2007 World Series: Games 3 and 4:
After the Sox took the first two games at Fenway, the Series moved west to Denver, where the Rockies received a hero’s welcome from their towel-waving fans (didn’t they learn from watching the Cleveland-Sox series that such yahoo-type behavior reflects poorly on what is an allegedly world-class city?).

Game 3 (10/27/07):

In Saturday night’s game, Daisuke got the call against Josh Fogg. Red Sox fans continued to feel apprehensive about Daisuke, as he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire during the post season. The Sox got to Fogg right away as Ellsbury and Pedroia both reached on infield hits, but Fogg regained his composure and retired the next three batters in order. Varitek hit a two-out double in the second, but was unable to advance. Meanwhile, Matsuzaka was able to get through the first two innings allowing a hit and hitting Atkins with a pitch.

There was a key baserunning blunder by Matsui that took the steam out of a possible rally in Colorado’s first. Matsui singled leading off and went to second on Drew’s fielding error. With one out, Holliday hit a grounder back to the box that Daisuke snared, wheeled around and saw Matsui breaking for third. Bad move. Matsui was tagged out and a glorious chance to take an early lead by the boards.

In the third, the Sox hammered Fogg and put up what seemed to be an insurmountable lead (at the time). Ellsbury hit a double to left leading off. Pedroia bunted out front and beat the throw to first putting runners on the corners. Ortiz doubled to rightfield and Ellsbury came in with the first run of the game. After Manny received an intentional walk to load the bases, Lowell lined a base hit to center that scored Pedroia and Ortiz. With one out, Varitek singled to left. Manny raced around from second and was called out on a close play at the plate. It appeared as if he eluded Torreablba’s sweep tag and slapped the plate, but the catcher may have caught Manny’s hip. Manny wavewd in disgust at the home plate umpire, but the call could’ve gone either way. Lugo followed up with a walk. Daisuke stepped to the plate, and pretty much everyone was grumbling over National League house rules. How often does a pitcher actually do something besides feebly and pathetically striking out? 90% of the time? Matsuzaka surprised just about everyone on Planet Earth by rapping a base hit in between short and third, driving in Lowell and Varitek. Ellsbury followed with a doubled to center that drove in Lugo. Fogg was mercifully removed at that point in favor of Franklin Morales, who was able to get Pedroia on a 5-3 grounder to end the inning. But the Sox were up 6-0 and all was right with the world.

But the Rockies were not accidental champions. They weren’t about to roll over in front of their fans. To their credit, they started to fight back.

Morales held the Sox scoreless over the next three innings, then Jeremy Affeldt held down the fort. Meanwhile, Daisuke was pitching a beauty of a ballgame as well, keeping the Rox scoreless through the first five, but he began to sputter going into the sixth. With one out Helton and Atkins walked. Daisuke was pulled at that point in favor of Javier “Uh-Oh” Lopez. Hawpe followed with a base hit and Helton came in with the Rox’ first run. Torrealba followed with a single that scored Atkins, and it was 6-2. So much for Lopez, Mike Timlin came on to get the Sox out of that jam.

Matt Herges came on for the top of the seventh and struck out the side. In the bottom half of the inning, Matsui reached on a bunt single then stole second. Tulowitzki singled to center. This time, Matsui did not attempt any daring-do and waited at third.

Okajima relieved Timlin and one pitch-bang! Holliday whacked a three-run homer over the centerfield wall and it was suddenly a 6-5 ballgame. After Helton singled, Okajima struck out Atkins and Hawpe to get the team out of further difficulty. But the Sox let the home team and their stinkin’ towel-waving fans back into the ballgame.

Fuentes entered in relief to start the top of the eighth. With one out, Lugo walked. Crisp (in as a defensive replacement) singled up the middle. Ellsbury lined a double to right that scored Lugo, then Pedroia followed with a double of his own to rightfield that drove in Crisp and Ellsbury to push Boston’s lead back up to four at 9-5.

Manny Delcarmen came on for the bottom of the eighth and ran into two-out trouble when Matsui singled and Tulowitzki walked. Not taking any chances, the manager called for Papelbon, who retired Holliday on a pop fly to end the inning.

