July 17, 2007
...
As much as he wanted to get back to the big leagues, Kansas City
pitcher Leo Nunez might have given some thought to ignoring the phone
call informing him he was coming to Boston to face the Red Sox last
night. Nunez hadn't been back to the Fens since Aug. 4, 2005, when he
was summoned to pitch with the bases loaded. He gave up a three-run
double to Edgar Renteria, walked the next two batters, then gave up a
grand slam to Jason Varitek.
Without
retiring a batter, Nunez had had a hand in giving up seven runs in the span of
four batters. That's not something you want on the back of your baseball card.
But the Royals were desperate for a starting pitcher tonight, and the call went
out to Nunez, who has been mostly relieving in the minor leagues. Yet, in his
first big league start, he inflicted a little misery back on the Sox. Nunez did
not get credit for the win in Kansas City's 9-3 victory, but he was able to sit
back while the lightweight Royals ran up the score on Tim Wakefield and three
relievers.
Wakefield,
who had won three in a row and five of his last six starts, was charged with six
runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, the wheels coming off in a five-run seventh
in which reliever Javier Lopez hardly distinguished himself.
The Royals,
peppering balls over the head of shallow-playing Manny Ramirez, touched up
Wakefield for a couple of runs in the fourth. Mark Grudzielanek beat out an
infield hit, Mark Teahen grounded a ball through the right side, and both scored
on Billy Butler's line double over Ramirez's head. Smart base running by Royals
rookie Alex Gordon created a run that made it 3-0 in the fifth. Gordon singled,
stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch that strayed only a few feet away
from catcher Doug Mirabelli, and scored on Tony Pena's double over Ramirez.
The Sox
countered with a run in their half, after Jimmy Gobble replaced Nunez. Lugo
advanced to third on J.D. Drew's liner and scored when second baseman
Grudzielanek bobbled Dustin Pedroia's slow roller for an error.
But the
Royals, shut out on three hits Monday night by lefthander Kason Gabbard,
extended their lead in the seventh. Reggie Sanders doubled, Gordon singled, and
John Buck doubled them home, Gordon making a nice read of Buck's ball off the
wall. Wakefield (10-9) retired Pena on an infield out, and manager Terry
Francona summoned Lopez, who promptly walked the first batter he faced, David
DeJesus. Grudzielanek followed with a bloop single for another run, and he came
around to score on Ross Gload's single. Doubles by Gordon and Pena, whose ball
scraped the wall over a leaping Wily Mo Pena, Ramirez having been excused, made
it 9-1 in the eighth against Joel Pineiro.
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MIKE LOWELL |
The Sox were
in danger of being held to two runs or fewer for the 17th time in 37 games since
June 5 before rallying for a couple of runs in the eighth, both with two outs. A
single by Mike Lowell, a triple into the triangle by Coco Crisp, and a single by
Mirabelli accounted for the runs. Lugo followed with his third hit of the game
before Royals manager Buddy Bell brought in closer Joakim Soria to strike out
Drew.
The Sox cost
themselves on the base paths. Lowell, who had three hits, was erased attempting
to advance from second on Crisp's fly ball in the second, cut down by a strong
throw from Teahen. And with two on and one out in the seventh, Pedroia, who was
on first, was doubled off when he misread Ortiz's high fly, thinking it would
reach the wall. Instead, it dropped into left fielder Emil Brown's glove, and
Pedroia didn't have time to make it back to first.
Julio Lugo
had his third three-hit game in his last seven games, dating to his 3 for 3 in
Detroit on the day before the All-Star break. He hadn't had at least three hits
in a game since May 12, when he went 4 for 5 against the Orioles. Lugo is
batting .538 (14 for 26) while hitting safely in each of his last seven games.
His average is up to .217, the highest it has been since June 8th.
The boos are
getting louder for Wily Mo Pena, who whiffed twice after replacing Ramirez and
looked awkward leaping for Tony Pena Jr.'s double in the eighth. The outfielder
is batting .143 (4 for 28) in his last 13 games.
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