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Late Game Notes, Sept. 1

YOUKILIS SENDS HOME-RUN GREETING

Kevin Youkilis broke open last night's game by lining a three-run homer just over the top of the Green Monster in left field, giving the Sox an 8-0 lead.

The ball hit a short retaining ledge atop the wall and bounced right back onto the field, so Youkilis wasn't aware he had hit a homer until after he rounded second base, when he got the news from umpire Ed Hickox.

So Youkilis finished his home-run jaunt around the bases and as he got to home plate he turned and point to the Green Monster, where the ball had been hit.

Why, you ask? Because it just so happened his father, brother and his brother's wife were sitting right in the area where the ball had been hit.

"How cool is that," said Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp.

A NUMBERS GAME

Clay Buchholz was wearing uniform number 61. Two seasons ago, that number belonged to right-hander Bronson Arroyo.

Arroyo threw a perfect game for the Pawtucket Red Sox. Kevin Youkilis played in that game, and he also played last night behind Buchholz.

"The perfect game is a little more nerve-wracking because you don't want to make an error, but this was nerve-wracking, too. As a fielder, you want the ball hit to you. You want to make the play," said Youkilis.

Youkilis, not surprisingly, was impressed by Buchholz.

"This was unbelievable what he did, throwing a no-hitter in only his second start," said Youkilis. "They were way out in front of his changeup. A couple guys came down to first and they said he had a great changeup."

Ex-Soxer Kevin Millar, who walked once and fanned twice, was impressed.

"The guy threw a good game," said Millar. "He had his stuff, man. You've got to tip your hat to Clay Buchholz and move on. He didn't just have command of one pitch, he had command of three."

SOX GET OFFENSIVE

-- David Ortiz's three-run double boosted his total to 13 RBI in his last 8 games. He is batting .333 (10 for 30) over that stretch with five homers and is batting .382 over his last 15 games with four doubles, a triple, seven homers, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored.
-- Mike Lowell notched his second straight three-hit game in extending his hitting streak to 14 games, tying a season high. He had at least two hits in seven of those games.
-- Bobby Kielty went 2 for 4 and is 7 for 16 in his last four games,
-- Coco Crisp swiped second base in the second inning. It was his 22nd stolen base of the year, but his first since Aug. 10 in Baltimore. The 18-game stolen-base drought was his longest since going 23 games without one while with Cleveland from Sept. 8-Oct. 2, 2005.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:47 PM | Permalink