Verge
Game 6: April 10, 2005
Red Sox (2-4), 3
Blue Jays (4-2), 4
L: Mike Timlin (1-1)
BS, W: Miguel Batista (1, 1-0)
How hard is it to write a game summary the day of the home opener at Fenway Park? Who will remember this Toronto series, let alone this game, ever? It is significant that the team has forced closers to the brink, making them blow saves with regularity. The recent inconsistency of the offense, particularly Manny Ramirez, continues to plague the Red Sox.
Matt Clement went 6 innings, with, 6 hits, 3 runs (all earned), 5 walks, 6 strikeouts, and an ERA of 4.35. Facing 27 batters in total, Clement had 14 first-pitch balls, a component of his high rate of giving hitters bases on balls. These extra men on base did not result in more runs, but the additional pitches certainly did curtail the duration of Clement’s outing. Clement’s inconsistent location had him working behind in most innings. He permitted the leadoff batter to reach base 3 out of 6 times, twice with walks and once by hitting the batter.
Another issue is the misplacement or misplaying of Ramirez in left field for Orlando Hudson’s double that scored Reed Johnson for the winning run. Did Brad Mills place the outfield in the correct position to avoid letting the extra-base hit get over him, or was it simply bad fielding by Ramirez? Since I have no idea of the alignment for this play, I’m in no position to judge. This is the drawback to seeing games on television. When I’m watching a game live, I often find myself observing aspects of the game no camera bothers to record.
On to the match-up against the Yankees, with home openers, banners, rings, flyovers, and fanfare.
