May 29, 2012

G49: Red Sox 6, Tigers 3

Tigers  - 000 011 100 - 3  9  1
Red Sox - 010 310 10x - 6 11  0
25-24!  One game over .500, and only 3.5 GB in the AL East.

Daniel Nava's three-run, opposite-field double with two outs in the fourth inning - off a 100-mph fastball - was the big blow against Verlander (6-10-5-1-7, 105), who allowed 10 hits for the first time in 50 starts, dating back to September 2, 2010. It was also only the third time in his last 63 starts that Verlander allowed as many as five runs.

After Nava's double, the Tigers tried to inch closer, but the Red Sox simply put more runs on the board.

Jhonny Peralta hit a solo home run off Bard (5.1-5-2-2-4, 94) in the fifth. Bard ended that inning by striking out Miguel Cabrera with two men on. In the home half, David Ortiz doubled home Adrian Gonzalez to give the Red Sox a 5-1 lead. (Ortiz doubled and scored in the second.)

Prince Fielder launched a bomb to right-center to open the sixth. Detroit then put two more runners on base, but Scott Atchison retired Ramon Santiago on a bloop liner to second to hold the lead at 5-2. Fielder singled home a run in the seventh, but Ortiz answered that with his 11th home run of the year, a line drive that just cleared the Wall in left.

Rain delayed the game in the eighth inning for 38 minutes. Afterwards, Alfredo Aceves issued a one-out walk in the ninth, and nailed down the save.
Example
Justin Verlander / Daniel Bard
Nava, LF
Sweeney, RF
Gonzalez, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 3B
Saltalamacchia, C
Aviles, SS
Podsednik, CF
Punto, 2B
Bard, on the pitching match-up:
I'm excited about it. Pretty cool. I don't have to stand in the box against him, which I'm happy about. Offensively, we're swinging it good for the most part lately. Hopefully they can give me three or four runs and we can win with that.
For the seventh time this season, the Red Sox will try to get over .500:
 W- L     THEN...
.0- 0  -  lost 2-3
10-10  -  lost 1-4
11-11  -  lost 3-5
21-21  -  lost 1-4
22-22  -  lost 4-7
23-23  -  lost 3-4
24-24  - 
Tonight, it's .510 or bust!

5 comments:

Patrick said...

Trying to get over .500 against Verlander is indeed a tall order. I hope Bard is ready to bring it, and that we get more '4 out' innings.

mattymatty said...

Verlander has given up "three or four" runs three times in his ten starts this year (four twice, and three once). He's yet to give up more than four. He last gave up three four starts ago in Seattle (May 8th) and he hasn't given up four in over a month (April 27th).

Despite all that, since beating the Red Sox on opening day, the Tigers are 5-4 in his starts.

9casey said...

Pedroia may be bad...according to the sharp dressed man from the globe

hrstrat57 said...

Is it possible Nava can really play and all the experts were wrong?

Jere said...

Yanks lose, we're 1 behind them.