield struggled in the first, giving up a two-run homer to Miguel Olivo, his 14th of the season. But the Red Sox took the lead after sending just four batters to the plate.

Jacoby Ellsbury started the first with a walk and scored on a single by Gonzalez before Youkilis hit his 14th homer for a 3-2 lead. David Ortiz then singled and Crawford doubled, putting runners at second and third. Saltalamacchia then lined a two-run single to right.

Wakefield ended the sixth with his 2,000th strikeout, getting Mike Carp on a foul tip that Saltalamacchia held on to. The catcher then trotted to meet Wakefield at the first-base line and hand him the ball. Wakefield received a standing ovation and tipped his cap before entering the dugout.

But he retired just one more batter before giving up four straight hits — singles by Jack Cust, Franklin Gutierrez and Suzuki and Ryan’s second career grand slam and second homer of the year.

Boston’s last two runs scored on RBI singles by Gonzalez in the sixth and Ellsbury in the seventh.

Notes: Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a double in the sixth. He has reached base in a career-high 33 straight games. … Pineda has allowed five runs or more in four of his last five starts. … Mariners manager Eric Wedge shaved off his long, drooping mustache before the game. “Everybody needs to relax and we need to smile in the clubhouse,” he said. “I was thinking about it for two days and before I went to bed (Saturday) night I did it. My wife approved.” … Boston is 24-8 in day games, second best in the majors behind the Yankees.