Youkilis delivers key hit, tough critique
Even with the game-saving dash on Patriots Day and the game-winning double against Tampa Bay last night, Kevin Youkilis saved much of his postgame spiel for a defensive miscue in the seventh that gave the Devil Rays the lead and a frustrating situation on the basepaths that erased a hit from Mark Loretta. It seems that, even with his status as the newly crowned darling of the Red Sox, Youkilis still isn't satisfied.
Which, if you told his manager, would likely draw at least a smile.
There were no smiles, though, as Youkilis stood at his locker after Jonathan Papelbon finally had finished off his last batter, earning the save and keeping in place first baseman's heroics in a 7-4 Red Sox win. For Youkilis, one season removed from the Boston-to-Pawtucket express, this is what he is supposed to do. This is why he's on the roster.
''It feels good, but that's my job," Youkilis said. ''I'm not a role player anymore, where I'm playing every seven days. I have to go out there and help this team win, whether it be on defense or offensively. You don't have to go up there and go 5 for 5 each day and drive in a bunch of runs. You've just got to do some little things here and there to help the team win, and that's what I try to do each day."
Like, say, in the eighth. With two outs -- the second coming on an Alex Gonzalez strikeout -- Youkilis stepped to the plate with the score tied at 4-4 and Trot Nixon on second and Adam Stern on first. He swung at an 0-1 pitch and chipped some paint off the Green Monster in center field for a double and two RBIs.
Youkilis had been sitting on a fastball, and after getting ''a pretty good" changeup for a called strike to open his at-bat, lifted the offering to the Wall. He was mostly just trying not to get caught wanting more than he needed. Base hit gets a lead. Fly out gets nothing. Double gets an ovation and the ubiquitous ''Yooooouk" chant.
''There's a reason we're giving him the responsibility. We believe in him," manager Terry Francona said of his replacement leadoff hitter, who's batting .350 with 8 RBIs over his last 11 games. ''He's a good, professional hitter. He's just very mature for the amount of at-bats he has at this level."
Except it wasn't all good. After Matt Clement allowed a tying home run to Ty Wigginton to lead off the seventh, and Toby Hall followed with a double, Tomas Perez shot a double of his own past the lunging Youkilis, scoring Hall with Tampa Bay's second run of the game and giving the Devil Rays the lead. And giving the converted third baseman a reason to need a bit of redemption come the eighth.
''I didn't make a play on defense, [which] I was pretty upset about," Youkilis said. ''I wanted the ball hit to me again. It was a tough play with the hop, but I've got to make that play. I get mad at myself a lot for stuff like that. It's a hit, but definitely I should have made the play.
''I felt like I gave up a run, so I felt like I needed to help out and do something."
The need only became greater after a funky play in the bottom of the seventh, on a should-have-been single by Loretta that was turned into a fielder's choice courtesy of Russell Branyan. With the right fielder playing especially shallow, Youkilis couldn't stray far off first on a short liner to right by Loretta. And once it wasn't caught, the slow-moving Youkilis had no shot to reach second.
Though there was nothing he could do, Youkilis was frustrated at the loss of a hit for Monday's game-winner, Loretta.
And that brought him to the eighth. To the fastball out of the right hand of reliever Ruddy Lugo. To the chance to make up for his earlier foibles, minor as they were.
''That's what we live for in this game, the moments where you're tested . . . and you have to do something great and help your team win," Youkilis said.
''That's what I love to do. I've been waiting to do this for a couple years."
