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ALDS, Game 2: Make It ELEVEN In A Row… JD Drew Powers Red Sox Over Halos, 7-5
By Administrator | October 4, 2008
J D Drew was viewed as a bust after the 2007 season… that is, until he hit a grand slam in the first inning of Game Six of the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians. The first half of his 2008 season was spectacular in contrast — especially the month of June when, with David Ortiz injured and on the DL, Drew carried the team by hitting .337 with 12 HR and 27 RBI.
J D Drew delivers the game-winning home run off Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth inning to power the Red Sox to a 7-5 win — and a two-game advantage in the ALDS… AP photo
But the second half of the season was a major struggle. He suffered a herniated disc in his back and scuffled throughout July, August and September. He didn’t hit a home run after July 26th. In fact, he had only four at-bats (one hit) after August 17th.
He endured two epidural injections. He takes constant treatments on his lower back (which he says stiffens up in the later innings of ball games).
In Game One of this series, he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout… moreover, he didn’t look good. His timing was off, he had trouble running, he looked stiff. But tonight was a new night…
In the first inning, he ripped a double into right-center field to drive home the Red Sox first run. After a strikeout and a fly out, he beat out an infield single to shortstop. And in the ninth inning, moments after the Angels had tied the ballgame at 5-5, he drilled an 88-mph chageup from LA’s record-setting closer (Francisco Rodriguez) into the center field bleachers to power the Sox to a 7-5 win over the Angels… and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five ALDS.
Jay-Dee!
The Sox other corner outfielder, Jason Bay, followed up Drew’s first-inning rbi-double with a three-run home run to give the Sox an early 4-0 lead… it was Bay’s second home run of the series (he has now hit a home run in both of the post-season games in which he has played). Like Drew, Bay finished the night with three hits and three rbi.
After Boston took a 4-0 lead, Los Angeles got a run back in the bottom of the first inning with three consecutive two-out singles.
The Sox and Angels traded runs in the fourth inning on an rbi-double by Jacoby Ellsbury and an rbi-single by Chone Figgins.
Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka had cruised through the first three innings, but Los Angeles began making him work in the fourth inning. They started taking more pitches and their patience paid off… they drew a leadoff walk (which eventually scored their first run). In the fifth inning, they continued to make him work… the first two hitters each drew walks and the third hitter (Torii Hunter) ripped an rbi-single into left field on a 3-2 pitch to cut the lead to 5-3. But as he has done all season, Dice-K avoided further damage by retiring the next three batters in succession.
LA starter Johan “Ervin” Santana (5 1/3 IP, 5 runs) got into trouble in the top of the sixth inning, but manager Mike Scioscia pulled him in favor of rookie reliever Jose Arredondo. After walking the first batter he faced, the young righty struck out Jacoby Ellsbury and retired Dustin Pedroia on a grounder to keep the deficit at just two runs.
Sox southpaw Hideki Okajima retired LA in order in the sixth inning, but got into trouble in the seventh, allowing back-to-back base hits to Mark Teixeira and Vladimir Guerrero to start the frame. Manager Terry Francona called on Justin Masterson to get out of the inning… and while the rookie didn’t allow a hit in the inning, he walked two of the five batters he faced to force in the Angels fourth run.
Masterson then surrendered a leadoff triple to Figgins in the eighth inning. He was pulled in favor of closer Jonathan Papelbon, who retired all three batters he faced in the inning, but the second batter (Teixeira) drove the ball to center field to drive in Figgins with the game-tying run.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox offense had not recorded a run after the fourth inning. They stranded base runners in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings… and now found themselves locked in a tie game with K-Rod (an MLB-record 62 saves in 2008) on the mound.
Who cares? K-Rod, Shmay-Rod.
David Ortiz ripped his first pitch of the ninth inning off the wall in right field for a double. Coco Crisp pinch-ran for Papi, but had to stay at second base on Kevin Youkilis’ grounder to third base. Up to the plate stepped Drew… who drilled a 2-2 changeup deep into the night.
Papelbon then retired the Angels 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to put the Sox on the precipice of another League Championship Series… with post-season stud Josh Beckett prepared to take the mound on Sunday night.
I can hear Dandy Don Meredith already… “Turn out the lights, the party’s over…”.
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The Red Sox set a major league mark by defeating the same team in the post-season for the eleventh straight time. The streak dates back to 1986, when the Sox came back against the California Angels in the ALCS, winning the final three games after falling behind in the series, 3-games-to-1. They then swept the Angels 3-to-0 in both the 2004 and 2007 ALDS, and have now taken the first two games of the 2008 ALDS.
Tonight’s win was also the Sox ninth straight post-season “W” (three against Cleveland, four against Colorado, and now two against LA)
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The Angels starter was born Johan Santana — just like the Mets ace — but changed his name to Ervin in 2003 to avoid being confused with the southpaw who was then a member of the Minnesota Twins.
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Kevin Youkilis made a terrific defensive play in the ninth inning, catching Gary Matthews Jr.’s foul popup with a leaping grab over a camera well for the second out.
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The Sox played without 3B Mike Lowell, who went hitless in four at-bats in Game 1 and appeared to be hampered by the torn labrum in his left hip.
Topics: MLB Playoffs, Sox Games, Sox Players |
