Red Sox v Giants
By Steve Marsi
The first series between the Red Sox and the Giants since 1912 promised to be entertaining, and the first two games of this weekend's series have certainly lived up to expectations.
In a wild contest Friday night at SBC Park, San Francisco surged to a 7-2 lead only to watch its defense crumble and its pitching surrender five Red Sox home runs in a 14-9 Boston win. Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar all homered in the fifth inning, capitalizing on the struggles of starting pitcher Jerome Williams and several defensive miscues by the Giants. Millar's three-run blast was the team's first pinch-hit home run of the season and gave Boston a 9-7 lead. Trot Nixon and Doug Mirabelli provided insurance with back-to-back homers in the ninth. Boston starter Tim Wakefield's recent struggles continued as he was removed from the game after the fourth inning, but Mike Timlin righted the ship with 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief that earned him the victory.
The Sox spotted San Francisco an early lead again Saturday, as Pedro Martinez was touched for four runs in the first by the first six batters he faced. Gabe Kapler got the Sox on the board with an RBI double in the fourth, while Martinez settled in and was dominant until being replaced after six innings of work. Boston rallied in the eighth inning thanks to the pinch-hitting Trot Nixon, who delivered a bloop single with two outs and the bases loaded. Ortiz and Ramirez scored easily on the play, and a misplay by Barry Bonds in left field allowed Kapler to score all the way from first and tie the game, 4-4. The Giants quickly answered with their own pinch-hit heroics in the bottom of the inning, when Edgardo Alfonzo entered the game to face reliever Alan Embree and hit a towering two-out, two-run home run into the left field stands. Giants closer Matt Herges got the final three outs to preserve the 6-4 win.
Bonds, who ruffled feathers across the baseball world this week claiming Boston was "too racist" for him, has been held hitless in the series thus far, going 0-for-7 with two walks. Perhaps that comment is Barry-speak for "too good." Saturday marked the first time since May 12 that the slugger has not reached base.
Both teams go for the series victory Sunday at 4:05 EST. The Red Sox have their work cut out for them, with young Bronson Arroyo (2-5) going up against San Francisco's staff ace, Jason Schmidt (8-2).
Boston remains 4 1/2 games behind New York, which has split its first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the American League East.
