2006 Boston Red Sox Season Summary

Record: 86-76, 3rd in American League East (5 teams)
Runs Scored: 820
Runs Allowed: 825
Pythagorean W-L: 81-81

Manager(s): Terry Francona (86-76)
Ball Park: Fenway Park

Notable Moments from 2006

19 January 2006 - Former general manager Theo Epstein returns to the Red Sox after an 80-day hiatus. The architect of the 2004 World Champion Red Sox, who left the team on Halloween Day, returns to eventually resume duties as GM.

8 February 2006 - Boston needs 15 innings to beat Baltimore, 5-4. Johnny Damon leads off with a single, moves to third base on a wild throw to first by pitcher Willis Roberts, and then scores on a wild pitch.

9 February 2006 - A full-page ad in the Boston Globe presents a thank-you from Johnny Damon to Red Sox fans less than two months after jumping ship to sign with the New York Yankees.

14 March 2006 - Manager Terry Francona agrees to a two-year contract extension with Boston. Francona is the first manager to lead a Red Sox team to a World Championship since Bill Carrigan in 1918, having won it all with the club in 2004.

17 April 2006 - Mark Loretta hits a walk-off, two-run home run on Patriots' Day at Fenway Park as Boston beats Seattle, 7-6. David Ortiz also provide some fireworks with two home runs of his own.

29 April 2006 - In a 9-6 win over Tampa Bay, Boston rookie closer Jonathan Papelbon earns his 10th save in 10 chances; he became the first big league pitcher to get 10 saves in April after entering that season without a save. He also sets a major league rookie record and the Red Sox team mark for saves during April.

20 May 2006 - Starter Josh Beckett rips a drive into the left-center seats at Citizens Bank Park for his second career homer in the seventh inning to give the Red Sox a 5-1 lead over Philadelphia. It's the first home run hit by a Boston pitcher since Marty Pattin on 26 September 1972. The Red Sox eventually win 8-4 over the Phillies.

27 May 2006 - Curt Schilling and the Red Sox beat the Devil Rays, 6-4, making the right-handed hurler the 104th player to amass 200 victories.

28 June 2006 - Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez gives up eight runs on seven hits and two walks in three innings of work as Boston thumps the visiting New York Mets, 10-2. In contrast, Josh Beckett earns his tenth win, going 7-2/3 innings at allowing just two runs on five hits and one walk.

2 July 2006 - With a 4-3 victory over the Marlins in Miami, the Red Sox finish interleague play at 16-2, tying the franchise with the 2002 Oakland Athletics and the 2006 Minnesota Twins for most victories in interleague history going back to its debut in 1997. In addition, Boston had record 12 straight wins over the National League between 16 and 29 June.

19 July 2006 - Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon combine for Boston's second consecutive 1-0 shutout over Kansas City, the first time since 1916 that the Red Sox had won back-to-back 1-0 wins at Fenway Park. Rookie pitcher Jon Lester had allowed just one hit in eight innings of work the previous day against the Royals and Papelbon had worked a perfect ninth.

31 July 2006 - For the second time in three days, designated hitter David Ortiz hits a game-winning hit, this time a three-run home run in the ninth inning, as Boston beats Cleveland, 9-8. It marked the fourth time this season and the 12th time in his Red Sox career that Ortiz had ended a game with a walk-off hit. Ortiz also ties a club record with his 14th home run for the month.

21 August 2006 - New York beats Boston 2-1 at Fenway Park to sweep a five-game series, dropping the Red Sox 6-1/2 games behind the Yankees for first place in the American League East.

4 September 2006 - Haverhill, MA native and Northeastern University graduate Carlos Pena hits a walk-off home run for the Red Sox in a 3-2 win over the White Sox in ten innings, less than a week after being picked off waivers by Boston.

21 September 2006 - David Ortiz surpasses former Red Sox slugger Jimmie Foxx with his 51st and 52nd home run of the season in a 6-0 shutout over the Twins at Fenway Park. "Big Papi" would finish the season with a club-record 54 home runs.

1 October 2006 - In only his second major league outing, Devern Hansack no-hits Baltimore for five innings and Boston wins 9-0 in a rain-shortened contest at Fenway Park. Due to league rules, it is not considered a no-hitter unless a pitcher goes nine innings.

13 December 2006 - The Red Sox agree to terms with Far East phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka on a six-year, $52 million contract pending a physical; options make the deal potentially worth $60 million overall to the veteran Japanese pitcher. Boston had outbid every other team for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, offering a $51.1 million bid to the Seibu Lions of the Japan's Pacific League.