The Laserman

Dad --

Yes, Papelbon giving up that homer to Torii Hunter at the top of the 9th on Saturday was stressful. My first thought was "thank god we got that insurance run during our half of the inning". But what was even more stressful than Pap making it a one-run game was him loading the bases on a double and two walks. Luckily there were already two outs in the inning, but one single and the game would at least be tied, maybe even won by the Anaheim enemy.

Then an amazing thing happened. Dad, you should have been there. Gary and I were sitting on the edge of our stadium seats for the pitching battle of all pitching battles. Papelbon had already thrown 29 pitches - which you know is high for him. Then Howie Kendrick stepped to the plate. The first two pitches were strikes. As were the next eight. But the difference between the first two and the following eight were that Kendrick didn't swing at them. Those first two pitches were called strikes. It wasn't until that 3rd pitch that Kendrick finally removed the bat from his shoulder. Unfortunately he fouled it off. As he did the seven pitches that followed. But they weren't just fouled off. These two players were so evenly matched that every swing Kendrick took, sent the ball to the exact same place: the backstop.

Finally on the 10th pitch of the at bat Kendrick swung, connected, and sent that ball to deep right. Unfortunately for the Angels, it wasn't deep enough and the ball landed safely in the glove of Rocco Baldelli. Pap had gotten out of trouble and had gotten the save.

But in a game full of ups and downs, a game that as you know we desperately needed to win, it was that show of force between two ball players that stayed with me for the rest of the day. After 37 pitches, and a battle to beat all, it just proves, once again, that Papelbon is still the Savior of the Red Sox.

XO

Jenn