By Dave Holcomb
Friday night’s game at Fenway was the Arizona Diamondbacks first return to the oldest American League ballpark since 2010, and it was also Cody Ross’ first game in the stadium since playing for Boston last year. If Ross wanted to stick it to his former team, who let him leave after a hitting 22 home runs last season, he did just that.
Ross’ seventh inning solo home run gave Arizona a 7-6 lead which the Diamondbacks’ leaky bullpen was able to hold onto. The homer off Red Sox Relief Pitcher Pedro Beato was the outfielder’s fourth hit of the night, which also included three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Before the series opener with the Red Sox, Ross discussed his frustration with Boston’s front office unwillingness to offer him a fair contract last winter.
“They told me that they didn’t want to sign guys to long-term deals, and then they gave [Shane] Victorino a three-year deal, and then [Mike] Napoli a three-year deal or four-year deal,” said Ross during a radio interview. “So, basically they lied to my face. At that point, I kind of got a bad taste in my mouth and wanted to move on, and that was it.”
His words after the game were much more cordial as he said he had “no hard feelings towards anyone in this [Boston] organization” but Ross already had the last laugh. And his team needed it to keep pace with Los Angeles who won another road game.
Diamondbacks Starter Randall Delgado received the win and improved his record to 4-3. He allowed six runs, four earned runs, on six hits, struck out seven and walked one. After Ross’ long ball, Manager Kirk Gibson turned to his bullpen full of washed up closers.
But J.J. Putz and Joe Thatcher combined to turn the Red Sox away in the seventh, Heath Bell shut down the eighth, and Brad Ziegler closed the game. Boston had base runners aboard in each inning. Thatcher relieved Putz with Outfielder Shane Victorino on third, two outs and Designated Hitter David Ortiz coming to the plate. Already hitting a towering home run to deep center, Gibson wanted the lefty Thatcher to face Ortiz. The DH popped up to end the inning.
In the eighth, First Baseman Mike Napoli started the inning with a hit-by-pitch, and Red Sox Manager John Farrell elected to pinch run Brandon Snyder for Napoli. It wouldn’t matter as the next batter Outfielder Daniel Nava grounded into a double play.
Arizona, who has blown 19 saves this season, still had three more outs to get before their victory. Boston had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but Victorino flew out and Second Baseman Dustin Pedroia grounded out to the pitcher to end the game. Ziegler had to make a barehanded stab and throw to get the speedy Pedroia.
Boston Starting Pitcher Jon Lester had his shortest outing of the season only lasting four and 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits and six strikeouts. Farrell pulled his starter in the fifth after giving up three runs in the frame.
Lester gave up a first inning long ball to First Baseman Paul Goldschmidt, his 25th, that put his team immediately down 2-0, but the offense bailed him out. Ortiz’s two-run homer, 21st of the season, and back-to-back sacrifice flies by Shortstop Stephen Drew and Third Baseman Brock Holt gave Lester a 4-2 lead.
When Boston trailed 6-4 in the sixth, Drew bailed him out again with a two-run home run to center that tied the score. Already out of the game, Lester would not receive the loss, which went to Beato for giving up Ross’ home run.
In addition to home runs Ross and Goldschmidt hit, Second Baseman Aaron Hill hit two doubles for Arizona. Coming into the game, Hill was just 2-for-32 lifetime against Lester.
Arizona remains 3.5 games behind Los Angeles with this victory, and Boston stays a game in front of Tampa Bay because of their loss to San Francisco. The Diamondbacks play twice more at Fenway this weekend, so the Red Sox do not have to wait long to face their former outfielder again. But Ross made his point loud and clear on Friday.
Saturday night’s game will air on MLB Network.
Call me an old timer, but it’s really difficult for me to get excites about this series, even though your coverage is excellent and the games have playoff implications. It’s just that there’s no history between these teams. Maybe I have gotten used to Yankee-Red Sox clashes, arguably the best rivalry in all of sports. Inter league games can be very interesting with the right matchups. This one is awful.