Empyreal Environs

Bobby Valentine constructed the lineup for the game thinking that Liam Hendriks was a left-handed pitcher, putting in righties Darnell McDonald and Kelly Shoppach. Jarrod Saltalamacchia caught the error that caused Jerry Remy to have to grumpily correct his scorecard.

Just because Hendriks is from Down Under doesn’t mean he’s a southpaw. Perhaps someone should show Bobby a map and explain to him how the Nile doesn’t flow uphill.

Clay Buchholz pitched solidly until he got into a jam in the sixth. The stanza started out promisingly enough with a strikeout of Sean Burroughs but then bottom of the order batters Ben Revere (who bunted) and Alexi Casilla (who grounded a single up the middle) got on base. Dernard Span smoked a double to right to plate Revere and Jamey Carroll walked on five pitches to load the bases.

Scott Atchison induced a sharp grounder off the bat of Joe Mauer that ricocheted off his leg at just the right angle to elude Mike Aviles. Two runs crossed the plate on the double by deflection and Valentine opted to pull Atchison in favor of Justin Thomas. Thomas did no better as Justin Morneau doubled to center to drive in another run and then hit Chris Parmelee in the head with a pitch. Thomas looked almost as ill as Parmelee at the sickening thud, but thankfully the Twins first baseman left the field under his own power.

The quartet of Matt Albers, Vicente Padilla, Franklin Morales, and Alfredo Aceves shut out the Twins for the remainder of the game. They should reunite the bullpen band, although something makes me think Padilla wouldn’t join in.

Alfredo Aceves’s save should be split with Lance Barksdale like how defenders in football can share a sack. With two men on and one out Revere tapped the ball down the first base line. It looked foul to everyone but Barsdale. Aceves hit Casilla to load the bases but roared back to strike out Span on four pitches. That ain’t no jive.

Game 17: April 25, 2012
Boston Red Sox 7-10	7	W: Clay Buchholz (2-1) H: Matt Albers (1) H: Vicente Padilla (1) H: Franklin Morales (4) S: Alfredo Aceves (3)
		2B: Dustin Pedroia (5) 3B: Pedroia (1)
Minnesota Twins 5-14	6	L: Liam Hendriks (0-1)
		2B: Ben Revere (1), Dernard Span (5), Justin Morneau (4)