KEVIN YOUKILIS HITS 1ST CAREER GRAND SLAM AS RED SOX ROMP ORIOLES~~ 12-1
July 12, 2008
Boston-- Kevin Youkilis grand slam and career-high six RBI led the Boston Red Sox to a 12-1 thrashing of the free-falling Baltimore Orioles in the middle contest of a three-game set at Fenway Park.
Tim Wakefield (6-6) threw seven strong innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out six for Boston, which won for the fourth time in five contests. Wakefield retired the final 13 batters he faced.
Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew each went 2-for-3 with a home run. Ramirez also crossed the plate three times.
Radhames Liz (3-2) was shelled for eight runs on six hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings, while striking out two. Lance Cormier gave up two runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief for Liz.
Ramon Hernandez homered while Kevin Millar and Nick Markakis singled to provide the only other hits for Baltimore, which has lost six of its last seven.
Ramirez and Drew hit back-to-back two-out homers in the first, their 18th and 17th, respectively.
Hernandez countered with a lead-off blast in the third, his seventh, but Boston squashed the visiting team's hope with seven runs in the home half of the frame.
Dustin Pedroia singled with one out before Drew walked and Ramirez was hit by a pitch. Liz walked Mike Lowell to force in a run before Youkilis smacked his first career grand slam over the Green Monster for his 15th homer.
The Red Sox were not done in the inning, however, as Pedroia doubled with two outs in his second at-bat of the inning to score Sean Casey and Kevin Cash. Casey, who was the last batter Liz faced, walked, and two batters later Cash and Jacoby Ellsbury hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for the third time in the inning before Pedroia's hit off Cormier.
It was the Red Sox's second seven-run inning in three games as they did the same in the seventh of an 18-5 win over the Twins on Wednesday.
Youkilis lifted a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Boston added two more runs in the eighth on back-to-back Alex Cora and Youkilis RBI singles.
Game Notes
Orioles manager Dave Trembley was ejected by home plate umpire Doug Eddings in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes...Boston placed shortstop Julio Lugo on the 15-day list before Saturday's game with a strained left quadriceps muscle sustained in Friday's game...Boston scored seven runs in three bases-loaded at-bats in the third...Boston slugger David Ortiz, who has been sidelined since the end of May due to a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, will play three games with Triple-A Pawtucket next week then three with Double-A Portland and return tentatively on July 25 versus the Yankees. He had a batting cage session Friday against a pitching machine...Ramirez has 36 career homers against the Orioles, eighth all-time.
-~Cledus being Cledus~
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