Game Forty-Three – Cubs 5 Red Sox 15
WP – Jon Lester (6-1) LP – Doug Davis (0-2) Save – Scott Atchison (1)
The Boston Red Sox treated Friday night like another baseball game and went about their business. The Sox came out swinging and in the process they pounded the Cubs in the first game between the two storied organizations at Fenway Park in 93 years.
The Cubs actually tied the game in the third before the Red Sox went to work. The Sox scored two in the bottom of the third to break the tie and four more in the fourth. By the end of the fifth the Sox had a commanding 10-5 lead. Jon Lester was lifted after the sixth and the Cubs offense managed only one baserunner over the last three innings.
The Cubs put together another bad effort in the field, on the mound and with runners in scoring position Friday night. Q’s squad allowed a season-high 15 runs on a season-high 19 hits and they tied a season-high with four errors … the Cubs third four-error game of the season. Koyie Hill added a passed ball to his bad night behind the plate and Starlin Castro committed two more throwing errors. The Cubs were charged with only four errors but committed several other miscues that helped out the Sox. The Cubs were outplayed in every aspect of the game.
The Cubs offense managed five runs on 12 hits and once again could not hit with runners in scoring position. Q’s squad finished the game 4-for-14 with RISP and 10 left on base. The Cubs put runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings and put at least two runners on base in each inning against Jon Lester. The Cubs can hit, just not when it counts.
Doug Davis made his second start in a Cubs’ uniform and could not complete four innings of work. Davis pitched from behind in the count for a majority of his outing. The veteran southpaw surrendered seven runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Davis threw 89 pitches in 3 2/3 innings, 47 for strikes.
Scott Maine and Jeff Samardzija did not fare any better than Davis. Maine (three runs on five hits with a walk and two home runs in 1/3 of an inning) and Samardzija (five runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and a strikeout in one inning) gave up a combined eight runs, six earned, in 1 1/3 innings. James Russell pitched three scoreless innings and allowed only one inherited runner to score.
Mike Quade’s staff threw 211 pitches, 118 for strikes, while the Sox tossed 137, 97 for strikes, in nine innings of work. The Cubs allowed 29 baserunners in eight innings.
Jeff Baker (4-for-5 with two runs scored) and Aramis Ramirez (3-for-4 with a double and a RBI) combined for seven of the Cubs 12 hits, but just one RBI. Reed Johnson (2-for-4 with a double and two RBI) and Alfonso Soriano (2-for-4 with a run scored) tallied four of the Cubs other five hits.
With another embarrassing loss, the Cubs have yet to win three games in a row this season. The Cubs slipped back to 19-24 on the year, five games below the mediocre mark … The Cubs had a chance in the first inning to begin the weekend on a positive note. Jeff Baker reached on a two-out single to left. Aramis Ramirez followed with a single to left on a 0-2 pitch.
With two on and two out, Carlos Pena stepped in and put together a good at bat and in the process he and Jon Lester had a game of cat and mouse. Pena called time, Lester would step off and the two went back and forth as Pena worked the count. The former Ray launched a 3-2 pitch from Lester about 400 feet to center to end the inning … 20 more feet and the Cubs would have had the lead.
Q’s squad took the field in the bottom of the inning … and played like the Cubs.
Jacoby Ellsbury led off with an infield single to the hole at short. After a passed ball by Koyie Hill allowed Ellsbury to take second, Doug Davis walked Dustin Pedroia. With Adrian Gonzalez at the plate, the Sox pulled off a double steal that netted them a run.
Hill made a low throw to third that Jeff Baker could not field. When Baker went to get the ball he was called for interference and Ellsbury was awarded home … 1-0 Red Sox.
With Pedroia at third, Gonzalez singled to left. Pedroia scored … 2-0 Red Sox.
After a double by Kevin Youkilis put runners on second and third with no outs, Davis settled down and retired David Ortiz on a fly out to shallow center, Jed Lowrie on a lineout to left and Mike Cameron on a groundout to third.
Davis threw 32 pitches in the first, 16 for strikes.
The Cubs put two more on in the top of the second but came away empty after Reed Johnson hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Koyie Hill popped out to second to end the inning.
Davis retired the Sox in order in the second on 14 pitches, nine for strikes.
The Cubs finally got on the board in the top of the third.
Darwin Barney reached on a ground rule double to right with one out. Jeff Baker worked the count to 3-2 before hitting a soft liner into center. Barney broke back to second before seeing the ball get past Lowrie. Barney advanced to third and held.
Aramis Ramirez ripped the first offering from Lester high off the Monster in left center. Barney scored easily and Baker held third. Carlos Pena grounded out to Lowrie in the shift on the first pitch; Baker scored and tied the game at two. With Ramirez at third, Marlon Byrd struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox took the momentum right back in the bottom of the third.
