Royal Pain
Just as Tim Wakefield was chased from the game in the fourth inning by the pesky Royals Terry Francona was driven from his customary bench by the irksome Kevin Millar.
Millar whooped and hollered over the phone to his MLB Network colleagues when Victor Martinez powered a two-run home run into the home team’s bullpen. The four-bagger granted the Red Sox a somewhat comfortable 5-2 lead.
But no lead is safe in Fenway, and these days no lead is safe with Wakefield on the mound. Kansas City retaliated with no regard for human life in the top of the fourth, tying the game 5-5 on a wild pitch to Mitch Maier. Maier would take a base on balls to load the diamond and Yuniesky Betancourt improbably knocked the ball over the left field wall for a grand slam.
Betancourt, the middle infielder who bats in the eight hole. The shortstop with the .392 career slugging percentage. The slick fielder who had 34 homers since 2005.
In such a topsy-turvy game it stands to reason that the Red Sox’s best pitcher was a position player. Bill Hall pitched a perfect frame in the ninth and had one more out than Joe Nelson, the only other Boston pitcher not to allow a baserunner. Hall was touted for his versatility, but who knew he could play on the mound, too?
While the Red Sox were embarrassed on their home field a few Green Line stops away the Celtics secured a spot in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. The new sports kings of the Hub defeated the Orlando Magic 96-84 to become the Eastern Conference champions. Just as Hall was a surprising contributor to the Red Sox games, the Celtics got a huge boost from the diminutive Nate Robinson. Doc Rivers stated that the reserve player would help them win a playoff game, and he did just that with his 13-point spark plug performance. Gino lives!
| Game 50: May 28, 2010 | ||
 Royals21-28 | 12 | W: Kyle Davies (4-3) |
| 2B: David DeJesus (13), Scott Podsednik (4), Alberto Callaspo (13) HR: Yuniesky Betancourt (4), Mitch Maier (1) | ||
| Red Sox 27-23 | 5 | L: Tim Wakefield (1-3) |
| 2B: Marco Scutaro (8), Victor Martinez (11) HR: Victor Martinez (7) | ||
