Red Sox 07 Game 49 Recap

Final

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Boston	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	2	1		6	11	1
Texas	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	1		5	9	0

W: J. Pineiro (1-0, 5.40); L: A. Otsuka (1-1, 1.93); SV: H. Okajima (3)
HR: BOS: J. Varitek (4), D. Pedroia (2). TEX: M. Teixeira (9).

• Hero - J. D Drew (honorable mention Coco)
  
• Goat - Otsuka

MLB.Com's press pass for this game.

Idle thoughts and inning breakdowns

What a game to finish out this series. As the game progressed my hero went from Varitek, to Tavarez, to Teixeira, to Coco and finally J.D. Drew. The first three innings moved along rapidly as Loe and Tavarez kept the bats in check. Then came the fourth and the moment for hero candidate #1.

J.D. started out the inning by getting his first hit of this road trip. To say he had been in a slump would be an understatement. Mike Lowell followed with a single to left and we had the first real chance to do some damage against Loe. We did not have long to wait as Varitek hit a line drive home run to right field and the Sox were on the board.

Tavarez had been outstanding all day as he gave up a single to Lofton in the first, had hit Catalanotto in the second and saw Young reach on an error (a tough error I thought) in the third. That would be all that the Rangers would see in the first five innings of this game. I really felt like Varitek's home run would be the difference in this game as sexy lips just kept the Ranger batters off balance. Going into the bottom of the sixth I truly thought that Tavarez had moved ahead of Varitek. Then disaster struck.

The bottom of the sixth Tavarez seemed to lose his control. Lofton led the inning off by drawing a walk on six pitches that were all high to the batter. Young quickly followed with a single to center on an 81 mph pitch that came in belt high over the middle of the plate. Just like that Julian was facing his first test of the game. He failed miserably.

On the second pitch to Teixeira he left another pitch in the middle of the plate belt high and Mark quickly deposited this pitch into right center field. A 483 foot home run had erased 5 beautiful innings and the game was tied. Ten pitches in the sixth and three runs had scored. With the way Tavarez had been cruising you would have been hard pressed to have seen that this was coming, but Tito didn't waste any time and ordered the bull pen to start throwing.

After seeing Julian throw three pitches to Sosa that were all in the lower half of the strike zone that led to a ground out to third, I thought that Julian might be able to get out of the inning with out any more damage. Subsequent events would prove me wrong.

The first two pitches to Catalanotto were also low in the zone and the count was 1 and 1. The third pitch was belt high and way outside which was followed by another pitch belt high and barely outside. Mr. Nemesis promptly lined that one to left field. I am not sure what Farrel said on his visit to the mound but whatever it was, don't say it again, because the first pitch to Byrd was on the inside part of the plate but belt high and we had men on first and second.

Kinsler followed Byrd with a single to center on the second pitch and the Rangers took the lead. Laird flew out to Coco on the second pitch (again every thing was up in the zone) and Tito had seen enough. Romero came in to face Vazquez and on the fifth pitch got a ground out to Youkilis. You could feel the momentum shifting to the Rangers and after Benoit started the seventh by getting Pedroia to hit a fly ball to center, a line out to left by Lugo followed by Crisp striking out the hero of the game looked like it was Teixeira's to lose.

The bottom of the seventh started off terribly. On a 3-2 count Romero left one belt high on the inside of the plate that Lofton scorched to right field for a double. The Sox then caught a break. With Michael Young up to bat, Romero got a hard ground ball in front of the runner Lofton that Lugo was able to handle. Man on second and one out.

Teixeira was able to battle Romero and drew an eight pitch walk, this was when I thought Tito had lost his mind. Making a visit to the mound he called upon Joel Pineiro to face Sammy Sosa. That is Joel Pineiro of the 6+ ERA, coming in to face one of the most dangerous hitters of the Rangers.

Pineiro surpised me. On four pitches he got a strike on a borderline inside pitch. First and second two outs with Mr. Nemesis, Frank Catalanotto striding to the plate. On the third pitch Coco saved the day by making a spectacular catch of a sinking line drive. With both runners running hard this more than likely saved two runs, but as it has all season, Coco's glove saved the pitching staff and in this instance allowed the Sox to have a chance at coming back in the game.

The eighth inning Youkilis led off with a single into the hole. On a 3-2 count to Manny, Youkilis broke for second and with the pitch being in the dirt was able to successfully steal the base. Time for the struggling Drew to become the hero, and on the second pitch he hit a double to right scoring Youkilis and putting himself in scoring position for Mike Lowell to bring him home. Mike did not let the team down, and on the fifth pitch he singled to left scoring Drew.

Even knowing that Papelbon was not available I felt like the game was now safely won. With the way Okajima has been throwing this year, all the Sox had to do was get through the eighth with the lead and it would be ball game over. Pineiro continued to surprise by getting a 1-2-3 inning. Which led to the at bat of the game.

Dustin Pedroia led off the ninth facing the former formidable reliever Eric Gagne, who has been good but not great this year for the Rangers. The first pitch was a borderline strike with Pedroia fouling off the second pitch. Gagne missed outside on his next two pitches setting up the drama. Pitch five a 84 mph curve was fouled off, pitch six was fouled off, pitch seven was fouled off, pitch eight was fouled off, pitch nine was fouled off, pitch ten was fouled off, pitch 11 was fouled off. Eleven pitches in the at bat and seven foul balls with two stikes led to a 94 mph fast ball right down the middle that Dustin quickly deposited in the left field seats. Breathing room once again.

Okajima started the inning with a two run lead and set to face the top of the Ranger order. Victor Diaz pitch hit for Ramon Vazquez and singled to center. Nelson Cruz replaced Kenny Lofton and flew out to Coco. Young hit a ground ball back to Hideki Okajima who took the out at first base. Again, Farrel came out to the mound and said something to Hideki, again whatever he said, didn't work as Teixeira singled to left and like all teams are going to do this year, scored on Manny's arm. Two outs, winning run at the plate in the person of Sosa. Three pitches later it was a harmless fly ball to center and the Sox had swept the Texas Rangers on the Road.

The Sox now have a winning record against every team they have faced this year, with only the White Sox and the Indians left to play in the American League. The Indians will face the Sox tonight in the first of seven games this year.

UPDATE: oops - I forgot, the Sox have yet to play the Devil Rays this year also.