SB Nation Boston - Tigers 7, Red Sox 5: Aaron Cook's Meltdown Snaps Red Sox Winning Streak

Red Sox Fans Were Completely Justified To Boo Josh Beckett, Injured Or Not

2012-08-03T21:42:20Z

It's a little belated now, but I can't resist chiming in on the Josh Beckett booing scandal (if anyone calls -- or already called -- it "boogate," I'm personally seeing to it that you're reassigned to an Alaskan sports network). As most of you may know by now, Beckett was booed off the mound after departing in the third inning of this past Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

Normally, that wouldn't be an issue. Beckett, after all, has been very boo-worthy as of late. The chicken and beer (gate -- sorry, couldn't help it, off to Alaska with me), being an all-around sassy individual, and so on. Much to my complete shock, though, there were people actually defending Beckett and saying that fans were wrong to boo him. Wait, what?

Why was that? Well, because he was injured.

Beckett was leaving the game with what would later be deemed a back spasm after walking in a run (how very Beckett-y of him). Unfortunately for him, this did not result in any sympathy from the crowd. Beckett would later say that, yeah, he heard the boos, and of course, he wasn't affected by it.

That's nice, Josh. Quite frankly, this isn't about what you said postgame. What really got at me was the fact that some in the Red Sox press corps (the one that Bobby Valentine wants to replace) were getting on fans for booing Beckett, implying that it was wrong for them to do so.

Most notably, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe chimed in with this opinion. While I greatly respect Peter and all of the work he does -- I think he's one of the top baseball reporters in this city -- I greatly disagree with him on that point.

First and foremost, if you're a fan, and you bought a ticket to attend a game, you can do whatever you want. With all respect, Peter, don't tell fans what they should and should not do.

I'll admit, I got on fans for booing Manny Ramirez on his return. And I'll own up to that. My tune has changed since then. I still don't think Ramirez should have been booed upon his return, but who am I to tell fans -- the paying customers -- what to do?

Secondly, the fans weren't booing Beckett because he was injured. They were booing because of his me-first mentality and his complete disregard for the fan base and, quite frankly, anyone that isn't himself of his family. Also, the fact that he is 5-9 with a 4.54 ERA this season when he's supposed to be the staff ace certainly didn't help his cause. Fans were absolutely justified to boo Beckett. There's no question about it.

Sure, it comes across as disrespectful to boo an injured player. But when that player has essentially disrespected fans, it's justified. I have no problem with fans booing the Texas Tough Guy (coined by MIke Felger of 98.5 The Sports Hub, of course). I probably would have done so myself if I were in the stands that night, too.

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Media Roundup: Did Boston Media Influence The Booing Of Josh Beckett?

2012-08-03T11:00:15Z

In so many ways Josh Beckett has become the poster child for the fall of the Red Sox. His prominent role in the collapse of the team last September along with his involvement in the "beer and chicken" brigade has made him the target of anger from fans and media for the current state of the franchise. His defiant refusal to apologize for any of his actions, on or off the field frustrate media trying to cover him and enrage fans who want to see a bit of contrition to make themselves feel better about things.

After a decent start to the season, Beckett has reverted to his frequently injured, inconsistent self of the last several seasons, and has been lit up early in a couple of recent starts.

Many have deemed Beckett to be the lamb needing to be sacrificed in order to change the culture and atmosphere surrounding the Boston Red Sox.

While no fan in his or her right mind can be pleased with Beckett's performance this season, the incident Tuesday night surprised some. Beckett was struggling in the third inning after breezing through the first two, when he walked in a run and then requested the trainer out of the dugout. Clearly limited, he was removed from the game to a chorus of boos from the hometown fans at Fenway Park.

How did it get to the point where the home fans are booing an injured member of their own team?

Were they pushed to this point? The season has seen daily on-air rants, both radio and television from those who have Beckett only slightly lower than Satan on the all-time evil list. Prominent columnists who have been positioned as the voice of Boston sports also have declared Beckett a pariah and an evil force which must be vanquished.

When this is heard and read day after day, does it start to sink in and have an effect on fans? If it was Jon Lester who came up lame and had to come out of that game, would he have been booed? Lester is the alleged ace of the team, and has had a worse season than Beckett has had. Lester has shown some contrition for what happened last season and frustration with his performance this season. But he's still been terrible. He's not getting the same treatment Beckett is.

