September 12 game

Hello readers, and sorry for my not being with you lately. Let me give you a little recap. The BoSox were swept by the Chicago White Sox, but won two of three against Tampa Bay. They then lost two of three to the Oakland A's. It is the last Athletics game I am writing about today. Currently, the Sox sit eight games behind the league-leading Yankees and 7.5 behind the Rays in the wild card.

Josh Beckett was chosen to make the start for the Sox, looking to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Athletics. He ran into trouble in the third, walking four straight batters to give up a run. In the fifth, the A's grabbed two more on a two-run double for Mark Ellis, and the Sox were floundering. When J.D. Drew was up early in the game, he made too wide a turn at first and was gunned down by Jeremy Hermida. However, Drew redeemed himself when he doubled down the left-field line to drive in two and make the score closer. After Drew's smash, Terry Francona called on rookie Ryan Kalish to pinch-hit for the slumping Bill Hall. Kalish did not disappoint, poking a two-run single into left, with Drew coming all the way around from second base.

In inning number eight, it was Drew again, nubbing a swinging bunt to the left of the mound. Jeremy Blevins fielded it but made a horrendous throw all the way into right field. Adrian Beltre was able to touch the plate, and that meant that of the five runs the Red Sox scored, Drew was involved in four. In the ninth, with the score still 5-3, Jonathan Papelbon came on and needed just 13 pitches to strike out the side; however, the last K was disputed. It resulted in Derek Barton's being ejected, even after the game had ended.


Tonight, the Red Sox send Jon Lester to the mound in search of his 17th win. He is third in the league in strikeouts and needs just 4 Ks to earn 200 strikeouts this season.


Trivia
Hermida, who threw Drew out at first, has a weak arm and used to be a Red Sock.