Home Runs of May 18, 2008

They Got the Power!

It is a cool day in Boston, Massachusetts. The wind blows steadily and the sun is hidden behind a blanket of clouds. The Milwaukee Brewers are in town, and they are looking to avoid being swept by the Boston Red Sox. Just after lunch-time, a sell-out crowd turns their eyes onto ace pitcher Josh Beckett warming up on the hill. After a rocky start to the year, he is looking to return to his previous form. Now, he looks poised and ready to go...

Ryan Braun hit two home runs, but it wasn't enough to lift the Brew-Crew over the BoSox...

After a Rickie Weeks line-out, Mike Cameron strokes a double down the left field line. Ryan Braun, following Cameron, knocks one over the Green Monster to take an early two to nothing lead. The home run is Braun's twelfth of the season and his seventh one in his last eight games. Beckett regroups quickly, following the home run with two strikeouts to end the inning...

The Red Sox are able to cut the deficit in half after Carlos Villanueva surrenders a walk to Dustin Pedroia followed by a double by Big Papi. With a runner on second base, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell loft hits over to the shortstop J.J. Hardy who promptly gets them out to end the inning...

The second inning is less exciting. Twenty-one pitches and six batters combined is all it takes to skate through this quick inning for both sides. Rickie Weeks walks in the third inning, but is cut down by the arm of Jason Varitek when he tires to steal second base. The Brewers fail to score any runs, but the Red Sox benefit from back-to-back home runs from Pedroia and Ortiz, giving their team a one run lead. Manny Ramirez, with two outs, almost gives Boston its third home run in a row, but Mike Cameron tracks it down in the nook of right-center field...

The lead quickly changes back to the hand of the Brewers in the top of the fourth; Corey Hart's single is followed up by J.J. Hardy belting his second home run of the season. A Prince Fielder error gets Boston started in the fourth. Kevin Youkilis singles and Jason Varitek walks to load the bases for Coco Crisp with still nobody out. Crisp cannot come through in the clutch, but Julio Lugo is able to work a walk, bringing in one run. Jacoby Ellsbury follows with a line drive single to right. Two runs score, but Corey Hart is able to hose down Lugo who tried going from first to third on the hit. Ellsbury tries stealing, but is gunned down for the first time this season, and his career....

Let's pick up the game one inning later. Boston has a six to four lead over the Brewers and Mark DiFelice comes on in relief to face Dustin Pedroia to start off his Major League career. The young scrapper singles to left and then scores on a David Ortiz blast to the right field stands. With the lead now opened to four runs and Beckett settling in on the hill, the Red Sox look to take complete control of the game. The Brewers have other plans. Ryan Braun tanks his second home run of the game (eighth in his last eight games). He is followed in suit by Prince Fielder's jack. The deficit has been cut to two runs...

With the help of a Pedroia RBI single in the sixth and a two-run home run by Kevin Youkilis in the seventh, the Red Sox quickly bring this game to a close. The Brewers were only able to score one more run, coming off the bat of Ryan Braun in the eighth inning. The final score is the Boston Red Sox, 11, the Milwaukee Brewers, 7.

"We did a nice job of swinging the bats against Beckett, one of the best pitchers in the American League," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said after the game. "We just didn't pitch well today."

On another note:

• This game was the third game this ‘’week’’ where Braun has had a multi-home run game.
• Speaking of multi-home run games, this game was David Ortiz’s 31st multi-homer game, and the 29th with the Red Sox. He is behind only Ted Williams (37) and Jim Rice (35) for the most in Red Sox history.
• Mark DiFelice, 31, became the third oldest player in Brewers history to make his debut.
• Jacoby Ellsbury was caught stealing by Jason Kendall in this game. His streak of 25 straight bases without getting caught is the most by anyone to start off a career since Tim Raines, who stole 27 bases without getting caught for the Montreal Expos from September 11, 1979 until May 2, 1981.
• Ellsbury is also one of only three players to steal 25 bases without getting caught to begin a career. The only other two are (of course) Tim Raines, and Mitchell Page, who stole 26 straight in 1977 for the Oakland Athletics.
• 8 home runs were hit on this day between the two teams, and not one of them was hit by Manny Ramirez, who remained 2 homers shy of 500.  He didn’t have the best day of his career, as he went 1-for-5 with a single.
  • He has only hit 2 home runs in 24 games.

