A couple ugly plays early on threatened to sink us, especially that one where Okajima–looking as comfortable as a guy waiting to catch a piano from a tenth-story window–attempted a back-to-the-plate basket catch on a routine infield pop fly. Needless to say, it didn’t work out, and Carlos Quentin was awarded the single cheapest hit since Ted Williams earned a hit back in ’47 for simply getting up to the plate and stubbing out his cigarette on the catcher’s helmet.
But why dwell on the negative–we won the goddam game! Jason Bay came up huge with a tie-breaking home run in the eighth and Victor Martinez drove in a couple key runs, moving us yet another few steps closer to booking that hall for the Jason Varitek Retirement Fund. Along the way, Jacoby Ellsbury set a new Red Sox single season record for stolen bases, and The Papel-Bot, clearly mainlining Red Bull and creatine in advance of welcoming Billy Wagner to the ‘pen, channeled his 2007 self in yet another heart attack-free appearance (although, true to his 2009 self, he gave up one double in addition to striking out two).
If that wasn’t enough, the Yankees lost to Texas, which froze our Wild Card lead at 1.5 games, but chipped New York’s AL East lead to 6. Is there anyone here who’s gonna tell me, on this day and at this time, that those six games are un-overcome-able?
