Walking Off On the Jays...

I'd love to produce a fantastic blog about the dramatic walkoff wins against the Blue Jays in this space right now, but that would be disingenuous. Sadly, real life got in this way of me watching and of the two wins in this three game set...I only caught the highlights, and as thrilling as they were I can't help but think these games signaled a nice little salvation to the Sox's opening month, and so any attempt to write anything too intense without having witnessed the drama live would not be fair to the games themselves...too much work this week, not enough play, but after this weekend I should be able to get my priorities back in line ; )

Game one was a classic pitchers duel, that I know...I kept checking in on the score and seeing the 0's piling up, nice to see from Jon Lester, that's for sure...he did walk 4 so I'm not going to go all gaga since his control is obviously still a little suspect, but he did get 8 innings out of his 97 pitches, so he must have been hitting the zone more when he wasn't walking guys...struck out 6 and kept the Jays off the board...hard to ask any more...Halladay was brilliant over 8 innings...struck out 6, walked 1, only gave up 3 hits...we all know it's not easy to do that against the Sox, and this was with Lowell and Tek back in the lineup...but the Sox got him in the 9th in typical middle of the lineup fashion...Halladay got the first two, but he was a little too careful with Papi, walking him, and Manny followed with a single...Youk then delivered the walkoff single, with Papi hustling around to score the game winner...WHEELS!!! 1-0...Sox playing well in one run games, especially at home...

Game two featured 3 times as many runs as the first game...but it was pretty much second verse, same as the first...this time the hurlers were the Dice for Boston and the young Dustin McGowan for the Jays...nothing happened in this game at all until the 7th...Papi continued his resurgence with a bomb to give the boys a 1-0 lead, but the Jays tied it right back up in the top of the 8th off of the Mr. Hyde version of Manny Delcarmen...single, double, sac fly...tie game...then Dr. Jekyl returned and struck out the next two to keep it tied...0s in the bottom and top and we went to the bottom of the 9th...Papi got it started again, this time with a sharp single...Manny walked him over (so hard to get these guys out when it matters) and Francona, ignoring the blazing speed of Papi on second, pinch ran for him with Jed Lowrie...was Francona not watching the previous game???? He took out WHEELS!!! Of course it was the wrong call!!! Moss singled sharply to center and Lowrie was gunned down by Vernon Wells...of course he was...with the hit, Manny moved up to second but it would take a clutch hit from the Captain and Manny actually running to deliver a win without going to extras...Tek did his part, with a legit single up the middle, and you had to be thinking there's no way Manny makes it, but he guns it around third and keeps his helmet on his head until after he slides his foot in ahead of the tag...another night, another walkoff..Dirty Water blaring to cheers for the second straight night at Fenway...

Game 3 I did see most of, and I sure as hell picked the wrong game to watch...AJ Burnett, who gets killed by everyone else (I know, he's on my fantasy squad) pitched a great game...his electric stuff was there, and the Sox couldn't muster anything against him...3 hits in almost 8 innings...Wake was Wake, and the Sox go down 3-0...

Overall, a good finish to the month of April considering all of the obstacles...the feisty Rays that just swept us are coming right back for more...game on right now, after a little rain..two good young starters, Clay against the improving Edwin Jackson for the Rays...Sox are up 2-0, but to be honest I'm checking on that briefly here and there...I'm watching the Celtics blow game 6 to the Hawks right now...down 102-100 without the ball and 8.7 seconds left...another lackluster 4th quarter and for the first time in the series some dubious officiating...not cool...I can't believe this series is going 7, and if the C's lose game 7 at home to this Hawks team, I'll have one hell of a blog about it...game on...

GO SAWX!!!