Detroit @ Boston for a double-dip

For everyone who blinked and missed the doubleheader games, in this posting are the first and second games against the Detroit Tigers.

Julian Tavarez takes to the pitching slab for the Red Sox; he seems to be hit or miss this year as the Red Sox number five guy in the rotation, posting a 1-4 record so far.

He starts the game by getting Curtis Granderson to fly out to left and Placido Polanco to ground out to short for two quick outs.
But Gary Sheffield singles out to left field, followed up by the third out to CF by Magglio Ordonez to end the inning.
Zach Miner pitching for the Detroit Tigers today in the first game of two to be played in Bean town, Miner is 0-0 on the season and grounds Julio Lugo out for one. Coco Crisp singles to left as Sheffield did in the top half. David Ortiz grounds out to SS, but Crisp ends up at third, it sure is nice to have that type of speed in the top half of the lineup. Manny Ramirez scores the games first run of the game with a single to center scoring Crisp. 1-0 Red Sox, Kevin Youkilis singles to advance Manny to third but nothing doing as two left on with Mike Lowell popping out to 3B to end the inning.

The second showed the dominance of Tavarez today as he ate threw the meat of the Tiger lineup. Miner if yet unspectacular gets out the lighter side of the BoSox in Hinske, Mirabelli and Cora.

Tavarez getting himself into trouble after walking Brandon Inge gets second out but walks Polanco too. Sheffield does everyone a favor by grounding into a fielder’s choice to get the runner at 2B.
Miner gets no help by his defense as Lugo reaches on an error by SS Carlos Guillen. Crisp grounds out but Lugo advances, Ortiz is walked and Manny strikes out as he doesn’t take the bat off his shoulder for a swing, but is redeemed as Kevin Youkilis singles to RF to score Lugo and increase the lead 2-0 after three.

Tavarez looks good against the AL Champs of last season; Miner looks to get better as the game goes along.
Top five Tavarez walks Craig Monroe, Inge singles and finally Detroit is on the board 2-1 Sox as Tavarez needs to keep them from scoring on the walks given up by himself, as Miner is still going strong after a couple hiccups early.
Tavarez is looking good through six but Zach Miner his counterpart can’t make it through six full innings as Jim Leyland has seen enough and wants to keep this one close enough to win, solid outing for Miner in my books. After two singles and one out in the bottom of the sixth Tim Byrdak is in relief. Wily Mo Pena in for Hinske but struck out by Byrdak, who continues to make things interesting by throwing a wild pitch and advancing the runners to 2nd & 3rd, but Mirabelli strikes out to end the threat.

Tavarez and Byrdak role through the seventh three up and down, but Hideki Okajima is summoned to start the eighth and gets all three batters in order to get Jonathan Papelbon warming to come out for the ninth.
Big Papi looks at a called strike three as Byrdak has shown good stuff toady in relief of Miner, but Jose Mesa, who yes folks he is still pitching at the age of 41 on May 22nd. He comes out to keep this game close as I believe a setup type pitcher these days as the Tigers still believe in Todd Jones as their closer. But Mesa has still got something as he gets two infield pop-ups to end the bottom 8th.
Papelbon strikes out Guillen and Ivan Rodriguez swinging and it’s down to Sean Casey to get things started or go for the big fly, but he grounded out to short, to end the game 2-1 Red Sox. Today this game could have gone either way as hitters from both sides didn’t put up much of a fight. But Boston should be pleased to win a pitchers dual with their #5 guy on the rubber, increasing his record to 2-4 on this still young season. Pap’s gets his 11th save and Miner is tagged with the loss after a good performance at 0-1 now.

Curt Schilling pitches for Boston, as Detroit counters with Chad Durbin on the mound for Detroit, who starts Marcus Thames in LF and Catcher Mike Rabelo for the second in the double-dip, an interesting at least to me, tidbit is that Rabelo and I have the same birthday but he is a few years older than me. “I know, I know get back to the game.”
Cora at SS Crisp leading off, ManRam at DH as Ortiz hasn’t been feeling well, Hinske in RF and Pena in left, with Dustin Pedroia at 2B batting ninth.

A rough start for Schill’s as he quickly gives up a two-bagger to Granderson and follows it up by hitting Polanco. Strikes out Sheff, but walks Ordonez to load the bases. Guillen battles himself and strikes out swinging; Curt gets it back with Casey flying out to RF. This may come back to haunt the Tigers as they struggled for runs against Tavarez in their first meeting today.
Durbin gives up a leadoff single to Crisp who picks his spot and steals second. Youkilis singles to open the scoring 1-0 Boston a quick start by Sox, just like in the previous affair. Rabelo later in the inning, charged with a passed ball but Boston couldn’t cash in with Youkilis on second.
Both pitchers having their issues but getting through 2nd unscathed, top third differs as Guillen hits a back-to-back double to score Ordonez after his leadoff double, 1-1 game now. Durbin finds his spots and remains tied after three.

Inge leads off with a homer to LF, 2-1 Tigers. It remains with that score line until the bottom of the sixth, when Inge gives up the error for Hinske to reach first base safely and Pena walks to end Durbin’s night going out of this game as the winning pitcher but responsible for both runners on. Wil Ledezma relieves the starter and pops up Pedroia, but walks Crisp to load the bases. Alex Cora scores Hinske with an infield single that Wil is not happy with. Youkilis flies out to RF to end the threat.
Schilling leaves with a no decision as Brendan Donnelly comes in for the 7th. Wilfredo Ledezma gives up the lead as Eric Hinske homers to right-center scoring Jason Varitek who grounded into a FC earlier in the inning, 4-2 Boston after seven.
Javier Lopez comes in after Donnelly gives up a single to Rabelo but strikes out Inge. Omar Infante hits for Granderson but grounds into a double play to end the top half of the eighth. Todd Jones is on for Ledezma in the 8th and throws a 3 up and down inning.

Okajima is in for the save, Polanco flies out, Sheffield and Ordonez ground out to third base to end the game and lose both games today by letting the Red Sox double them up twice 2-1 and this game 4-2. Donnelly wins (2-1) Ledezma loses (3-1) and Okajima saves his second.

Written by Scott Penny