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Manny Ramirez’ Embarrassing Pinch-Hit Appearance Is A Fitting End To A Disastrous Road Trip… Sox Lose To Yankees In Ten Innings, 5-4
By Administrator | July 7, 2008
There must be days when Tim Wakefield feels like Ziggy… when it seems a dark cloud hangs over the ballpark every time he pitches. In a game marked by memorable moments, Wakefield once again was unable to catch a break as the Sox surrendered a 4-2 lead in the late innings en route to a 5-4 loss in ten innings at Yankee Stadium.
It was one more blown lead in the late innings to end a 3-7 road trip that saw the Sox drop from first place to second place — five games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East (seven games in the loss column). It was the sixth one-run loss on the trip.
The knuckleballer left the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run lead, a runner at first base and one out. Before southpaw reliever Javier Lopez recorded a single out, the game was tied and the Yankees had the lead run at third base… the lead run was eliminated on the next play on a nice throw and tag by all-star second baseman Dustin Pedroia and catcher Kevin Cash, but by then the damage had been done.
The game will be remembered for more than just another late-inning implosion. It will be remembered for the fact that Yankees starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain threw a 95-mile-an-hour purpose pitch behind 1B Kevin Youkilis; it will be remembered for Manny Ramirez’ wimpy pinch-hitting appearance in the ninth inning with two outs and the lead run on third base (three fastballs, three strikes, nary a swing from Ramirez); it will be remembered for a split-fingered pitch in the tenth inning that turned a rookie outfielder into a hero — earning him a curtain call from the Yankee Stadium throng — after he had fouled off three two-strike pitches from the Red Sox all-star closer.
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Last August 8th, Chamberlain threw two pitches over Youkilis’ head in a game at Yankee Stadium… he was ejected and subsequently suspended two games. So there is a bit of history between the two enemy combatants…
Last night, Youkilis twice slapped singles to right field on 0-2 pitches. Later, in the fifth inning with Youkilis at third base, Chamberlain threw a full-count wild pitch to Coco Crisp… Youkilis slid hard into Chamberlain at home plate as he scored. Youk’s spikes slamming into the pitcher’s right foot on the play at the plate.
Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis and Yankees SP Joba Chamberlain get acquainted at home plate during the fifth inning of last night’s game at Yankee Stadium… AP photo
An inning later, on a 0-1 pitch, Chamberlain threw a fastball behind Youkilis’ back… in response, Youk took a step toward the mound, but decided discretion was the better course of valor. Chamberlain was not issued a warning by the umpiring crew…
After the game, Youkilis was asked if he was surprised that no warning was issued: “What I want to say, I’m not going to say because I’d probably get fined by Major League Baseball… it doesn’t matter what happened in this game other than we lost”.
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In the ninth inning, Ramirez embarrassed himself with as ineffectual an at-bat as any player has had at any time in the history of baseball. He didn’t swing the bat with the lead run standing at third base and two outs.
Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez barely lifted the bat off his shoulder during a ninth-inning pinch-hit appearance against yankees closer Mariano Rivera… AP photo
ManRam has a miserable track record when called upon to pinch hit — he is 3 for 26 (.115) in his career, including 10 strikeouts — which makes you wonder why Francona would use him as a pinch-hitter at all.
But of course, you can’t blame Francona for using a future Hall-of-Famer in that situation… it isn’t his fault Manny decided to audition for the role of a mannequin in Macy’s next Xmas-window display in one of the game’s pivotal moments.
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An inning after Ramirez’ embarrassment, Yankees rookie outfielder Brett Gardner — who was playing in the minor leagues a week ago — fought off not one, not two, but three two-strike pitches from closer Jonathan Papelbon before bouncing an infield single off the glove of a diving Alex Cora (at shortstop after Jason Varitek pinch-hit for Julio Lugo in the ninth inning) to score the game-winning run.
Said Cora: “You try to knock it down, that’s it, end of story. That’s the way they teach you since Little League — if the ball is behind second base, knock it down. If you don’t knock it down, (the game is over).”
Gardner’s at-bat was the kind of at-bat you would expect from a Hall-of-Famer, not from a rookie… but on this night, Ramirez delivered a rookie at-bat while Gardner delievered a veteran at-bat.
I guess it was an appropos ending for a miserable road trip.
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The Red Sox began the road trip in first place by a game over Tampa Bay… when they arrived home in the wee hours this morning they were in second place — five games behind the Rays.
The culprit? Start with the relief corps, which had an 8.40 ERA in the eight games prior to last night (add another two runs in four inning i last night’s loss)…
And then you can add the offense, excepting Dustin Pedroia (21 for 44) and Mike Lowell (12 RBIs). Jason Varitek (4-for-31), Manny Ramirez (5-for-31), Julio Lugo (5-for-28) and Coco Crisp (3-for-16) were anemic on the trip. The team hit just seven home runs on the trip.
The failures of the bullpen and the bats led to six one-run defeats on this trip.
The Red Sox trail by five… you do the math.
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The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an Alex Rodriguez home run to left field. The Sox took the lead in the fifth inning as they put runners on the corner with no one out (on singles by Youkilis and Sean Casey)… Youk then scored on Chamberlain’s wild pitch, with Crisp taking first base on a walk. The Yankees rookie starter struck out Lugo and Cash before walking Jacoby Ellsbury to load the bases. Dustin Pedroia lobbed a two-run single into right-center field to give the Sox a 3-1 lead.
The Yankees got one run back in the sixth inning on a Derek Jeter single, but the Sox got that run right back in the next half-inning on an rbi-double by Kevin Cash. The Yankees then tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning thanks to Lopez’ ineffectiveness.
Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera kept the Sox off the board thereafter… Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima handed the game to Papelbon in the tenth inning, when a pair of ground balls spelled doom for the Red Sox.
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Alex Rodriguez’ home run in the second off inning was career home run number 536, tying him with Mickey Mantle for 13th on the all-time list.
Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |
