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ANDREW MILLER |
A SEASON IN THE DRINK
(CHICKEN & BEER) ...
Six HRs power the Sox back into first
July 7, 2011 ...
The Sox clouted six home runs as part of a 13-hit assault in
tonight's 10-4 demolition of the Orioles. It was the most homers the
Sox had in a game since clouting six vs. the Orioles Sept. 8, 2009,
also at Fenway Park.
The Sox
improved to 52-35, climbing 17 games above .500 (their largest such margin of
the season), and pole-vaulted the Yankees for first place in the AL East by a
half-game.
Although
Andrew Miller spotted the Orioles two runs in the first, it was not going to be
enough to beat the Sox, as they erupted for eight extra-base hits for the second
straight game. Miller benefited from the offensive onslaught, picking up his
third consecutive win in four starts since coming up from Pawtucket June 19. He
allowed three runs on six hits in five innings.
Gonzalez,
back in the lineup after taking Wednesday night off, hit the game's second
homer, a line-drive solo shot to center in the fifth that gave the Sox a 5-3
lead. Two batters later, Orioles starter Jake Arrieta (9-6, 4.90) was sent
packing after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Jacoby Ellsbury, who was voted an All-Star by his peers Sunday, proved once
again his worthiness when he hit a two-run shot to right in the sixth that gave
the Sox a 7-3 lead.
J.J. Hardy
and Nick Markakis singled leading off the game and Adam Jones hit a run-scoring
single off Miller's glove that caromed between first and second, which caught
Pedroia moving in the opposite direction to cover the bag, scoring Hardy.
Baltimore DH Vladimir Guerrero grounded into a double play, enabling Markakis to
score, increasing the O's lead to 2-0. After Matt Wieters drew a two-out walk,
then stole second (his first career theft), Miller stranded him when he got
Derrek Lee to ground out.
In the
third, Miller still seemed shaky as he allowed Jones to reach on his throwing
error. Jones advanced to second on the throw, then moved to third on Guerrero's
ground out. But, after walking Wieters, Miller again induced Lee to ground out
to end the inning.
Tonight, it
took more than the Orioles were capable of mustering, especially after the Sox
erupted for three homers in a decisive three-run seventh, with Ortiz leading the
way with his one-out solo shot to center, followed by Josh Reddick's titanic
blast to right and Jarrod Saltalamacchia's blast to the Green Monster seats for
a 10-3 lead. It was the first time the Sox had homered back-to-back-to-back
since Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, and J.D. Drew did it last Aug. 13 at Texas.
Before the
game, the crowd of 37,981 offered a moment of silence for Dick Williams, former
Sox manager of the 1967 Impossible Dream team, who died yesterday at age 82.
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