Game 46: Beached Wells

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 8, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4

"Quick, get this man some shrimp!"

After the rains let up, it was time for the fabled comeback. Boomer returns from what many have said to be a permanent DL stint (as in forever, even longer than Coco) and in an Ali like return to the ring (mound) he faces noted “Sox Killer” Kazmir. End result? If we are going to stay with the boxing metaphors, Wells ended up looking more like “Bald Bull” from Punch-Out than the Great One.

Actually, he looked good through the first 4 innings (5 H, and 1 R off a Crawford bomb) and was matching Kazmir as best he could. It’s an ace vs a HURT #5… the expectations were low. Then in the 5th, Travis Lee hits a liner right at one of the toothpicks that holds Wells watermelon like midsection above the ground. The earthquake that looked to be about a 5.3 on the Richter scale was just Wells crumbling and then writhing in pain. What are the freaking odds? The early reports say it's just a deep bruise and a cut, so he really dodged a bullet, but what do we do now? You know Wells isn’t going to make his next start (at least) and DiNardo is hurt (and bad), so where do we go? Lester? Alverez? Divine intervention? My brain is collapsing trying to think about it. First, let’s just win this one for Boomer.

Luckily, the bats did just that. Finally Kazmir looked mortal, as every starter got a hit and knocked his hard throwing ass out in the 5th. Ortiz had 4 RBI and had a bases loaded double in the 5th (just missed a grand salami), Gonzo was 3 for 4 (jaw droppingly shocking) and totally washed up Mike Lowell got another double (22) and his first HR in Fenway (not even remotely shocking and that’s AWSOME).

So it was left in the hands of the bullpen. Tavarez kept the lid on for 2 and a third (gave up 2 runs) and was then relived by a VERY ineffective Keith Foulke in the 7th. I am sorry but Foulke can only bounce back so many times. In this game he gets out of the 7th (after giving up a double) and then proceeds to give up another homer to Crawford in the 8th. When Francona pulls him for Seanez (gulp), Foulke gets into a shouting match with a fan and then obliterates the dugout phone. At this point he’s like an old car. Yeah you had some great times years ago, but nowadays when you put the key in the ignition, you are just happy if you can get the engine to turn over. And the attitude? Well that doesn’t look so good on the insurance.

Seanez was as good (yes I used good and Seanez in the same sentence) and managed to hold the line through the 8th and 2 thirds of the way through the 9th. But with 2 runners on and Crawford coming up AGAIN, Francona did the wise move and went to Paps for the last out. 4 pitches later and he has his 17th save in 17 chances.

The Sox beat Kazmir, Wells went down for god knows how long and the Royals beat the Yankees at home (giggle). So maybe Hell did freeze over. Whatever… I’ll take the win.
GO SOX.