Projo Sox Blog

Journal photo / Ruben W. Perez
Dustin Pedroia loses his grip on a wet ball, keeping him from getting off a throw on Robinson Cano's infield single.

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ It was the one that got away.

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett was cruising through the Yankees lineup. The right-hander was working with two outs in the fourth inning and he hadn't allowed a hit until New York's No. 5 batter Robinson Cano stepped into the box.

The left-handed hitter turned on a pitch and drove it into the hole on the right side of the infield. Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia made a tremendous diving play, but when he made it to his feet he couldn't get a good grip on the wet ball. Cano was credited with a hit.

"I'm chalking that one up to our grounds crew guy dumping the tarp right behind second base," Pedroia said joking. I couldn't really get a grip on the ball - everything was wet. I got to it, and I slid about eight feet. That didn't really help me out."

His all-out effort did not go unnoticed by Beckett.

"He's pretty special about that. He knows the situations and he wasn't going to let that ball get by him," said Beckett. "It's just unfortunate the grass was so wet. He almost slid into the stands."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona has seen Pedroia make that play time and again. In fact, he's helped secure a couple of no-hitters with his defensive prowess. The conditions weren't conducive for that Tuesday night.

"It was so wet he slid farther. He was still moving and couldn't get the transfer," said Francona. "On a dry day, he makes that play. He just couldn't stop sliding."

 Tags  Dustin Pedroia Josh Beckett

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