Empyreal Environs

Game 64: June 14, 2005
Reds (26-38), 0
Red Sox (35-29), 7
L: Luke Hudson (1-1)
W: David Wells (5-4)

The Red Sox are your father, Luke. Search your feelings; you know it to be true. Hudson lasted only 5 innings. The first signs of weakness came in the 2nd inning when he walked Manny Ramirez in 4 pitches, got Trot Nixon to pop out to third, walked Kevin Millar, and let Jason Varitek on with a single to left. Bill Mueller then smacked a single to fairly deep center field, scoring Ramirez and Millar and moving Varitek to third. (It would have to be pretty deep for those speed demons to score, but I digress.) Continuing his hot streak, Johnny Damon doubled his pleasure, doubled his fun on a line drive to left to Ryan Freel (who will later play a crucial role in this game) to score Varitek and advance Mueller.

Was it not so very long ago that everyone was questioning Wells’s utility? That he gave up back to back to back home runs to the Blue Jays? That we wondered why he was starting a major league game without any rehab outings? I was ready to label him Mendoza and write him off. Then he goes and tries to win us over with a near no-hitter, only spoiled by Freel, a light-hitting outfielder, who sprayed a single to right in the 6th inning. Wells walked only 2, and they were surprisingly back to back to Willy Mo Peña and Adam Dunn, two of the largest ballplayers I have seen in person, and neither known for their patience at the plate. Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke pitched for 1 perfect inning each, completing the one-hitter.

In the postgame show, Millar was interviewed and he mentioned in passing that he was talking with Ramirez about hitting. (Manny, don’t listen!) Actually, though, it seemed more like a counseling session, and Millar went on to defend Manny’s production despite his batting average falling off. To me, this incident shows why Millar is still around. Who else could relate to players as diverse as Ramirez to Renteria to Damon? And it was comforting to see Manny begin to return to his usual self, not just in terms of hitting, but his demeanor as well. There was more than an air of concern around him recently as he looked lost at the plate. With the recent servings of taters and meatballs, however, he’s looking more content. The double point and the helmet fling are his ways of saying, “I’m back, boys.”