Empyreal Environs

Game 82: July 5, 2005
Red Sox (47-35), 7
Rangers (43-39), 4
W: Tim Wakefield (8-6)
S: Mike Timlin (2)
L: Chris Young (8-5)

Going into this game I was concerned. I’ve written before about how rookies do well against us, and Young, a 6'10" right-handed Princeton graduate, starting his 25th game, seemed just the type that would give the hitters fits. Young only lasted 2.1 innings with 5 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 3 home runs.

Damon continued to show why he is an all-star. His 8-pitch at bat resulted in a single to left field. After Renteria struck out swining, Young surrendered his first home run of the game to Ortiz. Scoring first is always a good thing.

With Damon, Renteria, and Ortiz on base in the 3rd, Ramirez hit his 20th grand slam. He now trails Lou Gehrig by only 3 for most career grand slams. I listened to the radio call by Trupiano, and he was anti-Trupe. He didn’t seem to think Manny got enough of it, especially because it was to the opposite field.

Mueller hit his 4th home run of the season off of Young, prompting Buck Showalter to pull the young pitcher. I wonder how that feels as a hitter? It’s understandable to give one up to Ortiz or Ramirez, but if Mueller gets you, it’s time to leave the mound.

“Wheels” Ortiz was robbed of an infield hit in the 4th inning with a blown call by first base umpire Ed Montague. I’ve chronicled enough umpiring miscues this season, I think I’ll do an end of the year wrap-up of top 10 mistakes by the men in blue.

Wakefield was nails for 8 innings. The Red Sox needed for him to go deep and he answered the call with 115 pitches, 75 of which were strikes. His line of 8 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, and 1 home run lowered his ERA to 3.98 and proved again his value to the club. He earned his 122nd win with the Red Sox, tying him with Luis Tiant for the 4th all-time wins. With his next victory he will tie Mel Parnell, the winningnest left-handed pitcher in Red Sox history.

Content with victory, the only other remotely snarky thing I have to say is that it cracks me up when Remy calls Juliana Hatfield “Julian Hatfield.” Even I’m not so out of it that I think Hatfield has had her gender reassigned.