California Dreaming
I’d be safe and warm... safe and secure, [largest mutual life insurance company’s name here]. Organ flourish.
As the Red Sox may not make the playoffs they might as well take out as many teams as they can as they play out the rest of the season. Going into this series the Angels had a half-game edge over Oakland and trailed Texas by seven games. Anaheim had just acquired Dan Haren and Kevin Youkilis disposed of him with a liner off the forearm. While Haren won’t have to make a trip to the disabled list, Boston severely hobbled the Angels’ chances taking over the AL West with the series sweep.
Mike Scioscia had to patch together a start with relief arms beginning with Scot Shields. The last time Shields was used as a starter was September 23, 2003, a seven-inning win. Seven years of relief pitching is no way to prepare for a sport start and Shields was chased from the game after a mere one and two-third innings of work.
The visitors feasted on the hodgepodge of hurlers; only Darnell McDonald and Jeremy Hermida didn’t get hits. Eric Patterson was a home run shy of the cycle and Marco Scutaro launched a grand slam in the eighth, which together is known as the Bengie Molina Combo. Scutaro’s homer shattered the 3-3 tie and all but annihilated the Angels’ chance to salvage a game.
The Red Sox lost when they should have won and won where it was presumed they would lose for a 7-7 record since the All-Star break. What could have been a Mondale turned out to be merely a Dukakis.
| Game 102: July 28, 2010 | ||
 Red Sox58-44 | 7 | W: Josh Beckett (2-1) |
| 2B: Eric Patterson (8) 3B: Eric Patterson (5) HR: Adrian Beltre (17), Bill Hall (11), Kevin Youkilis (19), Marco Scutaro (6) | ||
| Angels 52-52 | 3 | L: Fernando Rodney (4-1) |
| 2B: Mike Napoli (15), Reggie Willits (3), Alberto Callaspo (20) | ||
