When Stephen Drew gets elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, we'll all remember this night. Haha I'll try again. When the Red Sox win the World Series this October, May 6 will be a game we should point to as a turning point. Ok that's unlikely but at least somewhat in the realm of possibilities.
Boston (21-11 overall, 12-5 home) desperately needed a win after getting humbled and swept by the Rangers this past weekend in Texas. They made it harder on themselves than it had to be since Joel Hanrahan blew a save in the ninth but ultimately the Red Sox got a 6-5 win over Minnesota (13-15 overall, 6-9 away) in 11 innings tonight at Fenway Park. Drew (4 for 5 w/HR, 3 RBIs) was the hero with a walk-off double that scored Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Another reason that the Red Sox couldn't afford a loss is because their ace-Clay Buchholz-was going against a bad team, at home. The reverse lock struck again as Buchholz struggled (relative term) for the first time this season: 6 innings, 4 earned runs, 7 hits, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks.
The Twins actually had a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI double by Josh Willingham and RBI single by Justin Morneau in the first inning followed by an RBI double by Aaron Hicks in the fourth. Former Phillies great Vance Worley (5 innings, 3 earned runs, 9 hits, 3 strikeouts) couldn't protect the lead. His former teammate Shane Victorino hit his first home run as a Red Sox (to right field) to cut it to 3-1 in the fourth.
Morneau made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth but Drew's RBI single in the fifth, Mike Napoli's RBI single in the sixth and Drew's solo homer to right in the seventh (2nd of the season) tied it at four. Dustin Pedroia also hit his first homer of the season, over the Monster in the eighth to give Boston a 5-4 lead.
With Andrew Bailey placed on the 15-day DL (right biceps strain) earlier today, Craig Breslow was called up from Pawtucket (where he was rehabbing) and he had a 1-2-3 eighth with one strikeout. The road predictably got much bumpier in the ninth where tub of goo Joel Hanrahan couldn't nail down the save against the Twins (great sign). Brian Dozier tied it with a solo shot to center. Later in the inning, Hanrahan left with another injury (he recently recovered from a hamstring issue), what they termed "right forearm tightness." Maybe the Red Sox should stop trading for injury prone closers from terrible teams? Just a thought.
No worries, we all knew that Drew would wind up leading Boston to victory for one fleeting game. His double off the scoreboard on the Monster was a nice moment for a guy that has been a disaster so far in his brief Red Sox career. Clayton Mortensen (1-2) picked up the win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
If Boston is in a save situation tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), I have no idea who will take the hill. All I know is that Ryan Dempster (2-2) gets the start against young lefty Scott Diamond (2-2).
UPDATE 5/7: Step right up Junichi Tazawa, you're the next Red Sox closer (for a few days at least before you inevitably get hurt or aren't effective)!
UPDATE 5/7: Hanrahan went on the DL again, Allen Webster was called up to start tomorrow night's game and Felix Doubront was sent to the bullpen. Doubront will reportedly be available in relief beginning tonight.
UPDATE 5/9: That tub of goo Hanrahan went on the 60-day DL and he's going to see Dr. James Andrews on Friday so I doubt we'll see him again this season. Webster was sent back to the PawSox and Jose De La Torre was called up. For now, Junichi Tazawa is Boston's closer.
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