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Gabbard's pitching, Moss' hitting lead to 10-3 PawSox win

BY BRUCE R. WELLS
Special to the Journal

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia, like so many of the other venues in the IL’s South Division is known for among other things it’s southern hospitality.

Five games into an eight game road swing through “The Birthplace of Presidents”, the Pawtucket Red Sox have certainly enjoyed a heaping helping of it.

Hot on the heels of taking 3 of 4 at Norfolk, Pawtucket capitalized on the strong pitching of starter Kason Gabbard and a 4-RBI night from Brandon Moss to beat the Richmond Braves 10-3 at The Diamond last night.

The win extended Pawtucket’s streak to three in a row and marked only the fourth time this season that the PawSox have won three or more in succession.

“We’ve had some outstanding pitching performances on this trip and then tonight the offense bust out, I couldn‘t be more pleased with the way we swung the bats” said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. “We have three guys right now in Bailey, Kottaras and Ellsbury who aren’t in the lineup so it’s opportunities for some of these guys and they’re trying to take advantage of it.”

The PawSox wasted no time at the plate, scoring in the first when Brandon Moss singled to drive in Joe McEwing, who had been beaned by a pitch earlier in the inning. The 15-year veteran was leveled by a Trey Hodges fastball that struck just above the left side ear hole of his batting helmet, knocking him to the dirt.

“It hit so hard, it actually tore the paint off the helmet,” Johnson said.

The 34-year-old, appearing slightly shaken up, sat in the batters box for several minutes holding his head in his hands. After being attended to by PawSox trainer Greg Barajas, McEwing --who would later double and score in the third and homer in the sixth -- trotted down to first and looked to be none the worst for wear.

Pawtucket added a run in the second. Bobby Scales singled, stole second and scored on a Chad Spann base knock to make it 2-0.

The Braves tied the game in the home half of the inning when, with a runner on first, the diminutive Brent Lillibridge crushed a 2-1 fastball from PawSox starter Kason Gabbard over the leftfield wall for his first career Triple-A homerun.

The high fastball that resulted in Richmond’s two runs would be the only misfire of the night for Gabbard who pitched seven innings, equaling his longest outing of the season and striking out five.

“He has a little trouble early controlling it, because he was getting so much movement,” Johnso said. “He was trying to go to certain spots and he was missing. The last few innings he was just a groundball machine.”

Pawtucket meanwhile was busy pouring on the runs.

In the aforementioned third inning, the PawSox sent eight batters to the plate against Richmond starting pitcher Trey Hodges, beginning with the McEwing lead off double. David Murphy followed with a walk but was doubled up on a Michael Tucker grounder. With two outs PawSox hitters tagged Hodges for five runs, chasing the right-hander from the game.

Alex Prieto was thrown out trying to steal second base to end the inning.

The PawSox tacked on runs in the fourth on the strength of a 2-RBI single by Moss and one more in the sixth courtesy of the solo shot by McEwing, his fourth of the season.

Posted by Thom Cahir  at 10:32 PM to PawSox | Permalink

Sox Streakers for June 5

Statistical highlights from the team's official game notes:

Who's Hot
-Dustin Pedroia, 14-game hit streak, going 24 for 52 (.462) during the period.
-Manny Ramirez, seven-game hit streak, going 11 for 27 (.407) during the period.
-David Ortiz, 9 for his last 17

Who's Not
-Daisuke Matsuzaka, has surrendered 11 runs in last 10.2 innings pitched
-J.D. Drew, 4 for his last 35 (.114) over 10 games
-Julio Lugo, 9 for his last 67 (.134) over 16 games

Pitchers vs. Hitters
The Red Sox have just two players in the starting lineup who have faced Lenny DiNardo: Coco Crisp, who is 1 for 2, and Julio Lugo, who is 1 for 1. None of the A's has faced Daisuke Matsuzaka.

More Stuff
-David Ortiz, who is off his home run pace from recent years, has 23 doubles this year; he had 29 all of last year.
-Julio Lugo is the first player to start a season 17 for 17 on stolen base attempts since Chuck Knoblauch in 2002.
-The Red Sox have lost five straight at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum. But Boston is 90-58 against the Athletics since 1993.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:46 PM to Projo Sox Streakers | Permalink

Coco's Back

Coco Crisp is back in the starting lineup after being unable to make it to the first pitch on Monday night.

