Some people still wanted more.
The Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers offered a broad range of baseball delights yesterday afternoon during an 11-7 Sox win that gave Boston a three-game sweep of the Brew Crew.
The Sox hit four home runs, two by David Ortiz, to match their season high. Sox pitcher Josh Beckett gave up four home runs, for only the second time in his career, but lasted seven innings to improve his record to 5-3.
Ryan Braun, the newly enriched National League Rookie of the Year, hit two home runs, giving him three in two days.
Dustin Pedroia, the more modestly paid AL Rookie of the Year, had three hits, including his first home run in a month (117 at-bats).
Jacoby Ellsbury finally was caught stealing for the first time in the major leagues after 25 successful thefts, though it took a pitchout and perfect throw by Milwau kee catcher Jason Kendall to nab him. Ellsbury reciprocated by taking a hit away from Kendall with a diving catch in the ninth inning.
Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis had three more hits, including his ninth home run. Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder blasted a home run over the visitors' bullpen, but he also whiffed three times against Sox pitching, twice against Beckett.
("I read where Fielder has become a vegetarian," an e-mailer, George Gliga of Everett, wrote on a weekend in which Fielder was on base seven times, with three doubles, a single, and two walks in addition to his home run. "After seeing him this weekend, he must eat a cornfield a day.")
And yet, as the afternoon shadows lengthened and the ballpark lights were turned on, a cry arose among a crowd of 37,204 that wanted one last bit of entertainment. "We want Gagné," they chanted.
But there would be no bloodsport this weekend at the expense of Eric Gagné, the relief pitcher whose career disintegrated last summer in the Fens and remains in intensive care in Milwaukee, where five blown saves caused him to be temporarily divested of closer duty, despite Milwaukee's $10 million investment in him.
Milwaukee manager Ned Yost summoned four other relievers, who combined to give up 5 runs and 10 hits over the last four innings after starter Carlos Villanueva gave up 6 runs on five hits in four innings, including back-to-back home runs by Pedroia and Ortiz in the third inning. But Gagné never got a call this weekend, in part because the Brewers led only once after the sixth inning in three games - they were ahead, 6-5, in the seventh inning Saturday night - and that lead did not last through the end of the inning.
The chants went unheeded.
