2003 Postseason Replay - Walker's Whiff Costs Sawx Series

Boston second baseman Todd Walker misplayed a tailor-made double play grounder opening the fold gates to a 4 run Oakland sixth and Boston never recovered in a 9-5 Game 5 defeat. Oakland will now move on to face the New York Yankees in the ALCS. It was the second consecutive game the Red Sox were unable to hold a first-inning lead. In Game 4, Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but could not hold on losing 7-4.

A reoccurring theme in this series has been two-out rallies, and Boston fought to scratch out 3 runs when they were down to their last out. Johnny Damon led off the game with a single and moved into scoring position on a ground out by Todd Walker. Manny Ramirez lined an RBi single to open the scoring and came across to count after David Ortiz crushed a double off the wall in left. Big Papi's playoff heroics were on display in this series as he was tied for most RBI in the series with Jason Varitek with 6 and led the team in batting average (.429). Kevin Millar pushed Ortiz over to third on a single to left, and Trot Nixon lined a ball back to the box catching Oakland starter Mark Mulder in the leg. Nixon beat the rap at first driving Ortiz in.

It looked as though Mulder wouldn't last long after being nailed by Nixon's comebacker, but he buckled down and blanked Boston for the next 5 innings allowing only 2 singles and a walk. This gave the A's a chance for their offense to get their feet under them, and they cut into the lead in the fourth. It is no surprise that the man who got Oakland on the board would be Miguel Tejeda. He hit a single to right, stole second, and scored on a Ramon Hernandez double. In the fifth, Tejeda struck again driving in Mark Ellis with a sacrifice fly to tighten the score 3-2.

Boston's starter Tim Wakefield was stingy once again as he was in Game 1, but after walking Hernandez with one down, Boston's Grady Little called on Ramiro Mendoza to face Jose Guillen. Wake was not as sharp as he was in the series opener, and after 84 pitches 7 hits and 2 walks, Little gambled on a change of pace from the knuckler clinging to a one-run lead. Little's moved didn't pay dividends immediately as Guillen greeted Mendoza with a double to center to put runners on second and third. Little ordered an intentional walk to Terrence Long in hopes of getting Eric Byrnes to ground into an inning-ending twin killing. Mendoza got the ground ball he was hoping for but watched in horror as it skipped through Todd Walker's legs and roll into center field. Oakland scored two runs on the play and took the lead 4-3. Little once again elected the intentional pass to A's leadoff hitter Mark Ellis. He then brought Alan Embree on with visions of another double play grounder from Scott Hatteberg. Embree got a weak grounder in front of the plate, but catcher Jason Varitek was unable to double up Hatteberg after getting the force out at home. Eric Chavez made the Red Sox pay slicing a 2 run double down the left-field line to put Oakland in front for good.  Red Sox pitching did not have an answer for Chavez in this ALDS as he led the A's in batting for the series with a blistering .478 BA as Below is a closer look at Waker's Buckneresque gaffe.

In each of the next two innings, Boston's resurgence was beaten back on both occasions by the A's.  Jason Varitek brought the Red Sox within two runs with a solo blast off Mark Mulder in the seventh. The three-run lead was then restored by Miguel Tejeda who belted a mammoth solo homer off Alan Embree. Tejeda was simply a beast in this series slamming 4 big flies and knocking in 12 runs while hitting a white-hot .429. Staying with the lefty Embree to face the hottest right-handed hitter of the series was a mistake by Little because the following inning Nomar Garciaparra narrow the gap to two runs once again with a leadoff homer.

Chavez slices double to left for 6-3 lead

Oakland put the Red Sox away in the home half at the expense of Byung-Hyun Kim. Eric Byrnes doubled to left and moved to third on an infield single by Mark Ellis. Scott Hatteberg plated Byrnes on a sacrifice fly and Ellis eventually moved to third on a wild pitch and a single by Eric Chavez. He would score on a fielder's choice.

Final batting stats for the Red Sox

It was tough not being able to deliver and get the Sawx over the hump. Looking back at my primer post for this postseason replay, I wanted to vindicate both Grady Little and Pedro Martinez. With Martinez, the turning point of the series was Game 4 when I built that early lead but was unable to make it hold up. I think I played the role of Grady Little effectively as I didn't have many regrets on the moves I made throughout the series. I also wanted to get Nomar to a World Series with Boston, but that'll have to wait. I'm thinking of a 1998 replay down the road so maybe I can get him there then. Before that though, look for me to turn back the clock for my next Red Sox postseason reply.