Salvage
Game 112: August 9, 2005
Rangers (56-56), 7
Red Sox (65-47), 8
L: Kevin Gryboski (1-1)
BS: Chad Bradford (1)
W: Curt Schilling (4-4)
10 innings
Of course the pop fly that Alex Cora dropped in the 2nd inning was planned. That way, he got the speedy Alfonso Soriano out and the sluggish Kevin Mench on the bases. This team is always thinking.
In the 3rd inning, Bill Mueller broke the scoreless tie by lofting his 6th home run of the year into the bullpen. Could this possibly be a low-scoring game between the Red Sox and Rangers? Will it be a pitchers’ duel?
Edgar Renteria had the first of his two errors in the 4th inning when he booted a grounder hit by Phil Nevin. With 2 runners on and 2 out, Gary Matthews hit a ground ball up the middle that Cora flailed after, allowing the tying run to score. Not to be outdone, Manny Ramirez reached on ground-rule double to the opposite field in the bottom of the same inning, advanced on a Jason Varitek ground out to first, and then scored on Kevin Millar’s sacrifice fly to right field. Manufacturing a run, Red Sox style.
In the 5th inning, Johnny Damon looked a bit awkward as he fielded a ball hit straight to him by Michael Young. You might recall that Dave McCarty talked about various fielding issues back in April.
Ramirez worked Joaquin Benoit to a full count with 2 out and 2 on in the bottom of the 5th. He lined to center field to break the tie, and the Red Sox came roaring back. Varitek doubled off the Monster for another 2-out RBI, and Roberto Petagine drove in 2 runs with a drive down the left field line. That would be enough to win, you would think.
Mike Remlinger debuted in the 7th inning, leading to much giggling by Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy. Apparently, the player the Red Sox gave up for him, Olivo Astacio, is in extended spring training. Remy deadpanned, “It’s August, and he’s still in spring training?” Remy also said the player to be named later wasn’t actually born yet. This was all funnier in media res.
You know it’s a bad umpiring crew when I can remember all of the members in the course of a series. Bill Miller, who was working second base, called Mark Teixeira safe when he ruled that Renteria did not catch Mueller’s assist. The call resulted in loading the bases with no outs, granting newcomer Remlinger an ERA of infinity. By virtue of the ridiculous criteria for determining pitching statistics, Chad Bradford was burdened with his first blown save despite not being responsible for his inherited baserunners. He was responsible, however, for Rod Barajas lining a double off of him to score the tying 5th, but final, run of the inning. Remlinger looked like a older John Halama.
Kameron Loe replaced Erasmo Ramirez in the 7th inning. Loe is from California, explaining his name. The Red Sox are the victims of another blown call, this time at first base by Joe Brinkman, who called Gabe Kapler out on his grounder to shortstop Young. Replays showed that the call could have gone the other way.
The 10th inning started off with the man that originally put Boston on the board, Mueller, singling to center field. He advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cora, but the Rangers countered by taking the bat out of Damon’s hands by walking him intentionally. Renteria redeemed himself by singling to left field to plate the winning run. He was mauled by his teammates, a disturbing sight knowing that Cora would be his backup. Lay off him, boys; it’s exciting, but he’s needed despite his 22 errors.
Matt Clement looked again as if there were no lingering aftereffects from his accident of just a few weeks ago. He went 6 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He snoozed briefly in the 5th when he didn’t cover home plate after his wild pitch to Soriano, permitting David Dellucci to score and forcing Varitek into a foot race. But other than Remlinger and Bradford, the pitching continued to quell the Rangers’ incendiary bats.
