Thumped
| Game 121: August 13, 2008 | |||
| Rangers | 4 | L: Luis Mendoza (3-6) | 61-60, 2 game losing streak |
 Red Sox |
8 | W: Jon Lester (11-4) | 70-51, 3 game winning streak |
| Highlights: Mendoza has bounced about the league as hitters bounce his pitches about parks. The Red Sox signed him as a minor league free agent in 2000. In 2005 the Padres claimed him off waivers on July 8 and the Red Sox claimed him right back on July 27. About a year later Boston found itself in need of major-league ready arms and traded Mendoza for Bryan Corey. Corey was an indispensable member of the bullpen band; since Corey was designated for assignment, the unit was never the same although it still had its appeal. Sort of like Genesis with Peter Gabriel and the following incarnation with Phil Collins. | |||
Speaking of drummers, Luis Mendoza was beat like a drum. Continuing from the first game of the series the Red Sox put up crooked numbers early in the game.
Just as J.D. Drew picked up the slack when David Ortiz was ailing, Kevin Youkilis did a yeoman’s job at the plate covering for the injured Mike Lowell. Youkilis had Josh Hamilton sliding after a double to the right-center gap to commence the second inning.
Jason Bay continued his consistent ways with a line drive single to left to advance Youkilis to third. A sloppy throw to second by “Jeh-red Salterler...er, Salty” allowed the Red Sox third baseman to score and put Bay in position to score on Sean Casey’s ground out to first.
Youkilis returned the disdain Ron Washington showed him in the third by intentionally walking Ortiz with a ground ball past his counterpart that hugged the line and ricocheted off the stands to shallow left. Both Coco Crisp (who reached on a single) and Dustin Pedroia (a double that just being a four-bagger) scored.
Not to be outdone, Bay smacked a two-run double of his own to center. Not only did Hamilton have to deal with the balls that came his way but also with his wife going into labor.
As they are inclined to do, the Rangers binged on the offerings of pitchers and mounted a rally in the eighth. For seven and one-third innings Jon Lester had fended off an onslaught, but Ian Kinsler shattered the shutout with a towering shot to the Monster seats. Mike Timlin showed that barely has mop-up stuff, if that, but Javier Lopez and Justin Masterson were there to close out the game and guarantee the series win.
