Ri-co! Ri-co! Ri-co! When was the last time you heard that chant in Fenway Park? I know it was before my time, but I gladly partook in the festivities last night. We still managed to make a very bad pitcher look good, but we got the job done in the end. I'm just reserved to the fact now, that every game is going to bring me closer to a heart attack. Unfortunately it comes with being a Sox fan.
Anyway, with the exception of the first inning you could kind of sense that Pedro wasn't himself last night. That thought came true as he was lifted in the fourth inning with shoulder stiffness. You know something had to be wrong when Pedro gives up a three-run jack in the third to Miguel Cairo. Hopefully the problem is just as it says above, stiffness, which basically means Pedro couldn't get loose. If I find out anything further I'll be sure to post it on the site.
With the help of the wind, some shoddy defense, and a few hits, the Sox managed to tie the game at three in the sixth inning, the score would stay that way into the ninth. Darren Lewis led off the 9th by getting hit on the elbow with a pitch. Instead of sacrificing him over, Lewis outright stole second base (the team's third SB of the night, huh?). So with no out and a man on second, the Sox had Nixon, Tek, and Everett coming to the plate.
Opting not to bunt with Trot, Jimy allowed him to swing away, figuring that Lewis could score from second on a single. After battling for a while Trot made a bid for a game wining dinger as he drove D-Rays rightfielder Jose Guillen to the warning track. The fly-out got DLew to third, so in essence it was like a sac bunt.
Next up was Jason Varitek, who only had to put the bat on the ball to get the run in. Tek instead stayed true to his 2000 form and whiffed to leave yet another runner in scoring position. But all was not lost, we had Carl coming up, and if they pitched around him, Nomar. The D-Rays decided to pitch around both, and intentionally walked two batters in a row to load the bases and to get to defensive replacement Rico Brogna.
Brogna ran the count to two and two before he drove a breaking ball over the right field wall for a walk-off grand salami! This was a huge win, the team mugged Brogna when he reached the plate, hopefully this is just what the doctor ordered to get the ball rolling.
Last night also marked the return of Lou Merloni to the Red Sox. Merloni got himself released from his contract in Japan and resigned with the Sox a few weeks ago. After tearing it up at Pawtucket (.400+ average) the Sox placed Izzy Alcantara on the 15 day DL (phantom injury) and gave Lou the call. Turns out he played a big role in the win going 1-2 with two sacrifice bunts to get runners into scoring position.
The way last nights game was going, I was very close to starting off this game report with the phrase; "We Suck!" Luckily that did not come to be, as I was a very unhappy camper for the first five innings. This come from behind win has to light a fire under the Sox, I can't think of anything else to get this team hot.
Jeff Fassero takes the hill tonight against another guy we should light up big time. Though the last five guys we should have lit up have shut us down, so who knows?