Rockie Mountain Laser Show by Jared Carrabis
Pedroia belts three homers in Sox' epic victory


I don't remember it being this difficult the last time we were here.

Fresh off the disabled list, Daisuke Matsuzaka was scheduled to make his first start since being scratched in favor of Scott Atchison on June 12. Matsuzaka appeared to be a little rusty in the bottom of the first, allowing a two-run single to Brad Hawpe.

After being silenced through the first three innings, as Rockies start Jason Hammel extended his scoreless innings streak to 28.1 innings, the Red Sox finally cracked the code to the Colorado right-hander.

Dustin Pedroia came to the plate to lead off the fourth and blasted a solo home run to left field to put the Red Sox on the board. A single by David Ortiz and doubles by Adrian Beltre and Mike Cameron plated two more runs in the frame for Boston, as run number four would come home on an RBI base hit off the bat of Matsuzaka himself.

The Boston bats were back at it in the fifth, when Beltre blasted his eleventh homer of the season to deep left, giving the Red Sox a 6-2 advantage.

Matsuzaka pitched his way through five innings, allowing just the two runs that were surrendered in the first.

The bottom of the sixth was a nightmare for Terry Francona and his bullpen. Manny Delcarmen was the first man called upon, and it was not pretty. Delcarmen allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases, as he departed without recording an out.

Hideki Okajima followed Delcarmen, as he served up a two-run base hit to Todd Helton. The left-handed reliever would allow three more singles that plated three more runs, before getting the hook.

Ramon Ramirez became the third reliever of the inning, and was struck for an RBI base hit on the first batter he faced, with the run being charged to Okajima.

When the inning came to a merciful end, the Rockies had pushed six runs home, and had taken an 8-6 lead.

The scoring was far from over, as Daniel Nava and Pedroia hit back-to-back singles to lead off the seventh. Nava would later score on an RBI base hit by Beltre, who had a monster night that was greatly overshadowed.

With two men aboard, Jason Varitek hammered a double that brought home a pair of runs, as the Red Sox retook the lead, 9-8.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the next inning, when Pedroia launched his second home run of the night. This time, it was a two-run shot to put the Red Sox ahead 11-8.

The Rockies chipped away with a run in the eighth, when Wednesday night's villain, Jason Giambi, knocked in a run off Daniel Bard.

With a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, it was time for Jonathan Papelbon to redeem himself, but redeem himself he did not. A bloop single by Hawpe brought home two runs to tie the score at eleven, handing Papelbon his second blown save in as many nights.

With the Red Sox bullpen nearly entirely depleted, it was Pedroia to the rescue in the top of the tenth. With two outs and Marco Scutaro standing on first, Pedroia hammered an 0-1 slider that sailed over the fence in left for his third homer of the game, giving the Red Sox an 13-11 lead.

"I hit a lot of bombs. Don't kid yourself," Pedroia said. "Just not 3 in one game."

Sticking with his closer, Francona sent Papelbon back out there in the tenth, and the right-hander responded by mowing the Rockies down in order, including a strikeout of Melvin Mora to end a wild one at Coors Field.



Final score: Red Sox 13, Rockies 11
WP: Jonathan Papelbon (3-4), BS (3)
LP: Huston Street (0-1)

Game notes: The three-homer game for Dustin Pedroia was his second career multi-home run game, and the first three-home run game of his life at any level. The last player to go 5-for-5 with 3 HR in a game was a fella you may know -- Albert Pujols on July 20, 2004. Pedroia joins John Valentin and Fred Lynn as the only players in Red Sox history to go 5-for-5 with 3 HR. After hitting his first homer of the night, he became the fourth member of the Red Sox with at least 10 HR this season.

Tweet of the Night: @AmalieBenjamin: Um, laser show. Seriously.

Note: I thought of the title for this blog after Pedroia hit his second homer. Sean McAdam took it from my brain and tweeted it after Pedey hit is third. So, pff. I thought of it first...and sooner.

-Jared Carrabis



To order Jared's debut book, One Fan's Story: If This Hat Could Talk, click HERE!





Published on June 25, 2010

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