Empyreal Environs

He’s too sexy for Pawtucket. Since his return to the majors on July 21 Jed Lowrie has had hits in four out of six games and enjoyed his first multi-extra base hit game of the season last night. His first-inning double wasn’t converted into a run but his seventh-inning two-bagger put his team on the board and ahead of the home team.

With two men on and two out, Lowrie’s late inning hit sailed over Juan Rivera’s outstretched arm and bounced to the left field fences. Better defensive positioning or speed on Rivera’s part would have robbed the visitors of the runs, but the Angels clearly underestimated the returning infielder’s power stroke.

Jeremy Hermida may have taken a bribe from an Angels fan in the left fields stands to butcher his play on Hideki Matsui’s fly ball knowing that John Lackey would react vociferously. There isn’t a single pitcher, not even the emotionally intense and most recent owner of a no-hitter Matt Garza, who reacts so obviously as Lackey does when fielders don’t do what they should. The Anaheim fans must have been nostalgic seeing Lackey’s explosive reactions to his defense’s exploits.

Hermida redeemed himself in the fifth, or rather, second base umpire Laz Diaz’s incorrect ruling of Alberto’s Callaspo’s slide into second expiated Hermida. Lowrie should also be lauded for continually applying the tag to various parts of Callaspo’s body convincingly enough for Diaz. Mike Scioscia, His Multiple Manager of the Yearness, abandoned his usual perch (leaning against the dugout fence) and typical expression (aghast that his pitchers would ever throw a ball and/or his hitters would take a strike) to argue with Diaz but without zeal.

So much for firing up the troops by getting ejected.

Game 101: July 27, 2010
Red Sox 57-44	4	W: John Lackey (10-5) H: Daniel Bard (23) S: Jonathan Papelbon (24)
		2B: Jed Lowrie – 2 (3), Darnell McDonald (12), Adrian Beltre (29), Marco Scutaro (25)
Angels 52-51	2	L: Jered Weaver (9-7)
		2B: Juan Rivera (16), Bobby Abreu (24) HR: Bobby Abreu (12)