Red Sox 07 Game 63 Recap

Final
Press Pass l Box l Recap

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Colorado	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		1	4	0
Boston	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	X		2	8	0

W: T. Wakefield (6-7, 3.92); L: A. Cook (4-3, 4.37); SV: J. Papelbon (15)
HR: None.

► Hero - Tim Wakefield - 1 run in eight innings
► Goat - Affeldt - for giving up the double to Papi and the Sac Fly to drew.

Game thoughts!

There are those who think that Lowell should be batting 5th and Drew 6th. Here is why that should never be considered - J.D. in the 6th spot has a .235 BA compared to his career .288 BA. Tito will never move Drew into the six spot.

J.D. Drew has hit into 38 double plays in his career, that is in 2,933 AB's. This year (including tonights game) he has hit into 5 in 179 AB's. I think that hammy is still bothering him.

Don't be surprised if this move of Lugo to the 9th slot in the Batting order works. In his career Julio has batted .306 in 219 AB's with a .766 OPS.

8th inning and Wakefield is still in the game? I know he has only thrown 86 pitches but you would think that the bullpen should have been up and throwing. Not for sure that was a wise move by Tito, especially since Hawpe led off with a double to the right field fence.

Both #9 hitters figured in this game. Lugo by scoring the first run for the Sox on a Youkilis 2 out single, and Torrealba knocking in Hawpe for the Rockies run with two outs in the eighth.

Even though Drew had hit three ground outs in this game, including his 5th GIDP of this year, I had no doubt that he would get the run home in the bottom of the eighth. A good sacrifice fly to center field got the run home and like a spankee seeing Mariano, you knew that would be enough with Papel-bot coming in to face the Rockies in the ninth.

Papel-bot looked great tonight getting two strike outs and a lazy fly ball to right field in his 1-2-3 inning. More importantly, he reached 97 mph more than once in the ninth.

Chow!