Empyreal Environs

Game 20: April 25, 2006
Red Sox (13-7), 8
Indians (10-10), 6
W: Keith Foulke (1-1)
H: Mike Timlin (6)
S: Jonathan Papelbon (9)
H: Jason Davis (1)
BS: Scott Sauerbeck (1)
L: Guillermo Mota (0-1)

Last night was both sublimely divine and delightfully silly. Which other team but the Red Sox could come from behind twice in late innings and yet butcher plays on the basepaths with such aplomb?

Early in the game Mark Loretta proved that he hits when it matters. With the bases loaded and two out in the top of the second, the Red Sox second baseman swatted in two RBIs with his gutshot single.

Two runs are not enough against a team like the Indians, who have compiled the following team stats in comparison with all other major league teams:

• Third for batting average at .308.
• On-base percentage of .365, also placing them third.
• “Just” fifth in slugging with .478.
• Ranked third in RBIs 114.
• A bit weak in walks, placing 17th with 65. (The Red Sox are second with 95. Surprisingly, the Cincinnati Reds lead the majors with 103.)

Ben Broussard is not the likeliest of the high-powered Cleveland lineup to tie the score, but he arced a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to knot the game at 2-2.

Apparently, Manny Ramirez was confused in the third inning. After lining a single to the opposite field to lead off the inning, the sometimes addled left fielder seemed to lose track of the number of outs. He left second base early with the count against Mike Lowell at 3-2. Ramirez found himself in limbo between second and third as pitcher Jake Westbrook noticed the wandering baserunner. Catching Westbrook’s relay toss, Aaron Boone forced Ramirez to retreat towards second as Jason Varitek tried to advance to the same base. Boone flung the ball to the jaunty Ronnie Belliard and the Red Sox captain was out. Belliard then passed to Victor Martinez, who tagged Ramirez was attempting to take third to salvage his gaucherie. Just your typical 1-5-4-2 double play.

There was another run-of-the-mill 6-2-3-6 double play by Cleveland in the seventh inning. Willie Harris was at the dish with Lowell at first and Varitek at third. Harris grounded to Jhonny Peralta, who knew that the play at first would be close with the alacritous Harris zooming down the base line. The Cleveland shortstop opted to throw home to nab Varitek.

Those sorts of baserunning blunders fall by the wayside when one thinks of the David Ortiz game-tying leadoff roundtripper in the seventh inning. Scott Sauerbeck, who thankfully made only one appearance in the 2003 ALCS for the Red Sox, threw one and only one pitch that evening. Ramirez also came through in the eighth inning with his two-out, three-run roundtripper that would grant Boston the lead they would not relinquish.

The bullpen had some key strikeouts. After walking Peralta, Keith Foulke got Travis Hafner to whiff at a change-up in the seventh to end the inning. Foulke is showing that he’s gamely trying to get his job back as closer. With runners on first and second and two out, Grady Sizemore missed Mike Timlin’s appetizing sinker in the eighth and quashed the chance for a rally. By the time the ninth inning came about, the Indians batters were pressing and over-anxious; Jonathan Papelbon sat them down in succession with just 10 pitches.