Sox pull off latest comeback to win in extras by Mike Ghika
Most recent deficit of 5-0 is no problem for Van Every, Sox

After the Sox saw their 11-game winning streak snapped so suddenly on Tuesday, the only thing on their minds was to retreat back to its winning ways in the rubber game of a three-game series against Cleveland – especially with a four-game series at Tampa Bay looming ahead. However, getting staked to a 5-0 deficit against a strong Indians team is not always a recipe for success.

Or perhaps it is the exact type of position this club likes to be in.

The Sox overcame a 7-0 deficit on April 17 for a 10-8 win over Baltimore. Just last Friday they erased a 4-2 ninth inning deficit against arguably the best closer of all-time to come back and win in extras. And then on Sunday, a 6-0 Yankees lead didn’t stop these cardiac kids from prevailing victoriously in a 16-11 triumph over the Bombers. All three wins, however, came at Fenway.

On Wednesday night, the Tribe got on the board early in the first after Victor Martinez followed an Asdrubal Cabrera single with a triple to center. Shin-Soo Choo’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0, and a Mark DeRosa long ball in the second made it 3-0. Former Sox farmhand Kelly Shoppach would homer with a man on in the fourth to put Eric Wedge’s club up 5-0.

The Sox didn’t get on the board until the sixth, when they got to Fausto Carmona for two runs. Carmona got the first two outs, but then put Jason Bay on with a walk. Consecutive doubles from Mike Lowell (who currently owns a 13-game hitting streak) and Jason Varitek would follow, and the Sox had suddenly made it a game again.

Jon Lester came back out for the bottom half of the sixth, recording a 1-2-3 inning on two strikeouts to finish off his night. He finished his fifth start of the season giving up five runs on seven hits (2 home runs) with three walks and seven strikeouts.

More magic came out of the Sox bats in the eighth after a costly error by DeRosa at third. After consecutive singles this time by Lowell and Varitek, first baseman Jeff Bailey, starting in place of All-Star Kevin Youkilis, reached after DeRosa couldn’t handle a potential inning-ending double play ball. As a result, with the bases full and just one out, right fielder Jonathan Van Every, starting in place of All-Star JD Drew, grounded one through the right side to plate Lowell as the Sox played some station-to-station baseball. Drew would then come on to pinch hit for Nick Green, and Varitek came in the back door on a fielder’s choice.

After Lugo came on to run for Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury rolled an 0-2 pitch up the middle to plate Bailey and tie the game. Manny Delcarmen would load the bases with 2 outs in the bottom half, but he got the dangerous Grady Sizemore to line out to Van Every in right to escape the jam.

Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless ninth to send it into extras, but the Sox had no intentions of playing late into the night with a flight to Florida on tap. After two quick outs in the tenth against Jensen Lewis, Van Every stepped up to the plate for the first time since his RBI single two innings earlier. This time, the speedy lefty crushed a monstrous home run to center to put the sox on top for the first time all night at 6-5.

Jonathan Papelbon came on in the bottom half and got DeRosa to fly out to Ellsbury before Ben Francisco drew a walk. Nonetheless, Pap buckled down to strike out Shoppach and Sizemore swinging to seal the deal on the Tribe to give the Sox their fourth straight series win.

Now, the Sox seek revenge in Tampa after losing two of three to the rival Rays April 7-9, but things look much better this time around having won 12 of 13. The Sox, despite giving the night off to Youkilis, Drew, and Julio Lugo in favor of Bailey, Van Every, and Green, still managed to pull off their sixth comeback win of the year. In addition, the Sox are now 11-2 when scoring at least five times, and 14-7 in games decided by three runs or less.

After four more scoreless innings from what is quickly being recognized as the best bullpen in all of baseball, the Sox relief staff maintains the lowest ERA in the bigs. The Sox have found that they can rely on a steady, balanced offensive attack and a dominant relief core – even on nights when they don’t get the very best out of its starter. As far as pulling off comeback after comeback goes, the Sox proved on Wednesday that they can do it on the road as well.

-Mike Ghika

Final Score: Red Sox 6, Indians 5 / 10 innings

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Rest In Peace Brian Venn

Published on April 30, 2009

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