West coast swing by Jared Carrabis
Adrian Beltre's homer proves to be game-winner


Staring a ten-game road trip in the face, the Red Sox started their marathon of road games off on the right foot.

Making his first start of the second half, Daisuke Matsuzaka looked to keep his habit of issuing free passes under control. Why? Because entering Monday night, when Matsuzaka two batters or less this season, he’s 4-0 in four starts. When he walks three or more, he’s 2-3 in eight starts.

Pitching in a scoreless game in the bottom of the third, Matsuzaka hung a 2-2 slider to Rajai Davis that the New England native drilled far enough to be dubbed a round-tripper.

In the top half of the fourth, former Oakland A Eric Patterson stung his old club with a leadoff triple into the gap in right-center. Patterson would stroll in from third on a sacrifice fly by David Ortiz to tie the game at one.

Two batters later, Adrian Beltre swung at a first-pitch changeup from Ben Sheets and mashed it into the seats in left-center field. The homer for Beltre was his fifteenth of the season.

Aside from the solo homer that Matsuzaka allowed in the third frame, the right-hander pitched effectively into the seventh. With one away, Matsuzaka walked just his second batter of the game, as a two-out double by Mark Ellis, later in the inning, put two runners in scoring position.

The double by Ellis chased Daisuke from the game, as Daniel Bard was called upon to get the Red Sox out of trouble. Three pitches later, the Red Sox were back in the dugout and out of a major jam.

In the bottom of the eighth, Bard found himself having to work out of another jam, but this time it was one that he had created. Allowing a walk and a single, Bard had to face Kurt Suzuki with two outs. Suzuki, who torches the Red Sox, hitting .357 lifetime against Boston with four homers, grounded out harmlessly for the 4-2 putout.

Jonathan Papelbon, who had begun warming up in the previous inning when Bard began to struggle, came on for the last of the ninth. Papelbon made quick work of the A’s, retiring the side in order on seventeen pitches, including a strikeout to Adam Rosales.



Final score: Red Sox 2, Athletics 1
WP: Daisuke Matsuzaka (7-3)
LP: Ben Sheets (4-9)
SV: Jonathan Papelbon (21)
HR: Rajai Davis (4), Adrian Beltre (15)

Game notes: With the win on Monday, Daisuke Matsuzaka is unbeaten in games where he walks two batters or less at 5-0 in five starts. In seven one-run save opportunities for Jonathan Papelbon this season, the closer has converted six of them. Despite being susceptible to the long ball, the homer that Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed on Monday night was just the third he’s served up since the first of May.

Eye on the scoreboard: The Tampa Bay Rays lucked out, as they get to run over the lowly Baltimore Orioles. The Rays slugged their way to an 8-1 victory, while the Yankees had an off-day. As it stands now, the Red Sox are six games back of the Yankees in first, and four and-a-half behind the second-place Rays.

Tweet of the Night: @ScottLauber: Quote of the night, after Adrian Beltre accidentally elbowed Daniel Bard while putting on shirt: "I think you broke my rib," Bard said.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on July 20, 2010

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