JennWon't Believe This!--Peter

Well, my only decision here is whether to discuss the story behind the title first or afterward. Hmmm. Well, let's see. On the one hand we have the Sox getting only a half dozen hits, but winning anyway. On the other hand, we have an occurrence that Jenn would never believe even if she watched it live and then again on the Tivo.

Again, on the one hand, we have the Beantown Boys again getting a good early lead against a big Zero for its opponent only to find themselves behind and in danger of worse by the middle of the game. But, again on the other hand, we have something Jenn will just not believe--even if she had been at the game--which I can assure you, she most definitely was not.

One final time, I could on the one hand tell you that the two teams combined for a total of seven errors, three by the Sox, and somehow the Bosox managed to still hang on for the win. Also for a final time, on the other hand, I could explain exactly what it is that Jenn just would never be able to believe. What to do? Hmmm.

Well, I've kept everyone in suspense so long to this point I guess I'll save 'Jenn's mystery' for the end of the story and get to the rest of the game--what I haven't already covered anyway.

Picking up a deuce in both the first and third innings, complements of Mike Lowell's two run double in the first and his 2-run shot over the Monster in the third, the Sox found themselves ahead by a five zip score in the top of the 6th. Unfortunately, that's when the Brew Crew struck. Getting three runs in the 6th, they pulled even the following inning when a series of Sox errors coupled with a double by the Brewers' shortstop, Craig Counsell, got them three more and the lead. I'm thinking, "We just got over this recent habit of giving away games after taking a good early lead and now we're back at it all over again."

Not to worry. In the Hub half of the 7th, the Sox struck for a pair to regain the lead. Although both runs were unearned due to Brewha errors, it still took Sox bats to plate the scores. First, Papi got an RBI on a grounder that Counsell handled, scoring Jacoby. Then, Yoooouk finished off the scoring for the day with an RBI single that drove home Pedroia. Dusty's was the winning run, as it turned out. But we didn't know that at the time.

To make things a bit more uncertain until the game actually was over (you know what Yogi always said about 'over'), we then had to endure what, if successful, would be impossible for Jenn to believe even if she saw it herself. No, it wasn't Lopez pitching an inning of no-hit shutout ball. It wasn't him gaining a Hold in the process, either.

No, it was NONE of these things. OK, OK, I'll finally tell all of you exactly what it was--what thing Jenn could never, WILL NEVER, believe--no matter how she finds out about it. Mike Timlin , yes--that Mike Timlin (let's face it--how many can there be?) in a brilliant inning of perfect pitching threw just eight pitches and SAVED THE GAME!!!!

Yes, Jenn, it REALLY happened. But don't take my word for it. Check your Tivo--check the boxes in tomorrow's paper; or as (I can't stand the fact that these 'bards of baseball' are all former Yankees) Casey Stengel used to say, "You can look it up." If it will help, Timlin saved the game!