Nice Dice! : Peter

Hey, Jenny! Today we're the hammer! Sox did a great job combining quality pitching with a couple of quick power strikes. The power first: In the 6th inning, three consecutive Sox hitters gave the ball a good ride. First, Scutaro sent a double to the deeper confines of the Jays yard, but it stayed in. So with him standing on second, McDonald went him one better for a pair of runs and shot one into the cheap seats for a two zip Sox lead. Next up: Big Papi. What does he do? What else? On a 1-2 offering, he goes over the wall for his 18th and it's three zip, Sox. As it turned out, that was all of the scoring the Hose required. Yes, the Jays made it interesting the very next inning with a two run blast of their own, but the Sox hurlers nipped that in the bud.
The Sox moundsmen today were what we've come to expect from starter through closer. Dice started and went a strong six, allowing six hits and no walks--none, nada.His only mistake came in the 6th when he gave up the HR. Even so, holding the powerful Jays lineup to just a pair of runs in six is satisfactory, especially when you remember that they lead the majors in home runs for a team. The Diceman's game WHIP: a nice tidy 1.0.
Following Dice, Bard came on and burned his way through two innings of Toronto's lineup, nailing a K and allowing just a single hit--all on a total of just 14 pitches. For the final inning, Bard was picked up by The Laser and he quickly disposed of the Jays. After a pair of quick outs, he gave up a scratch single to short and then slammed the door, forcing a weak first pitch popup from Buck. Buck isn't Wells, but he's got 13 HR's so far, so he's got power. Pap's line: eight pitches, no walks, his 20th save.
Now, for a bit of something extra for you loyal followers: On this date in 1914, Babe Ruth made his debut for the Hose, getting the win in a 4-3 decision over Cleveland. But that's not what's special, from the point of view of this blog. In what is probably one of the few times he was ever pinch hit for, a part time (then) Sox outfielder came in from the bench to get a single and drive in the winning run. Who was that hitter? None other than our namesake, Duffy Lewis! Duffy, we salute you!