Empyreal Environs

Game 159: September 29, 2005
Blue Jays (78-81), 4
Red Sox (93-66), 5
H: Jason Frasor (15)
BS: Vinnie Chulk (1)
L: Miguel Batista (5-8)
W: John Papelbon (3-1)
1 game behind in the division
Tied for the wild card
1 game winning streak

This team just won’t just leave me alone. I thought it got the hint when I wouldn’t return its calls and blocked it from my IM buddy list, but like a bee insistent for nectar it just keeps buzzing around for more. Despite not wanting to get stung, I let the Red Sox continue hovering in the contours of my consciousness. The daily drone of their furtive clubhouse whispers, engrossing on-field escapades, and provocative press conferences is inseparable from the hubbub of summer. Will that clamor continue deep into the fall?

When a bee stings to protect her hive, she dies in the process, leaving a delicate trail of her innards attached to the stinger embedded in the flesh of her enemy. The Boston Red Sox left it out on the field tonight, to continue the tortured metaphor as they have tortured us this season. They have led us into contention and delivered us from evil. For theirs was the comeback, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The first Red Sox run came in the 3rd after Tony Graffanino reached on a double. He was moved over by Johnny Damon’s single and plated by Edgar Renteria’s ground out to shortstop.

Boston continued to look feeble on offense until the 6th inning. David Ortiz led off with a what was scored an infield hit. With the shift on, Russ Adams crossed up coverage with Aaron Hill, allowing Ortiz to get to first base. Manny Ramirez took over by powering a circuit clout into the visitor’s bullpen to bring Boston within one run.

In the 8th inning, Ortiz took the plate with the score 4-3. Chulk threw 2 balls in a row to the relentless designated hitter. The question was not if Ortiz would be the hero of the game yet again, but how. How about a round-tripper into the Monster in the 8th? And then single grounded up the middle into left center with Damon on second and Renteria on first with 1 out for the game-winning run? Why didn’t Ortiz hit a four-bagger there, you might ask. With the count full against erratic Blue Jays closer Batista, Ortiz showed that he was a hitter and not just a slugger, opting for a solid base hit for the victory.

I’ll always remember October 27th; that’s like July 4th for Red Sox Nation. But I’ll put up a flag of the Dominican Republic November 18th of this year to celebrate the birthday of our Founding Papi, David Americo Ortiz.