Fenway Fables

Before returning to Boston early this morning, the All-Star-laden Red Sox left the Bronx with a bad taste in their mouths after a 10-inning, series-splitting 5-4 loss.  Brett Gardner’s RBI single up the middle off Jonathan Papelbon hit off the lip of the grass, nicked off the glove of diving shortstop Alex Cora and allowed Robinson Cano to score from second with the winning run.

The loss meant a poor 3-7 finish to a disappointing road trip, during which the Red Sox surrendered first place in the American league East to the Rays. The hit by Gardner sent the Red Sox to their sixth one-run defeat on the road trip. Close or not, the Red Sox came home wondering what it will take to turn their fortunes around when they all get out of Boston again, starting with a trip to the West Coast right after the All-Star break.

Papelbon was one of seven Red Sox announced as American League All-Stars before the game. Two others – first baseman Kevin Youkilis and second baseman Dustin Pedroia were chiefly responsible for putting the Red Sox ahead 3-1 with a three-run surge in the fifth.  Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield pitched effectively, lasting 6 innings, giving up three runs and just four hits, striking out five and walking just one.  Wakefield left with a 4-2 lead and one out in the seventh, having allowed a leadoff bloop single to Alex Rodriguez (who also hit a solo home run in the second). But reliever Javier Lopez gave up a single to Jorge Posada, then Cano hit a two-run triple to right-center that tied the game at 4.  Center fielder CoCo Crisp got to Cano’s hit and might have had a chance to prevent the second run from scoring had he not made a poor spike of a throw.

Kevin Youkilis scored on a wild pitch from Joba Chamberlain in the fifth, and his slide, with Chamberlain guarding home plate, was hard and clean.  But it wasn’t forgotten as an inning later Chamberlain threw behind Youkilis, whose glare toward the mound brought to mind the scene here last Aug. 30, when Chamberlain threw two pitches over the head of Youkilis.

Nation Notes:  Manny Ramirez, who was selected for his 12th All-Star game, will be headed to New York for the July 15th game. Ramirez has missed three of those prior 11 All-Star games