It seems the media is divided on the issue. I thought Peter Abraham had a tremendous post on the Boston.com Extra Bases blog this week about Beckett being booed. He concluded:

But he didn't try to get hurt. He didn't want to get hurt. He was pitching in a 1-0 game against Verlander. He wanted to win the game.

Beckett is a stubborn jackass. But he's a jackass who has done pretty well for your team and kept throwing the ball until he couldn't on Tuesday night.

Booing a player who comes off the mound in a pouring rain with an injury? Boston is better than that. Or at least should be.

Later in the day, when Michael Felger came on the air, he enthusiastically applauded the fans for booing Beckett, saying that he didn't know the Boston fans had it in them, and that it was long overdue.

How much of the fans actions on Tuesday night were spurred on by the likes of Michael Felger? How much influence does the media have in fan opinion? How much are fans influenced by the media, and vice versa?

It's a question I've asked many times, and have never really been able to come to a clear conclusion. In many ways it is the Chicken and the Egg dilemma - are the fans perceptions shaped by what the media tells them, or does the media come their conclusions based on feedback from fans?

While some of the boos on Tuesday night may have been directed at the situation in general - a rainy night, the Red Sox didn't make any meaningful moves at the deadline earlier that day, and Beckett on the mound - I tend to think at least some of the people booing as Beckett came off the field were doing so because they had been pushed to that point and encouraged to show their displeasure.

Red Sox Vs. Tigers Final Score: Aaron Cook's Meltdown Costs Red Sox In 7-5 Loss

2012-08-02T02:48:42Z

A fifth-inning meltdown from Aaron Cook cost the Red Sox their winning streak, as the Detroit Tigers dodged a sweep with a 7-5 victory.

The Red Sox grabbed an early lead off the Tigers thanks to some good luck in the first, as Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double off the first base bag. Cody Ross would end up singling him home with two outs to make it 1-0 in the first.

For three innings, Aaron Cook was capable of shutting down the Detroit lineup. Eight ground balls went for just one hit, helping him into the fourth without a run on the board. A leadoff plunking of Quintin Berry would cost the Sox the lead in the next frame, but it wasn't till the fifth everything would fall apart.

A pair of leadoff singles and a bunt put two men in scoring position for Jackson, who sent a hit into left to make it 2-1 in favor of the Tigers. A ground ball out would score the other RISP, but the real pain would come from the power hitters, as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder each went deep to leave it at 6-1.

The Sox managed to claw their way back into the game in the sixth, scoring three times after a trio of leadoff singles from Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Cody Ross set the table. Jarrod Saltalamacchia would seriously damage the rally with a run-scoring double play, but singles from Will Middlebrooks and Pedro Ciriaco helped to push two more across, leaving it at 6-4.

Carl Crawford would get the Sox back within one when he led off the seventh with a solo shot into the bullpen in right, but Delmon Young responded in kind to start the eighth, wrapping a homer around Pesky's Pole to make it 7-5. The Red Sox went 1-2-3 in the ninth, snapping their winning streak at four.

Red Sox Vs. Tigers Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 3

2012-08-01T23:36:16Z

The Red Sox are out for the sweep Wednesday night as they send Aaron Cook to the mound against Rick Porcello.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

TIgers 7, Red Sox 5, Mid 9th -- Junichi Tazawa holds down the fort to give the Sox a chance, but they'll need at least two in the ninth.

Tigers 7, Red Sox 5, End 8th -- The Sox go down in order in the 8th, leaving them three outs away from the end of their winning streak.

Tigers 7, Red Sox 5, Mid 8th -- And immediately the Tigers get their run back, with Delmon Young wrapping a homer ust barely around Pesky's Pole in right to make it a two-run game again.

Tigers 6, Red Sox 5, End 7th -- Carl Crawford leads off the inning with a solo blast to right field, leaving the Sox behind by just the one run with six outs to get it back.

Tigers 6, Red Sox 4, Mid 7th -- A leadoff walk offered up by Mark Melancon to Austin Jackson doesn't end up hurting the Red Sox, as Melancon retires the next two before Andrew Miller enters to retire Prince Fielder, swinging at three straight sliders.