Doug Davis walked Dustin Pedroia to start the inning. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a long single of the Monster in left center. Pedroia held at third but scored on a sac fly into short right by Kevin Youkilis. Reed Johnson’s throw was up the third base line. Pedroia slid around Hill and scored the go ahead run.
David Ortiz followed with a double off the Monster. Marlon Byrd threw a strike to Starlin Castro and the Cubs shortstop gunned down Gonzalez at the plate for the second out. Ortiz took third on the throw to the plate.
Jed Lowrie showed the Cubs how to hit with runners in scoring position with two outs. Lowrie ripped a 1-0 pitch into right, Ortiz scored 4-2 Red Sox. Mike Cameron struck out looking to end the inning.
The Cubs put two more on the fourth. Reed Johnson singled to left with one out. Koyie Hill walked. With runners on first and second with one out, Starlin Castro struck out … and Darwin Barney grounded out to short to end the inning.
After 3 1/2 innings, the Cubs were a miserable 2-for-9 with RISP and six left on base.
The Red Sox broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth and chased Doug Davis from the game. The Sox scored four runs, all with two outs.
Doug Davis retired Carl Crawford to start the inning but walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Davis struck out Jacoby Ellsbury before serving up a double to Dustin Pedroia on a 1-1 pitch.
With runners on second and third with two outs, Adrian Gonzalez ripped a 3-2 pitch into right center … and basically ended the game. Salty and Pedroia scored … 6-2 Red Sox.
Mike Quade made the slow walk and brought in Scott Maine to face Kevin Youkilis.
The young southpaw struggled mightily with his control throughout his outing Friday night. Youkilis greeted Maine by launching a 2-1 pitch onto Lansdowne Street. Youkilis’ ball cleared the Monster and gave the Sox an 8-2 lead.
David Ortiz reached on a throwing error by Starlin Castro. Jed Lowrie followed with a single off the Monster. Maine then walked Mike Cameron to load the bases. Carl Crawford grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Cubs tried to make a game of it again in the top of the fifth. Jeff Baker led off with a single to right. After Ramirez popped out to first, Carlos Pena walked. Marlon Byrd struck out swinging for the second out of the inning.
Alfonso Soriano put the ball in play and reached on an infield single to the hole at short. Lowrie got to the ball but his throw was to the right field side of first. Gonzalez could not haul it in and Baker scored the Cubs’ third run. Pena ended up at third on the play.
Reed Johnson ripped a 0-2 offering from Lester off the Monster in left center. Pena and Soriano scored … 8-5 Cubs. Hill grounded out to third to end the inning.
Scott Maine was sent out to start the bottom of the fifth … and he gave the runs right back to the Sox. Saltalamacchia launched a 2-2 offering well over the wall in left center and if not for a large Volvo sign, the ball would have left the park. Both homers served up by Scott Maine were hit a ton.
Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a double to right center. Dustin Pedroia then ripped a single into left on a 2-0 pitch. Ellsbury held at third.
Mike Quade decided he’d seen enough at that point and brought in James Russell to face Adrian Gonzalez.
The Red Sox’s first baseman hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Ellsbury scored … 10-5 Sox.
Reed Johnson misplayed a ball off the bat of Kevin Youkilis into a double in right (originally scored an error) but Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Cubs put two more on in the sixth against Jon Lester … but came away with nothing.
Jeff Baker singled to center with two-outs, his fourth hit of the night. Aramis Ramirez lined a single off the base of the wall in left. With runners on first and third with two outs, Carlos Pena swung at the first pitch and grounded out to Pedroia to end the inning.
After six innings, the Cubs were 4-for-14 with RISP, nine left on base.
James Russell kept the Sox off the board in the sixth and seventh innings … but the Cubs fourth error of the night opened up a big eighth inning for Boston.
Kevin Youkilis reached on Starlin Castro’s second throwing error of the night (the Cubs fourth charged error). David Ortiz ripped a 1-2 pitch from Jeff Samardzija off the wall in left center. With the infield in and no outs, Jed Lowrie fouled out to third.
Mike Cameron walked to load the bases.
Carl Crawford singled to right and plated Youkilis and Ortiz … 12-5 Red Sox, but they were far from done.
Samardzija walked Salty to load the bases.
Ellsbury ripped a single off the Monster on a 2-2 pitch. Cameron and Crawford scored … 14-5. Samardzija struck out Pedroia but gave up a single to Adrian Gonzalez. Salty scored the Red Sox’s 15th and final run. Youkilis flied out to center on a 3-2 pitch.
Samardzija threw 46 pitches in the bottom of the eighth, 27 for strikes … and gave up five runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and a strikeout.
The Cubs went quietly in the ninth to end the game.
The Sox and Cubs have a lot in common historically but right now these two teams are at the opposite ends of the baseball spectrum.
Box Score from Yahoo Sports
Carlos Zambrano will take the hill in game two against Alfredo Aceves.