It was announced that night that he was suffering from an upset stomach, but Crisp said this afternoon that that wasn't accurate. Without getting too graphic, he said he was feeling congested, his sinuses giving him trouble and causing him to "dry heave," which scared the trainers enough to suggest he not start the game.

"I was all right. He (manager Terry Francona) had told me to come into his office and tell him (if I needed a day off) but I never did, so this gave him a chance to rest me," said Crisp, who entered the game as a pinch runner, scoring the tying run in the ninth and playing the last two innings in center field.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 8:16 PM | Permalink

Timlin, Lester Updates

Mike Timlin still could be activated this weekend when the Red Sox are in Arizona.

But before he will be added to the Boston roster he is going to have to pitch at least one more time for the Pawtucket Red Sox, Francona said this afternoon.

Timlin, who threw two sparkling innings for the PawSox yesterday, will pitch again for the Triple A team on Thursday in Richmond. If that goes well, Timlin, who has been on the disabled list since May 3 because of right shoulder tendinitis, could be back in Boston's bullpen this weekend.

The timetable for left-hander Jon Lester isn't as imminent. Francona said that Lester, who turned in a solid seven-inning complete-game performance for Pawtucket in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday, will start again for the PawSox on Saturday at McCoy Stadium against Ottawa, Francona said.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 8:02 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Pitchers Getting Ready

Interleague play on the road, where the pitchers hit and the designated hitters sit, doesn't start for Boston until Friday, when the Red Sox open a three-game series in Arizona.

But the Red Sox pitchers, the starters, anyway, have been getting ready for those situations when they'll have to pick up a bat and stand in the batter's box.

Manager Terry Francona said this afternoon that they started preparing for the addition to their job description when the team was home last week.

He said that, instead of hitting on the field, the pitchers went into the cage behind the Boston dugout where they did some "dry" swinging, hit off a tee, advanced to soft-toss hitting and then to bunting off a machine before bunting and swinging in "live" batting practice against hitting coach Dave Magadan and strength and conditioning coach David Page while games were going on.

"Pitchers are creatures of habit. They do some things at 4, and then other things (at specific times) and we didn't want to mess with that," said Francona of the in-game workouts.

Francona isn't worried about how well his pitchers will hit, but is more concerned that interleague play on the road puts any American League team at a disadvantage.because the DH isn't used.

"We've got guys (pitchers) not used to hitting, using different muscles that are sore. They need to get guys out (not get base hits)," said Francona. "I hope at some point someone in baseball will stand up and say this is just not right, hopefully before I'm an old man and getting my pension.

"We've got David Ortiz as our DH, (and baseball is) asking us to play a handful of games without him. Every game is important. It doesn't mean you can't win, but it makes it harder," said Francona.

Francona also said that it's possible that Ortiz, who plays first base during interleague games, may sit out a couple of starts this weekend because of his legs (he missed three games last week because of hamstring issues) and because first baseman Kevin Youkilis and third baseman Mike Lowell have been hot, as has Ortiz.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 7:48 PM | Permalink

Pena: Risk/Reward

When Wily Mo Pena plays in the outfield, he's kind of a "cross-your-fingers" guy.

If a ball is hit to him, and you worry about the Red Sox' fortunes, you hope he's able to catch the ball, or cut it off, or pick it up without kicking it. But you never know, so you cross your fingers and hope he can make the play cleanly.

When Wily Mo Pena steps into the batter's box, he's a "cross-your-fingers" guy, too.

If there's a right-handed pitcher on the mound and he can throw an offspeed breaking ball, you hope he's able to make contact with one of his wild swings because he has such power when he connects. But you never know, so you cross your fingers and hope the pitcher makes a mistake, because Pena can crush a mistake nine miles.

There was evidence of all of this in Monday's 11-inning loss to Oakland.

Pena, who started in center field because Coco Crisp was dry-heaving in the Boston clubhouse around game time, was unable to cut off a ball in the gap, giving Mark Ellis a two-run triple. But he also made a nice play on a long liner right at home and deep to the warning track, taking extra bases away from Bobby Crosby.

At the plate, he fanned his first two times up, waving weakly at Dan Haren's splitter. But he crushed a hanging splitter for a homer in the seventh and drilled a game-tying single in the ninth.

