Red Sox Live Blog: Brewers Beat Sox 6-2 In Boston's Home Opener
Final, 6-2 Brewers: Gomes struck out looking, Sizemore grounded out to second, and Bogaerts popped out to second, and this one's history. A brilliant pregame ceremony wasn't followed up with a win, and the Sox fall to 2-2 on the young season.
The only second-guess after this one is whether the close play at third base in the ninth could have or should have been reviewed via replay. But honestly, there was nothing in that replay that conclusively showed the tag was being applied on Davis when he came off the bag, and there's little to no chance that it would have been overturned.
Plus, that play wasn't the one that broke things wide open, and if Mujica could have pitched better, it would have been a non-issue.
Middle 9th, 6-2 Brewers: After walking the first two batters he faced, Miller was able to strike out Davis to finally end the inning.
Trailing by four, it'll be Gomes, Sizemore and Bogaerts in the bottom of the ninth. Francisco Rodriguez is in to pitch for the Brewers.
Top 9th, 2 outs, 6-2 Brewers: Mujica couldn't even get out of the inning, allowing a two-out single to Ramirez with Segura on second base (he got there via a fielder's choice and a stolen base).
Farrell came out with the hook. Ugly stuff for Mujica. Ugly, ugly stuff.
Andrew Miller comes on to try to stop the bleeding.
Top 9th, 0 outs, 5-2 Brewers: The Brew Crew has blown this one open.
Davis led off with a double to left field on the first pitch from Edward Mujica. Gennett followed up with a sacrifice bunt attempt, but Mujica got aggressive and tried to get the lead runner at third. It was a close play, but Davis was ruled safe, even though Middlebrooks may have had the tag on when Davis was coming off the bag. Regardless, he was safe, and runners were on the corners with no outs.
Overbay lined a single into right field, which scored two runs, and Gomez followed it up with an RBI single, and it's now 5-2 Brewers with nobody out and a runner on.
Tough showing for Mujica, eh?
End 8th, 2-2: A one-out single for David Ortiz gets wiped out by a 5-4-3 double play from Mike Napoli, and this one heads to the ninth inning tied at two.
Can Tom Brady come in to pinch hit for the Sox?
Middle 8th, 2-2: Badenhop got a pitcher's best friend, but he had to work for it.
After Ramirez reached following a diving stab by Pedroia that the second baseman just couldn't field, Lucroy grounded to first base. Napoli threw to Bogaerts at short, and Badenhop sprinted to first to cover for the throw from short. The double play was complete, and Schafer then flied out to end the inning.
Quite the debut for Badenhop, who pitched two scoreless innings of relief and needed just 20 pitches to do it.
Pedroia, Ortiz and Napoli due up in the bottom of the inning. They'll face Brandon Kintzler, a righty.
End 7th, 2-2: This tie just won't be broken.
The Sox had something going, with Sizemore leading off with a walk and advancing to second on a pitch in the dirt. But Bogaerts grounded out back to the pitcher, Pierzynski lined out to first (in a one-pitch at-bat) and after an intentional walk to Middlebrooks, Nava grounded out to short.
Will Smith, the Fresh Prince if Wisconsin, did a nice job in relief, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Badenhop is back out there for the Sox. He allowed one hit and struck out one batter in his inning of relief thus far.
Middle 7th, 2-2: Badenhop's first inning of 2014 is a good one, as he only allows an infield single and keeps the rest of the Milwaukee bats quiet, getting this one to the seventh-inning stretch. Lyle Overbay grounded out to first, Segura struck out swinging, and Braun grounded out to short, though he nearly beat the throw after Bogaerts double-clutched.
The Boston Fire Department a cappella group then took the field to sing "God Bless America."
End 6th, 2-2: That pinch-hit appearance didn't work out, despite two passed balls that allowed Napoli to get all the way to third, as Gomes struck out looking.
Gomes disagreed with the call, it seemed, but that right there was a good pitch to get the final out of the inning.
It's a three-inning game now.
Burke Badenhop is now coming on to pitch for Boston. Neither starter will come away with a decision in this one, but both pitched well.
Bottom 6th, 2-2, 2 outs: That's the end of the day for Estrada, who put forth quite the performance. He allowed a leadoff single to Pedroia, which was wiped out when Pedroia was gunned down by Lucroy while trying to steal second. Ortiz then grounded out to first before Napoli -- seemingly determined to draw a walk -- worked a 10-pitch at-bat that, sure enough, ended with him trotting to first.
