by ldh2013 » Tue Jun 28, 2016 8:39 am
BOSTON -- Instant replay, meet the Pesky Pole. . David Ortiz hit a three-run homer high over Fenway Parks right-field foul pole on Wednesday, helping the Boston Red Sox rally for a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. The fair call was confirmed by a replay review, according to Major League Baseballs replay Twitter account. "It was pretty close, but I knew it was fair," said Ortiz, who watched the ball sail into the seats before leaving the batters box. "I wanted to make sure it was fair. I wanted to keep watching it." The Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth and brought in Neal Cotts to face Ortiz with one out and two on in the bottom half. Ortiz, who had been 0 for 5 with five strikeouts against Cotts, lined a 1-1 fastball down the right-field line. Because the ball was much higher than the pole, which was named for former Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky, it was hard to tell where it crossed into foul territory. The pole is just 302 feet from home plate. "From our angle, its extremely difficult to tell," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We felt like it would be inconclusive at best with any type of replay that was available." Umpire Jerry Meals signalled a home run. Rangers manager Ron Washington waited until Ortiz crossed home plate and came out to ask for a review. After a brief chat with home plate umpire Jordan Baker, the crew went to the visitors dugout and returned a short time later to confirm the original ruling. After 44.1 seconds, the play was upheld. "You cant count the big boy out. You cant count this ballclub out," said Red Sox starter Jake Peavy, who did not earn a decision after leaving a 1-1 game in the seventh inning. "Once again, you had the big man up in a big situation and he comes through." Andrew Miller (1-0) earned the victory despite allowing the Rangers to score the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth. Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his second save. Alexi Ogando (0-1) allowed two runs in the loss. "Ortiz is one of the best and one of the clutchest hitters," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said. The Red Sox scored in the third inning on two walks and a swinging bunt single that was thrown away for an error by pitcher Robbie Ross. The Rangers tied it in the seventh on Mitch Morelands homer and took a 2-1 lead in the eighth when Andrus scored on Alex Rios sacrifice fly. But Ogando walked Jackie Bradley Jr. to lead off the bottom half, and then A.J. Pierzynski blooped a popup down the right-field line that fell in for a single. One out later, Ortiz delivered his 24th career go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later. "I felt comfortable with Neal up against him," Washington said. "David won." Miller pitched one inning for the win. Ogando struck out four but was charged with two runs on one hit and a walk in his two innings. NOTES: The Red Sox activated LHP Craig Breslow and optioned RHP Brandon Workman to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Peavy left his only other start this season with the score 2-2 after 6. ... Andrus has hit safely in all nine games this season. Rios had hit safely in the first eight before going 0 for 2 with a walk on Wednesday. ... Adrian Beltre, who left Tuesday nights game with tightness in his left quadriceps, returned to Texas on Wednesday for further tests. . Montoya made 34 saves in his first win in his hometown and Andrew Ladd scored his 150th goal, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-1 victory over the slumping Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. . - Chicago and Anaheim had the NHLs two best records and a combined 15 Olympians on the ice at Honda Center. . In particular, Craig Anderson was singled out for not playing as well as he did during the 2012-13 campaign, when many suggested he was the best goalie in the league before he suffered an ankle injury partway through the lockout-shortened campaign.The Winnipeg Goldeyes bats were hot early in their final exhibition game on Tuesday night against the Kansas City T-Bones. The Goldeyes scored eight of their 10 runs in the first two innings, led by Donnie Webb who drove in three over the first two innings. From there the Goldeyes pitching staff took over only giving up one run in the eighth inning. Making the final a 10-1 win for the Goldeyes as they took both exhibition games against the T-Bones. It started with Tyler Kuhn, at the top of the batting order, leading off the first inning with a double. He then came around to score on a two-run homerun hit by Ray Sadler. Reggie Abercrombie then got on base with a double of his own and was driven in by Webb. The offense continued to role in the second with the first three Goldeyes batters all reaching base and all eventually coming around to score. Sadler then got on base with a walk, and he, along with Josh Mazzola — who reached base on a single — were the two runners Webb batted in in the second. The Goldeyes took a commanding 8-0 lead through the bottom of the second. The every batter in the Goldeyes lineup got a hit in the game, with six players getting multiple hits, including Mazzola who went three for five. Then the Goldeyes ninth run came in the fifth inning after Webb reached base on a walk and Alen hit a RBI double. The T-Bones scored their lone run in the bottom of the eighth against Goldeyes pitcher Gabe Aguilar. . But the Goldeyes would reclaim their nine run lead in the top of the ninth with Mazzola scoring his second run on a RBI single from Casey Haerther. The Goldeyes had seven different pitchers take the mound to face the T-Bones batters, and they held the Kansas City side to only six hits. Alex De La Cruz who came in during the sixth inning was looking to bounce back from a tough outing in Lincoln on the weekend. He pitched for one full inning, giving up one walk and recording a strikeout. "Coming in in the middle of the inning with runners on base, getting those guys out, that is what you want from your bullpen guys," Goldeyes pitching coach Jamie Vermilyea said of De La Crux on the Jewel 101 post-game show. "He came out and got a few quick outs, its nice to see him bounce back after getting roughed up in Lincoln." The Goldeyes finish their exhibition schedule with a 5-1 record, and had one game rained out. "We got the innings in that we wanted to," said Vermilyea of the exhibition slate. "Pitchers got to see batters, and batters got to get a feel for the batters box." Now Winnipeg travels to Amarillo as they prepare to open the regular season on Thursday against the Sox at Amarillo National Bank Stadium. "Heading into Amirallo, we just hope to keep this going," said Vermilyea of the teams offensive and defensive production. ' ' '
