Whew!

Jon Lester deserved a win! The defacto ace of the Boston Red Sox was himself tonight, after Josh Beckett wasn't much like himself last night.

Lester's line: 7 innings pitched, 4 hits, O runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts.

The bullpen gave up the lead in the eighth, but Lester was awesome!







The cliche says that baseball is a game of inches. The truism was proved again when Jason Varitek chased down Reggie Willits on a failed squeeze bunt attempt by Erick Aybar. The slow-footed, veteran catcher chased down one of the fastest men in the game by running him back to the base, ball in hand ready to throw--in other words, textbook execution of the rundown. That's why Tek is The Captain. The inches reference? Tek tumbled over third base after tagging Willits. As he flipped and hit his mitt on the ground, the ball came loose. Third base umpire Tim Welke ruled a good tag.


At the end, it was Jed Lowrie knocking in Jason Bay. Jed Lowrie and Jason Bay? Lowrie started the season at Pawtucket, expected to jump to the big club next spring. Julio Lugo was the shortstop for the Sox. But Lugo played poorly all year, and wound up injured. Jed got his chance. He made the most of it. He just hit the walkoff single that won the Division Series!
Jason Bay played for Pittsburgh. The Pirates. Going nowhere, no hope, no fans, no nothing. Then Manny was Manny one time too many, or 100 times too many, and Jason wound up in front of the Green Monster. And has provided all of the grit, hustle, determination and daily availability that the Sox have been missing in left field for the last few years.
Lowrie and Bay represent, as the tip of the iceberg, the ability of the front office to do the right thing to build this team and constantly make it better.

Bring on the Devil Rays!