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June 15, 2007
BOSTON — It’s too early to tell if the Red Sox broke out of their team hitting slump last night, but in their series opener with the San Francisco Giants last night, Boston got more than enough timely hits in a 10-2 win.
And while the whole team had been struggling at the plate -- Boston came into the night with a .232 batting average and just 27 runs over its previous 10 games -- the top of the order had been particularly egregious, making it difficult for the Sox’ big boppers, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, to do what they do best: plate runners.
Using a batting order that had J.D. Drew hitting leadoff and Dustin Pedroia number two for the second straight night, manager Terry Francona saw the move pay off against the Giants. Drew and Pedroia combined for Boston’s first seven hits of the game, went 8-for-9 and had all but two of the Red Sox’ RBI in the game.
Boston’s win and the Yankees’ loss to the Mets – their first defeat in 10 games – means that the Red Sox lead in the A.L. East is back to 81/2 games.
Starting pitcher Julian Tavarez, who spent three seasons in San Francisco as a reliever from 1997-99, had one of his best outings of the season, overcoming a rocky start in the process. Tavarez, who saw his record rise to 4-4 and his ERA trimmed to 4.97, got himself down 1-0 just two batters into the game. Red Sox 2005 American League Championship Series hero Dave Roberts, making his first return as a player to Fenway, led off with a single to right, and scored on a double to right by Mark Sweeney.
Sweeney scored on a two-out wild pitch, giving the Giants the early 2-0 lead.
But Pedroia, who became the first Red Sox rookie since Brian Daubach nearly eight years ago to record a five-hit game, erased that deficit in a hurry.
Drew reached after being grazed on the arm, and Pedroia deposited a 1-0 pitch to the third row of the Monster seats to tie the game, his third homer of the year.
It was the last time the game would be so close.
Boston took the lead for good in the third when Drew scored on a Manny Ramirez fielder’s choice. The Sox had the bases loaded with none out in that inning, as Drew singled to left-center, Pedroia had an infield single (that truth be told could have easily been ruled an error), and a walk by Wily Mo Pena. Pena entered the game in the third after designated hitter David Ortiz was ejected in the first for arguing a third strike call.
The Sox effectively put the game away in the fourth, scoring three runs. Drew’s double to dead center scored Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo, and one batter later, Pedroia singled to right, plating Drew.
Pedroia added a two-run double in the eighth, and his 5-for-5 game made him the first Boston player with a five-hit night since Johnny Damon on July 6, 2004 against Oakland.
"The first month of the season we spent so much time trying to defend him when he wasn’t hitting," Francona said of Pedroia. "He hits that first at bat out of the ballpark, he sprayed balls all over the park, and he makes contact. He stays inside that ball. Really, exceptionally well."
With his superb effort, the rookie second baseman raised his average 20 points, to .331. Over his last 22 games, he is hitting .418 (33-for-79) with seven doubles, two home runs and 14 runs batted in.
Pedroia said he had been suffering from the flu for more than a week, and his hands were slow because of it -- which shows in his 5-for-27 (.185) slump in Boston’s previous eight games -- but he certainly seems recovered now.
Drew, who has been called out by fans in recent weeks, as his .230 batting average coming into the night didn’t seem to jibe with the 5-year, $70-million contract he signed to start the season, rebounded from an 0-for-5 night against the Rockies on Thursday. He also peppered the ball all over the field, reaching base in his first four at-bats.
Francona was pleased with the results from his number five starter, Tavarez, who continues to make it difficult for the manager to push him out of the starting rotation in favor of the recovered Jon Lester.
"He started using all of his pitches, he stayed down (with his placement), he got ground balls, he fielded his position," Francona said. "He didn’t get rattled and he ended up pitching a real strong game."
And Tavarez also had one of his head-scratching moments, falling down to cover a ground ball on the first base line in the fifth. Tavarez rolled the ball to Kevin Youkilis at first base, and got it there before Randy Winn hit the bag.
--SHALISE MANZA-YOUNG
Posted by Chris Venditto 
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