Josh Beckett Hit Hard in Red Sox 10-0 Loss to Tigers
By John Green
Lineups
Boston Red Sox
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
6. Ryan Sweeney, RF
7. Cody Ross, LF
8.Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9. Mike Aviles, SS
Detroit Tigers
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Brennan Boesch, RF
3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
5. Delmon Young, LF
6. Alex Avila, C
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Andy Dirks, DH
9. Ryan Raburn, 2B
Starting today I will be hosting a live blog– select nights of the week– for Red Sox games. If you can’t catch the game or you just wanna come and interact with us and other fans stop into BoSox Injection!
Preview
After a heartbreaking loss on Opening Day, the Red Sox look to get some momentum going for the 2012 season. Josh Beckett will face off with Doug Fister–Both battled thumb injuries during spring training but appear ready to go for the second game of the season.
Stay tuned for updates by the inning, starting at 4:05 pm
Top First (Red Sox 0 -Tigers 0 <;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;)
Nothing doing in the Red Sox half of the first. Doug Fister got Jacoby Ellsbury to fly out to left, Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third and then Adrian Gonzalez worked a 2-2 count before striking out on a pitch low and out of the zone. Josh Beckett’s headed to the hill for the first time in 2012.
Bottom First (Red Sox 0-Tigers 2)
After working a full count, Austin Jackson was able to draw a walk. Brennan Boesch then hit a little looper to Mike Aviles at short, Aviles threw to first but Jackson was able to get back quickly.
Miguel Cabrera made Beckett pay for the leadoff walk with a no doubter to right center field. 2-0 Tigers, the first inning woes continue for Josh Beckett. Prince Fielder followed with a soft liner to Dustin Pedroia and Delmon Young popped out to Adrian Gonzalez in foul territory.
Top Second (Red Sox 0- Tigers 2)
With the exaggerated shift in play, David Ortiz was able to find a hole and put one off the glove of Ryan Raburn for a single. Kevin Youkilis worked a full count before giving Fister his second K of the game on an inside fastball with some nasty movement.
The Sox would threaten after Ryan Sweeney drew a walk–putting runners on first and second but Fister quickly extinguished the fire, getting Cody Ross to ground into a double play to end the inning. Let’s see how Beckett rebounds from a shaky first.
Bottom Second (Red Sox 0-Tigers 2)
Josh Beckett settled down nicely in the second. The righty retired Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta on groundballs, then got Andy Dirks to pop out to Cody Ross in shallow left. 8 pitches in the inning for Josh– the Sox need him to go deep into this game so a few more innings like this one will be vital.
Top Third (Red Sox 0-Tigers 2
Doug Fister left a sinker high in the zone that Salty made him pay for with a double over Prince Fielders head, Mike Aviles grounded to the right side and then Jacoby Ellsbury moved Salty to third with a grounder to the right side.
Dustin Pedroia hit one sharply to third but Miguel Cabrera played it easily and threw to third to end the threat. Still 2-0 Detroit.
Bottom Third (Red Sox 0-Tigers 2
Ryan Raburn opened the inning with a three pitch strikeout but Austin Jackson battled him before turning on a hanging curveball for a double to left field.
Brennan Boesch gave a scare with a drive to left but Sweeney was able to track it down a few feet from the wall. Miguel Cabrera struck out to end the inning but a lot of balls are being tagged off of Beckett right now.
Top Fourth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 2
Adrian Gonzalez opened the inning with a hard grounder up the middle for his second hit of the young season, David Ortiz followed with a fly ball out to right that he just barely missed–it took Brennan Boesch all the way to the track.
Kevin Youkilis whiffed for the second time in as many at-bats, this time on a fastball on the outside corner.
A couple pitches into Ryan Sweeney’s at bat the trainer and Jim Leyland came out to check on Fister. The righty came out of the game with some type of injury to his rib cage. As soon as we know more you will know more.
Duayne Below came on and got Ryan Sweeney to pop out to shallow left to end the top of the fourth.
