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Game 45: May 17, 2008 ∙ Game 2 Brewers 6 BS, L: Salomon Torres (2, 3-1) 20-23, 4 game losing streak Red Sox 7 H: David Aardsma (3)BS, W: Craig Hansen (1, 1-2)H: Javier Lopez (4)S: Mike Timlin (1) 26-19, 2 game winning streak Highlights: Sloppy play abounded in the second game of yesterday’s doubleheader. The number of errors looked more like a score, and even in that aspect the home team edged the visitors, 4-3. Boston is 1-0 in the alternate home jerseys this year. At first the second game of the doubleheader seemed like it would be a leisurely romp of the local nine over the haggard visitors. Mike Lowell gave his team an early lead with a two-run double in the first and another two runs via home run in the third. The Brewers found late life, however. Corey Hart’s sixth inning solo home run nearly took out one of the light towers in left. Why do Corey Harts have issues with lights? Milwaukee tagged on another two runs in the sixth, with Gabe Kapler in the mix with a single and a run scored. Kapler received a warm ovation in his return to Fenway, and...
Game 23: April 23, 2008 Angels 6 W: Jon Garland (3-2)H: Justin Speier (5)H: Scot Shields (4)S: Francisco Rodriguez (8) 13-9, 1 game winning streak Red Sox 4 L: Craig Hansen (0-1) 15-8, 1 game losing streak Highlights: Jon Lester on three days rest isn’t terribly different from Lester on full rest. He lasted five innings while allowing nine hits, four earned runs, two solo shots off the bat of Gary Matthews, Jr., and two bases on balls. His lone strikeout came against Garret Anderson in the third inning. Kevin Youkilis wasn’t in the starting lineup because of back issues so sparkplug Jed Lowrie covered for him at third. David Ortiz knocked in the tying run in the fourth but the taxed bullpen couldn’t fend off the Angels’ bats. Games I’m Glad I Did Not Watch Live, Part 1 of 2 The Angels are a contending team. I’m looking forward to the Red Sox sweeping them in the ALDS as they have done in the past two playoffs they have met. For how this American League West team plays in the regular season is different from their postseason selves. Mike Scioscia is even more tightly wound in the fall....
Youth is easily deceived, because it is quick to hope. – Aristotle Dustin Pedroia, the future shortstop or second baseman of the Red Sox, will be in the major leagues shortly (pun unintended). The 5'9" middle infielder’s line is so far this season in Pawtucket is .305 BA, .384 OBP, and .426 slugging. Alex Gonzalez, who has been ailing with a Grade 1 oblique strain, will likely have a spell on the disabled list. Craig Hansen was demoted before yesterday’s debacle as a direct result of his nudiustertian troubles. Javier Lopez will probably be recalled as well and Kason Gabbard will likely take his spot. The pitching youth movement is now in partial abeyance. Its sole success story, Jonathan Papelbon, will attempt to bounce back from Saturday’s blown save on the Red Sox’s second tour of the West Coast....
Game 123: August 20, 2006Yankees (74-48), 8Red Sox (69-54), 5W: Mariano Rivera (5-5)BS: Jonathan Papelbon (6)L: Craig Hansen (1-1)10 innings Something is rotten in the state of New York. The reinvigorated Jason Giambi launched two home runs and was responsible for five runs batted in last night. Without his ill-gotten RBIs, the Red Sox would have won this game. (That is, unless Terry Francona’s idiocy increased in inverse proportion to his team’s lead.) They would have won the 2003 ALCS as well. It’s disappointing to me that Giambi has been allowed to evade criticism given the unwavering scrutiny and vitriol heaped against, say, Barry Bonds. Bonds is a vestige of his former self, playing in a weak division on a team with a sub-500 record. His impact on playoff standings is and probably will continue to be negligible. And yet Giambi is allowed to participate in season-deciding games with a wink and a smile. In twenty years or so, when his career is over, when his body is ravaged by illicit drug use, when his bank account is depleted by having to pay off his conspirators, Giambi will cash in again with a tell-all biography detailing how he eluded detection,...
Game 121: August 18, 2006Yankees (72-48), 14Red Sox (69-52), 11W: Mike Myers (1-0)H: Scott Proctor (17)H: Craig Hansen (8)BS, L: Mike Timlin (5, 5-3) We were lulled into thinking the game was in hand after the fifth inning. After all, the Red Sox had scored in every inning until then and held a three-run lead. The home team had knocked around Sidney Ponson for three innings, and granted the same discourteous treatment to University of Massachusetts-Amherst alumni Ron Villone and former Diamondbacks prospect Brian Bruney. Julian Tavarez’s outstanding two and one-third innings of work were rendered moot by the failure of Craig Hansen and Mike Timlin to shut down the Bronx Bombers. Perhaps Hansen is too young and Timlin too old. Whatever the reason, Hansen only secured a single out in his appearance and then proceeded to walk Jason Giambi and allow consecutive singles to Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada to load the bases. Fenway’s basepaths became a carousel for Yankee hitters. They batted around, plating seven runs in their scoring carousal. Timlin’s recent criticism of his team’s offense seems even more laughable now; The Red Sox would be scoring a lot more if they were facing pitchers of Timlin’s...
Game 116: August 13, 2006Orioles (51-67), 9Red Sox (68-48), 11L: Daniel Cabrera (5-8)W: Jon Lester (6-2)H: Kyle Snyder (1)H: Manny Delcarmen (13)H: Craig Hansen (6)S: Jonathan Papelbon (31) Everything’s all unicorns, puppy dogs with big eyes and fluffy tails, rainbows, ice cream, and Kylie Minogue tunes now that the Red Sox swept the Orioles. I’m going to be contrarian, however, just as I was (or tried to be) when Boston was swept by Kansas City. I attempted to be a voice of equanimity while the majority of my fellow fans were on the ledge. But now I’m going to comment on some potentially fatal flaws in this team’s composition. When your team heads into the last two innings of the game with the score 10-4 (good buddy), it shouldn’t have to bring in its shutdown closer (Jonathan Papelbon) who had pitched two innings the day before to nail down the win. There shouldn’t be damage control by a rookie (Manny Delcarmen) who hadn’t pitched since August 9th to bail out a veteran journeyman relief pitcher (Kyle Snyder) who paints corners like Vermeer one day and splatters solo shots around the park like Pollock the next. A championship-caliber team shouldn’t...
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Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library’s Sports Temples of Boston.