Home Sweet Home by Jared Carrabis
Boston bats come alive at Fenway, snap streak at six


When I was searching for a cure after suffering from post-traumatic-Yankee Stadium-syndrome, I found it tonight at Fenway Park.

Walking through the gates of Fenway was like bathing in the Fountain of Youth. I don't take our beloved ballpark for granted, but never before had I ever appreciated the friendly confines on Fenway Park more in my life. The fans were talking with Boston accents, the employees behind the counters were all familiar faces and even better, they weren't dressed like business executives like you'd find at George Steinbrenner's $1.4 billion five star hotel--excuse me, baseball stadium.

When I sat in my seat, it was among the most relieving of feelings to know that everyone around me was going to cheer loudly for the things that I wanted to cheer for. That big green wall had never been so beautiful before in my life. Call me crazy, but when I sat down in my red seat and there wasn't a cushion underneath me, I felt at home.

When my team's lineup was announced prior to the game's 7:10 start, there were loud cheers, not blaring boos. When the Boston Red Sox took the field at the start of the game, I knew it was time to get back to business.

After a scoreless top of the first, Jacoby Ellsbury wasted no time in electrifying the home crowd be slicing a double down the left field line to put a man in scoring position for Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia, who had homered the night of my horrid experience at Yankee Stadium, roped a 93 MPH fastball into the first row of seats over the Green Monster.

It had taken the Red Sox 31 innings to score two runs since I had left Yankee Stadium, but on this night, it took ten pitches.

Leading off the bottom of the second, Nick Green worked the count full before blasting a 93 MPH fastball deep, far, and over the wall for a solo shot to give Boston a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, David Ortiz came to the plate, and this time, I didn't feel like I was the only one within a 500 foot radius that was applauding him. With runners at the corners, Ortiz ripped a base hit through the right side to plate Boston's fourth run, before the Sox' DH was gunned down at first base after taking too wide of a turn.

The top of the fourth wasn't the prettiest of frames for the Sox. Brad Penny pegged Miguel Cabrera to lead off the inning. Later in the fourth, Magglio Ordonez slapped a shallow line drive down the right field corner that was misplayed by JD Drew. As the ball skipped by the glove of Drew, Cabrera came all the way around to score, while Ordonez cruised into third base with a questionable triple. In the very next at bat, Brandon Inge sent an RBI single back up the middle and past the dive of Nick Green to cut the Sox' lead in half.

A sac fly off the bat of Marcus Thames would drive in Curtis Granderson, who led off the top of the fifth with a double to left.

With the Sox clinging to a one-run lead, Jason Bay widened the gap by skying a towering shot into the first row of the Monster seats for his 22nd round-tripper of the season in the bottom half of the fifth.

With the books now closed on Penny (6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO), Manny Delcarmen was summoned from the bullpen to hold the Sox' lead. Easier said than done, as Delcarmen allowed an RBI single to Placido Polanco, before serving up a scary two-out double to Thames that nearly left the yard. The wall clanging double for Thames brought the tying run in to score and if there were any wind at all, Boston would have been chasing a run.

A pair of singles by JD Drew and Casey Kotchman put runners at the corners with one out for Nick Green. On the first pitch of the at bat, Green sent a fly ball out to center field that was plenty deep enough to drive in Drew on the sacrifice fly to give Boston back the lead.

Ramon Ramirez allowed two runners to reach base and move into scoring position in the top of the eighth before giving way to the closer, Jonathan Papelbon. On the second pitch out of Papelbon's hand, Granderson popped a fastball up behind home plate, as it settled into the mitt of Victor Martinez. With a pump of a fist, the threat was over.

Papelbon, of course, came back out to finish the ninth and boy did he ever. The right-hander retired the side in order to complete the four-out save with four consecutive outs to record his 28th save of the season.

With the win, and the Yankees losing in the Bronx by a 5-4 score, the Red Sox pick up the game that they lost on Sunday night. That Sunday night game was crucial, because had the Red Sox won that final game to avoid the sweep, the Sox would only be 3.5 back and in a great position to come back and win this division. Not saying that the division is out of reach, because it's not be any stretch, but they certainly have their work cut out for them. The win also moves them a half game over the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card standings.

"Regardless of what happened the last six games, that has no bearing on today," said Boston left fielder, Jason Bay. "We needed to come out, get a strong start and jump on their guy early. Ultimately, we pulled it out. I don't want to say it was a game we had to have, but we kind of weathered the storm a little bit."

Things you'll need to know to impress your friends:

Nick Green's second inning home run was his sixth of the season. His sixth long ball set a new career high, surpassing the five that he hit back in 2005 with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Jacoby Ellsbury swiped his 51st bag of the season on Monday night. The 51 stolen bases are a new career high for Ellsbury, but most importantly, he now trails the Red Sox single season record by three bases.

The home run hit by Jason Bay was only his second since July 7 against Oakland at home. His most recent four-bagger was hit on August 5 in Boston's second of two losses to the Tampa Bay Rays.

After nailing down save number 28, Jonathan Papelbon lowered his ERA from 1.90 to 1.85. Pap entered Monday night's game with an ERA higher than Mariano Rivera's, but left the game with a lower one. (1.88 ERA)

Tuesday's starter, Junichi Tazawa, will be the second youngest Japanese-born pitcher to start a Major League game. He is 23-years-old.

Tuesday's pitching match-up:

Tuesday night will be the first Major League start for 23-year-old Junichi Tazawa. The Japanese right-hander made his Major League debut on Friday night and gave up a walk-off two-run shot to Alex Rodriguez, but that one blunder by no means reflects his talent. In 20 minor league starts, Tazawa went 9-7 with a 2.55 ERA. His opponent, Rick Porcello is 10-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 2009.

Glad to be home,
-Jared Carrabis





Published on August 11, 2009

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