Social:    
  Home > Interact > Blog

Socked

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 – Fenway Park, Section 36

White Sox 10, Red Sox 7

The Red Sox had a successful road trip, winning two of three in Cleveland and three of four in Detroit, including two games where they scored 14 runs.  They lost their first game to the White Sox on Memorial Day, and then I headed in to Fenway on Tuesday for the second game of the series.  I was coming from work, so I wasn’t early enough for batting practice, but I was happy to find it was perfect weather for a game.  For the first time in what felt like forever, it wasn’t cold, rainy, or foggy, just a clear night in the high 60’s.  I didn’t even need my sweatshirt until the late innings.

Dan Wheeler, Scott Atchison, and Rich Hill have high-fives for bullpen cop Billy Dunn as they walk out to the 'pen before the game.

Dan Wheeler, Scott Atchison, and Rich Hill have high-fives for bullpen cop Billy Dunn as they walk out to the 'pen before the game.

With Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Lackey on the D.L., both Tim Wakefield and Alfredo Aceves were filling in in the rotation.  Aceves had already made two good starts, and tonight it was his turn again.

I wasn't early enough to see batting practice tonight, but I was able to get a picture of Alredo Aceves at another game this year.

I wasn't early enough to see batting practice tonight, but I was able to get a picture of Alfredo Aceves at another game this year.

Unfortunately this time Aceves didn’t fare as well.  He got quickly through the first inning, but in the second he lost it.  Two walks, three hits, and an error combined to put four runs on the board for the White Sox.  If not for a sliding catch by J.D. Drew in right and a fielder’s choice that saw the runner thrown out at home, it would have been even worse.  Chicago tacked on another run in the third, putting the Red Sox in an early 5-0 hole.  Jason Varitek finally got them on the board with a solo homer in the third, but the White Sox got the run right back in the fourth and then added four more in the sixth, chasing Aceves in the process.

The Red Sox didn't have much going on early in the game, but they made it interesting as the night went on.

The Red Sox didn't have much going on early in the game, but they made it interesting as the night went on.

White Sox starter Philip Humber pitched into the eighth, while his team built a 10-1 lead.  But the Red Sox didn’t go down quietly.  Drew Sutton drove in Josh Reddick, both of whom had entered as subs when it looked like it was going to be a blowout, and Kevin Youkilis singled.  That brought up David Ortiz, and I chose that at-bat to try out my new video camera.  I was glad I did; the result was a 3-run homer over the Monster and a suddenly much closer 10-5 score.  Here’s what it looked like from 24 rows back in the bleachers:

The Red Sox continued their comeback in the ninth.  Jed Lowrie walked and Tek capped off a perfect 3-for-3 night with a single.  Reddick drove in one run with a sac fly, and Sutton drove in another with a double.  It was 10-7 now, and in the stands we were convinced they were going to come all the way back.  Adrian Gonzalez stepped to the plate with two outs, a man on, and the chance to make it a one-run game, but he ended up striking out to end it.

Posted on May 31, 2011 · Permalink · Share on Facebook
Posted in: 2011 Games