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Sox Win 93rd Game With A Pair Of Late-Inning Extra-Base Hits
By Administrator | September 24, 2008
While J D Drew returned to the lineup for the first time in more than a month, the Red Sox enjoyed the perks of clinching a post-season berth as outfielders Jason Bay and Coco Crisp were given the night off in anticipation of the playoffs.
But that gave Mark Kotsay, Chris Carter and Jeff Bailey a chance to play — and contribute — in tonight’s 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Bailey, serving as a pinch-hitter for Jonathan Van Every (who had pinch-run for Drew in the third inning), crushed a towering, one-out triple off the Green Monster in left-center field in the eighth inning to spark the Red Sox to the victory. Kotsay then doubled down the right field line to drive home the game-winning run.
The Sox jumped on Fausto Carmona for four runs in the first inning. David Ortiz drove in the first run with an rbi-double to left field. Kotsay made it 2-0, driving Papi home with a single. Red Sox captain Jason Varitek drilled an rbi-single and Chris Carter, making his first career start, produced an RBI single to right to extend the lead to four.
Red Sox starter Paul Byrd struggled tonight and was unable to hold the lead. The Indians chipped away with a run in the second (Josh Barfield rbi-single) and two more in the third (Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta rbi-singles) before tying it in the fifth inning on a Victor Martinez rbi-single).
Over five innings, Byrd gave up four runs on eleven hits and one walk, striking out four.
Mike Timlin, David Aardsma and Manny Delcarmen pitched four innings of scoreless relief. Delcarmen, not Jonathan Papelbon, closed out the game with a scoreless ninth, earning his second save of the season.
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Chris Carter had his first major-league RBI for the Red Sox, in the first.
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Dustin Pedroia stole his 20th base of the season, joining Coco Crisp (20) and Jacoby Ellsbury (49) with at least 20 steals… that gives the Red Sox three players with 20 or more steals for the first time since 1914.
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The Sox won in their last at-bat for the 21st time this year, tied for tops in the league (LAA).
Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |
