PEDRO FANS 14; BOSOX SEND BENGALS TO 8TH STRAIGHT 'L'
4-Run 9th Seals Deal for Red Sox
DETROIT, July 12 (AP) - Pedro Martinez tied an American League season high by
striking out 14 batters and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers, 7-2,
at Comerica Park. It was the eighth consecutive loss for the Tigers who
fell a season-worst 31 games below .500. For Boston, it was the second
straight win after dropping eight in a row. Martinez becomes only the
second American League pitcher to strike out 14 batters in a single game this
year; Bartolo Colon of the Chicago White Sox turned the trick in a victory over
the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 22.
The Red Sox took a quick lead when Trot Nixon led off the game with a home
run--his 17th of the season--off Detroit starter Matt Roney.
But the Tigers moved in front in the bottom half of the opening inning when Alex
Sanchez led off with a single and then, two outs later, trotted home on Kevin
Witt's home run to right.
The Red Sox had a number of chances to tie the game or take the lead in the
first few innings--they stranded seven baserunners through the first three
frames--but finally broke through to take the lead and chase Roney from the game
in the fifth. With two outs, David Ortiz doubled to right-center field and
Kevin Millar belted his 13th home run of the season, just inside the left field
foul pole, to give Boston a 3-2 advantage. Roney, who had thrown more than
100 pitches at that point, was lifted in favor of knuckleballer Steve Sparks,
who baffled the Red Sox for the next few innings.
Martinez, meanwhile, was on cruise control. After surrendering a two-out
single to Carlos Pena in the third, Martinez retired 11 consecutive hitters
before issuing a one-out walk to Craig Monroe in the seventh inning. He
then struck out Shane Halter before Matt Walbeck reached on an error committed
by shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. With runners on first and second and two
outs, Andres Torres flied to center to end the threat. Torres was the
first of a string of seven straight Detroit batters retired by Martinez to end
the game.
The Red Sox were clinging to a one-run lead entering the ninth inning when they
broke the game open. With Steve Avery on in relief, Johnny Damon, Jason
Varitek and Nixon all drew free passes to open the inning, loading the
bases. With the infield in, Todd Walker hit a ground ball right to
shortstop Shane Halter, who booted it for an error. Damon scored and it
was 4-2, and that opened the flood gates. Chris Spurling replaced Avery
and he fanned Garciaparra for the first out of the inning but Manny Ramirez
lined a one-hopper off Spurling for an infield hit, scoring Varitek to increase
the Boston lead to 5-2. Oritz followed with a sacrifice fly to center,
scoring Nixon and Damian Jackson's single plated Walker to cap the four-run
outburst.
The complete game was Martinez's second of the season, giving him half the Red
Sox's total for the year to date.
7/12/2003, Bos03-Det03, Comerica Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Red Sox 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 7 10 1 9 0 2003 Tigers 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 4 2 Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Tigers AB R H BI AVG Nixon rf 3 2 1 1 .326 Sanchez,A cf 4 1 1 0 .260 Walker,T 2b 4 1 0 0 .267 Morris,W 2b 4 0 0 0 .315 Garciaparra ss 5 0 2 0 .314 Pena,C 1b 4 0 1 0 .176 Ramirez,M dh 5 0 1 1 .322 Witt dh 4 1 1 2 .329 Ortiz,D 1b 4 1 1 1 .261 Munson 3b 4 0 0 0 .226 Kapler lf 0 0 0 0 .333 Monroe lf 3 0 0 0 .281 Millar lf 4 1 3 2 .283 Halter ss 3 0 0 0 .164 Jackson,D pr 1 0 1 1 .322 Walbeck c 3 0 0 0 .200 Mueller 3b 5 0 1 0 .351 Torres,A rf 3 0 1 0 .221 Damon cf 3 1 0 0 .288 32 2 4 2 Varitek c 1 1 0 0 .254 35 7 10 6 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Martinez,P W 12-3 9.0 4 2 2 1 14 124 89 2.18 9.0 4 2 2 1 14 124 89 Tigers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Roney L 4-7 4.2 6 3 3 4 3 103 55 4.13 Sparks 3.1 2 0 0 0 0 36 24 5.69 Avery 0.0 0 4 1 3 0 21 7 6.07 Spurling 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 21 13 3.63 9.0 10 7 4 7 4 181 99 Bos: Jackson,D ran for Millar in the 8th Jackson,D moved to lf in the 8th Kapler inserted at lf in the 9th Jackson,D moved to 1b in the 9th E-Garciaparra, Pena,C, Halter. 2B-Ortiz,D(14), Mueller(25). HR-Nixon(17), Millar(13), Witt(5). RBI-Nixon(45), Ramirez,M(78), Ortiz,D(35), Millar 2(53), Jackson,D(15), Witt 2(27). CS-Jackson,D. K-Nixon, Walker,T, Garciaparra, Damon, Sanchez,A 3, Morris,W 3, Pena,C 3, Witt, Munson, Monroe, Halter, Torres,A. BB-Nixon 2, Walker,T, Damon, Varitek 3, Monroe. SF-Ortiz,D. GWRBI: Millar Temperature: 80, Sky: clear, Wind: out to center at 6 MPH. Attendance: 32,420 Game Time: 3:11