Empyreal Environs

Game 128: August 25, 2006
Red Sox (71-57), 0
Mariners (59-69), 6
L: Curt Schilling (14-6)
W: Jake Woods (4-1)
H: Julio Mateo (7)

I didn’t expect many runs when I saw the lineup card:

1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Mark Loretta, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Wily Mo Peña, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Gabe Kapler, RF
7. Doug Mirabelli, C
8. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
9. Alex Cora, SS

Manny Ramirez was unavailable because of his balky knee and Kevin Youkilis was scratched due to a case of stomach flu, an ailment that has been making its rounds in the Red Sox clubhouse.

With Curt Schilling, pitching, however, there was a chance. Although the ace struck out seven batters (falling one punchout short of his 3,000th) and didn’t walk anyone, he still relinquished nine hits and five earned runs in his six innings of work. A few of the runs were the result of defensive miscues by Boston.

The Mariners scored early with Raul Ibanez’s RBI double in the first. The left fielder was also part of the Red Sox’s defensive debacle in the sixth inning. Cora was unable to flip Ibanez’s grounder to Pedroia cleanly, allowing Jose Lopez to advanced to third. Schilling backed up the play at second and threw galley-west to third, permitting Lopez to pick himself up, dust off, and make his way home. Ben Broussard and Kenji Johjima both tacked on additional runs in the sixth and Lopez did the same in the seventh to put the game out of reach for the hobbled Red Sox offense.

Crisp took an ill-advised dive for a liner in the fifth. Willie Bloomquist’s hit dribbled to the outfield wall and Gabe Kapler had to dig it out. By the time Kapler’s throw was back in the infield, Bloomquist stood at third with an RBI.

Credit must be given to the trio of Mariners pitchers that combined to shut out the visiting team and hold them to just five hits.

Speaking of minor league-like play, today I’ll be at the Futures at Fenway doubleheader. It will be my first time in the pavilion seats.