Tigers 6, Red Sox 4, End 6th -- And the Red Sox are back in the game in a hurry. The Red Sox respond to the pair of leadoff singles with three of their own, off the bats of Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Cody Ross. Jarrod Saltalamacchia does a good job of killing the rally with a double play, bringing in just the one run, but Will Middlebrooks singles home another, and Pedro Ciriaco finds a hole in the infield to make it 6-4 on five singles and a walk.

Tigers 6, Red Sox 1, Mid 6th -- Craig Breslow gives up a single in his first full inning with the Red Sox, but only the one, holding the Tigers to their six runs through six.

Tigers 6, Red Sox 1, End 5th -- A single and a walk put two on for the Red Sox with one out, but the threat is ended by a double play, leaving them stuck well behind in the fifth.

Tigers 6, Red Sox 1, Mid 5th -- And Aaron Cook falls completely to pieces in the fifth. A pair of leadoff singles and a bunt put two in scoring position for Austin Jackson, who singled to left to bring one in and put runners on the corner. A ground ball would bring another run in while bringing the second out of the inning, but up came the power hitters, and out went a pair of homers, leaving the Red Sox down big after five.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 1, End 4th -- Adrian Gonzalez leads off with a single, but then the Sox go down in order to leave them stuck in the 1-1 tie after four.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 1, Mid 4th -- A bit of a messy inning costs the Red Sox their lead. Aaron Cook hits Quintin Berry in the leadoff spot, and while he manages to pick him off of first and get a fly ball out from Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder hit a double off the wall, and Brennan Boesch manages to squeeze a ground ball past Dustin Pedroia and into center field to tie the game up. Only a great over-the-shoulder catch from Jacoby Ellsbury, who went sliding into the wall of the triangle, kept a go-ahead run out.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 0, End 3rd -- Porcello gets two ground balls and a strikeout, leaving the Red Sox with seven straight batters retired since Ross' RBI single in the first.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 0, Mid 3rd -- Two more ground balls get Cook through the third inning, with the second coming after a single and going for an inning-ending double play.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 0, End 2nd -- Rick Porcello bounces back in style, striking out the side on 13 pitches.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 0, Mid 2nd -- Alex Avila manages the first fly ball of the game against Aaron Cook, but it goes for the third out of the inning, leaving the Tigers scoreless through two.

Red Sox 1, Tigers 0, End 1st -- The Red Sox get on top early thanks in part to a lucky break. Jacoby Ellsbury is the recipient of the good fortune, moving to second on a ground ball that bounced off the first base bag and well over a diving Prince Fielder. While Crawford and Pedroia would go down on a strikeout and fly ball respectively, Adrian Gonzalez drew a walk and brought Cody Ross to the plate. Getting ahead 2-1, Ross got a fastball up in the zone and dumped it into right field for the RBI single.

Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, Mid 1st -- Aaron Cook has an almost ideal Aaron Cook inning. The "almost" comes from the fact that one of his ground balls found a hole and went for a base hit, but given that it was one of four in the inning and the other three went for outs, we won't complain too loudly.

Red Sox Vs. Tigers Lineups: Ryan Kalish Starts Against Rick Porcello

2012-08-01T20:38:16Z

The Red Sox are after their fifth straight win and a sweep of the Detroit Tigers as they send Aaron Cook to the mound against Rick Porcello. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. with broadcasts on NESN, ESPN, and WEEI.

Ryan Kalish will make his way back into the Red Sox linuep after the injury to Ryan Sweeney opened up a space for his return to the major leagues. While Kalish struggled heavily in his initial stint with the 2012 team, Kalish has been excellent since he went back down to Pawtucket, hitting .307/.388/.533 in 75 at bats. Kalish will bat eighth, playing right field as Cody Ross takes over as the DH.

The odd-man out on the night will be Kelly Shoppach, as the Sox get back to a more normal lineup which does not feature both catchers. That'll make things a lot safer for them in case of injury.

