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G54: Sox Sweep Tigers To Finish Winning Road Trip, 6-3
By Administrator | June 4, 2009
The Boston Red Sox started their just-concluded road trip on a sour note, losing four of the first six games, but a convincing win in Toronto on Sunday followed by a three-game demolition of the Tigers in Detroit allowed them to finish the trip on a high note as the head home to face the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.
Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield held the Tigers to three runs on eight hits and no walks over 6 2/3 innings to lead the Sox to a 6-3 win. In the series, Boston outscored Detroit 21-9… an accomplishment that is even more impressive when you remember that Detroit scored five runs — ALL UNEARNED — in the eighth inning on Wednesday.
The Sox offense managed only six hits, but benefited from NINE base on balls — four of which came in the team’s six-run third inning (the nonly inning in which the Red Sox would dent home plate).
Detroit took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a pair of singles, a two-run double by Brandon Inge and an rbi-grounder by Adam Everett.
Tigers starter Dontrelle Willis, still struggling to find himself after early-career success with the Florida Marlins, retired the first six batters that faced him prior to imploding in the third inning. He hit the first batter of the inning (Jacoby Ellsbury) and then walked Julio Lugo. After striking out George Kottaras, Willis walked Dustin Pedroia, J D Drew and Kevin Youkilis in succession — the latter two forcing home runs. Tigers manager brought righty reliever Zach Miner into the game to face Jason Bay… but Bay crossed up the strategy by driving a two-run double into left field. Youkilis scored on a Mike Lowell grounder and Bay scored on Rocco Baldelli’s rbi-single to make the score 6-3.
It wouldn’t change.
For Boston, Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits. Pappy git his fourteenth save in fifteen save opportunities.
For Detroit, Miner settled down to allow only one run over four innings. Ryan Perry, Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney followed him and pitched 2 2/3 innings of two-hit scoreless relief.
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David Ortiz, hitting .187 with one homer, had the day off… he said he is considering having his eyes examined. Hey, David… considering???
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Kevin Youkilis, who left Wednesday’s game with a bruised ankle after a collision at first, came out in the fourth inning with tightness in his right calf. The team said the move was strictly precautionary.
Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |
