April 13, 1999
The Home Opener. It’s a magical time. We get our first
chance to see the team in their whites. What can we expect from them during the
season? It’s all looking up on Opening Day.
The Sox were playing the Sox on this day. Bret Saberhagen
got the start for the Sox. He was coming off a 15-8 season the year before. It
was hoped that he could provide just enough help for Pedro Martinez to lead the
Sox back to the playoffs. Things looked pretty good in this start. Almost seven
innings of shutout ball, on the way to the win. Saberhagen finally handed the
ball to Derek Lowe after giving up a two-out hit in the seventh. Lowe made a
but of a jam, but teamed with Mark Guthrie to close it out. There was minimal
pressure with a three-run lead at the time.
That lead was extended to a six-run victory by the time it
was all over. And just look at that offense. Buford, Frye, Varitek, Sadler
finishing off the line-up. There wasn’t even Nomar in the line-up to help
things out. But, it was that bottom of the order that got things rolling for
the Sox when Varitek and Sadler both walked in the third. I always though
Donnie Sadler was the faster player I had ever seen…at least until Ellsbury
sprinted into view. Watching him score from first on a triple is just pure joy.
Another set of back-to-back walks led to another big inning
for the Sox in the eighth. In this case, Troy O’Leary foreshadowed his October
performance with a three-run homer.
The star of the game? Troy only went 1-4 in the game, but I have
to give it to O’Leary and his 3 RBI. The team’s goat? Damon Buford was the only
player not to reach base for the Sox. Since he was batting sixth, that problem
was magnified.
In the end, it didn’t matter. The also-rans in the line-up
got the job done. Saberhagen gave it everything he had, and the Red Sox cruised
to a victory over the pale hose.
And the scorecard shows how it happened.
Thinking that scoring from first on a triple is rare (meaning *overall* rare--with a man on first, if there's a triple, the guy's probably scoring so it's not rare in that way), I went through WAY too many boxscores and discovered Ellsbury didn't score from first on a triple until July 28th of this year. Two days later, it happened again. So he's done it twice, and I believe he's scored on a triple four times total in his career, with the two other times being from second. This includes postseason.
ReplyDelete"We get our first chance to see the team in their whites. "
Don't forget the photo day game in spring training! Granted, it still looks weird with the palm trees and stuff.
Stating the obvious...you have WAY too much time on your hands.
ReplyDeleteScoring from first on a triple requires both guys to have speed. I'm guessing that David Ortiz has never scored from first on a triple.
(yup. I know what I just made you do)
"I'm guessing that David Ortiz has never scored from first on a triple. "
ReplyDeleteBut if you don't score on a triple from first, there's no other base to stop at. You have to either score, or be thrown out at home. And in the latter case you're probably looking at a double and an advance to third by the batter on the throw. All I'm saying it, due to logistics, the guy on first probably scores way more often than not on a triple. Because if the batter got to third legitimately (meaning not on the throw home), chances are the runner from first has already scored.
So, I guess what I really should say it that I doubt a batter has ever hit a triple with Ortiz at first. Just long doubles.
ReplyDeleteEss-actly.
ReplyDelete