Truly A Game of Inches

There's an old saying in baseball. Baseball is referred to as a game of inches, and two of the main highlights of tonight's game were ample proof of that adage. The first came in the middle of the game, when the Sox, trailing 2-1, were trying to hold the O's in check so as to be in better position for a possible rally as the game went on. Baltimore's all-everything first baseman, Chris Davis, came to the plate. Already having driven in the Birds' first run, he took a solid swing and the ball took off toward deep center field.  It hit the railing on the most extreme left hand end of the Sox bullpen. Then, its force of impact being what it was, it ricocheted up on a single bounce and traveled over 30 feet through the air in an arc to the seats in deepest center field, just above the 420 mark. What has this got to do with inches, you may ask? Well, had its initial flight path been an inch short of where it struck the railing, it would have ricocheted back onto the field and probably gone for a long double, no harm and no increase in Baltimore's score at that moment. But it ended instead in the cheaps and the score was now O's 3, Sox 1. Not looking good.
However, this is the Sox we're talking about. In the 7th, Drew led off with a ringing double, and after a line out by Bogaerts, was followed by a single by Jake. Jake immediately took second on his second pilferage of the evening, his 49th of the year, and waited to come home. After Vic lined out, Pedey settled things for the moment, striking a single through two infielders on the left of the infield, clearing both outstretched gloves by a matter of inches. Tie score!
In the bottom of the 8th, with two gone, Salty lined a shot high off the Monster for two bases, and after Drew was intentionally passed, Carp came in to pinch hit. He quickly responded with what has to be the ugliest hit in many years--but a hit nevertheless.  All that counts is whether it's a hit or an out, not how beautiful it appears. This was a slowly rising pop just beyond the infield. O's third sacker Machado followed it back, waiting until it approached its apogee and leaped. It just cleared his outstretched glove and dropped for a hit. Another inch of jump (or an inch less of rise on the ball), and the inning would have ended still tied at three. But with the hit, Salty came steaming home with what ultimately would be the winning run of the fourth consecutive win for the Sox. Truly a game of inches!
This brought Sox closer, Uehara, from the pen and instead of his average 13 pitch outing, he slammed the door tonight in just nine, including one K.
The Rays kept pace, 2.5 back, while the Stripes lost one for a change to the Jays and fell 8.5 off the pace. With the loss in this game, the O's dropped to 7.5 behind.