2-0 with a Walk Off!

I was pretty concerned about whether the Sox would have been able to get the game off in the first place because it was monsooning here in Boston all day Monday and all day Tuesday until 6:45. The rain literally stopped just in time, and luckily the game was only delayed 10 minutes.

Jon Lester can also be a wild card on the mound, because he never seems to be able to make it to 6 innings in a game this year. Lester has good stuff when he attacks the strike zone and really pitches agressively, but when he pitches around hitters and runs his pitch count up, obviously he runs into a lot of problems, a lot of hits, and ends up with a short day.

Luckily, last night went as well as it could have gone. Lester came out looking strong, and my dad said that if he could throw about 60 - 65% strikes, he'd have a good night. Lester actually threw 59 out of 97 pitches for , which means 61% of his pitches were strikes. Good call Dad. Lester ended up one-hitting the Jays while striking out six and walking four (his only bad number of the night).

Last night was also Mike Lowell's first game back (!), which was kind of neat for me because I was at the game when he was put on the DL, then got to go to the game in which he returned. When he took the field before the game to warm up with Youk there was a lot of applause, and it amplified when they announced his name in the lineup. During Lowell's first at bat, he got a standing ovation. 

Some of the guys on the team have set songs for when they come up to the plate. Tek's is Kryptonite, and Lowell's happens to be Ironman, which I find extremely fitting. When Mikey takes the field, it feels like the Red Sox have a very good chance of winning no matter who they play. Anything hit down the third base line is in Lowell's reach, and when he comes up to bat, there's always a big chance of him doing something special. He's no superstar, no Ramirez or Ortiz, but he's a rock for this team, a force that holds the guys together, keeps them loose, and picks the team up when they need it. If Varitek wasn't already captain, Lowell could easily secure a "C" on his jersey. 

After Lester pitched eight terrific innings, Papelbon came in. It's always a treat to have Pap pitch at games that I go to, because it is so amazing to see the transformation that comes over him once he reaches the infield grass. In the bullpen and dugout and clubhouse, Pap is such a loose cannon and funny guy, always laughing and pulling a prank on someone or dancing irish jigs. However, when he comes in to close a game, he always pauses just at the precipice of the infield grass for just a few seconds, as if to collect himself, gather all his idiosyncrasies, and stuff them in a box somewhere inside for three to six outs. Even his posture changes on the mound - he stands straight up and still if he isn't fixing the mound or throwing a pitch. 

It was freezing at Fenway last night. I wore three sweatshirts and could see my breath. Balls weren't traveling too far and bats were breaking, so I anticipated lower than usual velocity for the pitchers, and Papelbon's speed was definitely down a little from his last outing (94-96 instead of 97-100), but he still looked good except for a stray double, and Dustin Pedroia made a FANTASTIC play to keep the score even at zero going into the bottom of the ninth.

At Red Sox games, I love to take pictures and experiment with different angles and settings to see what produces the best results, but in the ninth it was just too exciting to even hold my camera. The Globe claimed that the Sox haven't played such a low scoring game since 1980, so this was definitely a game to remember. Halladay had to face the top of the lineup, and it looked like the Sox were headed to extra innings after he got Coco and Dustin out, but then Ortiz came up. The place was rocking with "Papi, Papi" chants and the ubiquitous "Let's go Red Sox", and after coming within inches of a walk-off homerun, Papi worked a walk. Manny's at-bat drew the same excitement from the fans, and when he hit a single to center, Youk seemed like just the man to have at the plate. However, no one in my section knew that Jacoby Ellsbury was somewhat unavailable due to a sore groin, so everyone was freaking out over David Ortiz still being the lead runner. Thank god Youk's hit was bobbled, because I think that if Wells had fielded the ball cleanly, Speedy Gonzalez (aka Ortiz) would have been thrown out at home. 

Thankfully, the slippery grass, spin of the ball and excitement were too much for Wells and he bobbled the ball, because I got to celebrate not only my 18th birthday but the first walk-off win for the Red Sox this season with 37,000 of my closest Red Sox comrades. I'm officially 2-0 at Fenway this season and am going next on Saturday! Youuuuukkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!

Here's some pictures from my new camera :D