Get Out of My Ballpark

Not a Nice Hug.

Apparently Kevin Youkilis has been reading the notes that I’ve ben giving him on this site. I’ve been saying for weeks that this year’s Sox club needed a fight to get themselves riled up for the stretch run, and last night, after having traded plunkings for the second night in a row, Youk decided to make people think twice about hitting the Beard.

After Sox starter Junichi Tazawa, making his first major league start, had hit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (who apparently couldn’t take the boo-boo and came out of the game later) in the hand in the first inning, Rick Porcello hit Youkilis in the middle of the back for the second time  in two nights. Well, Youk didn’t like this, and charged the mound, evading the Tigers new first baseman and tackling Porcello as the crowd coming from both benches covered them. Both guys were booted from the game (suspensions likely to follow).

There can be only one Highlander.

This was needed for so many reasons. Sure, Youk missed the rest of this game, which  was O.K. because the guy who pinch ran for him (probably the last time Mike Lowell will ever pinch run) hit two home runs, and will likely miss at least three more, but the guys loved it, they got fired up and let some of their tensions boil out, as evidenced by seeing the normally placid Tito getting in the face of a guy who he has expressed a great respect for in the past, Tiger’s Manager Jim Leyland.

Already down 3-0, the Sox obviously got a charge out of the fight. Papi, the Next batter, was singled off the replacement pitcher, Chris Lambert (not the guy from Highlander), and then Jason Bay dominated him over the Green Monster seats. Game tied. The Two shots by Lowell (who has displayed nothing but class and professionalism in the situation where he isn’t playing as much as he deserves, and is also smoking hot) helped salt away the first Major League win for Tazawa, and the Sox gained another game in the standings on both Texas and Tampa, who lost.

This is one Japanese guy who doesn't run from giant bearded lizards.

Tazawa, to his credit, took everything going on around him in stride and pitched very well. He gave up one earned run (three total thanks to another error by Nick Green that didn’t end up mattering), in five innings, throwing 98 pitches and striking out six while giving up four hits. He had everything working and only came out after the fifth because of  his high pitch count brought on by the long first inning.

Junichi’s quality pitching against a good team and Brad Penny’s last night continues to build confidence in the back end of the Sox rotation. That is three well pitched starts in a row against some of the top competition in the American League. With Wakefield set for a rehab start in Pawtucket on Friday and Daisuke throwing off a mound for the first time the other day, things are looking up for the rotation, and therefor for the bullpen as well.

And if all else fails, Youk can eat a rookie pitcher for a late night snack, again.

Go Sox.

Done.