Many people wouldn’t think that a solo home run in the 3rd inning would mean that much in a game. However, as the saying goes, “Every run counts”. Washington Nationals’ Christian Guzman proved that when he hit a solo homer in the 3rd that helped the Nats defeat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1.

Make that 4 consecutive games where Cincinnati Reds’ Adam Dunn has hit a home run.

Homer of the Day (May 17, 2008)

And the Homer of the Day for May 17, 2008 goes to...

Nate McLouth of the Pittsburgh Pirates (3 votes)!

Click here to find out the details of McLouth's game winning home run in the top of the 9th inning.

Others who received votes:
Adam Dunn of the Cincinnati Reds (2 votes)
Ryan Ludwick of the St. Louis Cardinals (2 votes)

On Another Matter:

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.

I hope you’re enjoying these articles as much as I like finding more about what has happened over a month ago!

As you probably know by the way he writes (compared to me), Falcon wrote this one. Thanks a lot, once again…

Falcon02520Legend

499 days ago

Score 1

This one is a little difficult. I'll go with Tood Helton for Homer of the Day...

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KelsdadAll-Star

499 days ago

Score 2

Quentin

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Falcon02520Legend

499 days ago

Score 1

Did anyone even read the recap? Can I get some feedback? Something?

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RomiezzoLegend

499 days ago

Score 1

Falcon. Join the crowd... of the people who write "Homer of the Day" articles and don't get much feedback. ;)

I think one of the main reasons why not many people aren't giving feedback is because the games were a month ago. Therefore I blame myself for this. I'm sorry that you're not getting any feedback because these recaps are great.

To many users, I think this is just an article that either they overlook, or they just think is a fun daily article where you can vote for a certain "Home Run of the Day". I'm fine with that. I just enjoy writing the articles for the people who enjoy reading the recaps. And like I said in the "On Another Matter" section:

"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."

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KelsdadAll-Star

499 days ago

Score 2

Yes, Falcon, I read the recap. And you did a nice job. I will vote on every Homer of the Day article. I vote every day on the Homer of the Day Poll. I will not comment every day on the recap.

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RomiezzoLegend

499 days ago

Score 1

Now, onto what I think about today.

What a bunch of home runs! 38 to be exact. I think that's the most home runs we've seen in one day so far this season.

The recap was great, of course. The game was quite a battle, and it really moved me as I read it.

Josh Beckett has had a pretty crappy season so far when looking at the numbers. Dice-K already had 7 wins, while Beckett had only 4. However, even though he had a 4.21 ERA, and even though his ERA boosted to 4.67, I still think that Beckett will prove something and will settle down as the season progresses. He surrendered 6 runs, but Beckett was also able to settle down at the end and finished off the 7th inning striking out 2 batters. It just wasn't his day today, that's all.

As for Villanueva, as a starter, he does either really well or really bad. This game was a bad day for him, as you may know. He surrendered 6 runs and only made it through 4 innings.

This certainly was a game that showed that the Brewers can be a very dangerous team and have a lot of potential. They just faced one of the AL's best pitchers (or former best pitchers, but still decent), and knocked him around. Prince Fielder came up big, and so did JJ Hardy, a name that most people haven't even seen in a while.

Oh, and Falcon, I like that little quote in the end. ;)

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Falcon02520Legend

499 days ago

Score 1

Great, I feel better now. Thanks Romi and Kelsdad...

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WizardmanRed-Shirting

497 days ago

Score 1

Michael Aubrey hits a home run in his first start, and is already past victor Martinez on the tribe, so he gets my vote.

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