Even an uninspiring performance by Jon Lester was enough to get the job done against an Orioles team that has all but thrown in the orange towel, as Boston beat Baltimore, 11-5, on Saturday.
It was the Red Sox bats that locked up the 12th consecutive series win against the Orioles, behind a shaky outing six inning stretch where Lester gave up ten hits. But as he continued to miss his spots (only 62 strikes over 102 pitches), the offense was busy at work against an already depleted Orioles pitching staff.
Orioles starter David Hernandez gave up three earned runs on seven hits in his six innings of work, two to Dustin Pedroia, two to Kevin Youkilis, two to David Ortiz, and two to J.D. Drew.
With the game tied up at three a piece going into the seventh inning, the Sox opened the game up with three runs just before the stretch, and then added another five runs in the eighth.
J.D. Drew blasted a three run shot off Bob McCrory in the eighth, and the next batter, Brian Anderson, followed suit, hitting his first home run as a member of the Boston Red Sox. The two blasts rocked McCrory’s ERA to 18.90, par for the course for the Baltimore Orioles staff.
Tonight’s, “For a Guy Who Doesn’t Hustle Much, There Are Certainly Other Ways to Contribute” Award goes to J.D. Drew, for his three hits and two runs with four RBI in five at bats this evening.
Next game: 9/20 @ BAL – Matsuzaka / Berken
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Although this has been the ‘easy’ part of the schedule, it hasn’t been that easy with the Rays, Angels, Yankees & Jay’s in the middle of it.
Let’s face it, the additions of Martinez, Gonzales, Kotchman, Gathright, Anderson, Wagner were very good moves at the right time, and the return of Buchholz & Matsuzaka at the same time are simply putting the Sox over the top.
Have to question your quote about J.D.’s level of hustle. He’s as much a dirt dog as anyone on the team, diving and sliding in the dirt with the best of them. He just does so in his own self-contained way, getting good jumps and running the way BJ Upton does, effortlessly. He’s the same way at the plate, only swinging at balls he can hit. That reflects one of the best eyes on the team, fast hands and that perfect swing.
Even when he has played most of the year, is ahead of most of his offensive #’s, is rated highly as a right fielder, and wears a dirty uniform, he still gets grief? Why? Does he actually have to LOOK like he’s in hyperspeed to be hustling? Or can’t the results speak for themselves? Blame Boras, not JD, for that contract which, by the way, he is earning.
With the “Obama hints” article, why dirty this site with comments by redneck dittohaters who are so full of anger that they can’t even enjoy baseball.