"I just have to be ready," said Pena, who is in the starting lineup again tonight, in right field.

"I've been working hard every day to stay ready. I take fly balls in center some days, in left and right other days. I'm feeling good in the field and at the plate," said Pena, who has started six of the last eight games.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 7:38 PM | Permalink

Tonight's Starting Lineups

The starting lineups for tonight's Red Sox-Athletics game

BOSTON

Lugo ss
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz DH
Ramirez lf
Youkilis 1b
Lowell 3b
Varitek c
Pena rf
Crisp cf

Matsuzaka

OAKLAND

Buck lf
Ellis 2b
Swisher rf
Johnson 1b
Chavez 3b
Crosby ss
Cust DH
Kotsay cf
Kendall c

DiNardo p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 7:35 PM | Permalink

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Manny

In case you missed it, here's Bob Breidenbach's great shot of Manny Ramirez sliding into second base on a double Sunday night against the Yankees.

In today's projo Stats preview of the Athletics-Red Sox, manager Terry Francona says to expect a rest soon for Ramirez.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:35 PM to Projo Mannybeingmanny | Permalink

Clemens gets back to work

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Roger Clemens resumed his workouts at the New York Yankees’ minor league complex, still aiming to make his 2007 debut Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner threw in the outfield and briefly off a bullpen mound Tuesday, one day after an MRI exam showed a scar-tissue injury in his right groin. He also ran for 12 minutes during the 2-hour, 50-minute workout.

The Yankees said Clemens is to have a full-scale bullpen session Wednesday.

The 44-year-old right-hander originally planned to start Monday night at the Chicago White Sox. He scratched himself from the outing last Saturday because of what the Yankees said then was a “fatigued” groin, an injury he first felt during a minor league outing May 28.

Clemens played catch Tuesday for 11 minutes — making 52 throws — with injured pitcher Phil Hughes. He also threw about 15 pitches off a bullpen mound before a 20-minute period when he discussed working from the stretch with young pitchers.

Hughes is still wearing a boot on his left foot after spraining his ankle while doing agility drills May 25.

Clemens didn’t stop to talk with a reporter following the workout.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:23 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A moral victory in Oakland?

Today on projo SoxTalk, Art Martone and Sean McAdam discuss last night's remarkable game in Oakland, and whether you can take a good feeling from a loss (well, we'll see what happens tonight). Click here to listen to the full audio file. Sean also discusses MLB's crazy schedule, the fans' leniency toward J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo, and whether the Yankees will try to trade for a starting pitcher.

Here are a few excerpts from Sean's comments.

On last night's game: "I think if there's any such thing as a moral victory, you saw it last night. It didn't end the way the Red Sox would have liked, but given all the things they were up against -- from the travel, having three starters out of the lineup, not being able to go to their two best relievers late in the game, matched up against the other team's number-one starter -- it certainly was stacked against them, and they gave a pretty good account of themselves before losing in 11 innings."

On the Sox' scheduling woes (an 8 o'clock game in Boston on Sunday, then a cross-country flight to Oakland for a game Monday night): "I don't think there would be much ground to stand on if they lodged a protest, because when Major League Baseball signs the deal they did with ESPN, which allows ESPN to not only schedule these Sunday night games, but do so on relatively short notice ... you cede any right to protest or appeal. If you're going to take the money that ESPN is going to provide, then you have to go by their ground rules, and adjust to what they want to put the games they want to have on their schedule, and it just broke wrong for the Red Sox."

On Drew and Lugo: "It's a wonder that we've gotten this far into the season -- a little more than two months -- with very little anger or fan reaction directed at either of them. I still think Drew is the bigger target, because of his reputation as a guy who won't play hurt and the fact that he got almost exactly twice as much money as Lugo did in the offseason. That makes him a bigger target. I think it's really going to be dependent on how the team plays, and if they hit a rough patch, I think these guys are going to hear it."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:42 AM to Martone | Permalink

Baseball Today: Tuesday, June 5

THE BEST GAME YOU NEVER SAW: They flew all night to the West Coast after an emotionally draining, four-plus-hour loss to their archrivals. They didn't get to bed until just about 13 hours before the first pitch. They intentionally rested three of their regulars, and didn't start a fourth because of illness. They had their No. 5 starter on the mound and they'd made a predetermination they wouldn't use their two best relievers, both of whom had worked back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday. Oh, and just to make it interesting, they were facing the American League ERA leader.

