Monday, October 20, 2008
Maybe Next Year
Well Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) once said "There's no crying in baseball." The Red Sox failed win the 7th game of quite a memorable series. All I can do is tip my hat to the Rays.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Miracle At Fenway
Are you kidding me? Seriously, down 7-0 heading into the 7th inning with the entire season on the line. The Red Sox were being completely dominated the Rays. No one including myself was very pleased. I messaged Rachel on the computer and said the Sox were going to need a miracle if they were going to pull it out tonight. That's exactly what they got.
With 2 out and runners at the corners in the bottom of the seventh, Dustin Pedroia hits a little poke to right for a single and scores a run. Ok cool we didn't get shut out and it's 7-1. Enter stage left: David Ortiz (Big Papi). Runners still at the corners and a struggling Ortiz at the plate, commentators never failing to mention that he hasn't hit a homerun in his last 61 post-season at bats. Well what do you know he sent one flying into the crisp Boston air for a 3 run homer. Fenway has come alive. The fans can feel it. They've been here before and have seen some crazy things. So after 7 innings it stands Tampa Bay: 7 Boston: 4. Tampa Bay fails to score in the eighth and Boston has another chance to carve into their lead. Leading off in the eighth was Jason Bay, the surpringly great talent we picked up from Pittsburgh after we sent Manny Ramirez to LA. He draws a walk and once again the fans can feel something brewing. Enter stage left: J.D. Drew. Here's the wind up and the pitch and Crackkkk....J.D. Drew sends one flying over the right field wall for a 2 run shot...7-6 and the now the fans are going crazy. Could they really pull this off? The biggest postseason comeback for the Sox had only been 3 runs. Could they really come back from 7 down? Well the next batter, Jed Lowrie, flied out. Ok no big deal....1 out.....Pinch hitting for Jason Varitek we have Sean Casey former Tiger and likable figure around the entire league......strikeout...2 down. Looks like the magic could be running out.......next up late season acquisition Mark Kotsay....he hits a rope to center just out of reach of Tampa's centerfielder for a double. Now the Fenway faithful are one hit away from squaring this thing up or possibly taking the lead. Coco Crisp steps in and hits a liner to right which at first glance I thought he had hit it too hard and the runner at second would have to hold up, but the third base coach never had that idea....he was sending Kotsay home no matter what and it paid off......the throw from right was horrible and got cut off by the first baseman who quickly threw to second to gun down Crisp who was trying to stretch his hit into a double. Kotsay had scored before Crisp was tagged out so the run counts. 7-7 going into the ninth....is it possible ?
Top of the ninth and Boston gives up a lead off single. Oh no, don't give up a run now. Next batter fly out. 1 down. Next better walk. 2 on with 1 out and Carlos Pena to the plate. Pena had only grounded into 2 double plays the entire season so getting one here would be unheard of but wouldn't you know it, he hits chopper to 2nd and Boston turns two and heads into the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win it.
You couldn't ask for 3 better batters from your lineup to be up in this situation. Pedroia, Ortiz, and Youkilis. Pedroia-groundout...dang...Ortiz-strikeout....seriously c'mon.....Youkilis - bouncer to third fielded cleanly and the throw over is....LOW!!! It gets away from Pena at first and Youkilis takes second !!!! Next up Jason Bay: intentional walk to create a lefty/lefty matchup between J.P Howell and J.D. Drew, Drew has had past success against Howell going 4 for 7 against him in his career but Tampa Bay was playing the odds of lefty vs. lefty on this one. So after hitting a homerun in the previous inning J.D. Drew digs in with a chance to be the hero. One swing and Boston can cap off the greatest postseason comeback in their history.......and......CRACK.....a hot shot over the head of the right fielder and Youkilis comes into score and RED SOX WIN !!! RED SOX WIN !!!! Boston lives to play another day and memories of this game in Fenway will be remembered. Down 7 runs in the 7th and you pull out an 8-7 win in the bottom of the ninth. Crazy...absolutely crazy...but if any team could do it, it's Boston.
