Manny, Papi & Pap--It's Almost Like Old Times!-Peter

Well, there they were--trailing by a run as they rolled into the later innings, and getting not much at the plate. In fact, after the first couple of innings, when they got three hits and briefly (after the first inning) led, 2-1, they weren't getting anything at all. This is one of those unfortunate (if it's your team not getting the hits) circumstances when you have a pitcher who enters the game with an ERA of somewhere around 9 all of a sudden pitching like he appeared to once upon a time in his past when some scout found him at Out In the Middle of Nowhere High School between chores on the farm. The game started a bit like the previous one with Texas getting a single run at the top of the first, and then the Sox coming back in the bottom to take the lead by the aforementioned 2-1. I figured "no problem", expecting by the third or fourth we'd be ahead by at least five or six runs. Unfortunately, that's all the Sox were to get for awhile. On the fortunate side of things, Lester finally settled down and didn't allow any more runs.

However, the Rangers did have plenty of opportunities. I mean they finished up having left 13 men on base. I often look at the box scores after a game and add each side's LOB to the score to see who would have won if they'd brought everyone who reached base around to score. This game--wouldn't have been pretty for the Sox. BUT THEY DIDN'T.

Which brings us to the fateful eighth--Already one gone and Dusty comes up and promptly lines a shot off the Monster and ends up standing on second. Papi comes up and hits a solid single past a diving second baseman, bringing Dusty home with the tying run. Then Manny launches one over the Monster, the Monster seats, basically everything--Hello, Landsdowne Street-- and the Sox have the lead again, 5-3.

Manny's not just hitting; he's showing power that could help support the Space Shuttle program if they ever have a shortage of rocket fuel for their launch vehicles. After his shot, and the end of the inning, Papelbon came in and slammed the door. Though he did give up a harmless single, the outcome was never in doubt. Even better, to add to the joy of Sox fans everywhere, the Yankees fell again to the Birds, six zip.