If ever a game screamed lifeless, one-sided defeat, this was it.

Guess again.

The Red Sox didn't win, at least not on the scoreboard. But they rallied for two runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to tie it; escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the tie, and had the go-ahead run thrown out at the plate in the top of the 10th before finally succumbing to the A's, 5-4, on Eric Chavez' two-out homer in the bottom of the 11th off Kyle Snyder (AP Photo, above) at about quarter of 2 this morning Eastern time.

Steven Krasner has all the details, plus postgame reaction, in his game story, and it's worth reading. Because if you're like me -- who went to bed with the Red Sox trailing, 3-1, figuring they'd get no closer -- you're going to want to hear more about this remarkable night.

COMING THROUGH: Julian Tavarez' pitch count was at 72 after three innings, on a night the Sox were short in the bullpen. But he hung in for 5 2/3 innings by getting some clutch outs. (projo.com) J.C. Romero was the one who wiggled out of the bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth, recounted in full detail by the Boston Herald's Rob Bradford.

DON'T WANT TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, BUT . . . Terry Francona's patience with Dustin Pedroia -- patience not shared by a large segment of the fan base over the first month of the season -- is paying off big-time. (projo.com)

OLD NEWS: You read this story if you visited this blog yesterday afternoon -- it was posted not long after it was filed, immediately following the PawSox' doubleheader sweep of Norfolk -- but in case you missed it, here's the recap of another strong start by Jon Lester. (projo.com)

OPENING SALVO: The Herald's Gerry Callahan is the first -- but probably not the last -- media member to take aim at the underachieving duo of J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo . . . and, by extension, the Red Sox front office for investing $106 million in them.

IF YOU WALK, YOU DON'T STREAK: Wade Boggs predicted that Kevin Youkilis' disciplined batting eye would prevent him from getting his hitting streak into the 30s or 40s. ''He’ll probably go 0-for-2 with two walks,'' Boggs said just before Youkilis' streak was snapped at 23 games by going 0-for-2 with three walks Saturday. (Nashua Telegraph)

MOMENTUM IS THE NEXT DAY'S STARTING PITCHER: And since their starting pitcher last night was Matt DeSalvo, that meant the Yankees had no momentum at all one day after their stirring comeback win over the Red Sox. (New York Post)

YOU'D RATHER FACE ROGER THAN MATT DeSALVO?? Ozzie Guillen wishes the Yankees had pitched Roger Clemens last night. ''I was prepared to answer questions about Clemens pitching, and now it's going to be, 'Why are you guys playing so [lousy]?''

OLD-TIMERS DAYS: The Yankees say Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte aren't seriously hurt, but they also aren't ready to say they'll make their next starts. (New York Post)

LET'S GO. NOW. Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says enough is enough; it's time for Roger Clemens to get out on the mound so the Yankees can find out what they have with him.

FREUDIAN SLIP? The Yankees apparently have an out in Roger Clemens' contract, but Brian Cashman says "It's not something I'm thinking about right now." Right now? (espn.com)

QUESTION TIME: Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun says it's time we started asking why Clemens got so much better after the age of 34 . . . and I think you know what answer he expects to find.

TIME TO GO: Steven Goldman, writing in the New York Sun, says the Yankees should trade Alex Rodriguez.

TIME TO STAY: But the Yanks say they won't trade Bobby Abreu, at least not for Jermaine Dye. (New York Daily News)

REST YOUR WEARY MIND: Speaking of A-Rod, Joe Torre thinks he's been through a lot in the last week and would like to give him a little time off. (New York Post)

PASSAGES: Clete Boyer, the former Yankee third baseman, has died at the age of 70. (New York Daily News)

WHY, IN MY DAY . . . Omar Wessel of Cumberland, Maryland, has little use for ballplayers in general and some members of the Orioles in particular. (Cumberland Times News)

NOT HAPPENING: Lou Piniella and the Cubs deny that his volcanic style is already wearing thin in the Chicago clubhouse. (Chicago Sun-Times)

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: The snake-bitten Blue Jays have lost first baseman Lyle Overbay for four to six weeks because of a broken hand. (yahoo.com)

(VIDEO) AND FINALLY . . . AP has 2 minutes and 12 minutes of raw video of Phillip Wellman, manager of the minor league Mississippi Braves, going on a major league tirade after being ejected from Friday night's game in Chattanooga. The tirade cost Wellman a three-game suspension. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:16 AM | Permalink

Late Red Sox Notes

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

OAKLAND -- Julian Tavarez's pitch count climbed at an alarming rate over the first three innings, when it took him 72 pitches to get nine outs.

