Quite the Swing
I’ll be the first to admit it - last night I panicked. Tim Wakefield, who I was counting on for a solid performance almost as much as I was counting on the sun to rise today, did not live up to expectations. He couldn’t get out of the 4th inning to save his life, and Kyle Snyder wasn’t looking much better. We were down 8-1 after former Sox player and fellow Northeastern alum Carlos Pena drilled his 39th home run. Andy Sonnastine was pitching like he was still in AAA.
The world had become flat again, the Sox were on their way to being swept by the Devil Rays just in time for the Yankees to show up, and Roger Clemens was going to pitch a complete game in Fenway on Sunday night to put the Yanks in first place at the end of the week. And of course, somehow, the Sox weren’t going to make the playoffs and I would have to disown the team and start cheering for the Mets or something ridiculous like that.
Yes, down 8-1, there was simply no hope for this team. I thought, am I being too reactionary? Then I just ordered another beer and started negotiating fantasy football trades over text message to set my mind at ease. That was it, down 7, Wakefield out, Yankees winning, life as we know it is over.
15 minutes go by
I look back up at the TV and what do I see? Mike Lowell, JD Drew and Coco Crisp all standing on bases with only 1 out and Julio Lugo up. “Well, he’s been good since the All Star break, so maybe we’ve got a…” JULIO!!!!!! Oh my, he just drove one to the spot in left field that he’s been missing like the blind at a pinata party!
OK, so at least we got 1 run before Kevin Cash grounds into a double pl… Fair Ball! Cash’s single up the line is going to score 2! Thanks Red Sox, now my hopes are up for a comeback that is still about as likely to happen as as George Bush voting for Hilary Clinton. And I was almost right at that point, as they got no more hits and just 1 more run. But still, 8-5 isn’t so bad.
Then, in the next inning, the same guys came through again with Crisp, Lugo and Cash all driving in a run. 9-8 - holy crap, we have a chance! Get Papelbon out there, we may need him!
Filled with a renewed sense of hope that I was expecting to have crushed by Bryan Corey, the top of the 6th passed. Here’s our chance, now if only Pedroia can… Way back, oh my god, DP hit one into the monster seats! That Dustin Pedroia really is my kind of guy.
And of course, once the game was tied, I was on board the rest of the game. The Vince Young trade fell through becuase I was no longer in panic mode, and the Youkilis cleared the bases to give way to the bullpen preserving a win.
All in all, it was a giant swing of emotions watching that game. And I am extremely glad that it ended up the way it did. It was a long game, but it was worth watching all 26 runs score and see the Sox pull it out. Now, tonight, lets see if Lester can wrap up this series with a W and carry some momentum into the all important Yankees series.
Stumble it!