LaTroy Hawkins relieved Fuentes in the top of the ninth. Lowell led off with a base hit to center, moved to second on Cora’s sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on Varitek’s sacrifice fly to center. The Sox had a ton of breathing room heading into the bottom of the ninth. Papelbon set down the first two batters before Hawpe tripled. But that’s as far as he got as Torrealba hit into a 6-3 grounder to end the game. Sox win 10-5 and are now one win away from a second World’s Championship in four years. One win away…so close, yet so far.

Game 4 (10/28/07):

So here were the Boston Red Sox poised to take their second World Series title in four years. For those of us who go back with this team to the early-mid ‘60’s, it is almost surreal. For an organization whose calling card was perennial heartbreak and disappointment to be the Kings of Baseball is a peculiarity, to say the least. By this point of the series, the only question was whether the Sox would get out of Denver on Sunday with a sweep. Then again, these are the Red Sox. Despite having already grabbed the brass ring once, there are always certain painful memories that can never be erased so nothing is taken for granted around here.

The Rockies started Aaron Cook, who hadn’t pitched for some time with a strained lat while the Sox countered with Jon Lester (who filled the #4 slot after Wake’s sore shoulder precluded him from being on the roster). Forget about youthful jitters at crunch time, Lester went through the test of a lifetime over the past winter. For a young man who survived non-Hodgkins lymphoma, baseball is a only a game.


The Sox scored first as Ellsbury doubled to left leading off, moved to third on Pedroia’s grounder and came around on Ortiz base hit to rightfield.

In the Rockies’ second, the Sox survived a scare when Helton doubled leading off, and there were runners on first and third with two outs when Torrealba hit into a 6-3 grounder to kill that chance. In the third, Matsui doubled with one out then Lester buckled down and struck out Tulowitzki and Holliday to end the inning.

Aaron Cook really found his stride after giving up a run in the first retiring the next ten batters, but the Sox manufactured another run in the fifth. Lowell doubled to the left center gap leading off the fifth and scored on Varitek’s base hit to rightfield. Lester hung tough until there were two outs in the sixth when he walked Atkins. At that point, Delcarmen came on in relief and blew away Spilborghs on strikes to preserve the 2-0 lead. There aren't enough good things that could be said about Lester's outing tonight.

Lowell led off the seventh with a line drive homer way back in the left field grandstand to give the Sox a little breathing room. Cook was pulled at that point, and no one could fault him, as the guy pitched his heart out. Affeldt came on in relief, and the Rox avoided further trouble. In the bottom of the seventh, Colorado began to creep back into the game.

Hawpe tagged Delcarmen for a homer leading off and pinch-hitter Cory Sullivan with one out. Delcarmen was lifted at that point in favor of Timlin, who gave the Sox a big lift when he struck out Matsui and Tulowitzki swinging to end the inning. Timlin must’ve jumped ten feet in the air after recording the final out.

Brian Fuentes came on for the eighth, and Bobby Kielty (pinch-hitting) forever endeared himself to Red Sox fans when he whacked a lead off homer to put the Sox up 4-1. But the Rockies weren’t through trying. In the bottom of the inning, with Okajima now pitching Helton singled with one out then Garrett Atkins hit a two-run shot to make the score 4-3. Okajima pitched his heart out this year, but is simply out of gas.

Now, it was really a ballgame. The SOS went out for Papelbon and he retired the next two batters on fly outs.

On to the bottom of the ninth, where Torrealba grounded out to Pedroia for the first out. Jamey Carroll then rocked a bullet to left that was going, going…caught! Ellsbury literally took the ball with his back against the fence. Now there were two outs. Seth Smith (pinch-hitting) steeped up and…struck out swinging to end the game.

The Boston Red Sox are the World Champions of Baseball!

Mike Lowell was selected as World Series MVP, and the award could not have gone to a more deserving professional gentleman.

To repeat: The Boston Red Sox are the World Champions of Baseball!
Think about that for a moment…(AND SMILE!!!)

There will be a time and place to talk about the 2008 season, but let's savor and enjoy this for a good while. What a season to remember!