HR #42

A SAD END TO A RECORD SEASON
David Wells gets a win with
help from Craig Hansen

August 16, 2006 ... Tonight, when the Red Sox demanded of him poise and maturity beyond his 22 years, Craig Hansen responded in a way that suggested he can stand and deliver, holding the Detroit Tigers at bay in a 6-4 Sox win that avoided a sweep.

Mike Lowell with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh gave the Sox bullpen a two-run cushion. David Ortiz, who went six games without a home run, hit his 42d to break a 1-all tie in the fifth and Coco Crisp hit a Wall double for two runs in the sixth after David Wells (2-2) had given the lead back on two Tiger home runs in the top of the inning, but it was Hansen who stopped the Tigers cold when the Sox needed it most.

Summoned to shoulder the burden that Wells had precariously balanced for much of the night, Hansen came to the mound with two outs and the tying run on base in the seventh and with one pitch retired the dangerous Magglio Ordonez, who had homered an inning earlier off Wells but this time popped to second. Hansen, who had allowed 11 hits and 10 runs (eight earned) in his previous 7 2/3 innings, gave up a single to Carlos Guillen to open the eighth, but induced the next hitter, Brandon Inge, to roll into a double play before retiring Sean Casey on a grounder to first.

A rejuvenated Papelbon, who had not pitched in the last three games, entered and delivered a scintillating ninth, throwing six pitches, all strikes, in setting down the Tigers in order for his 32d save. Papelbon, who had averaged nearly 26 pitches in his previous four appearances over the last 10 days, admitted he'd hit a wall physically.

The Sox were facing Justin Verlander, the prodigy who entered with a 14-5 record and 2.95 ERA, though the Tigers, concerned that he was tiring, had him skip a start last week. Verlander hit 97 miles per hour consistently, but walked seven, nearly doubling his previous high.

The Tigers gave Verlander a 1-0 lead in the third when Omar Infante doubled and scored on Craig Monroe's single, but the Sox matched that run in the home half when Verlander walked Javy Lopez and Alex Cora. Crisp, employing a weapon seldom seen in the Sox' arsenal, bunted the runners over and Lopez scored on Mark Loretta's infield out. Ortiz followed a two-out single by Loretta in the fifth with his 42d home run, the ball just clearing Ordonez's glove as he lunged for the ball in front of the Sox bullpen.

But the Tigers bounced back in the sixth with three runs. Ordonez led off with his 17th home run. One out later, Inge singled and after Casey flied to left, rookie center fielder Brent Clevlen, who had been playing in Double A a month ago, lost a pitch onto Lansdowne Street for his third home run of the season.

The Sox counterpunched again in the bottom of the sixth. Verlander walked Lowell with one out, gave up a two-out single to Lopez, then walked the No. 9 batter, Cora, for the second time. Crisp followed with his double off the Monster, scoring two. A third run was cut down at the plate by Monroe, whose throw from the base of the wall reached catcher Ivan Rodriguez on the fly, Rodriguez tagging out Cora.

The Sox struck a waiver deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for Eric Hinske, who fits the profile of the type of player Boston was seeking: a lefthanded hitter who can play both corner infield positions as well as the outfield. The Red Sox also came to terms on a deal with Carlos Pena, the Haverhill native and former Northeastern star who has spent the summer in the minor leagues.