Well, after yesterday's loss (Toronto, 6-3 with Lester allowing five in the first two innings, and only partially balanced by Bay's 31st homer of the full year, I was ready for a return to victory--and some possible closure in the form of a post-season clinch.
The game started well, Jake leading off with a triple, the first of what would be three extra base hits on the day in four at bats. The next batter up,Dusty, the Bosox' potential MVP, hit a deep fly and, just like, that the Sox were up one zip. With the Diceman holding up his responsibility, the 3d inning arrived. Jake had again gotten on base, this time with the first of a pair of doubles, and, two batters later, Big Papi worked the count full and then unleashed one. When it finally landed, the score was three zip, Sox. It was Papi's 22d homer of the year, and further evidence, if any is needed, that the big slugger appears ready for his usual role in the post-season, a point I made the other day.
Dice-K continued to knock off Jays batters just as quick as they appeared at the plate. He didn't issue as many walks as he normally does, and when he finally left, the line showed he'd allowed just a pair of hits in seven innings, a like number of free passes and struck out a half dozen. He reduced his season ERA to 2.80, and his WHIP for today was just over 0.5--pretty impressive game by any standard.
Following the Diceman in the 8th was his compatriot, Okajima. Oki performed just like the Oki of '07. He faced the minimum three hitters, retired tham all for an inning of perfection, and handed the ball over to Papelbon, better know to readers of this site as Laser.
Laserman wasted little time. Although he got no K's to boost his incredible 73/7 K to BB ratio, he took care of the Jays in fairly short order. He did allow one hit, a single, by Vernon Wells, always a thorn in the Sox' side, but left him to die on first as he kept throwing the ball past Jays hitters.
I mentioned Ellsbury's multiple extra base hits today. At least two of them were due to his blurring speed. The leadoff triple had extra bases written all over it, but anyone else would have had only a fifty-fifty shot at three bases. With Jake, it was almost a foregone conclusion, as he was in top gear before he'd gone halfway down the first base line, and quickly turned the corner there and at second, making both seem as if they lay in a straight line from first.
His second double was more of the same. Lining the ball to right, Ellsbury didn't even slow down as he rounded first. The fact that the Jays right fielder has a howitzer for an arm meant little to Jake. Almost any other runner would have been out by a foot or two, even with a slide. With Jake at speed and coming in standing up, it merely ended up appearing to be a bit closer than it might otherwise have been had he slid. In fact, as the replays showed, it wasn't even as close as it had first appeared. Two bases, no question about it!
Having won their 91st game of the year, the Sox will clinch the post-season AND ELIMINATE MR. HANKIE'S YANKEES, if the aforementioned Stripes lose the final game ever at Yankee Stadium tonight. Wouldn't THAT be symbolically sweet! It would also be an interesting extension of the notorious SI cover jinx to a ballpark. Check it out about half past eight PST tonight.
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