Are the Bats Back? - Jenn

So the Red Sox split the series with the White Sox this weekend. The two they lost, they lost by just a run or two. The two they won, they won by 4 runs each.


Seems the bats don't like to play every day. Too bad, because our players show up on a daily basis and deserve to hit the ball. I don't know if it's a lack of batting or if the other team's pitching is really good, but something's gotta change. The Sox can win every other day and expect to make the playoffs. As a matter of fact, it's a miracle they're still leading the wild card albeit by only a game and a half. But that's another blog for another time. Let's get back to this weekend the the first stint against the Chi Sox.

The two games we lost weren't due to bad pitching on the Red Sox's part. Let me rephrase that. It wasn't due to Lester's pitching. He threw a great game, unfortunately Buehrle threw better, only giving up four hits and two walks over seven innings. Lester also pitched seven innings, but gave up six hits and three walks, which eventually turned into 4 runs. Those numbers tell you it's all about the bats. As per usual, the Sox got on base, but then couldn't get home. they left a total of six men on base. If any of those guys made it home the Sox might've had a shot.

On Sunday, there was a snowball's chance in hell the Red Sox were going to catch the White Sox. Why? Because Buchholz STILL can't locate his pitches. What the hell happened to this kid? I mean, he threw a no-hitter last season! Now... he either throws it right down the middle of the plate or so far outside, the ball might as well be in another ball park. On Sunday the rookie only pitched three innings before he was pulled. And in those three innings he gave up seven hits, three of which were home runs. Oh, and in case the three homers weren't enough, he also walked two.

But even though the Sox were losing when Buchholz left, they didn't give up. And they came pretty close to catching the Other Sox. But as Dad always says close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. As usual the Red Sox left another 6 men on base, which means the Other Sox took the win.

Now that we got the losses out of the way, let's talk the more important wins. The only difference between these two games and the two the Red Sox lost was the pitching and the fact that the bats decided to show up. They'd evidently had enough of a break. Saturday Dice-K was on the mound and looked great. He pitched a solid eight innings and gave up only four hits and three walks over his 106 pitches. And for the first five innings the Red Sox bats slept. But then in the 7th inning the alarms went off and the bats woke up. Hard!

Logan had taken over for Carrasco and he only faced five batters. But while most pitchers will ideally face five batters over the course of 2 innings, Logan faced his five in one. And not one of them recorded an out. By the time Papi came to bat, the bases were loaded with Varitek at 3rd, JD Drew at 2nd, and Pedroia at 1st having just driven in a run off his single. So on a 2-2 pitch Papi crushed the ball off the wall in left center for a bases clearing double that did two things. It put the Sox on top 5-1 and ended Logan's night. Jacoby would slam the final nail in the White Sox's coffin with a solo shot in the 8th and give the Red Sox a much needed win.

Then last night Beckett, the other ace in the Red Sox bullpen, pitched another solid eight innings. But while he was giving up a hit here and there, the White Sox's Danks was hitless through 6 1/3. And although the Chicago team only had one run, things looked bleak. But the Red Sox never give up, and after one out in the 7th an amazing thing happened: Danks ran out of steam.


Youkilis started the run with a broken-bat single to right and ruined Dank's run at a no-hitter. Then Lowell walked, setting the stage for JD Drew who on an o-1 pitch did the same thing Papi did two nights earlier. He slammed the ball off the wall in left center for a two-run double. Now the Sox were up 2-1 and Danks was not happy. Danks managed to get out of the inning without any other runs scoring, but the damage was done and the Red Sox were leading.


The Red Sox bats took a quick cat nap for the eighth inning, then got back to work in the 9th when Jed Lowrie sent two men home with a double off reliever Matt Thornton. Then Ellsbury once again arrived with the perverbial nail when he got his 34th RBI off a single to right. I guess Ellsbury wanted payback for Danks drilling him in the 6th inning.


Needless to say Saturday and Monday made up for the depressing losses that were Friday and Sunday. And with the Rays idle yesterday the Red Sox gained a half game so now they're only four games back. Today it's back to the Fens for a three-game series against the Texas Rangers. With the bats back and the debut of another knuckleballer in Charlie Zink, maybe yesterday is the beginning of a nice long winning streak. As for Zink being the new Wakefield? Talk to me tomorrow.