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JOHN LACKEY |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
John Lackey loses a no-hitter in the
as the Sox clinch a playoff birth
September 19, 2013 ...
The roar of the crowd picked up a notch when John Lackey hopped out of the dugout to pitch the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Not only was Lackey closing in on perhaps his best performance in a Boston uniform,
but the Red Sox were about to clinch their first postseason berth since 2009. Shortly thereafter, the Fenway faithful erupted again, as Lackey completed a two-hitter, leading the Red Sox to a significant 3-1 victory over the Orioles.
Though the Red Sox have their eyes on the bigger prize of winning the American League East, it was still significant to punch a ticket to October baseball. The Rays lost to the Rangers, putting Boston's magic number for clinching the division to one.
Lackey had a no-hitter going for 6 1/3 innings but Adam Jones broke up that bid by belting a towering homer over the Green Monster. By the time it was over, Lackey had accomplished his
mission, and the Red Sox avoided being swept at Fenway for the first time this season. It was Lackey's first nine-inning complete game since joining the Red Sox in 2010. All season long, Lackey (10-12, 3.44 ERA) has been impressive in his return from Tommy
John surgery. The only thing he has lacked is run support, but the Red Sox have done a better job of that lately.
Lackey dazzled over those 6 1/3 no-hit innings, locating his fastball perfectly and occasionally mixing in his secondary pitches. After the homer by Jones, Lackey got right back into his groove, striking out Nick Markakis and getting Danny Valencia on a grounder to short to end the seventh. J.J. Hardy singled in the eighth inning. Lackey breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth. In the early to middle innings of this one, Lackey was simply overpowering the Orioles. The only baserunners he allowed in the first six
innings were walks to Brian Roberts (third inning) and Nate McLouth (sixth).
This wasn't the first time Lackey flirted with a no-no into the late innings. On July 29, 2008, he had a no-hitter at Fenway against the Red Sox until Pedroia broke it up with a single with one out in the bottom of the ninth. While pitching for the Red Sox,
Lackey came close to another no-no on July 22, 2010, at Safeco Field.
The Red Sox had struggled mightily against O's righty Chris Tillman in previous encounters this season, but they came out swinging in the bottom of the second. Saltalamacchia started it
with a double to right. With one out, Stephen Drew belted a two-run homer that just cleared the Green Monster to break the scoreless tie. Jackie Bradley Jr. followed with a double
to left. Pedroia smashed an RBI single to right and Lackey had a 3-0 lead.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia had one stolen base in the first 580 games of his career. He has four in the last eight. Salty has 37 doubles. The franchise season record for a catcher is 39 by Carlton Fisk (1978) and Jason Varitek (1999). It was Law Enforcement
Night at Fenway and the officers honored included some involved in the capture of the Marathon bombers.
The Red Sox will pay the city of Boston $7.3 million under a new deal that allows the baseball club to close off part of Yawkey Way on game days for concessions and grants air rights over Lansdowne Street for as long as the team plays at Fenway Park. |