But the right-hander, pitching for the first time since May 27 because rainouts and scheduled days off forced manager Terry Francona to alter his rotation, managed to make key pitches when he had to in working the first 5 2/3 innings.

Tavarez, who threw a season-high 107 pitches, was charged with three runs, but held the Athletics to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position to keep the game from getting out of hand and allowing the Red Sox the opportunity to get back into it.

Going all out
When Francona sent up Jason Varitek to pinch hit, and then, after he had responded with an RBI single in the ninth, replaced him with Coco Crisp as a pinch runner, the Red Sox had no experienced catcher to put in if Doug Mirabelli had gotten hurt.

Francona was trying to pull out all the stops to tie or win the game. His moves paid off as Boston knotted the game at 4-4.

But who would have gone behind the dish had something happened to Mirabelli?

"Someone would have volunteered," said Francona, noting that third baseman Mike Lowell had caught as youth.

If he had had to use Lowell, or Kevin Youkilis behind the plate, he likely would have had to have brought in David Ortiz to play first, losing the DH. It didn't happen, of course, but, said Francona, "I'd rather do that (make those moves with Varitek and Crisp) than play it safe."

A home run at last
David Ortiz finally got to break out his home-run trot again.

The Sox' designated hitter lined a homer to right in the first inning, snapping a homerless drought at 19 games, his longest such dry spell since joining Boston in 2003. He had gone 69 at-bats without a homer. This one was his 10th of the season. He also mashed two more doubles, giving him 23 for the season. The 3-for-4 night boosted his average to .333.

Ellis hits for cycle
Oakland's Mark Ellis hit for the cycle, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat against the Red Sox since Cleveland's Andre Thornton on April 22, 1978 at Fenway Park.

Ellis laced a two-run triple in the second, thanks to the fact Wily Mo Pena was unable to cut off the ball in the gap, homered to left in the fourth and doubled to left-center in the sixth.

That left him a single shy of the cycle. He had a chance in the eighth, but he hit a grounder to third with runners at first and second. Youkilis made a diving play, got up and threw wide to second for an error.

Fortunately for Ellis the Sox tied the game and sent it into extra innings. He shattered his bat but plunked a single to center in the 10th, completing his cycle.

Here and there
Dustin Pedroia also was fortunate the game went into extra innings. Pedroia, batting leadoff for the first time this year, was 0 for 4 before smacking a single to right in the 10th . . . Oakland's Dan Haren, who allowed two runs on four hits in 7 2/3 innings, had his league-leading earned-run average jump a tad, to a still very impressive 1.70 . . . The Athletics were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position for the game . . . Brendan Donnelly was outstanding in his 1 1/3 innings. He didn't allow a baserunner and whiffed two.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:07 AM | Permalink

Oakland 5, Boston 4, 11 innings

By STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

OAKLAND -- Under the circumstances, it would have been an improbable, stirring victory for the Boston Red Sox.

They had endured a long night on Sunday, battling the New York Yankees at Fenway Park until after midnight and then having to fly across the country, arriving at their hotel rooms in San Francisco about 5:30 in the morning, only 13 hours or so before they were to play the Oakland Athletics last night.

They were tired and cranky with the schedule-makers.

They were facing Dan Haren, arguably the American League's best, stingiest pitcher at this stage of the season. They were two runs behind in the ninth inning, down to their last out before rallying to pull even. They worked out of a bases-loaded none-out jam in the bottom of the ninth.

They came within a few feet of a two-out, two-run homer by David Ortiz in the 10th, only to have it turn into a jarring out-by-10-feet play at the plate, with Dustin Pedroia playing the role of dead duck.

They survived a challenge in the bottom of the 10th, with manager Terry Francona sticking with his plan to rest three of his relievers, including his two best, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

But ultimately the exhausted Red Sox couldn't pull it off. They were beaten, 5-4, on Eric Chavez's two-out homer to right off Kyle Snyder in the 11th inning at McAfee Coliseum.

