A Big Win--Then A Split--Peter

Well, the Sox started off their important Fenway series last night against the Jays with an impressive win. Allowing only three hits over eight shutout innings, Tim Wakefield had the ball dancing, fluttering and, to use his description, tumbling everywhere but in the sights of the Toronto batters. He finished his stint by taking out the last thirteen Jays batters in a row. A quick mop-up by the Sox bullpen and the game was safe and secure in the 'W' column. The Hose picked up a quick game on the Jays in the Wild Card hunt, and a half game each on the Rays and the Twinkies, and, while we're at it, on Mr. Hankie's Yankees.

But that was last night. Today started with a lot of excitement and an opportunity to really, in effect, end Toronto's participation in the Wild Card race. Win 'em both and the Hubhose are 9 1/2 games up on the Jays and have a chance at 7 1/2 on the Twinkies, as well as a shot at picking up the two games they trailed the Rays by entering today's games. However, it was not to be. Talk about an emotional roller coaster!

Game one today: the Sox have recent acquisition Paul Byrd on the mound. Even though he gave no-one a free pass to first, he allowed ten hits that led to five runs--in just five innings.As he was facing one of the Jays' two 20 game winner candidates, Burnett, on the mound, he quickly found out that pitching that way wouldn't cut it. He was followed by Aardsma, who, just back to the Fens from a combined DL & Pawsox assignment(s), surrendered an additional three. Final score, 8-1, Jays.

So, now both the Jays, the Twinkies and the Rays are a game better off vis-a-vis the Fellows From Fens than they'd been a few hours earlier. Obviously, not only the Jays won, but all of the others also did. Time for game 2!

Game two begins with Bartolo Colon back from the DL. He pitches well enough to win, but leaves after six trailing 5-2 after having led two zip in the first. Now, you'll ask how giving up five runs in six innings is good enough to win (other than scoring eight or ten in a single inning, which, let's face it, doesn't happen every other day). Well, in this case it could have been because three of those runs were unearned. However, never say die--because if you do, you just might. You know--self fulfilling prophecy and all that stuff.

Anyway, the Sox get one back in their half of the 6th, and on Yooouk's 101st ribbie of the year, pick up another in the 7th. It's now 5-4.

Fortunately, while this is happening, the 'pen is doing a much better job in the nitecap than in the earlier show. Lopez and Masterson, the latter the ultimate winning pitcher, each toss an inning of perfect baseball, all on a cumulative total of nineteen pitches, three of which are a K that Lopez tacks on.

Comes the Sox half of the 8th--Downs, who came on in the 6th for the jays is still out there. The Sox finally jump all over a Toronto hurler today. Jason Bay, with his third hit of the game putting an exclamation point on the end of an 0-13 slump, led off the inning with a long double. Lowrie scored Bay with a single and took 2d on Dave Ross' sacrifice and 3d on Coco's grounder. Still, it's only five all.

Jake settled the issue then and there. Using the speed that tells opposing players if it's not sharply hit, don't even bother trying to get me out, he barely dribbles one about a third of the way up the first base line. Turning on the afterburners, he is a blur going to first. In case there might be any doubt about who'll win this race, Downs attempts to grab it for the throw to first--but falls flat on his face--literally. Using this opportunity, Lowrie scores the go-ahead run.

But the Sox are not quite through. Papi comes up and drives a ball deep to left for his 26th double of the year (not bad for someone who was out for 43 games with an injury) and Ellsbury goes around the bases doing his best impression of Usain Bolt for the seventh and final run of the game. Come to think of it, maybe Bolt in Beijing was merely doing his best Ellsbury impression. Either way, the Sox now had a two run lead and moved to the 9th to seal the win.

Papelbon came on and it was more like the Laser we've come to know than the imitation who showed the other night against the Rays. Faster than you can say, "Beam me up, Scotty", he'd thrown a dozen pitches, allowed no-one to even hit the ball out of the infield, much less reach base, and one more door had been slammed on an opposing team. Game most definitely over! So, net: three Sox relievers; three innings of perfection.

The Sox had regained the game in the standings they'd lost earlier in the day. Better yet, the Stripes beat the Rays, so the Sox are back to within two with fourteen to play.

During this game, Dusty simultaneously added another historic landmark to his career and burnished his credentials for the MVP. He bacame the first Sox player in nineteen years and only the third all time to get at least 200 hits and 50 doubles in a single season. Both of the former Sox players are in the Hall of Fame--Tris Speaker in 1912 and Wade Boggs in 1989. That's pretty impressive company for a player to keep.