Beckett HR Not Enough to Sweep Phillies

By KC Downey in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ June 14, 2009 at 6:54pm ⋅ Post a comment

Josh Beckett took the mound in the fourth inning with a 4-1 lead, and had really stifled the Phillies to that point. Then, he unraveled in the inning, and forked over the lead as a three-run lead became a one-run deficit. An angry Beckett violently threw his glove into the dugout, and grabbed his bat for the next half inning. He was due up.

Perhaps using his anger to his benefit, Beckett smacked his second HR in a Sox uniform to left-center field, tying the game and taking himself off the hook…for the moment. The Sox ace just didn’t have his best stuff Sunday afternoon, and after a scoreless sixth inning, he allowed two more runs and received no help from the bullpen in a 11-6 loss.

All was not lost Sunday. Through their four consecutive series against first place clubs (Tigers, Rangers, Yankees, Phillies), the Red Sox went a remarkable 9-3, so they definitely have something to hang their hat on.

Sox Stud of the Game

Nick Green, 2B: Getting the start at second base, Green made the most of it. He followed a Rocco Baldelli HR in the second inning with a HR of his own as part of a 3-5 day.

Sox Dud of the Game

Daniel Bard, RP: Bard had his first career rough outing in relief of Beckett, allowing four runs on two hits and three walks in just .2 of an inning. A 6-5 deficit turned into an 11-5 deficit with Bard in the game. Not good.

That’s What He Said

“When you give the opportunities to a lineup like that, you can get hurt,” Terry Francona said of the seventh inning. “That was a rough inning.”

Game Notes

W: Chan Ho Park (3-1)
L: Josh Beckett (7-3)

Dustin Pedroia was given the day off, with Nick Green starting at second base and Julio Lugo starting at short stop.
David Ortiz did not start, but walked in his only pinch hit at bat.
Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 25th base of the season.