Flashbacks
Kevin Millar’s NESN debut started with a raucous jaunt down memory lane. He ran down the Yankees’ 2004 roster to Boston’s and at nearly every position the Bronxers had their Hub counterparts outmatched. The chunky slugger’s highlights (think home runs, not foiling) were spliced with his immortal rally karaoke video set to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” The montage closed with, of course, his leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth against Mariano Rivera in Game 4. While Millar’s name is out of place with Hall of Famers like Dennis Eckersley, Peter Gammons, and Jim Rice, his jocular presence will lighten the show and be a constant reminder of one of the most-loved teams in Boston sports history.
It was the leadoff walk that plagued Daisuke Matsuzaka. Three times out of five the starter allowed the first baserunner to reach on a base on balls. In the fifth Matsuzaka lost all semblance of control, walking five batters (one with the bases loaded to plate a run) and uncorking a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. Of the three runs the Royals scored off Matsuzaka, only one came on a hit. The disappointing start was reminiscent of the pre-no-hit bid Matsuzaka, a memory Red Sox fans do not wish to revisit..
Had their starter not had control issues, the three runs the Red Sox scored would have sufficed for the win. Jason Varitek doubled over left fielder Scott Podsednik’s head to drive in J.D. Drew in the sixth. While Matsuzaka’s performance took some of the shine off the theory that Varitek brings out the best in the pitcher, Varitek’s continuing offensive production proves that the backstop’s value is not restricted to being Matsuzaka’s de facto personal pitcher.
| Game 49: May 27, 2010 | ||
 Royals20-28 | 4 | W: Brian Bannister (4-3) H: Robinson Tejeda (2), Blake Wood (3) S: Joakim Soria (12) |
| 2B: David DeJesus (12) | ||
| Red Sox 27-22 | 3 | L: Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-2) |
| 2B: Jason Varitek (3) HR: Bill Hall (3) | ||
