Game Recap #14 Miami Marlins @ Boston Red Sox

Massachusetts is a state that has been a part of history from day one in the United States. Since 1912, Fenway Park has also been a part of baseball's history. As we celebrate the centennial for this iconic locale, its tenants, the Boston Red Sox, host a team whose stadium has just begun its life. That would be Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins, a structure one hundred years younger than the one that is at the center of today's action. Miami jumped out to an early lead to put the pressure on much-maligned Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, making his third start since a return from Tommy John surgery, by getting Jose Reyes on with a single, and Giancarlo Stanton also singled his way on before getting into scoring position by stealing second base, one of three steals for the Marlins today. Greg Dobbs started the scoring by singling in both Reyes and Stanton, and he came home after stealing second as well, on a single by the recently struggling Omar Infante. Infante also stole a base in the inning, concluding the base-running theatrics for the night. Things were quiet until the fourth inning, where Boston finally chipped into a slightly-erratic Carlos Zambrano with Cody Ross getting on base after being hit by a pitch, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia suffered the same fate to get Ross in scoring position. Then, a Will Middlebrooks single scored Ross and a sacrifice fly by Mike Aviles got Saltalamacchia home. The Red Sox worked into a tie in the fifth inning on another Middlebrooks single that brought in Adrian Gonzalez, who was on via a walk. Zambrano was done after this, surrendering five hits and four walks to produce three earned runs while striking out three. The Marlins did get the lead back in the sixth inning when right-fielder Stanton blasted one of his notorious home runs over the Green Monster, a monumental left field wall that is part of the Fenway charm. Matsuzaka left after this, with 5 1/3 innings pitched, allowing four hits and a walk and four earned runs, while striking out four. Andrew Miller was next in line to take the mound, and he did not stop the bleeding, giving up a Dobbs single and Infante RBI double that made it 5-3. Miami called on Ryan Webb out of the bullpen, and he worked well, but his follower, Randy Choate, let the Red Sox back into the game in the eighth inning by allowing Saltalamacchia on base with a double. Choate was yanked for Edward Mujica, which turned out poorly as Middlebrooks lifted a home run to center field, tying the game. Mujica continued to struggle, putting Ryan Kalish on base, and then giving up a single to Daniel Nava that let Kalish get home to make it 6-5. Scott Atchison had pitched the eighth inning for Boston, and he let Alfredo Aceves on the mound for the ninth, where Aceves shut the door to preserves the win for Atchison and the save for himself. Mujica was nailed for the loss, and Boston completed their sweep over the Marlins. Just goes to show, sometimes the oldies are in fact goodies, at least when it comes to teams and ballparks.