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06-15-2003, 09:58 AM
Hey Sox fans! ... You're welcome for the extra fielding practice we gave your kid Sanchez last night! :hmm:
by Ian Browne @ MLB.com (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20030614&content_id=374633&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos)
Sox make it two straight
Sanchez spectacular in field
BOSTON -- Some nights, you just get a perfect combination. Saturday night at Fenway Park, that combo consisted of Derek Lowe being a ground ball machine from the mound and third baseman Freddy Sanchez acting as a human vacuum cleaner.
With veteran Lowe and rookie Sanchez working in perfect harmony all night, the Red Sox upended the Astros, 8-4.
In the 22 outs Lowe recorded over 7 1/3 innings, 20 were grounders.
Of the 27 outs made by the Red Sox, 10 of them were assists by Sanchez and one was a putout. The 10 assists were one shy of a Major League record. Six third basemen have made 11 assists in a game, but none since Cincinnati's Chris Sabo in 1988.
"(Sanchez) had a good night to say the least at third base," Astros manager Jimy Williams said. "He had a lot of plays and he certainly came through on every one. Lowe just got a lot of ground balls. His sinker was really working."
While Williams - who managed Lowe for nearly four seasons - used to be the beneficiary of that nasty sinker, Grady Little is now the one whose eyes light up when his right-hander is inducing one grounder after another.
"He had his sinker from the first inning on," Little said. "He is operating with a high level of confidence right now."
It wasn't that long ago that Lowe's struggles were one of the biggest issues on the Red Sox. Following a loss to the Twins on May 11, he was 3-3 with a 6.53 ERA.
This was the same man who finished third in the AL Cy Young award voting in 2002?
Lowe was as mystified by his slump as anyone. But by drastically increasing his number of sinkers per outing, he righted himself. Since that disastrous start against the Twins, Lowe is 4-0 in his last six outings.
His overall numbers (7-3, 4.68 ERA) are getting more respectable by the start.
Not that any of his teammates are surprised.
"D-Lowe, that's the kind of pitcher he is," said Sox DH David Ortiz. "When he's right on, he's tough to hit."
The Astros did get a couple of good licks in the early innings. Geoff Blum ripped a solo homer to right to give his team a quick lead in the first. And Jeff Bagwell raked a solo shot over the Green Monster in the third to put the Sox in a 2-0 hole.
Believe it or not, that was Bagwell's first homer since May 5, a span of 140 at-bats. That marked the longest homer drought of Bagwell's career.
But Lowe got better as the game progressed, and the Sox cranked their offense in gear in the fourth against Tim Redding. Manny Ramirez ripped a single up the middle and Todd Walker drew a walk. Both men scored when Trot Nixon crushed a two-run triple to right to tie it up at 2-2.
Perhaps the key moment of the game occurred in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third and two outs, Jeff Kent hit a hard grounder that looked like a two-run single to left off the bat. But Sanchez deftly dove to his left and fired to first in time to stifle the Astros and end the inning.
"If it gets through, it is 4-2," Lowe said. "Then they (have the) momentum."
Sanchez -- who has played sporadically since being recalled from Pawtucket two weeks ago -- was just happy to chip in.
"Even though I didn't get a hit tonight, that felt great to just help out the team," Sanchez said. "I felt like I really contributed to our win and that's really a confidence builder for me."
His play on Kent was a prelude to a big Boston attack in the bottom of the fifth.
With runners on first and second and two outs, it appeared as if Redding was out of the inning when Ramirez tapped a grounder to first. However, Nomar Garciaparra perfectly screened Bagwell on his way to second, and the first baseman was charged with an error.
That loaded the bases, and set the stage for Ortiz's three-run double into the left-field corner.
Why is it starting to seem like Ortiz is automatic with the bases loaded? Because he practically is. His latest clutch hit made him 5-for-6 with the bases loaded this season with 14 RBIs.
"I hope I can keep it going like that," said Ortiz. "It's about concentration. Trying to stay away from the big swings."
Then Kevin Millar followed with a big swing, blasting a double to left-center to score Ortiz.
From there, it was all Red Sox. Sunday afternoon, the 38-28 Sox go for the three-game sweep against Houston.
