And If That's Not Good Enough....

Well, after last night's game, it seemed unlikely that the Sox could outdo the walk-off excitement tonight. WRONG! Increasing their position as the team with the most walk-off wins this season, the Sox won their eleventh walk-off victory tonight by sending ten men to the plate in the bottom of the 9th to come from five runs down to win the game, 8-7. Nava started and ended the final frame. Opening with a walk, he closed the inning and the game with a one out bases loaded single, sending the Hose dugout berserk and the fans home in a similar frenzy.
Up until then, the game had seemed almost all Seattle. The M's had their ace, "King" Hernandez on the mound and, after leading 2-1, opened what seemed an insurmountable lead at 7-1 on the third career grand slam, second this season, of  their catcher, Blanco. It seems that as a .176 "hitter" he either goes the max and gets four or goes nowhere. Talk about all or nothing at all!
But that was in the top of the 5th. There were still four and a half innings to go, and in baseball, that can be a lifetime. However, the Sox against Hernandez looked as if they could have twenty innings left to change the score and it wouldn't make any difference. However, these are the Sox, admitted by most experts as the expert 'Grinders'. They just keep swinging and most of the time start to chip away at whoever is in the other dugout. It's like water over a rock. First the rock is there and then as time passes, it's not.
Finally, in the 8th, Vic took a nothing and one count over the Monster. Seven-two, M's. Still, that's a pretty big hill that this Sisyphus had to push that rock up, as nothing else was added to the Hose total in that inning. However, the M's hadn't been able to add to their lead as Wright had thrown three lights out frames at the M's. Yielding just a pair of harmless hits, he shut the team from the Northwest out to set up the climactic ending.
And climactic it most definitely was! Starting with Nava's freebie, the Sox started on a rapidly rising swell that finally swept away, and swept, the M's for the night and the series. Lavarnway singled and was followed by a two bagger by Holt, scoring Nava--seven to three. Then Jake walked and Vic immediately greeted the new pitcher with a two run single--seven to five. The fans are starting to buzz; in fact, they're more than just buzzing. Continuing the eruption, The Dustman took a pitch to left for a base hit and Jake scored. Suddenly, it's seven-six and the fans are insane! And there are still no outs--and the Sox have two men on. After Papi K's for what becomes the only out of the inning, Gomes takes a pitch to center for another hit, and as the run crosses the plate, the Sox have tied it at seven. The fans are more excited that the French were when they guillotined Louis XIV. The only thing that eclipses this crowd are the 2004 comebacks from three zip against the Stripes and the following Series win. But, wait--because, unlike last night, tonight the Hose aren't going to. Drew walks to jam the sacks and Nava, the tenth batter to step to the plate, still with only one out, drills his single into the Fenway outfield and the Sox pull it off!
The lead over the Rays increases to one full game and the Hose also gain a half game on the Stripes, who are idle, while the O's cannot gain any ground even with their win.