Batting Practice in Baltimore
Daisuke Matsuzaka returned to the major league mound with decidedly mixed results. After he allowed Nick Markakis to drive in Adam Jones in the first inning he didn’t allow another hit until 12 batters later. Ty Wigginton’s fifth-inning line drive home run blasted opened the Orioles’ offensive floodgates.
Terry Francona probably should have started warming a pitcher at that moment, but Matsuzaka faced the next seven batters, only managed one out, and surrendered a three-run homer to Matt Wieters. By the time Tim Wakefield was ready to relieve Matsuzaka six runs had scored.
Wakefield’s sixth inning eerily resembled Matsuzaka’s. The knuckleballer allowed Wigginton to launch a solo shot and Nick Markakis lofted a home run over the daunting scoreboard in right with two runners on.
Although Boston’s pitching proved lacking, David Ortiz’s two home runs are hopeful harbingers of the slugger’s return to form. For a team whose calling cards were supposed to be pitching and defense, the Red Sox have been benefiting from production from unexpected corners, such as Jonathan Van Every’s third-inning solo four-bagger.
In top of the seventh Victor Martinez drove in two runs and Kevin Youkilis smacked a two-run homer to left. The four-run rally coincided with the Celtics taking an 11-point lead into halftime against the Cavaliers.
But neither the Red Sox nor the Celtics would join the Bruins in victory. In the end Matsuzaka’s return was a overshadowed by another Boston athlete’s homecoming. Marc Savard, who hadn’t been on the ice since March 7 because of a concussion, scored the winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in sudden death overtime.
| Game 24: May 1, 2010 | ||
| Red Sox 11-13 | 9 | L: Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1) |
| 2B: J.D. Drew (4), Adrian Beltre (6), Marco Scutaro (3) HR: David Ortiz – 2 (3), Jonathan Van Every (1), Kevin Youkilis (4) | ||
 Orioles6-18 | 12 | W: Brad Bergesen (1-2) H: Mark Hendrickson (2), Alberto Castillo (1), Cla Meredith (2) S: Alfredo Simon (2) |
| 2B: Miguel Tejada (4) HR: Ty Wigginton – 2 (8), Matt Wieters (2), Nick Markakis (2), Luke Scott (3) | ||