"I left a ball up and over the plate," sighed Snyder. "He's a good hitter. He'll take advantage of that. It was a mistake and not a very well timed one."

Given that he was the one who had served up the game-losing gopher ball, it was difficult for Snyder to find a silver lining in the night as the Red Sox lost for the fourth time in their last five games, one of the team's biggest skids in this so-far charmed season.

"We showed the resilience this team has," said Snyder. "We're tough. We didn't quit. But a loss is a loss. It's never fun no matter how the course of action leads up to it."

There was quite a course of action on this night. Francona, trying to give some of his starters a rest at the start of this seven-game trip, had three of his normal bench players in the starting lineup. And before the first pitch, he had all four of them in because Coco Crisp had an upset stomach, forcing Wily Mo Pena into the start in center field.

By the ninth inning, despite solo homers by Ortiz and Pena, whose misplay in center had helped Oakland score an extra run in the second, it looked as if the Red Sox were cooked. They were trailing, 4-2, with a runner at third and two outs against new Oakland closer and ex-Soxer Alan Embree.

But Jason Varitek, pinch hitting for struggling $70-million right fielder J.D. Drew, dunked an off-the-end-of-the-bat blooper into right for an RBI, making it a 4-3 game. Crisp, feeling a bit better, was sent in to run for him.

The move was a stroke of genius. Crisp took off on a 1-and-1 pitch that Pena drilled to right-center. The speedy Crisp scored without a throw, tying the game.

"He's the only guy we have who scores on that play," said Francona. "When he scored, you could see the emotion in the dugout."

That emotion was turned upside down for a few moments in the bottom of the ninth when the Athletics filled the bases on two walks and an error. But with the infield and outfield playing in, J.C. Romero got Chavez to go fishing for strike three and induced Bobby Crosby to bounce a 2-and-0 pitch into an inning-ending, staying-alive third-to-home-to-first double play.

"That's part of the game," said Romero, who had entered after the first two batters reached against Joel Pineiro. "It was good for me, but I don't dwell on it because we lost."

The odds looked to be in the Sox' favor after escaping that jam. And with Pedroia on first and two outs, Ortiz looked as if had cashed in those odds. He crushed a pitch from left-hander Ron Flores deep to center. The ball missed by a few feet of being a home run.

"The ball doesn't carry to center field here at night," said Ortiz. "I can't hit a ball harder than that. But I was thinking about (Pedroia) scoring."

So was third-base coach DeMarlo Hale. He waved Pedroia around third. But the ball had taken a hard hop off the fence right to center fielder Mark Kotsay, who made an accurate, one-hop throw to relay man Crosby, the Athletics' shortstop. Crosby fired the ball in the air to catcher Jason Kendall who slapped the tag on Pedroia, applying the leather and the ball to the left side of Pedroia's face, for the final out of the inning.

If Hale hadn't sent Pedroia, the Athletics likely would have walked Manny Ramirez, bringing up Kevin Youkilis to the plate with the bases filled and two outs. But Francona wasn't about to second-guess Hale.

"I would have sent him, too," said Francona. "The ball just bounced right back to Kotsay. You have to take a shot there. But they executed."

"I didn't have much of a lead at first because they had a lefty (on the mound)," said Pedroia. "I was out by 10 feet. I saw it (bounce off the wall) out of the corner of my eye, but I knew DeMarlo would send me. It was the right play. They made a great relay. Hats off to them."

And the "facial" Kendall applied to him as he got to home plate?

"I didn't know what to do (when getting to the plate) because I was out by so much. That (tag) was no big deal. He's got to tag me out. He probably thought (the tag) was at waist level, but I'm shorter than the average person," joked Pedroia.

Snyder got out of trouble in the 10th, when Oakland had two on and one out. But one pitch got away from him in the 11th and Chavez lost it, sending the Sox to a defeat and grasping at a moral victory.

"We had a lot of adversity but we're not giving up for anybody," said Pedroia. "That shows the character this team has."

"The travel day doesn't matter," said Francona. "We showed up and did a very good job of playing. We lost a heartbreaking game. We did a lot of good things, (especially) on the road. We just didn't do enough."

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 3:23 AM | Permalink | Comments 1