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THE RAYS and A ONE WAY May 22, 2008 ... As if Jon Lester's no-hitter was not spectacle enough Monday night, the Sox today hit two grand slams off the obliging Royals, which actually happens with less frequency than a no-no. J.D. Drew connected with the bases loaded in the second off starter Brian Bannister. Mike Lowell, following an intentional walk to Manny Ramirez, delivered in the sixth off lefthander Jimmy Gobble, runs that proved the difference in an 11-8 win that kept Daisuke Matsuzaka undefeated (8-0) before 37,613 at Fenway Park. It was the first time the Sox have had two slams in a game since switch-hitting Bill Mueller hit two in Texas in 2003. Mo Vaughn and John Valentin did it in New York in 1995, and Tony Armas and Bill Buckner were the last Sox tandem to do it in Fenway, in 1984. According to David Vincent, the home run historian, there have been only 72 occasions in which a team has hit two grand slams in one game, and his records go back to 1876. In that span, there have been 245 no-hitters. Lowell was surprised, by the way, to hear that his slam was the seventh of his career. Forgive Sox fans, meanwhile, for starting to believe that slams are as much second nature to Drew as they are to Ramirez, the grand pooh-bah of slams (20, but none since 2005). Drew's first one with the Sox was a signature moment in team history, coming in the first inning of Game 6 of last year's American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians, a single swing buying him absolution for a desultory regular season. The stakes were much lower yesterday, but Drew hadn't homered in 29 games and he'd knocked home just three runs in his last 13. He'd sat out Wednesday's game after fouling a ball off his right knee, and yesterday's slam came after he whacked one off his foot. The Sox sent Brian Bannister day-tripping on an afternoon in which they had 14 hits, with every player in the lineup having at least one. That included Ramirez, who beat out an infield hit but also whiffed twice and popped to second, ending a homestand on which he was 3 for 22 with no extra-base hits and one RBI. So far, they have yet to lose with Matsuzaka on the mound, even on a day when he gave up three runs on six hits and six walks in 5 2/3 innings and relievers Craig Hansen and David Aardsma combined to give up five runs, surrendering a home run apiece. Matsuzaka is a win away from matching Josh Beckett's 9-0 start last season, and the Sox haven't lost in his last 12 regular-season starts dating to Sept. 22. That's the longest such streak for a Sox pitcher since they won 12 in a row with David Cone on the hill in 2001. And he won, something the Sox have done better than anyone else at home this season. The seven-game sweep of the Brewers and Royals ran the Sox' home record to 21-5, best in the majors and best for the Sox since the '78 team started 22-4. |
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