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HANLEY RAMIREZ |
ONE LAST RUN FOR A
RED SOX LEGEND -
FROM SEASON CHAMPS
TO PLAYOFF CHUMPS
Hanley Ramirez
homers twice
to lead the Red Sox past Arizona
August
12, 2016 ... It
didn't look as if Hanley
Ramirez would be
able to lift a bat, let alone swing one after he was involved in
scary collision late in the Red Sox series finale loss to the New
York Yankees. Ramirez not only bounced back, he provided the
Red Sox with exactly the kind of offensive jolt they will need down
the stretch to make a run at the postseason.
Ramirez had two three-run
homers for six RBI, David
Ortiz added
a homer and the Red Sox beat the Arizona
Diamondbacks 9-4.
It was a much-needed victory for the Sox, which had
lost four of five. Ortiz finished with three hits,
including his 1,000th extra-base hit with the Sox.
It was the 20th multi-homer game for Ramirez.
The Red Sox scored four runs
in each of the first two innings, ending a streak of 14 scoreless innings by the
Diamondbacks' starting pitchers. The Red Sox took advantage of some sloppy
defensive play by Arizona, which committed two first-inning errors.
After
David Price once again got off to an inauspicious start by allowing a two-run
homer to Rickie Weeks in the first, Hanley came up in the bottom half, hitting
fifth, and popped a very loud and far three-run homer. It came on a 3-and-0
pitch from Patrick Corbin.
Ramirez, who is supposed to be Boston’s right-handed power bat came up in the
second inning with two on and hit another bomb. He has 16 homers and 70 RBIs.
It was all the run support
needed for David
Price (10-8), who struck out
eight in eight innings to pick up the win. Price joined Zach Grienke as the only
pitchers with 10 or more victories in each of the last eight seasons.
Corbin (4-12)
lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs and nine hits, including both of
Ramirez's homers.
The Diamondbacks took a lead
in in the first inning on Rickie
Weeks' two-run homer over the Green Monster. That was quickly erased in
Boston's half of the inning.
After Dustin
Pedroia reached on an error
and Ortiz got aboard with a single, Ramirez cleared the bases with a line drive
blast over the Monster to put the Red Sox in front.
Bryan Holaday later
pushed the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single to center. All the runs in the inning
were unearned, thanks to the two Arizona errors.
Ramirez's second homer, to
straight away center, stretched the Red Sox's lead to 8-2.
And so
on a night when the Red Sox needed to rebound and start beating up inferior
teams, Ramirez answered the call. He brought the Sox back from a 2-0 deficit and
then made sure he left some distance on the scoreboard. |
