September 17, 2007
...
Three home runs by Frank Thomas, two of which flattening Tim
Wakefield knuckleballs, the other bruising Kyle Snyder's ego and a
complete game by Toronto right-hander Dustin McGowan made fast work
of the Red Sox, who succumbed, 6-1, in just 2 hours and 13 minutes in
Rogers Centre. Thomas's three-homer game was the first by an opposing
player against the Sox since Blue Jays teammate Vernon Wells did it
here on May 30, 2006, and the 15th time in the last 50 years an
opposing hitter has accomplished the feat.
With 11
games to play, the magic number remains nine, as the Yankees beat the Orioles,
8-5, in the Bronx. The lead over the Bombers in the American League East is down
to 3 1/2 games. The last time the race was that close was May 1, when the Sox
held a 3 1/2-game advantage over the Blue Jays.
While Thomas
was enjoying the second three-homer game of his career with the other coming at
the expense of Wakefield on Sept. 15, 1996 in Fenway Park, manager Terry
Francona ran out a lineup that was missing Manny Ramirez (19 games) and Kevin
Youkilis, had David Ortiz treading carefully on a balky knee, and had to
subtract Coco Crisp when his back became cranky.
Ortiz was
active on the bases over the weekend against the Yankees and he was thrown out
at the plate in the third inning Friday, then had gone back to taking
anti-inflammatories. Since reaching base five times Saturday, Ortiz is 0 for his
last 7 (with two walks), striking out four times, including three times last
night.
Ortiz wasn't
the only player shut down by McGowan, a 25-year-old former No. 1 sandwich pick
(2000) who has overcome both Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery and Type 1
diabetes to emerge as one of the league's top right-handed starters. McGowan
pitched eight innings of no-hit ball against the Rockies on June 24, struck out
a career-high 12 batters 10 days ago against the Devil Rays, and last night held
the Sox to just five hits in pitching the second complete game of his career.
McGowan set
down the first nine batters before Jacoby Ellsbury singled to open the fourth.
Ellsbury took second on an infield out, and after Ortiz flied out, Mike Lowell
doubled him home. Lowell would be the last Sox batter to reach until Alex Cora
doubled with two out in the eighth, McGowan retiring a dozen in row in the
interim, helped by an over-the-shoulder catch from center fielder Wells that
took extra bases away from Eric Hinske to start the eighth. Ellsbury blooped
another single to start the ninth but was thrown out attempting to advance, an
unwise gamble given the score. The next hitter, Dustin Pedroia, followed with a
single, but McGowan struck out Ortiz and retired Lowell on a roller to second to
close out the Sox
Wakefield,
coming off back-to-back starts in which he was unable to pitch past the fourth
inning (13 ER, 6 2/3 IP), encountered few problems outside of Thomas in going
six innings, his best outing since having to miss a start with a bad back.
But it took
just one Big Hurt to ruin a night. Thomas hit a two-run homer in the first, with
Wells on third after a walk, stolen base, and infield out. The Jays added a run
in the fifth on a walk, infield roller and force play before Thomas made it 4-1
with his 24th home run in the sixth, a liner off the foul pole in left. The Blue
Jays made it academic in the eighth when Cora appeared to catch a seam and fell
face-first while attempting to throw across the diamond, Alex Rios reaching on
the error, before Thomas lost another ball in the seats.
Thomas has
hardly made a career out of wearing out Wakefield. He came into the game batting
just .222 (10 for 45) against the knuckleballer, with only one other home run
beyond the '96 event. Someone mentioned to Wakefield that Thomas has had only
two big nights against him.
Kevin Cash
caught Tim Wakefield last night, as Francona elected to bypass Doug Mirabelli,
not wanting him to aggravate his strained left hamstring. Mirabelli had not
played in the last 10 games until inserted as a defensive replacement in the
eighth inning tonight.
