Red Sox 07 Game 27 Recap

Final

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Sea	5	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0		7	6	1
Bos	0	5	0	2	0	0	0	1	X		8	15	1

• Hero - Manny Ramirez
  
• Goat - Horacio Ramirez

Update: Press Pass for this game is here.

Due to the inability of Daisuke Matsuzaka to throw strikes the Mariners jumped out to a five nothing lead, only to have Horacio Ramirez fail to hold the lead as he allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the bottom of the second. To say that both starters in this game were shaky would be an understatement.

The third inning was uneventful but the Sox struck for two runs on the first of Manny's homers, with Coco on board thanks to a BB. The fourth home run of the season for Manny put the Sox ahead 7 to 5. Since after that shaky first inning Daisuke settled down retiring the next eight hitters before walking Ichiro in the fourth and we could feel a little breathing room.

However trouble would strike again in the fifth. After a quick out to Coco on a fly ball by Vidro, Daisuke issued a walk to Ibanez, followed by a single, two groundouts and another single. Once again the score is tied, this time at seven all. A visit to the mound seemed to settle Matzsuzaka down and he finished the inning on a ground out to first by Jose Lopez. Daisuke was finished for the night.

This is were it pays to have a solid bull pen. Snyder, Donnelly and Romero pitched the final 4 innings allowing only 1 hit and 3 base on balls. With Manny hitting his fifth home run in the bottom of the eighth Donnelly got his first win of the year and after a lead off walk by Donnelly in the ninth, Romero came in and shut the door to earn his first save.

Back in his first start, I warned that Daisuke was a nibbler. In the games since then he has done nothing to change my mind about this assumption. In my opinion at this stage of his career he is another Matt Clement with better stuff. However, I don't think that he will continue this pattern. You have to remember that he is basically making a two league jump this year as I consider Japan leagues to be above triple A but below the national league, so we should expect some inconsistencies in what is his rookie major league season.

A good win by the home team. Any time your starter is struggling and you can pull out a win is a good win. Sox are off to Minnesota to face Silva in the first of three at the dome.