Red Sox manager Terry Francona congratulates
Darnell McDonald for his game-winning heroics
(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
In what once was their signature style, the Boston Red Sox last night defeated the Texas Rangers in walk-off fashion by a score of 7-6. Carried to victory by same-day callups Josh Reddick and Darnell McDonald – who between them drove in five runs, including the game-winner – the club snapped a five-game losing streak and recaptured a sense of its recent self.
Not all the news was good however, as starter Tim Wakefield allowed six runs on seven hits, five walks, two wild pitches, and a balk in his six innings of work. The Sox also surrendered a record-tying nine stolen bases (in only five innings) and looked absolutely terrible at the beginning of the game.
Reddick and McDonald were in the game, of course, only because the Red Sox earlier made the decision to disable both Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron, and sometimes the addition of fresh blood is enough to shake a team out of its doldrums. This clearly was the case last night, but it remains to be seen whether the effect is long-lasting.
The club’s inability to stop the running game is embarrassing at best and dangerous at worst, and the wonder is that the Rangers effectively abandoned it once Wakefield left the mound. Also, David Ortiz continues to strike out at an alarming rate – Mike Lowell, in fact, pinch-hit for him to face a lefty late in the game – and until and unless he gets back on track, the team’s ability to consistently capitalize on scoring opportunities very much remains in question.
But hey, let's be happy: the Red Sox not only won a game, but they won it in dramatic fashion. And they didn't even make an error!
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