Boston Red Sox (53-51)

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Cody Ross, DH
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Ryan Kalish, RF
Pedro Ciriaco, SS

Detroit Tigers (54-50)

Austin Jackson, CF
Quintin Berry, LF
Miguel Cabrera, 3B
Prince Fielder, 1B
Brennan Boesch, RF
Delmon Young, DH
Alex Avila, C
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Ramon Santiago, 2B

Next Game

Detroit Tigers
@ Boston Red Sox

Wednesday, Aug 1, 2012, 7:10 PM EDT
Fenway Park

Rick Porcello vs Aaron Cook

Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 75.

Complete Coverage >

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Red Sox Vs. Tigers Final Score: Sox Triumph Over Justin Verlander 4-1 In Rain-Shortened Game

2012-08-01T04:07:47Z

A fourth-inning rally paved the way as the Red Sox got to Justin Verlander for four runs, taking a rain-shortened 4-1 victory over the Tigers.

While the Red Sox wouldn't sway the game in their favor until the fourth inning, they certainly got off to an encouraging start. Josh Beckett retired the side 1-2-3 in the first, and in the bottom half of the inning the lineup made Justin Verlander work for his outs. A line drive from Jacoby Ellsbury would give the Red Sox a leadoff single, and while Verlander managed to retire both Carl Crawford and Dustin Pedroia, some close calls going against him would lead to walks for both Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross, loading the bases before Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out to end the threat.

Beckett would retire the side in order again in the second, and then quickly recorded two outs in the third before everything suddenly fell apart. An inconspicuous infield single from Omar Infante would prove the catalyst, extending the inning long enough for Beckett to hit Austin Jackson, and then walk both Quintin Berry and Miguel Cabrera to bring in a run. Immediately after the last walk Beckett signaled to the dugout for trainers, and then left the game with back spasms.

Clayton Mortensen would enter the game in place of Beckett, recording what was quite possible the most pivotal out of the game on a Prince Fielder fly ball to center field. The Sox were out of the jam with just one run against them, but with the rain coming down harder by the minute, and not expected to stop until late in the night, it was becoming clear they may not have many opportunities to tie it.

Luckily, the Sox needed only the fourth. Leadoff singles from Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia started the rally, and while Will Middlebrooks would strike out going in search of a homer, a walk to Kelly Shoppach would load the bases for Pedro Ciriaco. Once again called on in a big moment, Ciriaco came through, lining a single through the right side of the infield to plate one run and reload the bases for Jacoby Ellsbury, who brought in another by drawing a walk. Carl Crawford would cap off the attack, bouncing a high chopper over the head of Justin Verlander and under the hand of Omar Infante, trying to catch Crawford by barehanding the ball. Crawford reaced, two runs scored, and the Sox took a 4-1 lead.

Ultimately things would get tense right before the anti-climactic conclusion. With one out and one on, Franklin Morales took over for Clayton Mortensen in the sixth and, after recording a ground out, loaded the bases to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. That was when the umps called for the tarp. With no end to the rain in sight after two hours, the game was called and the Sox took their fourth straight win.

Final - 7.31.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit Tigers	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	X	4	6	0
WP: Clayton Mortensen (1 - 0) SV: Franklin Morales (1) LP: Justin Verlander (11 - 7)

Complete Coverage >

For more on the Red Sox stay tuned to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Check out Baseball Nation for even more news around the Major Leagues.

Josh Beckett Injury: Red Sox Starter Leaves Game With Apparent Back Injury

2012-08-01T01:15:13Z

Josh Beckett left Tuesday's game between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers in the third inning with a back spasm. Beckett had just walked Miguel Cabrera with the bases load to force a run giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead when he signaled to training staff to come to the mound. He shook his head as staff approached.

Beckett pitched just 2 2/3 innings. The shortened stint included one hit given up and two walks for one earned run against. In the third, Omar Infante got on base with an infield single, then Beckett loaded the bases by hitting Austin Jackson with a pitch and walking Quintin Berry.

Clayton Mortensen relieved Beckett. He has held the Tigers without a run since taking the mound, walking two with a strikeout. The Red Sox currently lead 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

For more on the Red Sox stay tuned to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Check out Baseball Nation for even more news around the Major Leagues.

Red Sox Vs. Tigers Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 2

2012-07-31T23:41:25Z

The Red Sox are after their fourth straight victory and a series win over the Tigers Tuesday night as they take on Justin Verlander.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

Red Sox 4, Tigers 1, End 5th -- For now, though, it seems as though the show will go on. Justin Verlander bounces back in the bottom of the fifth, striking out two Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a 1-2-3 frame.

