BOSTON — Daniel Nava hit the first
pitch he faced in the big leagues for a grand slam — only the second
payer to do it — leading the Boston Red Sox to their second straight
rout of the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-2 Saturday.
Nava connected on a fastball from Joe
Blanton in the second inning after being called up from
Triple-A Pawtucket shortly before the game. Kevin Kouzmanoff connected on the first pitch he saw
Sept. 2, 2006, for Cleveland against Texas, according to STATS LLC.
Only four players in big league
history have hit grand slams in their first at-bat.
Daisuke Matsuzaka was a late scratch
and placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained forearm following
his pregame bullpen warmup.
Emergency starter Scott Atchison,
recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday, worked three innings,
allowing two runs and two hits in his first major league start.
With his parents watching from the
stands — and father operating a video camera — Nava came to bat with the
Red Sox trailing 2-1 in the second. In one pitch he became the 10th
player in Red Sox history to homer in his first at-bat, and just the
second to hit a grand slam. Rip Repulski hit a slam on May 10, 1960.
He came up with the bases loaded again
an inning later and received a standing ovation. But he struck out on a
check swing with the crowd on its feet.
J.D. Drew homered and had three hits
for the Red Sox, who beat the Phillies 12-2 in the opener of a
three-game series on Friday night. Nava also doubled as Boston amassed
16 hits.
Manny Delcarmen (2-2), the second of
five pitchers, worked two scoreless innings for the win.
Brian Schneider had three hits and
drove in both of Philadelphia's runs. The Phillies are 7-16 in their
last 23 games.
The Red Sox pounded Blanton (1-5) for
nine runs and 13 hits in four innings. But, he didn't fare as badly as
Friday's starter, Jamie Moyer, who had the worst start in his 24
seasons, allowing nine runs and nine hits in one-plus inning.
Boston broke it open with five runs
in the second and three in the third.
With the Red Sox trailing 2-1 in the
second after Drew's homer, they loaded the bases before Nava hit his
slam into the Boston bullpen in right.
Marco Scutaro had a two-run single to
make it 7-2 in the third. Dustin Pedroia added an RBI single.
Matsuzaka had warmed up and walked to
the dugout about 15 minutes before the scheduled start.
Just ahead of the national anthem,
Atchison started warming up quickly in the bullpen. When it was over, he
completed his warmups before walking to the dugout with pitching coach
John Farrell along side.
The club announced the scratch and
roster move just before the Red Sox took the field.
Notes
Outfielder Josh Reddick was
optioned to Pawtucket. … Every Red Sox starter had a hit by the fourth
inning. … Blanton has allowed five or more runs in each of his last
four starts. … Kevin Youkilis was hit on the right arm by a pitch in
the sixth inning, the 65th time in his career, to move ahead of Jim Rice
for second all-time in club history. Mo Vaughn leads with 71. Youkilis
then left the game in the top of the seventh. … Boston recalled LHP
Dustin Richardson from Pawtucket before the game. He jogged out to the
bullpen before the fifth inning and warmed up briefly. … The Red Sox
have won the last six games in Fenway Park against Philadelphia.