July 8, 2007
...
The defending American League champion Detroit Tigers, hit three home
runs in the first three innings off Daisuke Matsuzaka, the most he's
allowed in a game all season, and held on for a 6-5 win and a
three-game sweep of the Sox. The Sox nonetheless went into the
All-Star break in first place in the American League East, the third
straight season they've reached this midsummer junction ahead of the
pack. The difference this time is that their lead is 10 games over
the Yankees and Blue Jays, the largest of any division leader.
The Sox have
one starting pitcher, Josh Beckett, who is a finalist to start the All-Star Game
in San Francisco. They have another, Matsuzaka, who is a 10-game winner, the
most wins ever by a Sox rookie at the break. But you don't have to look far to
find people who contend that Curt Schilling, who has been on the disabled list
retroactive to June 19 and may not be back until the first of August, will play
a significant role in how the Sox will play in the second half, or whether they
will make a move for another starting pitcher.
With the Sox
down two of their top right-handed hitters, Kevin Youkilis (strained quadriceps)
and Manny Ramirez (inner ear infection), they could not overcome the impressive
show of force by the Tigers, whose three big swings, and a spectacular catch by
center fielder Curtis Granderson, proved more decisive than the five errors
committed by Detroit.
Gary
Sheffield (two-out homer in the first), Marcus Thames (440-foot blast over the
hedges in the third), and Carlos Guillen (a two-run drive, also in the third)
all went deep on Matsuzaka, who departed after just five innings, despite
pitching in the kind of hot weather (87 degrees) he says he enjoys. Tigers first
baseman Sean Casey, who hit cleanup in Magglio Ordonez's absence and singled
home Sheffield in the third after the Detroit slugger doubled to left over the
head of Wily Mo Pena, whose first step in gave him no chance for a play, said
Matsuzaka's fastball was "a little flat."
The Sox, who
scored twice in the third without the benefit of a hit, three walks by Tigers
starter Nate Robertson, a hit batsman, and two errors, had a home run taken away
in the fourth by Granderson, who reached over the fence to catch Pena's drive
and fell back toward the plate without dropping the ball. The Sox finally left
the premises in the seventh. Minor league journeyman Jeff Bailey hit one 411
feet in what was likely his last at-bat before returning to Pawtucket
Julio Lugo,
who had three hits, then followed with his fifth home run, and it was 6-4.
Robertson was done after another Tigers error, but reliever Jose Capellan, a
week-old member of the Tigers after being traded from the Brewers, retired Mike
Lowell and Jason Varitek on fly balls to end the threat.
In the
eighth, J.D. Drew walked and sped to third on Capellan's error on a pickoff
attempt with Ramirez pinch hitting. Capellan whiffed Ramirez, but Lugo drew the
Sox within a run with a double. The fourth Tigers pitcher, Zach Miner, struck
out Coco Crisp to end the inning.
Dustin
Pedroia singled to open the ninth against closer Todd Jones, but David Ortiz
struck out on a half-swing and Lowell flied out. Varitek singled, and the
Tigers' fifth bobble, by left fielder Craig Monroe, put the tying run 90 feet
away. But it stayed there, when Drew fouled to third.
The Sox'
offense has not operated the way it did before the team played four hours on a
Sunday night against the Yankees, then flew all night to Oakland.
Manny
Ramirez was not in the starting lineup yesterday, which immediately led to
speculation that the left fielder was once again preparing to pull a ripcord on
a scheduled All-Star appearance. But Ramirez, who pinch hit in the eighth and
took a called third strike, required a doctor's attention yesterday morning. He
was examined for what one club source described as inflammation in his inner
ear. The condition also apparently bothered Ramirez Saturday, when he was
hitless in four at-bats, grounding into two double plays, and left six runners
on base.
Julio Lugo
played in the 1,000th game of his major league career. Lugo, who started at
short, began the day batting .189, but he had his second multiple-hit game in
the last five days and hit his first home run since June 8 in Arizona, when he
led off the game with a homer off Doug Davis. Lugo's three hits yesterday
improved his average to .197, but he remains the only major leaguer with enough
at-bats to qualify for the batting title to be hitting under the Mendoza line.
In the last 31 days, Lugo is batting .137 (10 for 73), the second-lowest average
of any player in the big leagues with at least 30 at-bats in that span. The
lowest was Jason Bay of Pittsburgh at .134 (13 for 97). Yet, Lugo has 40 RBIs,
the fifth-highest total on the team, only four behind Ramirez. In the last 20
years, only eight players have hit below .200 while knocking in 40 or more runs.
