Remember Me? by Jared Carrabis
Matt Garza picks up right where he left off in Game 7, 3 homers haunt Sox

(Photos from Boston.com)

Pitching, pitching and more pitching.

Coming off a freezing loss on Wednesday night that saw Jon Lester get knocked around the yard, Matt Garza reintroduced himself to Red Sox Nation on Thursday. The 2008 ALCS MVP, who was 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA against Boston in that series, Garza picked up right where he left off in the rubber game of this three-game series. In a 106-pitch effort, the frequently spitting right-hander cut down the Red Sox for seven strong innings. Boston could only scatter four hits and one run against the Rays’ third starter.

Opposing Garza on Thursday was Daisuke Matsuzaka, making his first start of the 2009 season. Matsuzaka struggled early and often, surrendering three home runs to the Tampa Bay offense. Tampa Bay scored all four of their runs via the long ball. Matt Joyce led off the top of the second with a homer to right field, Evan Longoria tattooed a two-run shot into the Monster seats in the third and the eventual game-winning home run was hit in the fourth by Shawn Riggans, also off of Matsuzaka.

Daisuke did not make it out of the sixth inning, as a double to center field by Akinori Iwamura ended the evening for Matsuzaka. The Japanese right-hander was cut off at 100 pitches even, walked three and struck out five, but the number that sticks out the most here would be the three home runs that he surrendered.

In Matsuzaka’s rookie season of 2007, he gave up 25 home runs in 204.2 innings pitched. In 2008, he drastically cut back on the balls he allowed to leave the yard by only yielding 12 home runs. In 2009, Sox fans are hoping that his first outing of the season is not a sign of things to come, as Matsuzaka gave up one fourth of the home runs he allowed in the preceding year in just one game.

Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Sox began to chip away at the four-run deficit on an RBI triple by Jason Bay. Two innings later in the bottom of the eighth, Mike Lowell inched the Sox closer with an RBI double to drive in Kevin Youkilis, who was 3-for-4 on the day with a walk.

The Red Sox bullpen kept things close, as Manny Delcarmen (1 IP), Ramon Ramirez (1.2 IP), Hideki Okajima (0.2 IP) and Justin Masterson (0.1 IP) all combined to keep the Rays’ bats silent. Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, manager Joe Maddon trotted out aging closer, Troy Percival, to seal the deal on the Sox. Having other thoughts, Jason Varitek ripped a 91 MPH fastball into right field for his second home run of the season, which if you’re keeping score at home is a great sign.

The Sox got the tying run as far as first base when David Ortiz walked to get Kevin Youkilis to the plate to represent the winning run. Percival battled Youkilis before getting the Sox’ first baseman to fly out to deep center to end the game. With that final out, the Red Sox have dropped to 1-2 on the season, but there’s no need to get all up in arms about anything. Could you place the blame of Daisuke’s rough outing on the World Baseball Classic? I wouldn’t blame you if you did. After all, he did start out the season traveling all over the world with Team Japan. Let’s not forget that in his start in the semi-finals, Matsuzaka threw more pitches in that game than he did in the ALCS with Boston, while he was in mid-season form.

Should you be worried about the Red Sox lack of offense the past two games? I don’t think so. If you do, I think you’re forgetting that this Rays pitching staff is by far one of the best in baseball aside from the Red Sox themselves. It’s too early to make judgments on anything just yet, because if you were going to jump the gun and say that the offense isn’t going to be there in 2009, that’s the same as saying that Jason Varitek has a shot at breaking Barry Bonds’ single season home run record. It’s just too early for judgment.

As far as protection behind David Ortiz goes, Kevin Youkilis picked up three more hits today to start off the season 8-for-12. Although we have yet to see his first home run of the season, it’s coming. Of the eight hits that Youkilis has, two of them are for extra bases and he has only struck out once in thirteen plate appearances.

Tomorrow night the Red Sox head to the west coast to play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where things look to get really difficult. As if the Angels weren’t a big enough threat based on talent alone, the Halo’s now have the motivation of winning their first game since the tragic and untimely death of Angels’ pitcher, Nick Adenhart. The game is sure to get emotional for Los Angeles, as the Angels look to win one for the 22-year-old right-hander that was taken from us all too soon.

On a brighter note, with Tim Wakefield getting the start and George Kottaras making his first start behind the plate in 2009, the Red Sox will be unveiling their new road jerseys on Friday in Anaheim. Boston will be donning their new blue road jerseys with the hanging Sox hats, and on Saturday (with Brad Penny making his Red Sox debut), Boston will be wearing the old school gray road jerseys.

Rest In Peace, Nick Adenhart.
-Jared Carrabis

Final Score: Rays 4, Red Sox 3

Published on April 09, 2009

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