I know I know, they still need to win the other 2 games of this series to get to the world series but I have to give them credit for battling and not giving up after being down by 7. The series will head back to Tampa Bay now and will resume play on Saturday and Boston has their two best arms going for games 6 and 7. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. If they lose, they lose and if they win.....they'll look back on this game as a turning point. I'm stupid for staying up and watching it, I'll be tired in the morning, probably even dumber for blogging about it after it was done but I love basbeall in October and this was well worth it. GO SOX !!!!
With 2 out and runners at the corners in the bottom of the seventh, Dustin Pedroia hits a little poke to right for a single and scores a run. Ok cool we didn't get shut out and it's 7-1. Enter stage left: David Ortiz (Big Papi). Runners still at the corners and a struggling Ortiz at the plate, commentators never failing to mention that he hasn't hit a homerun in his last 61 post-season at bats. Well what do you know he sent one flying into the crisp Boston air for a 3 run homer. Fenway has come alive. The fans can feel it. They've been here before and have seen some crazy things. So after 7 innings it stands Tampa Bay: 7 Boston: 4. Tampa Bay fails to score in the eighth and Boston has another chance to carve into their lead. Leading off in the eighth was Jason Bay, the surpringly great talent we picked up from Pittsburgh after we sent Manny Ramirez to LA. He draws a walk and once again the fans can feel something brewing. Enter stage left: J.D. Drew. Here's the wind up and the pitch and Crackkkk....J.D. Drew sends one flying over the right field wall for a 2 run shot...7-6 and the now the fans are going crazy. Could they really pull this off? The biggest postseason comeback for the Sox had only been 3 runs. Could they really come back from 7 down? Well the next batter, Jed Lowrie, flied out. Ok no big deal....1 out.....Pinch hitting for Jason Varitek we have Sean Casey former Tiger and likable figure around the entire league......strikeout...2 down. Looks like the magic could be running out.......next up late season acquisition Mark Kotsay....he hits a rope to center just out of reach of Tampa's centerfielder for a double. Now the Fenway faithful are one hit away from squaring this thing up or possibly taking the lead. Coco Crisp steps in and hits a liner to right which at first glance I thought he had hit it too hard and the runner at second would have to hold up, but the third base coach never had that idea....he was sending Kotsay home no matter what and it paid off......the throw from right was horrible and got cut off by the first baseman who quickly threw to second to gun down Crisp who was trying to stretch his hit into a double. Kotsay had scored before Crisp was tagged out so the run counts. 7-7 going into the ninth....is it possible ?
Top of the ninth and Boston gives up a lead off single. Oh no, don't give up a run now. Next batter fly out. 1 down. Next better walk. 2 on with 1 out and Carlos Pena to the plate. Pena had only grounded into 2 double plays the entire season so getting one here would be unheard of but wouldn't you know it, he hits chopper to 2nd and Boston turns two and heads into the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win it.
You couldn't ask for 3 better batters from your lineup to be up in this situation. Pedroia, Ortiz, and Youkilis. Pedroia-groundout...dang...Ortiz-strikeout....seriously c'mon.....Youkilis - bouncer to third fielded cleanly and the throw over is....LOW!!! It gets away from Pena at first and Youkilis takes second !!!! Next up Jason Bay: intentional walk to create a lefty/lefty matchup between J.P Howell and J.D. Drew, Drew has had past success against Howell going 4 for 7 against him in his career but Tampa Bay was playing the odds of lefty vs. lefty on this one. So after hitting a homerun in the previous inning J.D. Drew digs in with a chance to be the hero. One swing and Boston can cap off the greatest postseason comeback in their history.......and......CRACK.....a hot shot over the head of the right fielder and Youkilis comes into score and RED SOX WIN !!! RED SOX WIN !!!! Boston lives to play another day and memories of this game in Fenway will be remembered. Down 7 runs in the 7th and you pull out an 8-7 win in the bottom of the ninth. Crazy...absolutely crazy...but if any team could do it, it's Boston.
I know I know, they still need to win the other 2 games of this series to get to the world series but I have to give them credit for battling and not giving up after being down by 7. The series will head back to Tampa Bay now and will resume play on Saturday and Boston has their two best arms going for games 6 and 7. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. If they lose, they lose and if they win.....they'll look back on this game as a turning point. I'm stupid for staying up and watching it, I'll be tired in the morning, probably even dumber for blogging about it after it was done but I love basbeall in October and this was well worth it. GO SOX !!!!
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