Nearly five hours of baseball spread over 13 innings, including an 11-inning scoreless stretch, can test the endurance of even the most hardened baseball fan. Congratulations to Manny and the Red Sox for hustling out a victory. The boys are back on the clock, with Jon Lester facing Garrett Olson, who is coming off seven innings of shut-out ball in a win over the Yankees.
Maybe a nice two hour twenty minute romp to mix it up after last night’s marathon. Lineups follow, comment away.
| Boston | |
| J. Ellsbury rf | .280 |
| D. Pedroia 2b | .278 |
| D. Ortiz dh | .251 |
| M. Ramirez lf | .289 |
| M. Lowell 3b | .281 |
| K. Youkilis 1b | .302 |
| J. Varitek c | .259 |
| C. Crisp cf | .256 |
| J. Lugo ss | .279 |
| Baltimore | |
| B. Roberts 2b | .268 |
| N. Markakis rf | .254 |
| M. Mora 3b | .250 |
| K. Millar 1b | .240 |
| A. Huff dh | .243 |
| R. Hernandez c | .215 |
| J. Payton lf | .235 |
| A. Jones cf | .245 |
| A. Cintron ss | .412 |
| J. Lester | 3.55 |
| G. Olson | 4.09 |
Manny just misses No. 500, on the track to left.
Ortiz had struck out looking on a pitch well outside the zone.
Lester gets out of the first on nine pitches despite throwing a first-pitch ball to two of the three batters in the inning.
Pedro and Papi go back-to-back in the 2nd to tie it.
Ellsbury steals second; he had earlier stolen third. He has 5 SBs in this series to take the league lead.
Ellsbury steals third; three in the game, 6 in the series, 26 on the season to take the AL lead, I believe.
Ellsbury: my MFRS.
MANNY 500!
Congratulations, Manny.
Congrats to Manny :)
Manny got a big hug from Lowell (at the plate as Manny crossed it) and then got in a group jumphug with Ortiz and…Julio Lugo. It was like Lugo was trying to get some of Manny’s skill to rub off on him (literally, he was in pretty close). Lugo’s involvement in the celebration was commensurate with, well, not much of anything. Maybe he and Manny are just crazy tight, I have no clue.
God, Crisp is plummeting. A month ago he looked to be back to his Cleveland form, now he looks just about as bad as ever, I think he’s dropped 60+ points in BA in the last four weeks. Hopefully he can find a middle ground, he had been playing terrific baseball.
Great, Papi hurt his hand.
So how did Manny react when he hit the homer? What did Millar do as he trotted past?
Home plate ump decides he needs to get back to the hotel before room service quits, ringing Lowell up on a pitch well off the plate, he called one against Manny that looked about 6″ wide as well in the prior at-bat.
Manny stared. I think perhaps this was entitled. But truthfully he didn’t stand there too long staring, just a second or two, then did his normal trot, nothing too slow, nothing too fast. The big celebration was with Ortiz and LFRS near the dugout.
Tying run at the plate for the Orioles in the 9th. Come on, Paps.
Where’s that strike zone, Paps?
Paps on the verge of walking a runner, loading them up. Ugly from Paps right now.
And just like that, a looper to shortstop turns into a double play, game over. Bang, bang. Crazy. Sox win – they are a Sunday sweep away from salvaging what looked to be an absolutely horrid road trip. 4-5 wouldn’t be all that bad considering how it started.
I hate seeing Paps act human.
whoops, check that – the Sox can win out tomorrow and Monday and finish the road trip at 5-5, which would be something of a miracle.
It’s a 4-game series, so Sox could end trip 5-5.
Wow, Manny hits 500 and I missed it because I was moving into my new apartment. I’m so mad at myself.
Him hugging Lowell at the plate was a tear-jerker moment. Moreso than the jumping-up-and-down celebration that happened with Papi and Lugo afterwards.