Oy.
I don't get how Daisuke does it. Any other pitcher who walked eight batters in five innings wouldn't get the win, they would probably be pummeled. What's more, he looks completely calm and collected while the rest of us are watching through our fingers. And yet, Daisuke leaves the game today with five wins and no losses on the season.
He threw one hundred and nine pitches through those five innings. In addition to the eight walks, he gave up one run on only two hits. I suppose it ended up lucky for him that, for the most part, he wasn't walking the lead-off batter. Except for in the third and the fourth innings, his walks were coming with one or two outs. In the third inning, the second batter grounded into a fielder's choice to get the lead-off runner. In the fourth, however, the lead-off batter would eventually come around to score the only run he would allow.
Craig Hansen took over in the sixth inning and did pretty well-he got three quick outs. He also started the seventh inning but struggled a little bit. He gave up two singles (one which just got by him) but then got a double play. Then he walked the next two batters to load the bases before handing the ball off to Okajima.
Okajima gave up a base hit on the first pitch he threw to the first batter he saw, that allowed two of Hansen's runners to score (possibly, a better throw from Manny could have gotten the second runner out at home.) That was it for damage in the seventh, though. He was back in form when he pitched the eighth inning-he got two ground outs and a fly out. Papelbon pitched the ninth inning and with three fly outs got his tenth save of the season.
The Tigers defense had a little bit of trouble tonight (with two errors at short) but they didn't prove to be costly mistakes. In fact, five of the six Red Sox runs that scored came as the direct result of home runs. It was a three home run night for the Red Sox offense-both Lowell and Youkilis hit two-run shots, and Ortiz had a solo home run.
Manny started things off in the second inning. He hit a ball to center field, an average runner would have had a triple, a speedster might have had an inside the park home run, but Manny settled for a double. (Don't get me wrong. I'm not criticizing him at all. I would rather have him be safe at second than called out at third trying to do something he isn't capable off.) Mike Lowell followed it up with a home run to left- his first of the year.
In the fourth inning, Lowell was the lead-off batter. He hit almost the exact same pitch in almost the exact same direction, except this one stayed within the confines of Comerica Park and only netted him a double. Youkilis was up next and sent a home run soaring to left, scoring both him and Lowell.
The Red Sox didn't score again until the seventh inning. With one out, Pedroia doubled to left center. Ortiz got a base hit and Pedroia came around to score. The last home run that scored came in the ninth courtesy of David Ortiz. He cranked a three and one count to a few rows back in right field.
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