Red Sox 4, Tigers 1, Mid 5th -- We've got an official game now, as Clayton Mortensen retires the side with the help of a great throw from Kelly Shoppach and tag by Pedro Ciriaco helping to erase a leadoff single up the middle as Austin Jackson was caught attempting to steal second.

Red Sox 4, Tigers 1, End 4th -- And once again, Justin Verlander falls victim to the big inning on cue.

With the rain threatening an early end to this game, the Sox needed to score in a hurry, and score they did. Back-to-back line drives off the bats of Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia got the Red Sox off to a great start before Will Middlebrooks struck out, seemingly looking to score three with one big swing. A full-count fastball to Kelly Shoppach didn't catch the zone, however, loading the bases, and up came Pedro Ciriaco. Just one game removed from two big game-winning (if defense-aided) hits against the Yankees, Ciriaco caught a 97 MPH fastball over the plate, and lined it into right field to tie the game and reload the bases.

The next two batters would not have to do nearly so well for their RBI. A five-pitch walk to Jacoby Ellsbury would put the Red Sox up 2-1, and while Carl Crawford barely managed to put the ball in play, his high chopper got over Justin Verlander's head, and Omar Infante could not make the run-saving play, letting Crawford reach and bringing two more runs in to score. Dustin Pedroia ended the inning with a double play, but the damage has been done.

Tigers 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 4th -- As the rain starts to come down even harder, the Sox survive some more spotty control, with Clayton Mortensen working around a pair of one-out walks to get to the bottom of the fourth. It's possible, with the weather being what it is, that the Sox will have just two innings left to score a run.

Tigers 1, Red Sox 0, End 3rd -- The long wait does not seem to have phased Justin Verlander in the least, with Carl Crawford's long fly ball to right being the only danger he faces in a 1-2-3 third.

Tigers 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 3rd -- From eight straight retired, to a complete disaster for Josh Beckett, who is out of the game with an apparent back injury.

The inning could have ended so easily, with a ground ball from Infante to Mike Aviles with two outs. Instead, however, the result was an infield single, and from there things just went further south. Beckett grazed Austin Jackson with an inside pitch to put two men on, then loaded the bases with a five-pitch walk to Quintin Berry. The exact same sequence to Miguel Cabrera--falling behind 3-0, throwing a strike, and then giving up ball four--brought a run in, and brought the trainers out, signaling the end of Beckett's night.

Clayton Mortensen was able to get out of the inning without any further damage, but now the Sox need to cobble together six more innings while trying to score something off of Justin Verlander.

Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, End 2nd -- Not only do the Red Sox waste a leadoff single from Will Middlebrooks, but they let Justin Verlander start to get his pitch count back down to acceptable levels. He needs just 13 pitches to get through the second, even with the leadoff single, leaving him with 48 on his arm through the second.

Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, Mid 2nd -- Prince Fielder follows the example set by Miguel Cabrera in the first, hitting a tall fly ball that gave Sox fans some serious concern before it landed in Cody Ross' glove in right. In fact, Beckett doesn't manage to avoid the bats very well at all, giving up three fly balls in the inning. All three go for outs, however, leaving the Red Sox starter with six up, six down to start his outing.

Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, End 1st -- They say you have to get to a guy like Justin Verlander early, or not at all. That may be true, and the Red Sox may have missed a big opportunity, but if so, they've also put themselves in a position to take a different path: get him out of the game early. Verlander needs a whopping 35 pitches to get through the first, giving up a single to Jacoby Ellsbury and walks to both Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross as the zone seemed to tighten up on him. Jarrod Saltalamacchia would strike out with the bases loaded, costing the Sox their opportunity to score, but they've at least put themselves in a good position for the rest of the game.

Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, Mid 1st -- If Josh Beckett was irked by all the trade talks, he's not showing it yet. In fact, he might even be feeling a little weight off after the deadline, as he gets through the first in 1-2-3 fashion, albeit relying on the wind knocking down a well-hit ball to dead center field off the bat of Miguel Cabrera. Given who the Sox are up against, the Sox are in need of a good start from Beckett now more than ever.