Gomes is on to pinch hit for Carp, and lefty Will Smith is on to pitch.
Middle 6th, 2-2: Jake Peavy again pitches out of a jam, this one a two-on, nobody-out situation.
Bogaerts couldn't handle an Aramis Ramirez line drive, allowing him to reach via error, and Lucroy followed it up with a walk.
But after Schafer twice failed to get a bunt down, he popped out in foul ground. Davis then made decent contact on a liner to left, but Carp tracked it down for the second out of the inning.
Gennett then grounded out back to the pitcher, and just like that, Peavy was out of it.
That might be it for him -- he's at 94 pitches -- and if so, that's a job well done.
Pedroia, Ortiz and Napoli are due up in the sixth, looking to give Peavy the chance to earn a W today.
End 5th, 2-2: I don't want to jinx anything there, but the Red Sox have really been playing in some fast games this year. That's continuing today, after Estrada sets down the Sox in order in the sixth. He's thrown 85 pitches thus far, and he's done a good job of keeping the Boston batters guessing.
Middle 5th, 2-2: Peavy has really settled in, this inning only allowing a Gomez single, while getting Overbay to strike out, Segura to ground out and Braun to fly out.
Peavy's allowed six hits over five innings while striking out four batters, throwing 74 pitches in the process. If he can give them one more clean inning, I'm sure the Red Sox would be happy with that outing.
End 4th, 2-2: For a second there, it looked like the Sox were about to take the lead, as Xander Bogaerts smashed a line drive to left-center field with two on and two yet. Yet Gomez tracked it down short of the wall, ending the inning and the threat.
The Sox had a little two-out rally going, with Carp blooping a hit to right field which Schafer couldn't get to. The ball got by him in right, allowing Carp to reach second base. Sizemore then worked a nine-pitch walk, an at-bat that included a near home run just foul in right field, leading to Bogaerts' AB. The kid made solid contact, but sometimes that's not enough in this game.
Middle 4th, 2-2: Lucroy got his second extra-base hit of the day, this one bouncing off the top of the scoreboard in left as he made his way to second base.
But Peavy rallied again, getting Schafer to pop out to short, Davis to fly out to left and getting Gennett to pop out in foul ground on the third base side.
End 3rd, 2-2: The year didn't end spectacularly for Will Middlebrooks, but he made sure his season got off to the right start at Fenway park this year.
Middlebrooks tagged the first pitch he saw at Fenway this season over the Green Monster, and it didn't come down until the game was tied 2-2.
That swing looked like the one of 2012 Middlebrooks, the kid who showed immense raw power on a regular basis. If he's back ... look out.
Pierzynski (strikeout), Nava (F9) and Pedroia (strikeout) accounted for the outs, but this one is tied up.
Middle 3rd, 2-1 Brewers: That's the inning Peavy needed, getting Segura, Braun and Ramirez to go down 1-2-3. Ramirez was the only one to make solid contact, sending Daniel Nava back to the track in right-center, but the end result was a harmless out.
It took just 11 pitches for Peavy to get through the third.
End 2nd, 2-1 Brewers: The Sox got one back, thanks in part to Grady Sizemore and thanks in part to Logan Schafer.
Napoli was on first base when Sizemore singled through the right side, and Napoli was feeling frisky and went for third. A good throw would have had him easily at third base, but Schafer's throw went wild, allowing Napoli not only to get to third but to score on the play.
Sizemore then stole third and tried to tag and score on a shallow fly out by Bogaerts, but Schafer's throw was on the money this time, beating Sizemore by a few steps at the plate.
Middle 2nd, 2-0 Brewers: Jonathan Lucroy jumped all over a Peavy fastball and sent it high and deep over the Monster. That thing was tagged. And as you can expect, Peavy was none too pleased.
Logan Schafer followed that up with another long fly ball, though Nava was able to track this one down in right field. Khris Davis then hit a line drive off the Monster, and Mike Carp misplayed it, allowing Davis to waltz into second.
Gennett then skied out to right, and up stepped Lyle Overbay with two outs and a runner on second. Overbay worked a walk, setting up a bit of a pickle for Peavy.
Gomez made him pay, smoking a 3-2 pitch down the line past third base. Davis scored easily and Overbay, who was off with the pitch, made it to third.
