With this edition of JustSON the Numbers I'll be breaking down the Boston Red Sox Jason Bay (.324 batting average, .468 on base average, 9 home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored in 32 games) and his propensity to come up with big hits in what is becoming to seem like every game.Manny who? I think all of Red Sox Nation can easily say that with the clutch hitting that Jason Bay has exhibited just a little over a month into this season. So far this season Bay has gotten a hit in or after the 5th inning that has driven in the run(s) that have tied, put the Sox ahead or ended up being the winning run. Once he did it twice in one game and five times he has done it to the Yankees (3) and Rays (2).
On April 11th the Red Sox were in Los Angeles playing the Angels and desperately needed a win after losing their previous three games. That's when Bay stepped in and hit a 2-run home run in the 7th to put the Sox up 4-3, he then added a solo shot in the 9th to make it 5-3 and it turned out to be the winning run as the Sox won 5-4.
Next up was Baltimore on the 17th at Fenway. After Brad Penny spotted the Orioles 7 runs Bay and the rest of the Red Sox got to work, with of course Bay starting things off in the bottom of the 2nd with a 2-run home run. He eventually put the game away for good with his sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 6th to make it 9-8 Red Sox. The Sox went on to win 10-8.
Then it was time to torment the Yankees in back to back games on April 24 and 25th. The first game saw Bay tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with a two out 2-run home run off of Mariano Rivera, then Kevin Youkilis won it in the 11th with a solo home run. The next day Boston won a wild won over New York 16-11 with Bay getting the offense going in the bottom of the 4th, with the Sox down 6-0 Bay singled in Dustin Pedroia, then put Boston ahead in the bottom of the 5th with a 2-run double that put them up 8-6.
Two days later in Cleveland, Bay hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 9th in a 0-0 game, which Boston eventually won 3-1. After a trip to Tampa Bay, Boston made their first visit to the new Yankee Stadium on May 4th and Bay felt right at home their as he hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 7th to make it 6-3 Boston. At the time it was a couple added insurance runs but ended up being the game winner as New York tacked on a run in the bottom of the 8th which would have tied the score.
And just this past week Bay has come up with a run scoring double in the 6th to tie the game on the 7th against Cleveland, which the Sox won in a landslide 13-3. Then the Rays came to town the following night and Bay did it again as he hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 6th to tie it at 3, he was then followed a few batters later by a 2-run shot off the bat of J.D. Drew. Boston went on to win 7-3. Then to finish off this home stand on Mothers Day Bay decided to give his mom the best gift and that was a run scoring double in the bottom of the 8th to put the Sox up for good 4-3.
So as you can see it looks as if Jason Bay has stepped in quite nicely for the Red Sox in providing clutch hits. I'd say not bad for a former Pittsburgh Pirate and Gonzaga Bulldog.
