Crashed
| Game 106: July 31, 2007 | |||
 Orioles |
5 | W: Erik Bedard (11-4) H: Rob Bell (1) H: Chad Bradford (14) S: Jamie Walker (4) |
50-55, 1 game winning streak 14-18-2 series record |
| Red Sox | 3 | L: Josh Beckett (13-5) | 64-42, 2 game losing streak 22-9-4 series record |
| Highlights: Eric Gagne was not yet in the team, but another “G,” Kevin Garnett, was the acquisition of the day. Garnett charmed Bostonians despite having first refused to come to the city, while Gagne called the Red Sox the Montreal Canadiens of baseball. Thanks, I guess, Eric. Gagne will be using “83,” which is his usual number, “38,” reversed. | |||
Killer “B” pitchers Josh Beckett and Erik Bedard faced off last night and it wasn’t a taut tightrope like a true pitchers’ duel. Orioles hitters were all over Beckett’s fastball; with the first swing of a bat the perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout was erased.
Brian Roberts is one of those annoying players who shine against the Red Sox. He tallied two hits and two RBIs in his five at bats; only old friend Kevin Millar matched him in RBIs. Beckett was out of sorts; although he lasted eight innings, he gave up a nine hits, five earned runs, two bases on balls, and struck out a middling six.
Millar’s dribbling single up the middle in the third plated two runs and prompted Beckett to lose it in the dugout. He took it out on a few coolers, causing Kevin Youkilis to bolt from the immediate vicinity.
One of a the few positive happenings was David Ortiz crushing Bedard’s offering in the third with Dustin Pedroia on base thanks to a free pass. The rope of a home run rocketed into the stands right near the visitors’ bullpen. Unfortunately, just before Pedroia’s walk Julio Lugo emptied the bases with a twin killing.
Pedroia and Ortiz shared a Bash Brothers-like thudding of the forearms at home, looking a bit like a Big Brother celebrating with his Little Brother.
Like a meteorite crashing into the earth’s crust, Wily Mo Peña dove to catch Ramon Hernandez’s swiftly falling line drive in the fourth. It was almost as graceful as a John Deere plowing through a dilapidated shack.
Disappointing games such as this will happen, especially against a pitcher such as Bedard. At least Ortiz is getting into his stroke; he also lobbed a long ball into the bullpen in the eighth.
