"Weekend In The Desert"
Sox at Arizona: June 8-10

Following the Oakland series that could’ve been a disaster but for Schilling’s masterpiece, the Sox traveled down to Phoenix for an interleague weekend series with the D-Backs. Arizona’s park (hereinafter referred to The “Park Formerly Known As The BOB”) is a massive, retractable domed stadium. Its footprint could hold three Fenway Parks. The dome allows fans to watch the game played on real grass in comfortable conditions. One of the curiosities of the park features a swimming pool beyond the centerfield fence where groups can have a pool party. The configuration of the park is great and it looks like a very nice place to watch a ballgame.

In the series opener (Game 60, Fri. N. 6/8/07), Josh Beckett (8-0, 2.95) got the call against left hander Doug Davis (4-6, 3.06). There is an unusually large contingent of Boston supporters in the stands. With no DH in the lineup, Big Papí starts at 1B for the first time this year and Youkilis is sitting this one out at the start. Julio Lugo cranked a cut fastball way out of the park to start things for the Sox.

Arizona features a couple of guys who should be familiar to Boston fans, Eric Byrnes and Orlando “O-Dog” Hudson. When last we recalled Byrnes, his blunders helped to seal the fate of Oakland in the ’03 ALDS, and Hudson always seemed to play well against the Sox when he was in Toronto. In the first, Beckett set down the D-Backs in order.

The Sox put up a three-spot in the third. Lugo led off with a walk. With two outs and Manny singled. Drew followed with a three-run homer to center. Drew’s swing is fluid and sweet, and Red Sox fans have waited quite awhile to see him hit a baseball like that. In the bottom of the inning, Arizona got a run back when Callaspo singled to lead off, Snyder followed with a single, but Callaspo was called out at second when he was fooled by Lugo’s variation of the “hidden-ball trick”. With two outs, Byrnes singled to center, scoring Snyder. However, the Sox got the run back in the fourth when Manny’s base hit drove in Pedroia.

In the sixth, Pedroia singled with one out. Ortiz hit a long double to right, and Pedroia scored on Byrnes` bad throw. What followed was a scary moment for Sox fans. Manny was hit on the wrist with a pitch by reliever Edgar Gonzalez that came in high and tight. Manny went face down in the dirt and was signaling that his wrist was in pain (dredging up memories of Jim Rice in 1975) and the manager and training staff rushed out to attend to him, but he was ok. Drew answered Gonzalez with his second three-run homer of he game, and put the ballgame out of reach at 9-1.

After that, it was garbage time and the Sox emptied the benches. Arizona tagged Beckett for a couple of runs late, but he had another strong outing, going eight, giving up five hits, two earned runs, walking none and striking out eight. It was an auspicious way to start things off in the desert.
In the middle game on Saturday night (Game 61, Sat. N. 6/9/07), Julian Tavarez got the call against Micah Owings (yet another young stud who’s making a major contribution for the D-Backs). Manny took a seat for this one, as he was nursing a sore wrist. The Sox loaded the bases in the second (including Tavarez’ bunt single) but Lugo hit a routine 6-3 ground out to kill the chance. As usually happens, the failure to execute with RISP has consequences. Arizona broke through with the game’s first run in the bottom of the inning when JD’s younger brother, Stephen Drew singled to lead of. He was erased on Quentin’s 6-4 force. But Miguel Montero ripped a doubled that rattled along the wall in right and Quentin could’ve crawled in on all fours. In the fourth, Arizona went up 3-0 on Stephen Drew’s two run shot that landed in the same spot where his brother planted two the night before.

The Sox caught some two-out lightning in the six when Drew singled and followed with a Varitek two-run homer to right. Tavarez hung in there for six innings, and other than the one bad pitch in the fourth, had a real good night on the hill for Boston. The Sox tied the score in the eighth when Youkilis walked, Drew hit into a 3-6 force, and Varitek doubled, scoring Hideki Okajima came on in relief of Donnelly. Lugo fluubed Chris Young’s grounder to short. Hudson bunted Young over to second. Conor Jackson (pinch hitting walked. Reynolds grounded out 5-3, but both runners moved into scoring position. Fortunately for Boston, Stephen Drew flied out to left. Both sides were retired in order in the ninth, so it was onto extra frames.

Ortiz walked to lead off the tenth. Youkilis followed with a base hit up the middle and Drew singled to load the bases. With one out Lowell (pinch hitting for Okajima) hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Ortiz scored the lead run. In the bottom of the inning, Papelbon starts the came on to close things out. After striking out Byrnes, he plunked Chris Young. The O-Dog struck out swinging, but Conor Jackson singled to short. With two on and two out Reynolds hit a liner to second to end the ballgame. Okajima got the win, and Papelbon picked up his 14th save.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, Clemens made his long awaited first start against the “Triple-A” Pirates, went six strong innings and the Yankees won again. The lead remains at 10 ½. Since June 1, New York has gone 7-2 while Boston has gone 4-5.

The Sox looked to sweep the D-Backs on Sunday afternoon (Game 62, 6/10/07). Daisuke had the unenviable task of trying to get back on track against Randy Johnson. When Big Unit was in the American League, he pretty much owned Boston, though he wasn’t comfortable under the bright lights of New York. The Sox put on a pair of baserunners against Johnson in the first, but Varitek struck out swinging to kill that threat. Anytime RJ’s on his game, hits are hard to come by. He was unhittable until the fourth when Manny walked to lead off and scored on Lowell’s doubled to left with one out.

Daisuke had his “bad inning” in the bottom of the fourth. Hudson walked and stole second. Jackson walked with one out. Stephen Drew singled up the middle and Hudson came in with the tying run. In the sixth, Jackson walked and scored the go-ahead run on Quentin’s double to the gap in left-center. Other than those blemishes, Matsuzaka had a good day’s work. Good enough to win except when the opposing pitcher is sawing off the Sox’ bats with his fastball. The game stayed 2-1 until Arizona’s eighth.

Lopez entered in relief of Daisuke and walked Jackson and Drew. Out he went and Timlin made his “long-awaited return”. Quentin bunted his first pitch in front of the mound; Timlin picked up the ball and threw it wide of first. Jackson and Drew scored and Quentin ended up on third. It was an awful throw, plain awful. With two outs, Young singled and Quentin came home with the fourth run of the inning. In the ninth, with Valverde pitching, Hinske walked with two out. Lugo followed with a single but Crisp flied out to center to end the game and close out the road trip on a sour note.

In the Bronx, A-Rod hit two homers and the Yankees annihilated Pittsburgh in a three-game sweep. They’ve picked up four games on Boston since June 1st, and the natives are getting restless.The Sox went 3-4 for the week, which isn't bad considering it was a brutal week of travel, but the Sox' lead in dropped to 9½.