Game 118: Sox 4 M’s 5

We missed the top half of the first inning of this game. I was playing in a big tournament up in Burlington during the day and by the time we got back home, showered, and parked near the ball park we were about 15 minutes late. We had seats in the 2^nd level (terrace club level) along the 1^st base line. We got to the stadium just in time to see Beckett blow up. Ichiro hit a home run just as we walked into the stadium and the Mariners followed up with three more hits and two more runs before Beckett got his first out. He gave up a 2-run home run to Caspar Wells before getting out of the inning. So much for a pitcher’s duel between Beckett and Felix!

Felix cruised through his innings and Beckett settled down. In the top of the 4^th there was a strange play at the plate. Ellsbury was on third after walking, taking 2^nd on an error, and Crawford’s infield single. With one out, Pedroia flied out to middle to shallow right field and despite Ichiro’s arm, Ellsbury decided to test him. The ball beat him to the plate but the slide essentially put Ellsbury’s knee into catcher Bard’s chin. The ump looked for the ball and called Ellsbury safe even though Bard was holding the ball in his hand. The umps convened and reversed the call drawing Tito’s ire and getting him thrown out of the game. Once again, no replay meant everyone in the ballpark was completely clueless about what happened and what the ruling is. Thanks for making coming to the ballpark less attractive Mariners.

In the 6^th, the Sox finally made their comeback. Scutaro lead off the inning with a triple into the left field gap. Ellsbury brought him home with a home run a few rows into the right field seats. Crawford flied out to deep center but with the shift on, Gonzalez laid down the perfect bunt right down the third base line, easily walking to first base. Stupid shift. Pedroia then made them pay with a home run that just barely cleared the fence in right. Ortiz singled against the shift but unfortunately, that’s all we would get. Reddick struck out, Aviles singled, and Varitek lined out to kill the rally.

The rest of the game was pretty quite. In the 8^th, McDonald pinch ran for Ortiz after he singled but got called out stealing on a very close play. Only after seeing the replay (at home of course) did I believe that the ump got the call right. League pitched a perfect 9^th to get the save for the Mariners.

A tough loss but not unexpected with Felix on the mound, even if we were throwing Beckett.