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THE RAYS and A ONE WAY
TICKET TO "MANNY-WOOD" ...
Drew and Lowell lead
the Sox over the O's
June 12,
2008 ...
The grand slam belonged to Mike Lowell, the drought-busting home run
to Kevin Youkilis, the shutdown pitching to Jon Lester, the victory
to the Red Sox. But this homestand, which the Sox ended with a 9-2
win over the Baltimore, was one man's wildly entertaining playground:
J.D. Drew, who put his stamp on nearly every game here with his bat
or glove.
Drew's
double off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie in the fifth, which was followed by an
intentional walk to Manny Ramirez, preceded Lowell's slam. His eighth-inning,
two-run home run off reliever Jamie Walker, his first off a lefthander this
season, was his parting shot to this 7-2 homestand.
For no one
more than Drew, who has hit safely in his last 11 games, a period that dovetails
with David Ortiz being sidelined with an injured left wrist, batting .500 (18
for 36), with 6 home runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 15 runs, and 15 RBIs. He has
raised his average to a team-high .324, and his 10 home runs are just one fewer
than he hit in 2007, his first season with the Sox.
The first
three games after Ortiz was hurt, Francona left Drew down in the order. The last
eight games, he installed Drew in Ortiz's No. 3 spot, and Drew has made the move
look brilliant. Ramirez was no slouch on this homestand, either, although his
15-game hitting streak ended tonight, when he went hitless in three at-bats and
walked twice.
Mike Lowell
has homered each of the last two nights, the slam came on a first-pitch slider
and carried into the first row of the Monster seats, while Youkilis hit his
first home run since May 18 against the Brewers, 20 games ago, and has reached
base in seven of his last eight plate appearances.
Lester,
meanwhile, shut out the Orioles on three hits before being touched for a couple
of runs in the sixth. Lester (5-3) has allowed three runs or fewer in each of
his last nine starts (4-1, 2.34 ERA) and tonight walked just one, the seventh
time in eight starts he has issued two or fewer passes. Lester, like the team,
has been better at home (4-1, 2.55 in eight Fenway starts) than on the road
(1-2, 4.71 in seven starts). |
