Games 36-38 Series - Lost in Seattle

Friday May 15

This Red Sox loss to the Seattle Mariners was the maddening kind. Jon Lester was spotted a four run lead but after being touched for four runs in the 6th managed to cough it up. Now with a 2-4 record and an ERA of 6.51 Lester is far from the pitcher once thought of as ‘ace material’. Ichiro Suzuki got Seattle on the board with a solo homer in the 5th then put them ahead 5-4 with a two run shot in the fateful sixth. Jacoby Ellsbury was a home run short of the cycle and continues his hot hitting. The previously unheralded Mariners pen had three scoreless innings with former Sox, David Aardsma, getting the save.

Final Score: Mariners 5 Sox 4
Jacoby Watch 3 for 5 with 6TB, a run scored and an RBI

Saturday May 16

Josh Beckett was also spotted a four run lead but managed to go 7 innings with 4H, 3R including 2ER and 120 pitches thrown. Jason B and Jason V each had two run homers. Jeff Bailey chipped in with a solo shot in the 5th as Sox scored all their runs on homers. Oki, Martinez and Papelbon did what the pen does and the Sox had a win. On the plus side the Red Sox bull pen has the best ERA in the AL. On the down side the Sox starters have the worst ERA in the AL. How did that happen!?! What was supposed to be the Sox strength going into the season (starting pitching) has been anything but!

Final Score: Sox 5 Mariners 3
Jacoby Watch: 1 for 5

Sunday May 17


Justin Masterson had a fine outing – perhaps his last one before returning to the pen as Dice-K is due back off the DL. Masterson had 6.1 IP with 9H and only 2R while striking out 6. This is another of those one run losses. Sox had three on this road trip as they lost both series and return home after a 2-4 trip out West. Good thing they don’t have to return there again in the regular season. With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th a Nick Green error at SS his 8th in only 23 games led to the Mariners pushing across a run on a single by Gutierrez. Ramon Martinez absorbs his first loss and is now 4-1. J.D. Drew had a solo homer as old friend David Aardsma gets the win. Jacoby Ellsbury’s single has his hitting streak at 13 games. During this span he has gone 21 for 56 and raised his BA to an even .300.

Final Score: Mariners 3 Sox 2
Jacoby Watch: 1 for 5 with 5 LOB

Games 16 to 18 - Make It Ten in a Row for the Sox

Friday – April 24th

For a Red Sox fan it does not get any more exciting than a come from behind win featuring an extra inning walk-off homer and against their arch rivals the Yankees to boot. Starting pitchers, Lester and Chamberlain each yielded two runs. After the Yankees pushed two runs across against Okajima and with a 4-2 lead and two outs in the bottom of the 9th the legendary Mariano Rivera gave up the tying homer to Jason Bay – a rare blown save for Rivera. Enter Kevin Youkillis in the 11th for the walk-off win off Marte.

Final Score: Boston 5 New York 4
Ellsbury Watch: 2 for 6 with a run scored and a steal of 3rd.

Saturday – April 25th

The Fox game started late afternoon and took 4 hours and 21 minutes for the Red Sox improbable 16-11 win. I say improbable because with AJ Burnett on the mound and with the Yankees giving him a six run lead you think game over. Burnett has previously absolutely owned the Sox. The incredible come back featured a grand slam by Tek with 6 RBIs for Lowell and 3 for Bay. It was a slug fest with the lead going back and forth. In the end the Sox prevailed with 4 runs in the 8th. Of concern is the 8 runs given up by ace starter Beckett.

Final Score: Boston 16 New York 11
Ellsbury Watch: 2 for 4 including his first home run, 2 R and a stolen base

Sunday – April 26th

This Sunday Night ESPN game was a gem. Justin Masterson pitched 5.1 giving up only one run. You can not say enough about the bullpen with rookies Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden retiring all 8 Yankees they faced. Meanwhile the Sox came up with 3 runs off Andy Pettitte in the 5th highlighted by Jacoby Ellsbury’s straight steal of home. The steal of home plate is relatively rare and when the fans kept applauding Ellsbury acknowledged them with a tip of his cap from the dugout step. Saito recorded his second save with the Sox. All in all a memorable weekend and a great confidence booster for Sox fans.

Final Score: Boston 4 New York 1
Ellsbury Watch: 1 for 3 with 2 R and the thrilling steal of home - his 10th SB

Game 13 - Sox Win 5th in a Row

On this Patriots Day Justin Masterson had his first start of the year while Dice-K gets healthy. He pitched very well and the Sox had a 3-1 lead before the bats erupted with 3 runs in the 6th and 6 runs in the 7th. Once again the bullpen was not scored on turning in 3.2 innings of relief. Pedey was 4 for 6 with 3R and 3RBIs. Big Papi came alive with two extra base hits and 2RBIs as part of the Red Sox 15 hit attack.

Final Score: Red Sox 12 Orioles 1
Jacoby Watch: 3 for 6 with 3 runs and 1 RBI