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A
POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
A doubleheader sweep of the Tigers
May 17, 2007
...
Red Sox
reserve Eric Hinske, planting his face violently into hard, red clay.
Did Hinske leave a lasting impression? Maybe not in the dirt - he
eventually extracted his nose, remarkably still intact. But combine
his fifth-inning body slam of a diving catch with a tiebreaking,
two-run home run two innings later that gave the Sox a 4-2 win over
the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader sweep, and
Hinske indisputably made his mark.
The Sox
are at the quarter pole of the 2007 season with a 28-12 record, a 9 1/2-game
lead over the Yankees, and a double-digit lead over everybody else in the
division. Tonight, they took two from the defending American League champions,
winning the matinee, 2-1, behind a No. 5 starter, Julian Tavarez, who threw more
pitches than he has in nearly five years, then winning the nightcap as David
Ortiz, J.D. Drew, and Julio Lugo all sat, while a guy who wasn't supposed to
play, Hinske, turned into a leading man.
Hideki
Okajima, which in Japanese means "Most Trusted Reliever," gave the Sox a
scoreless eighth inning in the first game and saved the second, retiring the
same three batters in both, Placido Polanco, Gary Sheffield, and Magglio
Ordonez.
Curt
Schilling gave up eight hits, all of them for extra bases, seven doubles and a
home run. He also gave up just two runs. Sheffield, who terrorized Yawkey Way
when he wore pinstripes, came to the plate with 11 men on base, eight
of them after dark. None of them scored.
Sheffield's teammate, Sean Casey, hit what should have been a grand slam in the
first inning off Schilling. The ball blew back into play, and into Hinske's
glove. Alex Cora hit a little chopper with the bases loaded in the sixth that
was struck so softly, but placed so perfectly, no one could make a play. Hinske
scored the tying run, having reached base on an error by third baseman Brandon
Inge.
Hinske,
playing because Drew's back was still sore after running into the bullpen wall
Tuesday night, was asked which meant more, the home run or the catch. To a
familiar question, he gave a fresh answer.
House
money has Tavarez being odd man out of the rotation when Jon Lester, who pitches
tomorrow for Pawtucket in Ottawa, finally returns to the Sox. But that could be
another month away. In the meantime, Tavarez cheerfully keeps pitchin' and
pointin', yesterday limiting the Tigers to a run on four hits and four walks in
seven innings while throwing 104 pitches, his most in almost five years (Aug.
30, 2002, with the Marlins).
Okajima
was 1-2-3 in the eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon put the finishing touches on the
win with a scoreless ninth. Run-scoring singles by Manny Ramirez in the first
and Kevin Youkilis in the third gave the Sox just enough offense. Papelbon has
been on a mini forced vacation; he had pitched just once since May 6th.
There
isn't anything subtle about Hideki Okajima anymore. The numbers are too good,
the buzz from the opposition is growing too loud, and the scoreless-inning
streak continues to grow quietly, steadily, convincingly. He has slipped so
seamlessly into his role as a reliable setup man that he has done the
unthinkable: He has made veteran Mike Timlin's frustrating and disheartening
injuries a moot point, for now. Okajima hasn't given up a run in 20 2/3 innings,
has retired 56 of the last 65 batters he's faced, and has submitted a
Papelbonesque ERA of 0.44.
Pitcher
Josh Beckett will be placed on the disabled list today because of the torn skin
on his middle finger but will miss just two starts, Red Sox manager Terry
Francona announced after tonight's game. The procedural move will allow the Sox
to recall right-hander Devern Hansack from Pawtucket.
J.D. Drew hit before
the second game, but was held out with continuing soreness in his back. David
Ortiz, who has been battling a cold, was given the second game off. Manny
Ramirez took a called third strike once in the first game, and twice in the
second. He's been called out on strikes 18 times out of 29 whiffs this season,
according to STATS, Inc. Last season, he was called out on strikes 23. |
