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THE RAYS and A ONE WAY
TICKET TO "MANNY-WOOD" ...
Ellsbury and Pedroia
engineer a comeback
April 22,
2008 ...
Dustin Pedroia’s four hits (three doubles) combining with Jacoby
Ellsbury's two home runs and bunt single to buoy the Red Sox on a
night that could have been a lost cause, and instead turned into a
7-6 win over the Angels at Fenway Park.
With the Red
Sox on alert because of Josh Beckett's bout with a current clubhouse illness,
the starter turned up with the unanticipated neck problem, leading to a bit of a
change. David Pauley, already waiting in a Boston hotel, got the word around 4
p.m. that he would be the night's starter.
Ellsbury
took care of this game, hitting two solo home runs, the first to lead off the
game for the first time in his career, and the second with two outs in the
sixth, breaking a 5-5 tie. To that, he added the bunt single in the eighth,
which put him on first base for Pedroia. Having already hit two doubles and a
single, Pedroia (.364, tops in the American League) took advantage of the extra
attention Scot Shields paid to Ellsbury on first base, rifling a double down the
left-field line that scored the center fielder with the seventh run.
After the
Angels took a 5-1 lead in the fourth with most of the damage being done by
Maicer Izturis, Jeff Mathis, and Erick Aybar, the bottom three in the order, the
Sox crawled back into the game. First, Julio Lugo singled to score J.D. Drew in
the fourth, Lugo's sixth straight hit over two games. Then David Ortiz singled
home Pedroia, followed by the big blow. One batter after Vladimir Guerrero stole
a home run from Manny Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis blasted one to the Monster seats
to tie the score, the fifth run scored off Angels starter Jered Weaver before he
exited the game.
Ellsbury's
second homer gave the Sox the lead. But Casey Kotchman's homer, off Hideki
Okajima, tied it up again. That lasted all of six batters and half an inning,
Pedroia stroking the game-winning double to left field.
With Pauley
lasting just 4 2/3 innings, the Red Sox had to turn to Julian Tavarez, who kept
the Angels off the board for 1 2/3. Okajima followed him, entering with men on
first and second and no outs. But he got Guerrero to fly to right field. Then,
after the runners advanced on a throwing error by Kevin Cash, he popped up
Garret Anderson and struck out Torii Hunter swinging. It seemed like it might be
enough, until he allowed that Kotchman home run.
But the Sox
quickly authored their 10th comeback win of the season, their sixth in their
last eight wins. |
