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MAX SCHERZER |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The Red Sox become
Max
Scherzer's (11-0)
latest victim
June 22, 2013 ...
Red Sox rookie Allen Webster had a tough assignment on Saturday night, coming up from the minors to start against the Detroit Tigers. It was up to prospect Allen Webster to try to match up with Max Scherzer. Staked to a quick lead, Webster gave
it all back and then some on a night the Tigers walloped the Red Sox, 10-3, in front of 42,508 at Comerica Park.
Webster's third Major League start wasn't the clear success story of his debut or the sheer disaster that took place in his second outing. Instead, this one was somewhere in the middle, but not nearly good enough on a night the Red Sox were facing one of the
hottest pitchers in baseball in Scherzer. Scherzer (11-0) allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings. He struck out six without a walk. The Sox had three hits in the first inning and were shut down from there. They scored a run in the ninth inning on an
RBI single by Saltalamacchia.
There was some early hope for the Sox in the top of the first when they scored twice against Scherzer, the latter run coming on a solo shot by David Ortiz, No. 16 on the season. But young pitchers can be inconsistent, and Webster handed the lead right back.
The Tigers came out with two singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Webster got a temporary reprieve by striking out Prince Fielder. Victor Martinez stepped up next and ripped a grand slam over the wall in right for a sudden 4-2 Tigers lead.
Martinez has put together a stellar career making pitchers pay for that type of missed location.
Webster pitched pretty well after the slam, giving up only one other run before leaving after 41/3 innings and 82 pitches. He walked two, struck out five, and got 21 swing-and-misses, most with a changeup and a fastball that hit 96 miles per hour. Franklin Morales
replaced Webster and allowed four runs over 2 1/3 innings. When Omar Infante hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, Morales felt pain in the front of his shoulder and came out of the game.
As for Webster, the Red Sox hadn't immediately decided if he would hang around for another start in place of Buchholz or head back to Triple-A. The latter scenario seemed more likely.
Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3, raising his batting average to .438. He has reached safely in 25 consecutive games. It's the second-longest such streak in the majors to Cabrera, who has reached in 37 straight games. Iglesias has at least one hit in 21 of his last 22
games. |
