May 5, 2007
...
The Sox
fell, 2-1, to the Minnesota Twins, only their third loss in the last
10 games. The Sox began the day with a 6 1/2-game lead in the
American League East, the biggest of any division in the majors.
Six
times in the last two games, Julio Lugo has made the last out of an inning,
stranding nine base runners. In another at-bat, he was unable to get Doug
Mirabelli home from third base with less than two outs, Mirabelli cut down at
the plate Friday night in a game that was scoreless at the time. In his final
at-bat last night, ending an 0-for-5 day that dropped his average to .221, Lugo
popped to second to open the ninth. In 23 at-bats in May, he has two hits, none
in 10 chances in Minnesota. Lugo's long night continued a slump in which he is
batting .177 (14 for 79) with just four extra-base hits in his last 20 games.
Alex
Cora had a chance to offer deliverance again last night, when he was sent to the
plate to pinch hit for Pedroia with two on and two outs in the eighth. But Twins
manager Ron Gardenhire countered with closer Joe Nathan, and after pulling a
long foul off the upper-deck facade, Cora hit a slicing liner to left to end the
inning. Nathan had the tying run on base in the ninth, when Kevin Youkilis
reached on a ball that was implausibly scored an error on third baseman Nick
Punto, but he retired David Ortiz on a wicked liner to center and struck out
Manny Ramirez to end it.
The Sox,
who scored just two runs to win the series opener Friday, wasted superb six
innings tonight in which Julian Tavarez went head to head with Twins ace
Johan Santana, the two-time Cy Young Award winner, and didn't blink.
Tavarez,
who has drawn only aces, Kevin Millwood, Roy Halladay (twice), Chien-Ming Wang,
and Santana, despite his status as Boston's No. 5 starter, allowed just four
hits, striking out a season-high seven. If someone had told him before the game
that Santana would be gone (five innings, 98 pitches) before he was, would he
have expected a win?
The only
inning in which Tavarez encountered trouble was the second, which began with a
one-out bloop single to center by Justin Morneau, who advanced to second when
the ball took a high carom off the turf and clanked off Wily Mo Pena's glove for
an error. Tavarez proceeded to walk Jason Kubel and, after a 10-pitch duel,
issued another walk to Jeff Cirillo, loading the bases. Jason Tyner bounced to
second, a run scoring as the ball was not hit hard enough for the Sox to turn
two.
Jason
Bartlett, the Twins' No. 9 batter, then hit a smash that third baseman Mike
Lowell was able to knock down but could not retrieve in time to make a play,
Kubel scoring on the infield hit to make it 2-0.
The Sox
failed to capitalize on some early chances against Santana, who lacked his
customary sharpness. A single by Youkilis and two walks loaded the bases in the
first, but Punto threw out Lowell from his knees to end the inning. Jason
Varitek's infield single and a bloop hit one out later by Pedroia put Sox on
first and second with one out in the second. But Lugo lined out to first baseman
Morneau, who easily doubled up Pedroia.
The Sox
finally broke through with two outs and nobody on in the fourth. Pena lined a
single to center and wound up on third when Santana threw two wild pitches with
Pedroia at the plate. The rookie then lined a ball that made the left-field
seats on one bounce for a ground-rule double, Pena trotting home.
Ramirez
doubled with two outs in the fifth, but J.D. Drew, Santana's last batter of the
night, took a called third strike. Santana's successor, Matt Guerrier, walked
two in the sixth, but Lugo went around on a two-strike pitch in the dirt,
flinging his bat and helmet in disgust.
One
scout who watched Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz take a no-hitter into the
seventh for Portland last Monday said, "He's got a great pitcher's body. Tall,
lanky, strong. He has that sharp 12-6 curveball, a slider, and he throws that
fastball 95-96 with movement. Tremendous performance. It shouldn't take this kid
long to be up in Boston."
You want
to give the guy the benefit of the doubt because he works hard and has the
potential to be a good hitter, but right now George Kottaras (.197 through
Thursday) looks far from being Boston's catcher of the future. One former
catcher who watched him the other night in Pawtucket said he had "serious
mechanical flaws." Kottaras worked with Sox bullpen coach Gary Tuck in spring
training but may need a remedial course. Through Thursday, Kottaras was 1 for 29
throwing out runners. He also had four passed balls and two errors. In Jon
Lester's start Wednesday night, Kottaras had four bases stolen against him and
never threw the ball.
