If you're Red Sox call-up Darnell McDonald, you'd say, "All it takes is a 2-run homer to tie the game and the a bases-loaded walk-off hit." Only those who paid close attention in Spring Training even knew who Darnell McDonald was before he was called up tonight along with Josh Reddick after both Cameron and Ells were put on the 15-day DL. Hitting well over .300 in Pawtucket in the first two weeks of their season and having plenty of major-league experience, McDonald was a natural choice to accompany Reddick to the big club. Reddick, for his part, hit a 2-RBI double that really should have been ruled a ground-rule double, plating only one run, but the Red Sox will gladly take some luck coming their way for a change.
The weekend series with Tampa Bay was beyond brutal and the Sox had had more than their share of bad luck lately, with two starting outfielders down, and suspended game that caused the Sox to begin play on Saturday night in the bottom of the ninth inning, about as unnatural a situation as you can get. Some problems they had over the weekend were a result of poor control of the running game, sloppy defense, and a rather passive approach to the offense, playing for the big inning.
Tonight, the game was managed far better than it had been in those dismal games during the losing streak. Facing a lefty, Francona pinch hit Mike Lowell for Papi and Lowell drew a walk. Though it didn't result in any runs, that particular move might have prevented an out from being made at that time. Then, in the ninth inning, when the game was tied, Bill Hall sacrificed Youk to third. He originally intended to move Youk to second, but a wild pitch by Frank Francisco took care of that. Lowell got the 4-finger salute and Beltre, no doubt trying to lift a ball into the air to avoid grounding into a double play, popped out. With two outs, Tek walked and McDonald got the chance to be the hero again, after tying the game on a two-run dinger into the Monster seats the previous inning. He lined a single off the wall and the game was over, only one run needing to score to give the Sox a desperately-needed win.
The Red Sox still have a lot of work to do, including finding a way to better control the running game. The Rangers were running all over the bases, stealing nine on Wake, who is slow to the plate with the knuckler. Walks turned into doubles and triples--The Texas nine were a slippery lot. More American League teams are stealing bases now and playing small-ball and, consequently, defense behind the plate (and on the mound) is becoming more and more important. The Angels, Rangers and Rays, and even the Red Sox themselves when Ells gets on base can turn the basepaths into a track meet and make pitching from the stretch an even more intensely stressful situation.
Tonight's game was a giant step in the right direction for the Red Sox. More aggressive, active management, along with some timely hitting from a unlikely hero and solid pitching from the pen won the game for the Sox tonight. Good job, boys! Now go out there and win another one tomorrow. One game at a time.
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!
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