The Sox twice failed to score a runner from third with fewer than two outs, and the one time they did score, it was because Jason Varitek couldn't hang on to a bad throw when a good one would've had Paul Konerko out easily.
But... they did hit three homers, and after Gavin Floyd shook off a cheap Mike Lowell homer in the first, that would be enough to snag the game and regain sole possession of first place.
Jermaine Dye struck the first blow with a second-inning solo shot, and they'd surge ahead with a pair of two-run homers. The first was Carlos Quentin's 32nd of the year into the left field seats, and then Jim Thome blasted a hanging curve into the right field ones.
Those three homers -- plus the error-induced insurance run -- would be enough to win it, as Matt Thornton and Octavio Dotel would hang on.
Thornton had a strange outing, beginning by striking out Varitek with runners on the corners, which was all well and good except it got past A.J. Pierzynski for a run. He rebounded by striking out Jed Lowrie, and started off the seventh by getting Jacoby Ellsbury to fly out to left.
Then he walked three guys in a row, and Dotel had to clean up the mess. He did just that, getting Mike Lowell to ground his second pitch to third, and Juan Uribe started the 5-4-3 to get Thornton out of the jam.
Record: 65-51 |
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