May 1, 2007
...
Jonathan
Papelbon endured his first blown save, giving up a game-tying,
two-run home run to Oakland rookie Travis Buck in the ninth inning,
and Brendan Donnelly gave up back-to-back doubles to Mike Piazza and
Dan Johnson in the 10th as the Athletics dropped the Sox, 5-4, before
a crowd of 37,052 in Fenway Park.
Curt
Schilling was three outs away from his fourth win until the Athletics dented
Papelbon, who had not allowed a run in his first eight appearances this season
(9 1/3 innings) but labored through a 35-pitch ninth, a total he exceeded only
twice last season, both in multiple-inning outings.
Huston
Street, meanwhile, cut through the heart of the Sox order to save the Athletics'
win, just their second in six games. Street has faced the Sox seven times, and
they have yet to score against him. They couldn't score in the ninth against
former Sox prospect Justin Duchscherer, either, despite a one-out double by Eric
Hinske and an intentional walk to pinch hitter Alex Cora, as Duchscherer got
ground outs from Julio Lugo and Crisp.
Brendan
Donnelly, meanwhile, was summoned in a meaningful inning and was unable to
deliver. Piazza, a 12-time All-Star playing for an American League team for the
first time after 14 seasons in the National League, doubled to the gap in
left-center and scored when Johnson shot a ground-ball double down the
right-field line. Eight times this season, the first batter Donnelly has faced
has gone out. Not this time.
Coco
Crisp, who landed on his head in the Sox bullpen last month in a futile attempt
to catch an Alex Rodriguez homer, paid no heed to a sore left side in making an
all-out dive for Todd Walker's sinking liner in the seventh, making a catch that
kept an Oakland rally from becoming a conflagration against Schilling.
Up to
that point, Schilling had allowed only a home run by Johnson and had overcome
some earlier jeopardy created by an overzealous ball boy, who fielded a ball in
play in the fifth, leading to a ground-rule double and runners on second and
third. Schilling got out of that one by retiring Eric Chavez on a checked-swing
third strike that led to the ejection of first-year manager Bob Geren. But in
the seventh, Schilling gave up a leadoff double to Buck and a base hit to Jason
Kendall, placing runners on the corners with no outs.
Former
Sox second baseman Walker, sent to the plate as a pinch hitter by former Sox
coach Rene Lachemann, hit a line drive headed for no man's land in left-center.
But Crisp, who was on the move at contact, closed ground rapidly and flung
himself at the ball, which he gloved backhanded while landing heavily on his
left shoulder and side. He executed a roll and got up throwing as Buck came home
with the second run.
Crisp,
who beat out an infield single in a three-run first inning in which the Sox had
four hits off starter Joe Blanton, none hit with authority, and a sacrifice fly
by Ramirez. Crisp's speed led to Boston's fourth run, when he walked and went
from first to third on Ramirez's single to center, then scored on a sacrifice
fly by Youkilis.
The
combination of Schilling (7 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 7 K), Okajima, and Papelbon
appeared far too potent for a crippled Oakland team that came in averaging the
fewest runs per game (3.8) in the AL; had seven players on the disabled list,
including four outfielders; and had only one player in the lineup with as many
as three home runs. That all changed when Bobby Crosby singled and Buck, a
first-round sandwich pick in 2005 who began last season in Single A, lofted a
fly ball on an 0-and-2 fastball that drifted just out of the reach of the right
fielder, Eric Hinske, and fell into the seats.
Lefthander Jon Lester makes his final rehab start tonight for Pawtucket. While
Francona said Lester will not be on the kind of pitch-count restraints he was in
earlier starts, he strongly implied Lester probably would be optioned to
Pawtucket. Lester's stay in Pawtucket is not expected to be a long one, but it
may take maneuvering to create a roster spot in Boston.
Right
fielder J.D. Drew was originally in the lineup but was scratched for what were
described by the club as viral symptoms. Drew was hitless in his last 11 at-bats
and had just one hit in his last 21. In his last eight games, he is 4 for 31
(.129), his average dropping from .375 to .278. Francona shuffled the lineup,
moving Coco Crisp from eighth to second, dropping Kevin Youkilis from second to
fifth, and playing Eric Hinske in right, batting eighth.
Portland
right-hander Clay Buchholz had a perfect game through six innings against Bowie
last night. Paco Figueroa led off the seventh with a single but was erased
attempting to steal. That was the only base runner allowed by Buchholz, who was
lifted after the seventh in Portland's 4-1 win. Jacoby Ellsbury (batting .465)
was a scratch yesterday with a viral infection.
Manny
Ramirez recorded his 1,000th hit as a member of the Sox when he singled in the
eighth off former Sox lefty Alan Embree. He is the 26th player to have 1,000
hits with the Sox, and the 14th to have 1,000 hits with two teams.
Crisp
has hit in seven straight games, batting .393 in that span (11 for 28). He has
improved his average from .111 to a season-high.
