May 2, 2007
...
Josh
Beckett became the first Sox pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1991 to
win his first six starts in a 6-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics
before 37,006 in Fenway Park. Beckett set down the first dozen
Athletics in order, weathered Jason Kendall's two-run single in the
fifth and three more Oakland singles in the sixth, and benefited from
some flagrant sloppiness by the Athletics, whose three errors led to
three runs.
Once
again, Alex Cora was in the middle of winning time for the Sox. Cora's infield
out scored the tying run in the sixth, and his base hit in the seventh gave the
Sox a 5-3 advantage. And for the second straight night, center fielder Coco
Crisp made a highlight-reel catch, diving to take away a base hit from Jason
Kendall in the ninth, when Mike Timlin closed out the game in place of Jonathan
Papelbon and got the save.
The
Athletics made it uncomfortable again in the ninth, just as they'd done Tuesday,
when Papelbon blew the save by giving up a two-run home run to Travis Buck.
Pinch hitter Todd Walker singled home a run before Shannon Stewart rolled into a
force play.
Up, 5-3,
the Sox added another run in the eighth when Kevin Youkilis walked, David Ortiz
singled, and J.D. Drew lined a hit to right that Dan Putnam missed on the short
hop. Youkilis scored, Ortiz was erased at the plate, and Drew wound up at third
on the second egregious outfield misplay by the Athletics.
The Sox,
who left a dozen men on base, scored their second run when center fielder Ryan
Langerhans had Crisp's liner clank off his glove for a two-base error in the
fourth. Crisp scored on Julio Lugo's base hit.
Lugo had
given the Sox a 1-0 lead in the third when he drew a walk off starter Chad
Gaudin, stole second, advanced to third on Youkilis's infield hit, and scored on
a force play.
The
Athletics tied it at 2 in the fifth when Mike Piazza lined a single to center
for Oakland's first hit and Dan Johnson grounded a double into the left-field
corner. Beckett struck out the next two batters, Bobby Crosby and Putnam, but
Kendall singled to center, both runners scoring.
The
Athletics went ahead in the sixth, but the rally proved costly, as strongman
Piazza left the game with a strained right shoulder. Stewart singled and stopped
at second on a base hit by Piazza. Dan Johnson grounded a single to right,
scoring Stewart, with Piazza stopping at second. Crosby followed with a ground
ball that Mike Lowell fielded behind the bag at third. The Sox third baseman
dived to tag out the sliding Piazza, who hurt his shoulder as he went into the
bag headfirst.
The Sox
went ahead in the bottom of the sixth when Varitek singled, his second hit of
the night, and Crisp blooped a double to left. Cora's ground ball scored
Varitek, and Lugo's sacrifice fly made it 4-3. Drew grounded out with the bases
loaded to end that inning, but came through with the hit that gave the Sox some
breathing room in the eighth.
Hideki
Okajima was named American League rookie of the month for April, edging out
another Japanese import, Devil Rays third baseman Akinori Iwamura. Okajima had
an 0.71 ERA in 12 April appearances, allowing just five hits and three walks.
Jason Varitek had an
infield hit in his first at-bat last night, then singled again through the box,
an encouraging development for the captain, who has been struggling from the
left side. Varitek came into the game batting just .173 (9 for 52) against
right-handers. Only Wily Mo Pena (.136, 3 for 22) had a lower average against
righties. Varitek has yet to homer from the left side and has driven in just
four runs. When Varitek hit 22 home runs in 2005, 13 came from the left side. In
2003, when he homered a career-high 25 times, he hit 15 from the left side. In
both of those seasons, his rate of home runs against lefties was 1 every 13.6
at-bats; against righties, it was 1 every 26.8 at-bats in 2005, 1 every 21
at-bats in 2003
Coco
Crisp, with two hits last night, is batting .406 (13 for 32) over his last eight
games. Manny Ramirez has two hits in each of his last three games (6 for 12).
Kevin Youkilis also has hit in eight straight (.387, 12 for 31). J.D. Drew's
RBI single in the eighth broke an 0-for-15 skid
