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.

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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Josh Beckett continues to build a case for his being the greatest postseason pitcher to ever play the game. He fanned the first four batters he faced and finished the evening with a total of 9 K’s. He lowered his postseason ERA to 1.73; a mark that puts him 3rd all-time behind Mariano Rivera (0.77) and Chris Mathewson (1.15) among pitchers with 70+ innings of postseason work. He held the rusty Rockies to 1 run on 6 hits over 7 strong innings.

The Sox offense was not about to be outdone either. Dustin Pedroia started things off with a lead-off home run in the first and Manny and Drew would each plate a run in that inning as well. Those three in the first would be all the Sox would need, but they left nothing to chance. The lead would shrink to two runs in the second on an RBI double by Tulowitzki, but Youk would cancel it out in the bottom frame off a double by Papi. The third was quiet, but the Sox would add another two in the 4th with RBIs from Youk and Tek. By the time the 5th was over the Sox would score 7 more with contributions coming from nearly every man in the lineup.

The Rockies certainly didn’t look like a team that reeled off 21 of 22 to make it to the World Series and I’m afraid the only logical explanation for that is … National League Baseball. The 8 day lay-off couldn’t have helped them stay sharp, but they didn’t just look a little rusty, they looked terrible.

Game 1 MVP: Josh Beckett

When it comes to October baseball, very few pitchers have the resume of Josh Beckett. He allowed 4 hits and no runs over 9 strung shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California in the United States of America of the Western Hemisphere. He became the first Red Sox started to pitch a shutout since Luis Tiant did it in the 1975 World Series. Beckett wasn’t just good either, he was dominant. He struck out 8 batters and retired 19 consecutive batters after giving up a lead-off single. He needed only 108 pitches to get through 9, a pitch count most pitchers reach in the 6th or 7th. The offense wasn’t exactly lighting it up, but homers from Youk, Papi, and an RBI single by Lowell were more than enough to propel the Sox to a 4-0 victory.