Bottom Fourth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 5)
The new “Big Thing” in Detroit-Prince Fielder- led off the inning with a homer into the stands in left center. Delmon Young then hit a slow roller on the right side that a hurrying Adrian Gonzalez couldn’t get a hold on, putting him on first for Alex Avila. Avila then tattooed one to left for a 2 run homer. Josh Beckett has allowed three home runs in just four innings to start the season.
Beckett was able to retire the final three batters but the damage was already done. Can the Red Sox capitalize on the Tigers’ pen?
Top Fifth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 5)
Again nothing doing for the Sox in the fifth. Cody Ross chased ball four and grounded out, Jarrod Saltalamacchia scorched a liner that Miguel Cabrera caught on a dive, and Mike Aviles chased one up in the zone for a strikeout to end the inning.
The Red Sox offense looks to be hibernating at this point. Down five runs, they’ll have to muster something soon to give them a chance in this game.
Bottom Fifth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 7)
Beckett got two quick outs in the fifth and then Miguel Cabrera-who already has a homer-stepped in and drove one to left. Initially it was ruled a ground rule double but after review it was determined to be the fourth homer allowed by Beckett, second off the bat of Miguel Cabrera.
The bleeding didn’t stop there though. Prince Fielder stepped in and guess what? He hit his second of the game. Five homers allowed by Beckett in as many innings.
Scott Atchison replaced Beckett after Mike Aviles made an error at shortstop to extend the inning. Atchison got Alex Avila to pop out and end the inning but not before the Tigers added two more.
Top Sixth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 7)
Another uneventful inning for the Red Sox who can’t seem to muster anything. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out, Pedey struck out on a pitch that could have went either way, A-Gon hit a long single off the base of the wall but David Ortiz hit one hard right at Brennan Boesch for the third out.
Bottom Sixth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 8)
Scott Atchison allowed consecutive singles to Peralta and Dirks, Ryan Raburn then grounded into a force at second-putting runners on the corners.
Austin Jackson grounded into a force at second that drove in Jhonny Peralta and then Brennan Boesch grounded to Adrian Gonzalez who went to Mike Aviles for the out to end the inning.
Top Seventh (Red Sox 0-Tigers 8)
Ryan Sweeney hit a single up the middle but two strikeouts later and the inning was over. The Sox haven’t been able to get anything going so far and they’re running out of time.
Bottom Seventh (Red Sox 0-Tigers 10)
This Tigers offense is unrelentless. After getting Miguel Cabrera to ground out, Matt Albers hit Fielder, Delmon Young singled and Alex Avila singled to load the bases.
Jhonny Peralta then hit a dribbler to Kevin Youkilis, which he went home with to get the force at home. Salty then made a throw off line to first that allowed Delmon Young to score.
Justin Thomas was summoned from the bullpen to replace Albers but the lefty didn’t fair much better. Andy Dirks hit a single to make it an embarrassing 10-0 and then Ryan Raburn struck out swinging to end the inning.
Top Eighth (Red Sox 0-Tigers 10)
Three strikeouts with a walk mixed in and the Red Sox go down without a fight once again.
Octavio Dotel struck out Mike Aviles before being replaced in favor of Phil Coke, who went on to strikeout Darnell McDonald, walk Dustin Pedroia and strikeout Adrian Gonzalez to end the inning.
The Sox offense looks non-existent right now.
Bottom Eighth(Red Sox 0-Tigers 10)
Michael Bowden came on for the eighth and-despite a leadoff walk-ended up with a solid inning after getting Brennan Boesch to ground into a double play and Miguel Cabrera to ground out to end the inning. Headed to the ninth.
Any hope for a ninth inning comeback? Doubtful.
Final: Tigers 10- Red Sox 0
So the story in this one was Josh Beckett’s ineffectiveness. Beckett allowed five home runs in just 4 2/3 innings.
The Red Sox offense was non existent in the game and couldn’t muster a run off of Tigers pitching even after Doug Fister left with a strained muscle in the fourth. Look for additional coverage and breakdowns here at BoSox Injection following the game.