Papi's 30 Again! Sox Come Back: Peter

Jenn, it's getting exciting again! Here the Sox were, able to see that the Rays had lost to the Stripes, meaning the Sox had a chance to get a half game closer to the lead and a full game closer to the card. All they had to do was beat Seattle again. So, naturally in the very first inning they drop behind. However, in what was to ultimately be the winning pattern, they immediately took the lead, 2-1, in the 2d and then expanded to 3-1 in the 3d. When the M's trimmed it, the Hose took matters into their own hands and again stretched it to a pair. I was actually starting to think positively. Then, unfortunately, the Dice got rolled--for a tying pair in the 5th and the lead run in the 7th. Exit Dice, to be spared any further agony thanks to the work of Oki and Hill (sandwiched around one batter who reached off of Bowden). Hill actually got the 'W' once the Sox got things straightened out, but, for a little while I was beginning to get schpilkes. Fortunately, in the very next inning, the 8th, V-Mart and Beltre collected consecutive two out singles to set the table for Papi. Looking at the opportunities, the game lead and a chance to reach the thirty homer mark again after a couple of years' absence, he didn't waste a lot of time. One and oh and goodbye baseball! Someone in dead center went home with a souvenir--Sox, 7-5. At that point, Lowrie, who had a very good evening ended the inning with a flyout, but, hell, after his earlier contributions of a pair of homers, no complaints from this quarter.
In the 9th, the Hub Heroes added another pair, giving the team a little room to breathe. These two came with only a single hit, but some real nifty baserunning, which is something that hasn't been as common for the Sox this year as had been planned, given the injury to Jake. No matter--Tek led off with a walk and was removed for the fastest remaining guy on the roster, Patterson. He wasted no time in swiping second, after which he set sail for third on Nava's ground out to first. When the M's blew a simple fielder's choice grounder by Kalish, the Hose had another run and a baserunner to boot. The M's changed pitchers and Kalish greeted the new hurler by changing bases, stealing second before the new pitcher could even get his bearings. From there a grounder, followed by Reddick's hit brought him home with the final run for the Fen crew.
In the home half of the 8th Bard had done his usual 'hit this if you can' flamethrowing, and now it was the turn of, who else, The Laser! Facing the top of the M's lineup, beginning with the most prolific collector of hits in MLB for the past decade, Ichiro, he worked hard but ultimately lost him on a full count walk, followed by Ichiro's move to second on defensive indifference. At that point, all it took was Figgins' fourth hit of the night to plate the run and it's now 9-6. What does Pap do, Jenn? Only what, with one exception, that he's done for the past five or six weeks. He took it up another couple of gears and simply blew away the next three hitters in order--k, K, K!! Game over! Sox inch a little closer.
With Papi's homer, he joins Beltre over 90 ribbies, and maintains his chances at a century for the season in that category, along side Beltre. It would be nice--a return to the days a few years ago when he and Manny performed the same act for the team. Don't forget--Beltre's just three HR's shy of the thirty mark as well.