But Pierzynski helped Peavy out of the inning, throwing out Gomez, who was trying to steal second.
Peavy's at 38 pitches through two innings, and the Brewers are sort of all over him.
End 1st, 0-0: Estrada rolls right through the top of the Red Sox order, getting Nava and Pedroia to fly out and getting Ortiz to chase strike three.
Middle 1st, 0-0: It's very, very rare to see a triple hit down the left-field line at Fenway Park, given the proximity of the Monster to the infield, but Jean Segura managed to pull it off. Segura chopped a Peavy offering over Middlebrooks' head, and Carp didn't exactly go all out to get the ball in the corner. Segura hustled all the way and slid safely into third base.
But Peavy didn't let him score, striking out Braun and Ramirez to strike out the side (Gomez went down on three pitches to lead off), and the Sox are coming to bat
Top 1st, 0-0: Jake Peavy's first pitch is fouled off to left field, and this one's underway.
2:01 p.m.: It's a full-on championship celebration now. Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown and Ty Law are on hand with three Lombardi Trophies; Pedro Martinez, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek are carrying in three World Series trophies; Leon Powe is carrying the Larry O'Brien Trophy; and Mark Recchi is on hand representing the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning Bruins.
They're joined by former mayor Thomas Menino, and they're all coming out for the first pitch.
Mayor Marty Walsh delivered a strike, and then Kevin Millar helped with the "Play Ball!" announcement.
And now, it's time for baseball.
1:52 p.m.: Both teams have now been introduced.
The Red Sox are now honoring police officer Greg Maloney, who died in a motorcycle crash, and the two fallen firefighters, Michael Kennedy and Edward Walsh, with a moment of silence.
1:43 p.m.: Now, the teams are being introduced, and as expected, Ryan Braun was booed soundly by the crowd.
This is Braun's first road game since his PED suspension.
1:37 p.m.: The Red Sox are now welcoming members of the Boston Fired Department onto the field. The department lost two men last week in the Back Bay fire that claimed the lives of Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy.
The BFD lowered the flags in center field to half-staff in a touching moment at Fenway.
1:34 p.m.: David Ortiz came out last, and he received a unique ring. Being the World Series MVP has its perks.
1:33 p.m.: The ring is a beauty. That should be no surprise.
1:26 p.m.: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley comes on over the PA before Shane Victorino emerges from the dugout to receive his ring.
1:23 p.m.: And now the players are out to get their rings, starting with Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester.
1:19 p.m.: The Red Sox are getting their rings now, starting with Ben Cherington and followed by the coaching staff.
1:15 p.m.: The rings are being brought onto the field by Boston Marathon survivors, as "Lean On Me" plays over the PA.
1:11 p.m.: That was a stirring video tribute to the 2013 season, and it included even those Sox who are no longer on the team, such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stephen Drew.
They're now unfurling championship banners over the Green Monster, starting with 1903.
1:08 p.m.: The Red Sox are playing a video now summing up the events from August 2012 through the World Series.
1:05 p.m.: The ceremony has begun.
12 p.m.: It's going to be a special day at Fenway Park.
On days like this one, the game almost becomes secondary to the pomp and circumstance of the pregame ceremonies. The Red Sox will be at Fenway Park for the first time since they won the World Series last October, and a celebration is in order.
The Red Sox will receive their rings as part of a grand ceremony before the game. It will begin at 1 p.m., and we'll have updates and photos right here in the live blog. Expect a big one.
Then, first pitch will come shortly after 2 p.m., as the first-place Red Sox host the Milwaukee Brewers and disgraced former star Ryan Braun. He hasn't played a road game yet since getting suspended for PEDs and also trying to ruin the life of a delivery man, so expect the Fenway fans to shower him in boos.
Jake Peavy will be on the bump for Boston, opposed by Marco Estrada.
The Boston lineup will look like this:
1. Daniel Nava, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Napoli, 1B
5. Mike Carp, LF
6. Grady Sizemore, CF
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. A.J. Pierzynski, C
9. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
And Milwaukee's:
1. Carlos Gomez, CF
2. Jean Segura, SS
3. Ryan Braun, DH
4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5. Jonathan Lucroy, C
6. Logan Schafer, RF
7. Khris Davis, LF
8. Scooter Gennett, 2B
9. Lyle Overbay, 1B
Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here, or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
