No Dustin Pedroia. No Kevin Youkilis. A homerless David Ortiz. A struggling young starter against a veteran hurler riding a hot streak. The Red Sox weren't supposed to win this game, on paper. But solid bullpen work, and timely hitting stole yet another victory for the Sox.
Without key guys in the lineup like Youk and Pedroia (and essentially without Ortiz), the Sox needed guys like Drew, Bay, and Varitek to come up with big hits. And they got them. How scared must opposing pitchers be when they face Jason Bay in the 7th inning or later?
It was also nice to see Justin Masterson work out of a few jams, instead of folding. Unlike Clay Buchholz - who has better stuff than Masterson so far - Justin seems to have a better attitude to be a MLB starting pitcher. I don't think he'll ever rise above #3 in a rotation, but he can be a solid bottom of the rotation kind of guy, and I'm glad the Sox have him.
JD Drew is the Man of the Game, he was 2 for 4 with a solo homerun. He scored the winning run in the 9th on Varitek's double.
The Sox also officially placed Youkilis on the DL. But he could make a rehab appearance for AAA Pawtucket this weekend.
4-1 Tim Wakefield faces 3-0 Matt Palmer tonight at 10.
Source:
ESPN.com
Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Matt A. Brown
