Final Score: Boston Red Sox 7, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5J.D. Drew made a discovery today. Perhaps looking to honor our country's founding (231 years young, woo!), maybe in celebration of an 80-degree day that threatened rain from start to finish, possibly because he finally realized the golden opportunity available to him, Drew cracked his fourteenth double of the year - off the Green Monster. I can't find the data to back this up (besides his doubles split at Fenway: he's hit seven so far), but I think today might have been the first time Drew pulled the ball to left instead of trying to drive to right.
Why is this discovery so exciting? Because, if properly exploited, it will make Drew into the disgustingly good doubles hitter Mike Lowell was last year (career high 47, 24 in Fenway) and continues to be this year (on pace for 42 doubles), with an equal (or better) propensity for Monster Shot double doubles. Hitting those doubles will create situations like today, where Drew doubled to score Cora in the fourth and came home to score on the next at-bat when Mike Lowell hit a Monster Shot of his own, factoring in two runs of the beating Boston gave to Tampa Bay today. When Drew learns to succumb to the Monster's siren call, he'll tighten up the center of Boston's formidable lineup even further, providing new and exciting run scoring opportunities that the Sox have lacked, especially in the past month...and that's a very, very good thing.
Another very good thing? Manny Delcarmen and his one and a third, three strikeout, no hit perfect hold today, putting out the fire that Wakefield started - the one that Lopez tried to put out with gasoline - and assuring glorious victory in Boston over the hapless Rays for the second day running. In eight and a third innings pitched this year, MDC gave up two runs - in one appearance, the game against Seattle where he was in too long - and four hits. He's the special surprise at the bottom of the cereal box, the unexpectedly awesome call up you (or I, at least) wanted to see succeed and now he's doing it. Brendan Donnelly might find that his job's in danger when he gets back from the DL.
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