For 5 innings Dice-K was lights out, I mean, total darkness. Well, almost: 2 hits, 0 runs, 4 strikeouts, NO WALKS (yes, you read that right folks), all on 70 pitches. The Sox batted around the order in the 2nd inning and tallied 5 runs in the process: Beltre- HR, Lowrie- BB, Lowell- single, Nava reaches on error, Kalish- double, Scutaro- BB (still no one out), Drew- fly out, Martinez- pop out, Ortiz- single, and finally Beltre makes another appearance at the plate-K. The 1st 6 batters for the Sox got on base, 5 runs in by the end of the inning. It’s not quite as impressive as the Rockies getting 11 hits in a row, but we’ll take it.
OK, on to inning # 6 for Dice-K: single, double, single, out (run scores), BB, K, and a double makes it a 5-4 game. (squirm, squirm, squirm…) Out goes Dice-K, in comes Atchison. He was no goat tonight, though, as he pitched 2 perfect innings, while striking out 3 Orioles. Okajima made his return to the bullpen and recorded a perfect 1/3 of an inning.
The Red Sox got one back in the 7th inning on a walk, HBP, sac fly, and a FC.
So we head in to the bottom of the 9th feeling pretty good after Dice-K’s 5 good innings and Atchison’s 2 perfect innings, and here comes Pap. Pap’s been looking good lately, but he quickly gives up 2 lead-off singles and a sac bunt. Julio ‘shoebox for a glove’ Lugo (who is playing 2B these days) comes in to pinch run, and Pap suddenly finds himself with men on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. (squirm, squirm, squirm…) Vintage Pap finds his way back to the mound as the next 2 O’s go down swinging.
Sox 6 Orioles 4 BOX SCORE
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