Thank You Mike!: Peter

Well, yesterday was Lowell's final game in MLB as a player. So the Sox had a ceremony pregame to recognize the man and his meaning to the team and Red Sox Nation in the years since coming to the Hub (actually, even for the year before coming to Fenway as he was part of the 2003 Marlins team that beat the Stripes for the Series).Once that ceremony was finished, the Sox went out and beat the Yankees! While the Sox only have pride to play for, the Yankees still have yet to nail down playoff home field advantage and the Sox win in yesterday's Game 2 made it that much more difficult for them to do.Things started ominously with the Hankiemen going up a quick three , followed by 4-1. Then, the Sox dug deep and no matter the obstacle, kept coming back, much as they had in the first game of the year at Fenway against these same Yankees, to get the 'W'. One of the best moments for me, Jenn, aside from the win on Patterson's 10th inning hit, was in the 4th when Nava led off the inning with a hard hit double. Next up was Reddick. He hit a hard grounder to Berkman's right, but, proving he's no Youk with a glove, the guy bobbled it and tried a quick throw to the pitcher, Burnett, covering. Burnett just assumed he'd gotten the out, and you know, Jenn, what happens when you assume. EXACTLY! He found out that he'd failed to get the out and then started having a "conversation" with the umpire3 about the play. OK--an argument. Any way, time hadn't been called ans Nava, who'd obviously been paying attention to events on the other side of the field, noted Burnett was still holding the ball while having his "discussion" with the ump. So, what to do? He did what he should have--took off for home and scored the run to get the Hose within a run. The folks at the Fens went wild, and, although the Yankees still held the lead at that point, and later took another at 6-4, the wide awake play by Nava in this instance seemed like a charge to the entire team, and they were not to be denied. After they dropped back to the aforementioned 6-4, they came back again with a pair of runs in the 8th to tie and then the winner in the 10th, a perfect end to a long day at the park! Even the finish was sweet. Hall led off with a long double that just missed HR by a foot off the deepest part of the center field wall. Cash then laid down a perfect sac bunt to third, forcing A-Rod to come in for the ball and opening up the base for Hall's unchallenged advance. From there, in another show of team pride, Patterson, 0-4 so far, took aim on a pitch and laced into the Fenway outfield to plate the winning run. The perfect end to a long day at the park! Let's hope for one more 'W' today as a good way to end the year and point to better things in 2011!