A Star Is Born!: Peter

Well, Jenn, I guess you could call this another fulPhilling day! Admittedly, there was bad news to start the day for the Sox. Dice-K came up with pain and stiffness in his throwing forearm and went straight to the 15 day DL (didn't pass go or collect $200--he should care after the MM's he's already got) and the Sox outfield had a second guy go to the DL with broken ribs--Hermida. What is this? A new Sox thing? Speaking as one who's suffered through the discomfort of broken ribs (3x)(one industrial accident, one ski slalom race--still finished 3d, and one well placed karate punch training for my black belt)--, I certainly hope not! But LOOK what we got in return! Dan Nava, from just down the road in Redwood City started in left and wasted no time--none at all! First pitch he sees in MLB: GRAND SLAM! If you saw the game, or the replays, the only other question to ask is who was the guy in the Sox pen who made the leaping stab of the ball, one handed, as it soared over the pen bound for the cheap seats? Catch looked like something Jimmy Piersall would have made in his best days. Spectacular! The play-by-play crew kept harping on how close Nava's folks were to having missed the play completely due to flight and traffic problems--compounded by someone in the seat in front of them at the Fens with Big Hair blocking Dad Nava's vid camera. They noted this is only the fourth time in MLB history that a player has slammed in his first MLB at bat. I'm curious who the others were. Kevin Kouzmanoff was the most recent, but beyond that, haven't Googled the answer yet--and you know it's out there somewhere in the ether.

As if to put an exclamation point on the feat, Nava's slam was the gamewinning hit. A bit later he added a long double to left center to his accomplishments for the game.

However, he wasn't the only story. As I mentioned at the start, Dice went to the DL about ten minutes before he was to start the game. Atchison, just recalled from Pawtucket yesterday was hustled out there in the Diceman's place. Went a pair, giving up Philly's only runs, though he didn't pitch poorly--two hits in three innings and a single walk--a game WHIP OF 1.0. Following Atchison, Terry did a tour of the pen for the Sox mound efforts for the day. Atch was followed by Delcarmen, as it turned out, the winning pitcher today. He, in turn, was succeeded by Oki, Ramirez and The Laser. Almost sounds like a Bill Cosby movie (Mother, Juggs and Speed) or something. These guys allowed a total of five Phils hits, but perfectly balanced those with, you got it, five K's, two by Pap to close out the game. In fact, I loved his final out against Gload. The guy just wouldn't go away and die! I mean it was like a Youk at bat--kept grinding and fouling off pitch after pitch after pitch through ten pitches. Each foul ball saw Pap raise his velocity by at least one mile an hour and each raise got another foul. It was like who's gonna' flinch first. Ninetyfive, foul; ninetysix, foul. Finally, Pap reared back and heaved a 97 mph heater. Gload swung and, given the temp here in Mill Valley (95), the resulting fan would have been quite welcome out on the back patio. I could have stopped fanning myself for the moment. Game over!
Offensive heroes, other than Nava, included JD, whose solo shot got the Sox scoring started, Papi, with another booming two bagger, Dusty, Beltre and McDonald, all of whom had multi-hit games. Dusty's double was his 21st of the season. All we were missing was Jake's base stealing. Of course, had that been present, there would have been no Nava, and this commentary would have been less than half as long as it is. Ah, well, Jenn, it's your old Dad's verbosity once again. Hope you, Gary and Aidan enjoy it on the Tivo.