Red Sox fans should be thrilled that their team was able to win 2 out of 3 at Safeco today behind some clutch pitiching by Josh Beckett who was able to wriggle out of several jams and end up winning 9-2 but the game was closer than the scored indicates. The key inning was the sixth when trailing just 3-1 the Mariners threatened as their fans went beserk but with two on base the one run already in Becektt managed to get recent hitting star Yuniesky Betancourt to ground out to end the threat. That was the thrid time in six at bats the Mariners left two men on base to end an inning.
Perhaps the biggest mistake was when the Seattle braintrust decided to give Ichiro some rest and DH him for the game and use recently called up rookie Adam Jones in center. After Coco Crisp opened the game with a double and David Ortiz walked with one out Manny Ramirez hit a shot to the center field warning track that went off Jones' glove for an error and scored Crisp. Ya gotta figure Ichiro would have run the ball down but who knows. An apparently shaken Miguel Batista then walked Jason Veritek with the bases juiced on five pitches to make it 2-0 and the Sox never looked back.
Manny drove in two runs, David Ortiz stole a base (2nd this year) when for some reason the M's left 2nd base uncovered and the throw flew into center field, Big Papi then scored easliy on a JD Drew triple, Mike Lowell singled in Drew to make it 5-1 and lights were out.
Coco Crisp had a terrific game at the plate, 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and an RBI and in the field with some exceptional catches especially a diving grab off Jose Vidro's bat in the seventh. The only problem he had was when the Mariner Moose accidently knocked him down between innings driving an all terrain vechile around the outfield, Coco was unhurt luckily and laughed it off by faking a throw of his glove at the Moose.
Josh Beckett struck out 9 in 6.2 innings of work giving up 8 hits and walkng a pair and joined CC Sabathia and John Lackey as the AL leaders with 14 wins each (Beckett now 14-5 on the season and making the Sox front office very happy they gave him the big bucks to sign a long term deal last winter).
Bottom line pretty good series overall that has to have Red Sox Manager Terry Francona saying get me and my 2-1 series win to the airport, I have had enough of Safeco Park for a while.
wil.