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THE RAYS and A ONE WAY June 24, 2008 ... The Red Sox acted more like themselves in erasing a 4-1 deficit with a four-run eighth inning to overtake Arizona, 5-4, before 37,867 at Fenway. The man who knocked in the winning run against reliever Chad Qualls was Jason Varitek, the most unlikely candidate, though he was certainly overdue. Varitek was in a 1-for-31 funk when he delivered a two-out RBI single to right off Qualls to drive in Mike Lowell, who had tied the game with a double. The Sox could muster very little against starter Doug Davis, who was cruising along until he started the eighth poorly, and it went downhill for Arizona when Qualls entered. Julio Lugo and Jacoby Ellsbury started the inning with singles, prompting Arizona manager Bob Melvin to summon Qualls. Dustin Pedroia had a productive at-bat, fouling off some tough pitches before lining a single to right to score Lugo. J.D. Drew, who has been so hot in June hitting in David Ortiz's No. 3 spot, struck out swinging, and Manny Ramirez, who had two hits, grounded to third for the second. With runners at second and third, Lowell doubled off the left-field wall, tying the game. With the way Varitek is struggling, there was no reason for Melvin to make another pitching change, but Varitek surprised with a left-handed single that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Jonathan Papelbon finished off the D-Backs in the ninth to preserve the first major league victory for Chris Smith, who worked two scoreless innings in relief of Justin Masterson. If this was one of Masterson's "shakier" outings, the Sox will take it. The big right-hander made a mistake to Chad Tracy, who belted a three-run homer, but he lasted six innings and eclipsed the century mark in pitches (101) for the first time. Masterson allowed seven hits and four runs, walking four and striking out four. Tracy seemed to be on to Masterson from the start. His second-inning RBI single may have indicated that Tracy was keyed into Masterson's funky delivery and was following his sinker just fine. Tracy authored the prodigious three-run blow that put the Diamondbacks out in front, 4-1, in the third. Orlando Hudson had singled and Conor Jackson had walked before Tracy unloaded into the D-Backs bullpen. The Sox got on the board first against Davis when Pedroia lined a home run off the AAA Auto Insurance sign in left field with one out in the first. The D-Backs answered in the second when Jackson singled, stole second, and scored on Tracy's single. Davis was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA at Fenway in 16 innings, and the most effective hitter against him was Sean Casey (.389 in 36 at-bats). But, of course, Casey was serving a suspension. The Red Sox didn't do much against Davis, who frustrated them the way Dan Haren did Monday night. After Pedroia's first-inning homer, Ramirez and Lowell singled with two outs, but Varitek grounded out to end the frame. There was a Crisp single in the second and a Ramirez single in the sixth, but for the most part Davis had the Sox off-balance. The game was delayed 36 minutes at the outset by rainy weather, something that has been a common occurrence at Fenway. “Jerry Remy Day," in celebration of Remy's 20 years in broadcasting with the Sox, was a smashing success at the park. Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk, Dwight Evans, and Rick Burleson were among the ex-teammates in attendance. Also, former broadcast partners Bob Kurtz and Sean McDonough were on hand, as was Remy's former hitting coach in Boston, Walt Hriniak. |
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