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Sox Leapfrog Into First Place With 5-1 Win
By Administrator | June 5, 2008
The Red Sox won their twelfth consecutive home game last night on the strength of its pitching… Josh Beckett went six innings, allowing one run on seven hits, and the bullpen provided three innings of one-hit scoreless relief as Boston beat Tampa Bay, 5-1, to leapfrog the Rays into first place.
The Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Coco Crisp led off with a single and advanced to second base on Julio Lugo’s grounder to shortstop… Jacoby Ellsbury then slapped a single into center field to drive in the first run of the night. The Sox’ center fielder advanced to second base on a throwing error by starting pitcher Edwin Jackson and, one out later, scored on J D Drew’s ground rule double to right field. Drew then came around on Manny Ramirez’ single to center field to extend the lead to three runs.
Tampa Bay scored in the top of the fourth inning on an Evan Longoria double and Eric Hinske rbi-single, but the Red Sox got that run right back in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back singles by Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek and a sacrifice fly by Crisp.
The score remained 4-1 until the seventh inning when Kevin Youkilis delivered a bases-loaded single to score JD Drew (who had singled).
Meanwhile, Beckett was on cruise control… he scattered seven hits, walked no one and struck out five Rays batters. The first reliever out of the bullpen was Boston native Manny Delcarmen, who struck out the side in the seventh inning. Hideki Okajima came in for the eighth inning and, after allowing a leadoff single he retired the next three batters in order — two on strikeouts. Craig Hansen retired the side in the ninth on ten pitches.
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Dustin Pedroia hit a home run in the first inning, but the umpires erroneously ruled it a foul ball.
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Tempers flared in the eighth inning…
In the sixth inning, Coco Crisp singled and stole second base. When he slid into second base, Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett dropped his knee / lower leg to block the base from Crisp, who was sliding head-first. Crisp objected to the tactic, which caused an injury to his thumb (sprain), and he said something to Bartlett… essentially, he told Bartlett he would steal second base again and challenged him to try the knee block again.
In the eighth inning, Crisp walked and immediately took off for second base… but this time the bag was covered by second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Crisp slid feet first and came in to second base aggressively… as an added measure, he presented Iwamura with a forearm across the chest.
Crisp was out on the throw… but he had made his point.
Later in the inning, Rays manager Joe Maddon, who in the past has vociferously objected to the type of tactics employed by Bartlett, emerged from the Rays dugout to make a pitching change. While at the mound, he engaged in a shouting match with Crisp.
After the game Maddon said he felt Crisp intended to injure Iwamura… Crisp scoffed at the suggestion.
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In the sixth inning, Beckett’s left foot slipped on the wet mound as it landed on a pitch. Manager Terry Francona and assistant trainer Mike Reinold went to the mound to check on the staff ace.
Beckett was pulled from the game after the inning. Francona said he took Beckett out as a precaution after 92 pitches on a drizzly night: “He said he was fine, but I didn’t see much sense in sending him back out”.
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Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to ten games.
Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |
