“The Days Dwindle Down…”

Nine games remaining in the regular season, that’s all. The Sox have three games in St. Pete before wrapping up the regular season against Oakland and Minnesota at Fenway. Right now, the Sox are a hurting bunch, wheezing, belching and farting their way to the finish line. Manny hasn’t played in a month, Youkilis is still nursing a hand injury after getting hit last Saturday against the Yanks and Crisp had been out of the lineup for a few days with back woes before being penciled into the lineup tonight.

On Friday Night (Game 154, 9/21/07), Scott Kazmir(13-8, 3.54) got the start for the Rays. Ellsbury bounced a two-bagger that hit the chalk and rolled into foul ground. Pedroia sacrificed him to third on a nice 1-3 bunt. With Ortiz at the plate, Navarro tried to catch Ellsbury napping at third and he threw the ball wildly, bringing in Boston’s first run. Kazmir struck out Ortiz and Lowell to end the inning.

Josh Beckett (19-6, 3.20) got the call for the Sox, and the team badly needed him to bring his A-game. He struck out Iwamura to start things. Then, “Hey” Norton and Peňa walked. Upton lined out to Kielty in right. Delmon Young then tied the score with a looping line drive into short rightfield. Beckett struck out Gomes on a fastball that Gomes never saw.

Kielty flew out to left leading off the second. Variek fouled out to third. Crisp walked, stole second and made it to third on Navarro’s second throwing error, but Lugo struck out swinging to kill that threat. With one out in the bottom of the second, Velandia reached out and pushed a base hit past the diving Pedroia, but that was the only problem Beckett encountered.

Hinske was hit on the right elbow by Kazmir’s first pitch in the third, and was smarting all the way down to first base. Ellsbury struck out, Pedroia walked and Big Papi lined a base hit to right that brought Hinske home with the go-ahead run. Lowell struck out swinging for the second time. With Kielty at the plate, Kazmir’s wild pitch scored Pedroia to make it 3-1. Kielty walked (with Kazmir now over 50 pitches). Varitek was then hit on the left shoulder by a breaking ball that went awry to load the bases. But Crisp struck out…

In the bottom of the third, Beckett retired the first two batters then Upton and Young reached on back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. Gomes killed that chance on a 5-4 force.

In the fifth, Pedroia lined a single that nearly removed Kazmir’s head. Big Papi followed by beating out an accidental squib hit to the left of the mound. With one out, Kielty walked to load the bases. With two outs, Crisp struck out looking. Sooner or later, the failure to produce with RISP will come back to haunt a team.

After Iwamura fanned hit a long fly to foul ground in left (where the bullpens are located). Ellsbury gave chase, stumbled and tripped over the bullpen mound and somehow, he hung onto the ball while banging into the padded wall. It was a great catch. What was especially remarkable was that he did not get hurt. When will MLB ever ban open bullpens? They’re disasters just waiting to happen.

Jon Switzer relieved Kazmir in the top of the sixth, as Maddon must’ve figured all Kazmir’s bullets were spent. Varitek led off the top of the eighth with a long homer off of Glover. It was a fastball in the wheelhouse and Varitek drove it a long way. In the bottom of the inning, Javier Lopez came on in relief of Beckett and struck out Norton en route to an easy 1-2-3 inning.

In the ninth, Ellsbury walked then Ridgway hit Pedroia on the foot. Big Papi followed with bullet the opposite way that hit the (empty) leftfield grandstand in less than two seconds, 7-1 Red Sox. Exit Ridgway, enter Balfour. Lowell took out his frustrations (0-4, 3K’s) out Balfour’s fastball by driving it even further than the ball Ortiz hit, 8-1. The Red Sox struck out 17 times and incredibly put up eight runs. The last time the Red Sox struck out more than 17 times in a nine-inning game they won was Sept. 18, 1968 at Baltimore.

The only suspense remaining was whether Gagné could get through an inning unscathed. Finally, he did it: one groundball out and two k’s. Beckett became the majors’ first 20-game winner. Any questions on who ought to win the CYA? The Yanks lost at home to Toronto so the lead went up to 2½.

On Saturday Night (Game 155, 9/22/07), disaster was avoided at the last moment as the Sox erupted in the ninth with homers from Varitek and Lugo to cap off an 8-6 comeback win. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Andrew Sonnanstine were the starters and the game remained scoreless until the third when Crisp reached on bunt to third. Lugo’s sacrifice bunt moved Crisp to second and Ellsbury’s base hit drove in Crisp.

In the fourth, the Sox picked up two more when Lowell walked leading off and scored on Drew’s double to the gap in left center scoring Lowell. Drew went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Varitek’s base hit to right. Tampa Bay came up with a pair in the bottom of the inning as Peña led off with his 41st homer of the year. How did Theo just let this guy walk away for nothing? With one out Young singled, stole second and scored on “Hey” Norton’s singled up the middle.

With one out in the sixth, Lowell and came around on Drew’s two-run homer right. In the bottom of the inning, Peña walked and was erased on Upton’s 6-4 force. Upton stole second and scored on Norton’s single, to make the score 5-3 Boston.

Matsuzaka waited until there were two men out in the seventh before having his bad inning. He walked Iwamura and Velandia. The manager came calling with the hook in favor of “Lefty Specialist” Javier Lopez, whose sole job it was to retire the lefthanded hitting Carlos Peña. Things didn’t go according to plan, as Peña clubbed a long three-run homer to right. Hearts sank throughout New England as, with the knowledge that the Yankees prevailed 12-11 in extra innings earlier in the day, there was a real possibility that the Sox’ precarious lead could wither to a half-game. Dan Wheeler came on in relief in the eighth and set down the Sox’ hitters 1-2-3. Gagné had his second straight good inning of work in the bottom half of the eighth.

Al Reyes came on to close things out for the Devil Rays. The last time he was in that spot, Big Papi had a walkoff homer at Fenway. This time it was Varitek, who took Reyes’ first pitch the other way and over the left field wall to tie the score at six. Hinske followed with a double down the line in right. With one out, Lugo followed with a long two-run homer to left, putting the Sox ahead 8-6. He joyously flew around the basepaths as if his feet never touched the ground. Lugo was a veteran of many dismal seasons in the Bay and rejoiced in his coming through at a critical moment in the season. Jonathan Papelbon had no trouble closing things out, on two fly out and a grounder to pick up his 36th save.

And, oh yeah, with the win, the Sox were the first team in MLB to clinch a postseason berth. It was a muted celebration on the field but the players appeared happy and relieved that a trip to the October Dance is in the offing.

On Sunday (Game 156, 9/23/07), Tim Wakefield’s woes continued as he had a bad outing in a park where he generally dominates as the Rays chipped away and avoided the sweep with a 5-4 win.

The problem with Wake is the “double-whammy” effect of having to keep and additional roster spot in place for Mirabelli, who, after another 0-3 afternoon, is currently hitting a rip-roaring .213. If Wake does well, then basically Mirabelli’s a write-off, but when he struggles it always seems that (with the exception of 2-3 times a year) Mirabelli is a black hole in the lineup.

Young hit a two-run homer in the second, and the ball started rolling downhill for Wake from there. With the score already 4-0 heading into the six, the Sox made it close by scoring three runs.

Lugo led off with a single, Ellsbury walked and Cora singled to right to load the bases. Ortiz’ single brought in Lugo. With one out, Drew’s bases loaded walk scored Ellsbury, then Crisp drove in Cora with a base hit. Jon Switzer relieved Jackson at that point. Hinske grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to croak a golden chance.

Tavarez came on in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Gomes and Joel Guzman hit back-to-back singles putting runners on the corners. Josh Wilson’s force play scored Gomes to make it 5-3. The Sox brought it tow within a run on Cora’s solo homer in the eighth, but they got no further. Al Reyes shut things tight in the ninth, retiring the side in order and preserving the win for Jackson, who raised his record to a robust 5-15 on the year.

The Yanks won on Sunday to pull to within 1½, then lost 4-1 to Toronto on Monday afternoon, so the teams go to the wire with the Sox ahead by a nose.

AL East standings
W L Pct GB
Bos 92 64 .590 --
NYY 90 66 .576 2.