At this rate Eric Gagne may cause someone in Red Sox Nation to have a heart attack.
For the third time this season as a member of the Boston Red Sox pitching staff, Eric Gagne, blew another game that Boston had the lead after eight innings. Boston missed a chance at taking both games of the doubleheader losing 7-5.
Headed into the eighth inning down 4-1 the Red Sox rallied on the backs and bats of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez and a little luck on a wild pitch by Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez.
The wild pitch scored the first run of the inning for Boston and with Jacoby Ellsbury on third and Coco Crisp on second advancing on the wild pitch, Ortiz drove them both home tying the game 4-4. Ramirez gave Boston the go-ahead run with an RBI double of his own bringing the score to 5-4.
Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon closed out the day game of the doubleheader so the “babying” of Papelbon continued as Gagne was chosen by Manager Terry Francona to close out the ninth inning.
Gagne got the first out of the inning inducing a fly ball out to center field getting Reggie Willits out, then the inning snowballed. Casey Kotchman walked, Chone Figgins singled to right field and pinch runner Erick Aybar advanced to third base. Orlando Cabrera tied up the game on a single to left field and Vladmir Guerrero completed the comeback driving in two runs on a double giving the Angels a 7-5 lead.
Rodriguez closed out the ninth to earn his fifth win of the season.
Guerrero had a great offensive day going 3-5 with two runs and three RBI’s and Ervin Santana made his first start since returning from the minors throwing for 6 1/3 innings, on four hits, one run, no walks and five strikeouts in the no-decision.
Santana retired the first 13 batters he faced in the game.
Josh Beckett who also earned a no-decision pitched for 7 innings, gave up five hits, two runs, one earned, walked one and struck out eight in the game.
