Game 54: Riding a bumpy D-Train

by Randy Booth on Jun 5, 2009 11:39 AM EDT in Game Stories Comment 7 comments

Final - 6.4.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	6	0
Detroit Tigers	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	10	0
WP: Tim Wakefield (7 - 3) SV: Jonathan Papelbon (14) LP: Dontrelle Willis (1 - 3)

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Reason No. 382 why I love baseball: "the big inning."

The big inning is what helped the Red Sox knock off the Tigers yesterday, 6-3. After trailing 3-0 heading into the third, Dontrelle Willis blew up and the Sox took advantage. Back-to-back walks with the bases loaded made it 3-2. Then Bay ripped a double to score both J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia. Mike Lowell knocked in another with a groundout and Rocco Baldelli singled in a run.

And that's what the Sox needed to win.

After one bad inning of his own, Tim Wakefield settled down. Wakefield went 6.2 innings, allowed eight hits, three runs, struck out three and walked none. This was Wakefield's only start of the season where he did not allow a walk. Nice job, Timmy.

Justin Masterson (.2 IP, 2K) and Hideki Okajima (.2IP, 1H, 1K) earned holds. Jonathan Papelbon (1IP, 1H, 1BB) earned the save. Once again, not the cleanest save from Papelbon, but we'll take it. His WHIP now stands at 1.46 -- so much higher than we're used to out of him.

It was a sweep, though, and that's a beautiful sight to see. The Sox are going to hit a hard wall, however, as they start a big series with the Texas Rangers tonight at 7 p.m. The Rangers (31-22) are the third best team in the AL -- behind us and the Yankees. It's Brad Penny versus Kevin Millwood tonight.

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Luckily for the Sox

They get to spend most of the next two weeks at home. That is a big help.

And Wake pitched a very efficient game, too—20 outs on 80 pitches. He probably could have gone 8 innings. Masterson or Okajima to close out the game in the ninth would have saved us all the trauma of watching Paps in the ninth.

by lone1c on Jun 5, 2009 12:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

As much as Paps is becoming K-Rod like...

If he gets his pitches lower, and hits the corners better, he should be okay. The big problem with Paps, as much as he throws high heat, too many pitches will wear out his delicate arm.

I am guessing some of the meatballs he has thrown, were bad cutters, with not much movement…

I see Paps’s big problem is he is throwing too high in the strike zone.

by superferret on Jun 5, 2009 1:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i can’t believe Leyland pulled Dontrelle while pitching a no-hitter.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Jun 5, 2009 1:21 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

True

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Jun 5, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he was waiting for a hit

We’d still be in the top of the third inning, with the score 1245-3 and Willis on about his 893rd pitch.

by lone1c on Jun 5, 2009 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha.

Rec’d.

WBULTV - BDale TV Prod

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jun 5, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

D-Train..

I don’t know if Dontrelle can cut it in the Major Leagues, as much as his mechanics are a pitching coach’s nightmare, and he probably will cause some sort of shoulder damage if he continues with his delivery.

D-Train’s walks was more of a mental collapse, after he hit Ellsbury. However, Willis has been having huge problems with accuracy since last year.

In some ways I am rooting for the guy, but I see more of his power through his wacky arm position and delivery than his pitches.

by superferret on Jun 5, 2009 1:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs