Game 9: Lead By Example

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 10, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 1

Wake: Hey Doug, can I have a word with you?

Mirabelli: (grunts)

Wake: Well, I’ve noticed that nobody scores any runs when I pitch…

Mirabelli: (stares off into the distance)

Wake: …and well I was wondering if you could talk to the guys and get them to… I dunno… hit tonight?

Mirabelli: (covers catcher's mitt in pasta sauce)

Wake: They seem to listen to you cause you scare people.

Mirabelli: (begins to eat own hand)

Wake: So what do you say?

Mirabelli: DOUGIE’S GOING DEEP TONIGHT!!

Yeah, that’s about right. And it would pretty much encapsulate the game if it wasn’t for the drama that was in the top of the 8th. At this point it was only 4-1 and Donnelly was relieving Wake after Izturis reached on an error. Donnelly got Gary Mathews, but put one in O-Cabs's ear. Runners on the corners, one out, Vlad up as the tying run. I am a solid sheet of ice as Papelbon struts in for what looks to be another 5 out save. Every Sox fan in the world is on the edge of their seat. In fact, the ONLY person who didn’t look like anything was bothering them was Paps. He gets Vlad swinging on 4 pitches. 97 on the gun. 2 pitches later, Garret Anderson pops out to Manny (deep breath) and that’s it. Good guys score 6 in the bottom of the 8th and Paps gets to rest as Timlin mops up.

Suddenly all doubt about putting Paps in the pen has been erased from my mind. Sure this wasn’t a real “SAVE” but those stats can be misleading. This kid is all kinds of scary in this roll. He is the rally killer and game shortener. He’s like the Terminator only he gets Sarah Conner in the end. Wow… just wow.

Not to bring the mood down, but in a game where everyone was raking, Crisp was Coc0 for 5 and looked more lost than when King Felix was putting on his clinic. Somebody show him some Renteria highlights from 2005 so he knows what he’s in for.