UnMatchedSox

Going in to the seventh with a 2 run lead isn’t the sure thing it once was, what with the bullpen as inconsistent as it has been. The offense decided that this one was not going to get away from them and plated seven in the 7th and another four in the 8th. All of this being precipitated by an overturned triple-play call. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Tek hit a line drive to center and the centerfielder caught the ball of the bounce. The runners took off, but the umpires incorrectly signaled it as a catch. After conferring and reviewing replays, the call was overturned and the blood letting began in earnest.

Ellsbury lead the assault with four hits on six at-bats and Youkilis knocked in 4. Beckett was credited with the win, but gave up the only Twins runs with 5 earned runs in 5 innings.

Thank you Theo Epstein for not trading away Ellsbury or Pedroia because these are two of the most exciting players on the team right now. The dynamic duo of Jacoby and Dustin was a combined 7 for 10 this evening with 4 runs and 3 RBI. Pedroia hit three doubles and stole a base, but was overshadowed (slightly) by Ellsbury. Jacoby had his first multi-homer game with two solo shots and a flawlessly executed drag bunt single. As for the Manny 500 HR watch, he’ll sit at 496 for a little bit longer thanks to an amazing catch by Vlad in the 5th.

Josh Beckett was a late scratch with a sore neck and it would be an omen of the pitching performances yet to come. The game featured 13 runs scored, 27 hits, 5 home runs and an amazing 312 pitches. I think it goes without saying that this was no pitcher’s duel.

After playing in three countries and travelling over 16,000 miles, the Boston Red Sox have finally played their first game at Fenway. In what is easily the most sick and twisted start to any season, the Sox are finally home. Of course, like the ‘05 opener, there was a bit of pomp and circumstance to this one. The team will have to wait another day before they can just get down to business and play baseball without all the sideshows and exhibitions.

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The Boston Red Sox are the World Champions for the second time in four years and unlike 2004, this one comes with significantly less baggage. 2004 was all about curses, comebacks and mystical, “if you build it” mumbo-jumbo. This series was all about baseball, prospects coming of age, and the two best baseball teams in their respective leagues battling it out on the biggest stage in baseball.

This time last year, Jon Lester was undergoing chemotherapy, and now here he is becoming only the third pitcher in MLB history to win the deciding game of a World Series in his first career postseason start. It wasn’t like this was a blowout either with the Sox lead never getting above 2 for more than half an inning. Lester pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings of 3 hit ball, struck out 3 and walked 3 in the biggest game of his career.

As for the offense, Mike Lowell once again rose to the occasion scoring a run in the 5th and homering in the 7th. His performance in game 4 helped to solidify his candidacy for World Series MVP in series full of legitimate candidates. He hit .400 in the Series with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs. Ellsbury, who started the year in Double-A Portland started things off on the right foot with a double on the second pitch of the game. Some good baserunning would later lead him home on a ground ball by Ortiz and the Sox jumped out early once again. The Sox even got some help off the bench in the form of a PH homer by Bobby Kielty in the 8th. It would prove to be the game winner and series clincher all in one neat and tidy package.

Red Sox rookies are leading the way to Boston’s second World Series in four years. Jacoby Ellsbury had four hits and two RBIs while Dustin Pedroia went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs of his own. Even Daisuke helped himself out by going 1 for 3 and driving in Varitek and Lowell to collect 2 RBIs in the 3rd. On the other side of the ball, Matsuzaka pitched well enough to earn the win. He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and fanned 5 in 5.1 innings. The other rookie pitcher, Okajima, gave up a 3 run shot to Holliday in the 7th, but only one of the runs was earned and he fanned two in an inning of work.

Despite the lopsided final score, the game was tight right up to the 8th when Ellsbury and Pedroia combined to put it out of reach with back to back doubles that drove in 3.

Game 3 MVP: Jacoby Ellsbury

Schilling comes up big on the biggest stage, but Mike Lowell and the bullpen tandem of Okajima and Papelbon, dubbed “Pap-ajima” by Schilling on his blog 38Pitches.com, stole the show. Schilling held the Rockies to a single run and four hits in 5.1 innings of work when he eventually handed over the reins to Pap-ajima who completely shutdown the Rockies. Together they allowed 1 hit, no runs, and fanned 6 in 3.2 innings; they were lights out.

Despite the stellar pitching, the Rockies did manage to take and hold the lead for the first time in the series. That is until Mike Lowell scored on a sac fly by Varitek in the fourth to tie it. He would later hit what would be the game winning RBI in the fifth with a double that would drive in Ortiz. After that, the bats went quiet and it was up to Okajima and Papelbon to shut the door, and shut the door they did.

• Bullpen comes up big: The Red Sox got 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief from Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. Okajima entered with two on in the sixth and Boston up 2-1. He retired Garrett Atkins on a grounder and struck out Brad Hawpe to squash the threat and fanned three straight before he was pulled for Papelbon. Papelbon finished the rest of the game to secure Schilling’s win.

Game 2 MVP: Mike Lowell