BOSTON — Kevin Youkilis’ farewell at Fenway Park on Sunday even was moving for Cody Ross, one of the newest members of the Red Sox.
On the day Youkilis’ 8½ years in Boston came to an end, Ross hit two homers and drove in five runs to lift the Red Sox to a 9-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Youkilis was traded to the Chicago White Sox for utilityman Brent Lillibridge and right-hander Zach Stewart after the game.
“It brought a tear to my eye, that’s for sure,” said Ross, in his first season with Boston. “To see him run off and tip his hat, he had some tears in his eyes, I got goosebumps. Special time. I know how much he means to this city. He won two World Series here, played his heart and soul out every day and just a great teammate. He’ll be missed.”
Before leaving the Red Sox for good,Youkilis was lifted for a pinch-runner after hitting a triple in the seventh inning.
Youkilis was greeted with a hug near the first base line from Nick Punto, who pinch-ran for him, and many of his teammates as he came to the top step of the dugout.
The burely Youkilis was then urged to come out for a curtain call by his teammates, coaches and manager Bobby Valentine before heading down the steps. He was given a lengthy standing ovation and the fans chanted “Yook.” The entire dugout looked empty, with everyone standing on the top step and applauding Youkilis.
Youkilis was part of the 2004 and ’07 championships.
Boston completed interleague play with a winning record for the eighth straight season (11-7).
Jason Heyward continued his torrid June for the Braves, hitting a solo homer among his three hits.
Atlanta, which lost for the ninth time in 13 games, closed interleague play 8-10. The Braves lost two of three to the Red Sox after taking two of three against the Yankees in New York.
“We were .500 against the American League East on the road,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. “You always like to get a little greedy. We had an opportunity to win two out of three here and we just couldn’t convert it.”
Aaron Cook (1-1), making just his second start with the Red Sox and first since going on the disabled list May 6 after sustaining a cut on his left knee covering home plate, gave up three runs — two earned — six hits and didn’t walk or strike out anyone in five innings.
Braves starter Mike Minor (3-6) gave up three homers and allowed seven runs — four earned — in 4 2-3 innings.
“Just really basically is what it boils down to is I couldn’t throw a fastball for a strike on the inner half today,” Minor said.
Adrian Gonzalez added a solo homer for Boston, which won six of seven series against NL opponents.
Heyward is hitting .391 this month with five homers and 12 RBIs.
Cook filled-in for Clay Buchholz, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with what Valentine called a “gastrointestinal issue.”
The Red Sox jumped ahead with a four-run fourth against Minor. After breezing through the first three innings allowing just a pair of singles, Minor walked the first two batters in the inning. Ross then homered into the first row of seats above the Green Monster, making it 3-0. One pitch later, Gonzalez sliced a flyball into the Monster seats to make it 4-0.
The Braves capitalized on Cook’s throwing error for a run during a three-run fifth. Eric Hinske had a two-run double into the center field triangle after Heyward and Andrelton Simmons singled. Juan Francisco then bounced back to the mound and Cook had Hinske off the bag, but threw widely past third to allow him to score to make it 4-3. Cook retired the next three batters, finishing his work.
In the fifth, Boston scored three unearned runs off Minor when Will Middlebrooks had a sacrifice fly and Ross followed with a two-run homer completely out of Fenway Park over the Monster, making it 7-3. Simmons had a throwing error on Kelly Shoppach’s grounder to open the inning when he fired the ball into the Red Sox dugout.
Heyward homered off Matt Albers in the sixth.
NOTES: Valentine decided to give recently struggling DH David Ortiz (0 for 11 last three games) a day off with a left-hander starting for Atlanta. “He said he could probably use it,” Valentine said. With Ortiz out, hot rookie Middlebrooks moved to DH and Youkilis was back at third. Youkilis was given a lengthy ovation when he came to plate the first time. … Hinske started just his 20th game this season for Atlanta, and doubled and tripled his first two times up. … Former Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz was on hand working the nationally televised game and spent time pregame chatting with players in the Braves’ clubhouse. … Braves 3B Chipper Jones, who had the day off, is hitting just .189 (7 for 37) since coming off the DL on June 10. … Red Sox pitching coach Bob McClure was back with the team after missing two weeks with a family matter.
No sympathy from this Yankees fan! :-P
same here. I remember a couple games where youk single-handedly destroyed our pitching staff. wouldn’t surprise me if he had one or two all-star seasons left in him.
You’d think that Bo-Sox fans would be getting used to saying goodbye to their big players. You guys may call the Yankees (who happen to be the best, most storied team in baseball) ‘Evil”, but at least they don’t sell their stars in order to squeeze out the last remaining bucks after years of service.
So we keep him on the bench were is mad and very unhappy? What do you do with middlebrooks? He they sent him to a team were he will get solid playing time, something Yook wants, something he would not have gotten with the red sox. He was being out played. He you could have keep him on the bench, but he would have been so unhappy.
Thank You Youkilis for your service and good luck with the white sox! I still think its a bad move!
i think it is a terrible move. i am not sure this valentine move was a good one.
What do you do with Yook? He isn’t out playing Middlebrooks, not by a long shot? He wasn’t out playing really anyone on the team. You keep him on the bench so he is pissed off all year? They sent him to a place were he will get solid playing time, something he wouldn’t get with the red sox.
good point
Don’t get me me wrong, I love Yook and am very sad to see him go, I was actually at the game and was devastated, no one in the stands knew because it wasn’t released, but you knew from the teams reaction that he was traded. It very sad to see him go, I i truely feel he is a place that will give him a better chance at starting and playing day in and day out, just want he wanted as a great competitor.
such is life. that is progress I guess
Youk is gone because of Valentine. Valentine didn’t like Youk from day one. You can bet money that Youk has a lot of good days left and many will be against the Red Sox. Tito we miss you. Thanks for all YOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUK
What do you do with Yook? Will Middlebrooks is playing great baseball? What do you do? Keep him on the bench so he is very unhappy? They sent him to a place were he will get solid playing time.
You keep Middlebrooks as a fill in….and get rid of Valentine.
You do not bench one of your best hitters. Middlebrooks has flat out outplayed Youk this season. I am sad to see him go but he would have been very unhappy because you don’t have a hot young kid ride the pine when he is playing great.
Should be good-bye Valentine by the 4th. The baseball fan in me says this wasn’t a smart move. Look around the pitching roster and see if that needs more twitching…
What do you do then? Keep him on the bench were he is very very unhappy? He isn’t starting over Middlebrooks, not the way he is playing. They sent him to a team that will give him solid playing time. It would have been selfish on the red sox to keep him on the bench knowing that he could be starting somewhere else, and knowing he was very unhappy not playing.
The one that should be gone is Valentine, he is quite disrespectful to the players and the fans. Who is going next, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Papi?
What do you do withYook then? He is not going to play ahead of middlebrooks, not with the way he is playing. Yook would be very unhappy on the bench. Now he is in a place were he will play.
Youk is a club house cancer. This team will start playing better with him gone.