Two Servings of 4-3: Sox - Orioles Game 1

You can’t win ‘em all, but you gotta win more than the Twins! After the Sox couldn’t scrounge up a run in their tie-breaking innings with the Orioles, losing 4-3 (Not managing a run was one problem; the fact that Horacio Ramirez was brought out to “start” the game was another. Brian Horacio? Helloooo!), I was worried we’d be in for another low-scoring night- which would be okay if I Clay Richard had my full trust, but he and his big shoulders have only given me a small sample size of innings to work with. Thankfully, Head –n- Shoulders held the Orioles to three runs and the Sox managed a 4-3 win (and so they should, playing against a team with a losing record!)!

Because he had a good day, there isn't much to say about Head –n- Shoulders. In no particular order, he handed out 6 hits and a walk, he struck out four, and owned one of the two balks of the night, all of which earned him 3 three runs. He bumped down his ERA a bit, and had one of those “big innings,” but got over it, moved on, and finished his 6 innings. His successor was Dotel. Could you honestly tell me you weren’t squirming in your seat when you saw him warming up and getting his derrière up on that mound? Luckily, it wasn’t a Friday or the 8^th inning, so history didn’t repeat itself. Thornton and Jenks had a perfect inning apiece, and our pitchers got the win, hold, hold, and save respectively.

Although Alexei had no runs brought in today, he blossomed as the lead-off hitter (after all the grumbling by the fans, Ozzie gave it a chance on O.C.’s day off), going 4 for 5 and scoring twice. Jim Thome’s only hit (his 28th home run) and Griffey’s double each brought in a run, and Alexei scored on a balk and on a fielding error that got him home and Jermaine Dye to first. Uribe had a hit (on a bunt, no less, that got him to 2^nd!), Dye had a hit, and everyone else came up empty. At least Paulie and TCQ had 3 walks between them, but poor A.J. couldn’t get on base all day.

Speaking of “couldn’t get on base,” Joe Crede went 0-for-4 today. This was his first game since being recalled from the D.L. Wise was placed on the 15-day D.L. and Crede was activated before today’s first game. Later, Chris Getz was sent back to Charlotte in exchange for Lance Broadway. But back to Crede. He spoke to some journalists about his back problem being attributed to scar tissue from his surgery last year, but despite his worries, he did not have a herniated disk again, and feels much better after radiation to his nerve. Today, he couldn’t manage a hit, did a lot of popping up, but that’s expected, and he wasn’t the only one having a bad day. Hopefully, he’ll be hot at bat soon enough. I’m all about Team Crede, but if he’s just here to look pretty… well, that’s what they brought Broadway up for, so I'd like him to do more than that.