LENNY DiNARDO

A POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Lenny DiNardo keeps the Sox quiet

June 5, 2007 ... Tonight ex-teammates, Diasuke Matsuzaka and Lenny DiNardo started against each other, which on paper, was a mismatch of epic proportions. In many ways, what the Sox saw was the same old Lenny, walking two to load the bases in the first, and issuing six passes in six innings.

But DiNardo did something against the Sox that he was never able to do for them in seven career starts. He held them scoreless, surviving on four double plays turned by the Oakland infield in his six innings, and his bullpen finished off the 2-0 shutout, the Sox' fifth loss in six games.

DiNardo loaded the bases again in the sixth on two walks and a base hit by David Ortiz, but escaped when he shattered Kevin Youkilis's bat on (what else?) a double-play grounder. Thus, despite throwing more balls (47) than strikes (42), DiNardo recorded the victory when the Athletics ushered him to safety, manager Bob Geren following with Kiki Calero, Jay Marshall, Colby Lewis, and Alan Embree, who got the save.

The Sox, who managed but three hits, have lost six straight in McAfee Coliseum, and their lead over second-place Toronto is down to nine games, the closest the race in the AL East has been since May 17.

Meanwhile, the Athletics, seeing Matsuzaka for the first time, scratched their way to a couple of runs. Eric Chavez jumped on an 0-and-2 fastball and pounded it for an opposite-field home run in the fourth, his second home run in two nights, and Nick Swisher banged an RBI double into the left-field corner after a walk in the fifth.

Matsuzaka had lost for the first time in eight starts last Wednesday against Cleveland, a defeat that started the first real slide in Sox fortunes this season.  He struck out eight through six innings, but did not set the side down in order until the seventh. Mark Ellis, who hit for the cycle Monday night, singled and stole second in the first, but advanced no farther. Jack Cust hit a two-out single in the second but was left there when Mark Kotsay was called out on strikes.

Matsuzaka was faced with a first-and-third, two-out situation after singles by Travis Buck and Swisher in the third, but slipped away unharmed when Dan Johnson lined to center. Eric Chavez, whose walkoff home run off Kyle Snyder decided Monday's game in the 11th inning, jumped on Matsuzaka's mistake fastball to open the fourth, Manny Ramirez barely moving as the ball left the premises. An inning later, Jason Kendall drew a walk, only the second issued by Matsuzaka, and came around to score on Swisher's two-out double.  Chavez opened the sixth with a single, but Matsuzaka proceeded to set down the next six Athletics.  Matsuzaka was lifted for Javier Lopez after seven innings, having thrown 130 pitches, the most by any big-league pitcher this season.

The Sox threatened against Calero in the seventh, Mike Lowell leading off with a base hit, only the third of the night for Boston. After Jason Varitek took a third strike, Wily Mo Pena drew a walk. But left fielder Buck made a nice sliding catch in the Oakland bullpen to retrieve Coco Crisp's foul fly, and Jose Lugo popped to second.

The Sox had not grounded into four double plays in a game in 14 months, the last time coming in Baltimore on April 7, 2006. They would hit into double play No. 5 in the eighth, and this one was off the charts on the weirdness scale. Dustin Pedroia was hit in the left shoulder by lefthander Jay Marshall, the third Oakland pitcher. Marshall then broke Ortiz's bat, and Pedroia hit the dirt to avoid being hit by bat splinters. Third baseman Chavez, meanwhile, caught Ortiz's popup and flipped to first to double off the rookie, who was still prone when he was called out.

A roster spot will have to be created after Mike Timlin completes his rehab assignment in Pawtucket and rejoins the ball club this weekend, which is what the Sox are planning at the moment. Jon Lester will pitch again for Pawtucket Saturday, after pitching the first game of Monday's doubleheader. Timlin will pitch no more than one inning tomorrow for the PawSox. That could delay his expected activation from Friday to Saturday in Arizona.

The Sox assigned pitcher Daniel Bard, one of their two first-round draft choices, to Single A Greenville of the South Atlantic League after having him spend some time in extended spring training to work on his mechanics. Bard made his first appearance for Greenville and pitched three innings. He allowed two hits and two runs (one earned), striking out three while walking two and hitting a batter. He was charged with the loss in a 12-5 defeat. Bard, 21, had major control problems pitching for Lancaster in the higher-level Single A California League, giving up 22 walks and 21 hits in just 13 1/3 innings. In Greenville, Bard joins Boston's other top pick in 2006, outfielder Jason Place, who also is struggling with a .220 average, 6 home runs, and 19 RBIs.