Manny Being Papi by Jared Carrabis
Manny's Walk-Off Job Puts Sox A Game Away From ALCS

What a nightmare for Francisco Rodriguez, you can either face David Ortiz with the winning run in scoring position, you can face Manny Ramirez with two on and one out, or you can face the Red Sox regular season RBI leader with the bases loaded. Well, Mike Scioscia elected to put Mr. October on and face one of the most fearsome right-handed hitters to ever wear a Red Sox uniform.


If you keep putting Ortiz on base to get to Manny, sooner or later he’s going to make you regret your decision. He’s no David Ortiz in a clutch situation, but come on now, he’s Manny Ramirez and that should be enough to send shivers down any reliever’s spine.


The decision to put Ortiz on to get to Ramirez was based on clutch reputation and respect alone. This decision was not made in order to get past a great hitter to get to a mediocre hitter. They knew they were walking a great hitter to get to a great hitter. Manny may not have the reputation of late inning heroics like David Ortiz does, but if you throw him a fastball right down the heart of the plate in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game, chances are you are going to be walking back to the dugout with your head down.


This game was somewhat of a pitchers duel turned into a battle of the bullpens. Both starters lasted no longer than five innings a piece. Daisuke while performing on the biggest stage in his career went 4.2 innings giving up three runs on seven hits in his postseason debut. Matsuzaka struggled with keeping his pitch count down. His control was seemingly off again tonight as he walked three and only struck out three.


Kelvim Escobar quietly walked five batters over his five innings of work while giving up three runs on four hits. Boston used a total of five pitchers in Friday night’s win over the Angels. The Red Sox bullpen was just as advertised in the scouting reports, the Boston bullpen was lights out. The combination of Lopez, Delcarmen, Okajima and Papelbon combined to go 4.1 innings of shutout ball by not letting up a single hit while striking out four.


Jonathan Papelbon entered tonight’s game in relief of Hideki Okajima with two outs in the eighth inning. Pap got the job done even after Mike Lowell committed a throwing error to keep the inning alive for the Halo’s. Papelbon pitched a clean inning and a third and gave his team a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth.


Julio Lugo led off the bottom of the ninth by roping the first pitch he saw into leftfield. Dustin Pedroia followed Lugo by grounding out to short but advancing Lugo into scoring position. It was then that Scioscia motioned to the bullpen to summon their lights out closer, Francisco Rodriguez. K-Rod entered the game and did what he does best by striking out Kevin Youkilis to bring the Angels within one out of sending this game into extras.


If you weren’t familiar with the Fenway atmosphere, you would assume that the Boston fans were cheering the fact that Kevin Youkilis just struck out. We all know this isn’t the case, the fans were all looking towards to on deck circle and watching Mr. October, Mr. Clutch, whatever name you want to call him, this guy thrives in situations like these.


David Ortiz approached the plate with the chance to end this game and send Fenway into a frenzy with one swing of the bat. To the displeasure of the Fenway Faithful, the Angels wisely chose to intentionally walk David Ortiz. However, they had to see out of the corner of their eye that Manny Ramirez was taking his practice swings in the on deck circle. They were well aware that Manny would follow the same path to home plate with the same mentality of ending this game with one swing of the bat. Manny was due, and what perfect timing to be due for a big hit.


On the second pitch of the at bat, K-Rod threw a 96 MPH fastball right in Manny’s wheel house and to say that Ramirez got all of that one would be an understatement. It is quite possible that this ball is still going. Fenway erupted as they watched this monster of a home run sail over the Green Monster. Hell, Manny even stood there and watched himself with the rest of the fans. His 3-run homer propelled the Sox to a 6-3 win over the LA Angels of Anaheim and thus put a stranglehold on the series as the Sox only need to win one of their next three games to advance to the American League Championship Series.


ALDS Game 2: Angels 3, Red Sox 6

Published on October 05, 2007

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