Bashed
| Game 97: July 21, 2007 | |||
| White Sox | 2 | L: John Danks (6-7) | 43-53, 2 game losing streak 12-15-4 series record |
 Red Sox |
11 | W: Kason Gabbard (4-0) | 58-39, 2 game winning streak 19-9-4 series record |
| Highlights: Gabbard carried his hot streak into yesterday’s game, lasting seven innings and holding the Pale Hose to a single run. He didn’t strike out many (just one), but neither did he walk many (again, just one). Coco Crisp anchored the offense by hitting 3-for-4 with five RBIs. | |||
Fox broke away from the game for each Barry Bonds at bat, even staying in Milwaukee when Bonds got the four-finger salute.
At the same moment in Boston in the seventh, Manny Ramirez was intentionally walked with two out so that rookie Ehren Wasserman could face the slumping Kevin Youkilis.
Wasserman displayed his inexperience in a five-pitch confrontation that ended with Youkilis taking first on a free pass to load the bases.
Ozzie Guillen yanked the greenhorn to exploit the lefty match-up of Boone Logan against J.D. Drew. Drew watched four pitches drift around of the strike zone.
The Red Sox parade wouldn’t stop there, although Dewon Day replaced Logan as the Grand Marshall. He walked the next two batters and then relinquished a single to Coco Crisp and a triple to Eric Hinske.
Seven runs in the seventh inning granted me the freedom to return to the seventh book in the Harry Potter series. It was a relief to have my attention divided between the game and the book so that I wouldn’t have to hear the prattling of Thom Brennaman and his fixation with the Reds of 1975 nor the muddled meanderings of Joe Girardi.
It was satisfying to see Girardi’s son wearing a Red Sox cap and saying how his favorite player was David Ortiz. Sadly for that young fan and many others Ortiz is day-to-day because of the strained left shoulder, an injury sustained in his head-first slide into second base on Friday.
Meanwhile Steiner Sports Marketing filed suit against Ortiz claiming he hasn’t appeared at enough events nor has he signed enough items for them. Steiner also alleged that the value of items provided to them was diluted because he violated an exclusivity clause. The shoulder strain came a bit too late to provide an excuse.
Annoyances that didn’t matter in the wash because of the seventh-inning outburst:
- Wily Mo Peña’s frightful fielding and paucity at the plate. Not that I miss this year’s version of Bronson Arroyo, who sports a 4.51 ERA in the NL with peripheral statistics that all indicate further decline is in the offing.
- Mike Lowell’s apparent hosing at home in the sixth to close the frame. Home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth called Boston’s third baseman out despite Toby Hall not laying a tag on the runner.
These are minor irritants in light of the Red Sox’s rejuvenation in these last two games. Terry Francona acknowledged Kason Gabbard’s contributions by allowing him to take the mound at the top of the eighth before pulling him in favor of Javier Lopez so that the southpaw started could receive the recognition he deserved.
This time Gabbard may have completely secured his place in the rotation and won’t be recalled and optioned as he was back in May.
