And while you’re at it, respect Mueller, Tek, Damon, Foulke and even Millar. Last night was the definition of a team victory. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit. 5 of the 6 RBI came with 2 outs. Decent pitching from the starter, decent middle relief from Myers and Timlin and one of Foulke’s best outings of the season in the ninth to get the win.
But back to Bellhorn. Might I add the much-maligned-of-late Bellhorn? Hopefully not after last night. A great bare-handed play to get a runner at first. Another great play deep in the hole between first and second. A timely two-out blast into the Sox bullpen to get the team on the board. And even beating out a potential double-play ball in the ninth to give Damon the chance to win it, which of course he did.
Jason Varitek. How much more can this guy do for the team? He makes all of his pitchers look good (except Wake, but hey, he’s a knuckler). He blocked the plate in a clutch situation in the eighth to put out a runner and keep the game tied. On a pretty good throw by league-leading outfield assist man Ramirez, by the way. He put down a key bunt in the ninth to set the table for the Damon heroics later. And he’s hitting .322 with 11 HR’s.
Mueller had a double and a triple and has raised his average to .284 while playing a steady third base. Renteria also had a triple. Nixon and Manny added a hit each while Papi had two. And Kevin Millar (who some of you may have noticed is neither my favorite player or my favorite personality on the team) had one of the finest at-bats of the season in the ninth. An 11-pitch effort where he fouled off a tough pitches, spraying the box seats with blazing line drive fouls, finally winning the battle with a double that would lead to the winning run.
We’ve now been through the starting rotation without a loss and find ourselves back to Wake tonight. As long as Dougie is behind the plate, all will be well. The bats are here to stay I think, and the O’s can hear our footsteps and feel our hot breath on their necks. Great to be a Sox fan, ain’t it?
