For a while last night, it appeared as if the Red Sox had become stuck in a time and space warp, their usual interleague success and home-field advantage sucked into a pernicious black hole that has hung around Fenway Park during this homestand. The laws of physics, however, finally prevailed as the Sox rallied for four runs in the eighth inning to deliver a classic hometown smackdown of a senior circuit interloper, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 5-4 victory featured a game-winning RBI single by Jason Varitek, who had been stuck in a serious hitting slump. Tek was 1-for-15 (.067) on the homestand and 4-for-47 (.085) overall before delivering the big hit. Paving the way for Varitek was Mike Lowell, whose two-run double off Chad Qualls tied the game and sent the crowd into its accustomed state of hysteria, the happy kind.
Starter Justin Masterson could not survive an early bout with wildness and hittability, which accounted for the 4-1 margin after just 2 1/2 innings. The big blow was a two-out, three-run homer in the third by Chad Tracy, who drove in all four Arizona runs. Masterson gutted out six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Chris Smith pitched two innings for his first major league victory, and Jonathan Paplebon worked around a walk to Eric Byrnes to notch his 22nd save.
The hard work paid off last night, salvaging a game that appeared to be headed for the loss column, which would have meant the Sox’ second straight series defeat at home against a National League foe. Instead, the Sox can earn a series victory tonight, when 41-year-Tim Wakefield squares off against 44-year-old Randy Johnson. The Sox’ interleague record stands at 9-5.
Nation Notes: David Ortiz will hit off a tee today in front of the medical staff to determine the best approach to moving forward on Ortiz’s wrist injury. Ortiz will make the upcoming trip to Houston, Tampa Bay, and New York and will at some point take batting practice . The Sox are expected to go slow with Bartolo Colon, who is recovering from back spasms. He will stay behind while the team is on the road.
