I N T E R L E A G U E P L A Y ! ! !
Dodgers win finale but that's it against Red Sox
June 11-13, 2004
Game 1: Boston 7, Los Angeles 4. BK Kim throws a three-hitter over seven innings to get his second win in a row. Maybe the trade heat is off the Korean sidewinder now? He posts a game score of 71 and is the MVP!!
Johnny Damon clears the bases with a double...
WP and MVP: Kim (3-5)
LP: W Alvarez (3-6)
Game 2: Boston 8, Los Angeles 3. Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar each hit a home run in the opening three innings as the Sox stake Curt Schilling out to an early lead.
The bullpen is solid, giving up just one hit in the last 2 2/3 innings.
MVP: Manny, 2 hits and 4 RBIs...
WP: Schilling (8-2)
LP: E. Jackson (4-4)
Game 3: Los Angeles 9, Boston 5. If Red Sox fans are tempted to get cocky (record is now 44-19), then these types of games will bring them down to earth. The Dodgers stroke 14 hits and pretty much pound any pitcher Boston trots out there. LA gets at least one run off five different pitchers... yikes!! This is similar to the middle game against San Diego in the last series (a 14-9 defeat)... arrgg...
The bright spots: Boston C Doug Mirabelli hits two home-runs in the number eight spot. SS Pokey Reese, in his first game back from the DL, wraps two hits... Welcome back Mr. Reese...
MVP: Norihiro Nakamaru (2 hits, 4 RBIs)
WP: J. Hanrahan (1-0)
LP: Tim Wakefield (5-2, ERA goes up to 6.36 -- ouch!)
AL East Standings
Boston 44-19
Tampa Bay 32-30
New York 31-31 (coming back to .500!)
Baltimore 27-35
Toronto 26-37
Awards
Manny Ramirez earns the AL Player of the Week award, his second of the season. He hits .478 with three HRs and eight RBIs... Barry Bonds has a monstrous week (5 HRs with a 9-for-17 average) and earns NL honors... Barry blasts one out of Camden Yards earlier in the week -- a 535 FOOT HOME RUN!! Wow... Boston will see Barry in the week ahead...
Transactions
With Pokey Reese back from the DL, Boston must send someone down to AAA. That person is Tony Womack (1 star). Mike Bordick, hitting about .300, stays up. He doesn't have the speed of Womack but has B defensive ratings at 2B, 3B and SS -- and a decent bat.
Next up: Road trip to the West
After a day off Monday, Boston will be in Colorado and San Francisco for another two rounds of Interleague Play... Will the Sox pitch to Barry? Fans want to know... Manny, Ortiz, Burks and Millar can't wait for Coors field!!