SWEPT AWAY BY A "RALLY MONKEY" ...
Varitek leads the Sox to a
come-from-behind victory in L.A.

May 12, 2009 ... In a 4-3 comeback win against the Angels, the winning run in the ninth inning wasn't produced by the most likely suspect. J.D. Drew began the ninth with a single to left field off Scot Shields, and one out later catcher Jason Varitek, now hitting .239, blasted a gap double to right-center. Drew scored from first base, third base coach DeMarlo Hale windmilling him in. So the night ended well when Jonathan Papelbon converted his ninth straight save this season in front of 33,493 at Angel Stadium.

Though Josh Beckett was sitting on the bench, not scheduled to pitch in Anaheim, there was a bit of drama with his name on it during the early going. Sox starter Justin Masterson already had hit Maicer Izturis in the leg in the second inning, and his first pitch to Torii Hunter in his third-inning at-bat was inside. The second pitch was behind Hunter. That led plate umpire Jim Joyce to warn both benches, even though Masterson already had demonstrated a lack of control in the game. He had walked three batters, one of which loaded the bases in the first, and hit Izturis. But the last time these teams faced each other, April 12 at Angel Stadium, Beckett had incited a near-brawl by throwing a pitch inches from Bobby Abreu's face when the plate umpire had called a late time out. That episode obviously had an impact here.

With Daisuke Matsuzaka still on the disabled list, Masterson was doing his best impression of the injured starter. He loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, surrendering just one run, though, on a first-inning sacrifice fly by Kendry Morales. ith one out, Izturis singled in front of Sox left fielder Bay. Masterson then walked Abreu and Hunter. Morales got the run home on his sac fly to left, but Masterson got out of the inning on a fielder's choice. In the second, he walked Howie Kendrick and gave up a single to Jeff Mathis. He got a fly out from Chone Figgins but hit Izturis with that pitch. It was bases loaded, again, but his 12th batter of the first two innings, Abreu, ended the frame with a fly ball to left.

Drew homered to center off Jered Weaver in the second inning to tie the score, but the Angels broke the tie in the fourth when another Masterson walk, to Kendrick, started the inning. Mathis singled, Figgins executed a sacrifice bunt, and Kendrick scored on a sac fly by Izturis.

Weaver had surrendered just two hits and one walk by the end of the fifth. After Drew's blast, and a single by Varitek in the second, Weaver got the next 10 batters, until Jacoby Ellsbury's bunt single to open the sixth.

Ellsbury promptly stole second, moved to third on a fly out by Julio Lugo, then positioned himself to come home on a fly out by Ortiz.

But it seems the designated hitter can't catch many breaks these days. Juan Rivera caught his fly ball to left and unleashed a terrific throw to the plate. Mathis picked it and was ready for the sliding Ellsbury, who was called out with the run that would have tied the score at 2-2. That left Weaver pumping his fist, revved up by the play that kept his lead intact.

The lead grew in the seventh. With Manny Delcarmen on for the Sox, Hunter lined a single to left, which drove in Figgins. The run was unearned, a result of Lowell's fifth error of the season, which had put Figgins on.

The Sox rallied to tie it at 3-3 with two runs in the eighth, against Jose Arredondo. One out into the inning, Boston had loaded the bases (single, single, walk), and Arredondo was walking back to the dugout, replaced by Darren Oliver. On a 1-2 pitch, Oliver hit David Ortiz on the heel of his right hand, forcing home a run to make it 3-2. Then Bay tied the game with a grounder to first base. Mike Lowell also grounded out, though, stranding two runners.