Everyone knows that Daisuke Matsuzaka is capable of pitching aggressively and dominating batters. For whatever reason, however, he has been incapable of doing so for much of this season. It is also an established fact that J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell have been RBI machines for most of this season. But on the current road trip they had sputtered to a near halt. Last night, things were looking up for all three and as a result the Sox took their second straight from the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, at Safeco Field. Drew and Lowell arrived at last night’s game a combined 2-for-33 over the first four games of the trip, with one RBI between them (Lowell).With the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays losing to the Oakland A’s, the Red Sox drew back to within half a game of first place. Matsuzaka (11-1) held the Mariners to two hits through seven scoreless innings before finally surrendering a pair of runs and three hits in the eighth. Notoriously inefficient with his pitch count all year, leading to the game going to the bullpen way too early, Matsuzaka was taken out in the eighth inning after having thrown an efficient 99 pitches. With runners on first and second with one out in the eighth, Hideki Okajima came in and got two quick outs. Jonathan Paplebon pitched the ninth and collected his 30th save.
Nation Notes: Entering last night’s game, Brandon Moss had yet to bat this trip; he has made one appearance, as a pinch runner for Ramírez Monday, since play resumed after the All-Star break. Since his recall June 5, he has played in 28 games, starting 12, and has a seven-game hitting streak (.458, 11 for 24) that began June 30. The pitching matchups for the Yankees series are set: On Friday night, Josh Beckett will face Joba Chamberlain; Saturday afternoon it’s Tim Wakefield vs. Andy Pettitte; and Sunday night Jon Lester faces Sidney Ponson. The Sox inquired about reliever Jon Rauch before he was traded by Washington to Arizona, but the Nationals were asking for top prospects Michael Bowden and Jed Lowrie-NOT happening.
