Speed and Power Wins the Hour--Peter

Well, as the title suggests, the Sox got back on track against the Not-So-Big Red Machine from both directions. Coming off a frustrating loss last night in their first return to the Rhineland since the memorable 1975 World Series, the guys from the Hub started off fast--literally. First inning. The human afterburner was standing on second--for just a moment and then ignited in a mad dash for the hot corner. Easily taking the base, he not only beat the throw, he also was in position to trot home after the in vain throw by the Reds catcher went into left field. One zip, Sox. It was the first of a pair of swipes today by the Sox outfielder.

As the game moved along, the Hose added single runs in the 4th, 6th and 8th building a 4-2 lead. Unfortunately,. the Redlegs matched the Sox run for run over the course of the game, leaving the score knotted at four after Laser sustained his third blown save of the year by allowing a homer by Encarnacion in the 9th. Sox had to come back in the 10th, and that's the 2d place where power came to the rescue. Back to back? Forgetaboutit! On successive pitches Youk and Coco each dropped a ball in the cheaps and the Sox relief corps made it stand up for the win.

It's a good thing that the pen was able to hold a lead. Aside from Pap blowing his third save, Oki gave up a run as well in just a third of an inning. I'm not sure what's going on, but these aren't the Orioles. He's supposed to hammer the lid shut on the Sox' other opponents. Sometimes he succeeds--others he flops.

However, there was another important element in the Sox W tonight--balance. Just as Oki & Pap gave up a run apiece, The Other Manny--Delcarmen and Hansen each produced a piece of scoreless baseball, Hansen closing out for the save with a full inning of scoreless baseball. But it was a long comeback after continually giving back the lead.

Items of note: Jake's two steals put him back in sole possession of the league lead in the category. They also broke a Red Sox rookie record going back to 1909. While all this was going on, Jake, Dusty, JD and Lowell went 2-5 apiece and Youk was 3-5, including the aforementioned roundtripper and a double, while JD's hits were both for extra bases--double and triple.

All in all a good night. Now on to a new streak with a win tomorrow. By the way, tomorrow's also the Celtics first opportunity to clinch a World Title in 22 years. Play hard, C's!