Article:Home Runs of May 10, 2008

Red Sox Hit Four… Only Five Score
One home run might not win you a baseball game, but when a team hits four, there is usually a very small chance that you’ll see the team lose the game; statistically, it can be done pretty easily, but it’s just naturally unlikely to see. The Boston Red Sox sure put a smile on Boston’s faces at the Metrodome, and also made the “chicks dig”, if you know what I mean. The Sawx hit four home runs, but only managed to score five runs in the game. However, they defeated the Minnesota Twins, 5-2, thanks to a pretty good outing by Daisuke Matsuzaka, who improved to 6-0 on the season.



Minnesota Twins starter Glen Perkins proved to be quite a talented pitcher with a lot of potential. In the first six innings of his first Major League start, the 25-year-old from the University of Minnesota only surrendered 1 run: a solo home run by Kevin Youkilis in the second inning. He kept the lead for Minnesota at 2-1 until Coco Crisp was up. On a 3-1 pitch, after three straight fastballs, Crisp hit a solo jack of his own on a fourth straight fastball (a meatball right down the middle of the plate), tying the score at 2. The next batter was Jed Lowrie, the 23-year-old rookie from Salem, Oregon; Oregon should sound familiar to Red Sox fans, as another rookie named Jacoby Ellsbury is from Oregon as well. In his 17th game, and the third pitch of his 42nd at-bat, Lowrie hit his first home run of his Major League career. This home run was significant because it gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

"I rounded first base and I didn't know it was out," Lowrie said. "I looked around and none of the umpires made a signal, so I just kept running.”

Mike Lowell would add an insurance run for the Red Sox by hitting a fourth solo home run for the Red Sox in the 8th inning. Later on in the 9th, Jed Lowrie would score again on a fielding error by Carlos Gomez in centerfield. Jonathan Papelbon would close the door for his 11th save of the season, making it a 5-2 win for the Red Sox, improving their record to 24-15, breaking a tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the position of the winningest team in baseball, as of May 10.

This was quite a way for Lowrie to redeem himself as he entered the game in an 0-for-11 skid.

"That's my role right now," Lowrie said. "I have to be ready to play whenever they need me. It's something I'm new at doing, but it's something I hope to continue to get comfortable at."

On a side note:
Jed Lowrie finished just a triple away from the cycle… in only his 17th game!



Lowrie got his first home run ball back from a fan thanks to some quick negotiating. The Red Sox provided the fan with a Josh Beckett autographed ball in exchange for the game winning ball. “Apparently, [Beckett’s] signed ball is worth more than my first home run,” Lowrie said facetiously.

Twins starter Glen Perkins was pitching in injured third baseman Nick Punto’s cleats and pitching with a glove his wife brought him from home after his equipment never arrived from Rochester (AAA).

Homer of the Day (May 9, 2008)
And the Homer of the Day for May 9, 2008 goes to...

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Oh yeah, and vote for the Homer of the Day for May 8th here. The voting will close in a couple of hours.

On Another Matter:
Wow! Three in less than one day. Record?

Thanks to everyone who has been voting, especially those who have since the very beginning (you know who you are). Like I said, the more votes we have in these articles, the better. It makes it more interesting, and makes me feel better when I post these articles.