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/images/2003/06/14/tMxiC8O7.gif
by Ian Browne @ MLB.com (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20030614&content_id=374633&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos)
Sox make it two straight
Sanchez spectacular in field
BOSTON -- Some nights, you just get a perfect combination. Saturday night at Fenway Park, that combo consisted of Derek Lowe being a ground ball machine from the mound and third baseman Freddy Sanchez acting as a human vacuum cleaner.
With veteran Lowe and rookie Sanchez working in perfect harmony all night, the Red Sox upended the Astros, 8-4.
In the 22 outs Lowe recorded over 7 1/3 innings, 20 were grounders.
Of the 27 outs made by the Red Sox, 10 of them were assists by Sanchez and one was a putout. The 10 assists were one shy of a Major League record. Six third basemen have made 11 assists in a game, but none since Cincinnati's Chris Sabo in 1988.
"(Sanchez) had a good night to say the least at third base," Astros manager Jimy Williams said. "He had a lot of plays and he certainly came through on every one. Lowe just got a lot of ground balls. His sinker was really working."
While Williams - who managed Lowe for nearly four seasons - used to be the beneficiary of that nasty sinker, Grady Little is now the one whose eyes light up when his right-hander is inducing one grounder after another.
"He had his sinker from the first inning on," Little said. "He is operating with a high level of confidence right now."
It wasn't that long ago that Lowe's struggles were one of the biggest issues on the Red Sox. Following a loss to the Twins on May 11, he was 3-3 with a 6.53 ERA.
This was the same man who finished third in the AL Cy Young award voting in 2002?
Lowe was as mystified by his slump as anyone. But by drastically increasing his number of sinkers per outing, he righted himself. Since that disastrous start against the Twins, Lowe is 4-0 in his last six outings.
His overall numbers (7-3, 4.68 ERA) are getting more respectable by the start.
Not that any of his teammates are surprised.
"D-Lowe, that's the kind of pitcher he is," said Sox DH David Ortiz. "When he's right on, he's tough to hit."
The Astros did get a couple of good licks in the early innings. Geoff Blum ripped a solo homer to right to give his team a quick lead in the first. And Jeff Bagwell raked a solo shot over the Green Monster in the third to put the Sox in a 2-0 hole.
Believe it or not, that was Bagwell's first homer since May 5, a span of 140 at-bats. That marked the longest homer drought of Bagwell's career.
But Lowe got better as the game progressed, and the Sox cranked their offense in gear in the fourth against Tim Redding. Manny Ramirez ripped a single up the middle and Todd Walker drew a walk. Both men scored when Trot Nixon crushed a two-run triple to right to tie it up at 2-2.
Perhaps the key moment of the game occurred in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third and two outs, Jeff Kent hit a hard grounder that looked like a two-run single to left off the bat. But Sanchez deftly dove to his left and fired to first in time to stifle the Astros and end the inning.
"If it gets through, it is 4-2," Lowe said. "Then they (have the) momentum."
Sanchez -- who has played sporadically since being recalled from Pawtucket two weeks ago -- was just happy to chip in.
"Even though I didn't get a hit tonight, that felt great to just help out the team," Sanchez said. "I felt like I really contributed to our win and that's really a confidence builder for me."
His play on Kent was a prelude to a big Boston attack in the bottom of the fifth.
With runners on first and second and two outs, it appeared as if Redding was out of the inning when Ramirez tapped a grounder to first. However, Nomar Garciaparra perfectly screened Bagwell on his way to second, and the first baseman was charged with an error.
That loaded the bases, and set the stage for Ortiz's three-run double into the left-field corner.
Why is it starting to seem like Ortiz is automatic with the bases loaded? Because he practically is. His latest clutch hit made him 5-for-6 with the bases loaded this season with 14 RBIs.
"I hope I can keep it going like that," said Ortiz. "It's about concentration. Trying to stay away from the big swings."
Then Kevin Millar followed with a big swing, blasting a double to left-center to score Ortiz.
From there, it was all Red Sox. Sunday afternoon, the 38-28 Sox go for the three-game sweep against Houston.
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/images/2003/06/14/tMxiC8O7.gif