A picture from Jamey Carroll's first major league game, as he attempts to tag out Honus Wagner.
(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
There's two things you need to know about Twins infielder Jamey Carroll: He looks really old, and he kicked the holy bajeezus out of the Red Sox tonight, as Minnesota took down Boston 6-5 in the 10th. Both Carroll and Morneau went 4-4 tonight for the Twins, with Morneau driving in 2 runs to Carroll's 1. But the one Carroll drove in, on an RBI single off of Padilla, was the decider.
I turned on the game after Doubront had already exited the game, so I can't speak to how well he pitched. I can tell you that he gave up 5 runs over 5 innings, so if he did pitch well it was in the Lackeyesque sense where he pitched amazing, the other team just got loads of hits and runs off of him. 8 hits, to be exact, coupled with 4 walks. Lackey would be proud.
The rest of the Sox pitchers, however, truly did pitch well. Tazawa, Breslow, Melancon, and Miller combined for 3 2/3 of 3 hit ball. Melancon left the game after giving up a 2 out single to the aforementioned Jamey Carroll on a ball that ricocheted off of Melancon. I'm not sure if he was injured, or pulled as a precaution or what, but it's worth following up on (because he's such a vital part of this winning organization). Miller was looking really good until he walked Willingham and then plunked Mauer to put two men on in the 9th. But Padilla bailed him out. Unfortunately, there was no one to bail Padilla out in the 10th. He only gave up two hits in the inning, but they were all the Twins needed to secure the victory.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Sox batters started off hot -- before I got to watch. Perhaps I'm the bad luck guy? -- highlighted by a 3-run home run by Carl Crawford of all people. In fact, Crawford was a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-5 with 2 runs scored. Of course, he did strike out in the bottom of the 10th, so Carl Crawford is still Carl Crawford.
Boston did have a chance to take the game in the bottom of the 8th. They had the bases loaded with 1 out, but Ellsbury struck out after a good battle with Twins reliever Robertson, followed by a Pedroia fly out to center. Overall, the Sox ended the game with 14 hits, but they couldn't come through when it mattered.
I'd like to call that a pattern, but after 107 games I think the correct term would be "epidemic". Clay Buchholz, the only man the Sox can depend on, takes the mound tomorrow. So at least there's that!?
