July 4, 2009 in Sports

Fenway fan assists Seattle

Johnson collects winning double in 11th

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Associated Press photo

Seattle catcher Rob Johnson, who had the winning hit Friday, congratulates Mark Lowe on his save.
(Full-size photo)

BOSTON – A double inside the line and a fan going over the line were helpful for the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

Rob Johnson doubled down the right-field line, scoring two runs in the 11th inning and the Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6.

Earlier in the game, a male fan along the third-base line reached for Ryan Langerhans’ foul pop on which Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis was attempting to make a play. Seattle went on to score three runs after that play in the fourth inning and hung on after Boston rallied with two runs in the eighth.

“There were so many guys that stepped up when we needed it,” Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said, not including the fan who helped.

Seattle’s Ronny Cedeno hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the three-run fourth, three batters after the fan snatched the ball in front of Youkilis’ backhanded bid.

Tim Wakefield made his 383rd start for the Red Sox, surpassing Roger Clemens for the top spot on the team’s all-time list.

“It’s a pretty cool stat to be a part of,” Wakefield said. “I didn’t realize I was getting close until three or four starts ago.”

George Kottaras hit his first major league homer in the bottom of the 11th for the Red Sox.

Trailing 2-1, the Mariners got their unexpected help from a fan.

Langerhans doubled with one out on the next pitch after the fan caught his foul with his hat just near Seattle’s on-deck circle as Youkilis attempted to reach for it. When he got back to his position, Youkilis glared at the fan a few times.

“It was a pretty big sigh of relief, because at first I thought it was easily into the stands and then I saw that Youkilis had a pretty good bead on it,” Langerhans said. “I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ And then that guy kind of getting in his way. I definitely had a sigh of relief and fortunately I was able to get on the next pitch.”

After Chris Woodward lined to center for what could have ended the inning, Johnson doubled off the Green Monster to tie it at 2. As the fans around third base were chanting “throw him out,” Cedeno homered to center to put the Mariners ahead 4-2.

“(With) his reaction I thought he had a chance at it,” said Boston shortstop Nick Green, who tied it at 5 with an eighth-inning, two-run double.

Jose Lopez added a solo homer for Seattle, which won for the 11th time in 16 games.

J.D. Drew hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who saw their major league-best home record fall to 25-11.

Franklin Gutierrez opened the 11th with a single against Ramon Ramirez (5-3) and Langerhans walked. Woodward sacrificed the runners before Johnson hit his third double of the game, a line drive up the right-field line.

Chris Jakubauskas (5-5) pitched two hitless innings for the win and Mark Lowe, despite giving up the homer to Kottaras, earned his first save.

The Red Sox rallied in the eighth against two relievers. Green doubled high off the left-field wall against Shawn Kelley after Sean White walked Jason Bay and Mark Kotsay singled.

Wakefield gave up five runs and 10 hits in eight innings, extending his home unbeaten streak 11 games dating to last Sept. 12. He is 8-0 in those starts.

“Sometimes the breaks go your way and sometimes they don’t,” Wakefield said of the foul ball.

Seattle starter Felix Hernandez gave up three runs in seven innings, striking out seven and walking two with two wild pitches and a balk.

Drew hit his 11th homer in the seventh, but Lopez homered into the “Monster Seats” leading off the next inning.

Boston scored two runs in the first when Jason Bay snapped a 0-for-17 stretch with an RBI double. David Ortiz scored the second run on Hernandez’s wild pitch.

Hernandez entered with a 2-0 record and 0.00 ERA in his two career starts in Fenway Park, throwing 15 scoreless innings.

Notes

Hernandez was 3-0 with a 0.94 ERA in June. … Bay, from Trail, British Columbia, become a U.S. citizen Thursday in a naturalization ceremony at Boston’s Faneuil Hall. “I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was,” he said in the clubhouse before the game. “A lot of people offered me congratulations.” … Boston manager Terry Francona flip-flopped Bay and DH Ortiz in the order to break a string of right-handed hitters. … Hernandez threw first-pitch strikes to the first 10 batters he faced. … The Mariners activated right-handed reliever Shawn Kelley from the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Mike Carp to Triple-A Tacoma. Kelley is 1-1 with a 1.54 ERA in 10 games as a surprise rookie contributor in Seattle’s bullpen. The non-roster invitee to spring training has not allowed a run in nine of his 10 appearances this season. He’s been out since May 6 with a strained oblique muscle in his left side. Kelley threw three pitches against Texas on May 5 before leaving in pain. The 23-year-old Carp batted .375 in five games with Seattle after a promotion from Tacoma.

M’s 7, Red Sox 6 (11)

LOB—Seattle 7, Boston 8. 2B—Jo.Lopez (15), Langerhans 2 (3), Ro.Johnson 3 (12), Bay (17), Kotsay (2), N.Green 2 (16). HR—Cedeno (4), off Wakefield; Jo.Lopez (11), off Wakefield; J.Drew (11), off F.Hernandez; Kottaras (1), off M.Lowe. RBIs—Branyan (43), Jo.Lopez (48), Ro.Johnson 3 (16), Cedeno 2 (10), J.Drew (36), Bay (70), N.Green 2 (28), Kottaras (9). SB—Cedeno (2), Ellsbury (34). CS—Jo.Lopez (3). S—Woodward.

RLISP—Seattle 5 (Griffey Jr. 2, Branyan 2, Woodward); Boston 7 (Kotsay, Pedroia 2, Kottaras 2, N.Green 2). RMU—I.Suzuki. DP—Boston 1 (Kottaras, Kottaras, N.Green).

IR-S—Kelley 2-2. IBB—off R.Ramirez (I.Suzuki). WP—F.Hernandez 2. Balk—F.Hernandez. T—3:09. A—38,078 (37,373).

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