Lowell's early sizzle ended with late fizzle
CHICAGO - There seemed to be some signs the past two days that third baseman Mike Lowell is beginning to emerge from a drought that has dogged him the last three weeks. But slumps can be stubborn things and continue to find players at the most inopportune times. Such was the case for Lowell yesterday.
After stopping an 0-for-17 slide by collecting two hits Saturday night during the Red Sox' 6-2 victory, Lowell hit a three-run homer off Chicago starter Gavin Floyd in the first inning yesterday that landed just beyond the outstretched arm of left fielder Carlos Quentin. Those were his first RBIs in 10 games.
"I hit it well," Lowell said. "I just hit it so high, so I was hoping it would go over the fence."
But over the next four innings Floyd settled down, Chicago began to tee off on Clay Buchholz, and after the third inning the Red Sox were trailing, 5-3.
"We gave it back pretty quick," Lowell said. "You don't want to do that."
Then, as if the baseball gods were playing a cruel joke, Lowell found himself at the center of the two plays that essentially sealed the 6-5 victory for Chicago.
In the bottom of the fifth, Chicago's Paul Konerko was at third with one out after Alexei Ramirez hit a bloop single to right. Third base coach Jeff Cox, who has been criticized for sending runners who were thrown out by country miles in recent weeks, decided to hold the plodding Konerko.
Juan Uribe then hit a high bouncer to Lowell. He caught it barehanded and tried to nail Konerko at the plate. Even though Lowell was playing in, his throw hit the ground before reaching Jason Varitek and Konerko scored Chicago's sixth - and the decisive - run. It was his second error of the day and the 10th of the season for the major league leader in fielding percentage (.975) for third basemen who have played a minimum of 1,000 games.
"It's kind of do-or-die," Lowell said of the play. "I don't think anyone ever catches that with two fingers on the ball. I definitely wish I would have made a better throw. It kind of short-hopped 'Tek, and that allowed the run to score."
After the Red Sox got two in the sixth to shave the deficit to one, Lowell had a chance to come through in the seventh. With one out, Matt Thornton walked Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and J.D. Drew, setting the stage for Lowell, now facing Octavio Dotel.
On an 0-1 pitch, Lowell hit a bouncing ball to Uribe at third base, and the White Sox converted the double play, stopping the threat. The Red Sox failed to get another runner the rest of the day.
"Dotel made a good pitch," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
"Dotel was throwing hard," Lowell said with a smile. "He threw me a good pitch. I'm not trying to hit a double play, but that was the result."
Thus a frustrating stretch continued for Lowell, who is 16 for 85 in his last 20 games and has seen his average slip from .301 to .272.
Despite the struggles, Francona remains in Lowell's corner. "Mike has been a pro for a long time," he said. "He just has to keep plugging away, and he always will."
But there are signs of life, Lowell's three hits over the last two games giving him a .426 lifetime average at U.S. Cellular Field.
Does he believe a turnaround is at hand? He was not making any promises.
"I'd love to say yes for sure, but a blooper [Saturday night] that fell in, sometimes that is what starts it," he said. "I feel like my plate discipline is better; hopefully that goes hand in hand with the execution."
