Reclaim
| Game 6: April 8, 2007 | |||
 Red Sox |
3 | W: Curt Schilling (1-1) H: Javier Lopez (2) S: Jonathan Papelbon (2) |
3-3, 1 game winning streak 1-1-0 series record |
| Rangers | 2 | L: Vicente Padilla (0-1) | 2-4, 1 game losing streak 1-1-0 series record |
| Highlights: It doesn’t matter which uniform Frank Catalanotto wears; the Red Sox killer hit a solo homer in the first inning. Catalanotto also had a 10-pitch at bat in the sixth. David Ortiz did Catalanotto one dinger better. Boston’s designated hitter was responsible for driving in all of the visitors’ runs in this game. Coco Crisp will don Jackie Robinson’s number on April 15, a day dedicated to the extraordinary second baseman, and man, period. | |||
Why am I even bothering to write about this? Schilling has probably already spilled the beans over at his blog, hasn’t he? Well, in case he humbly declined to describe his outing, Schilling lasted seven innings, walking a single batter and striking out six. The righty disposed of the three hitters in his final inning with just eight pitches.
The jaunt on the base paths Schilling gave Kenny Lofton in the third ended in the rare 8-6-3 double play, which also entailed the rarer still outfield assist by Coco Crisp. The well-traveled Ranger ventured too far away from first on Michael Young’s fly out to center. His days of 50+ steals are long past; perhaps he was reminiscing about them when he got thrown out at first for the last out of the inning.
Everyone knows Ortiz can deliver late and close and last night launched two circuit clouts early to make it not so close. Ortiz’s shots were parabolic marvels deposited neatly into the right field seats. It’s wonderful that Ortiz decided to break out of his “slump” on Sunday Night Baseball; any on-field entertainment the team could provide goes towards mitigating the misery of listening to Joe Morgan’s commentary.
Julio Lugo is no Alex Gonzalez, but in the fourth the latest shortstop in the Red Sox’s ever-revolving personnel in the hole turned a play almost as gracefully as his predecessor. Lugo ranged to his left on Brad Wilkerson’s and allowed his momentum to elegantly carry him to second for the force out to end the inning.
Joel Piñeiro seemed to be in league with Morgan, furthering the latter’s ploy to leach the game of any enjoyment for its audience. The ersatz bullpen pitcher fell 3-0 behind Gerald “Eight Hole” Laird, grooved two called strikes, but then walked the leadoff batter anyway. Ian Kinsler also walked and Lofton bunted to jam the bases.
Mercifully Javier Vazquez relieved Piñeiro and promptly induced a liner off the bat of pinch hitter Nelson Cruz to Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox would have gladly exchanged two outs for a run on the play, but Vazquez couldn’t cover first in time and Youkilis bobbled the ball.
With a single out and runners at the corners, Papelbon was brought in to notch the final five outs and preserve the one-run lead and his team’s dignity.
The Red Sox relief ace overpowered Young, Mark Teixeira, Sammy Sosa, Hank Blalock, and Wilkerson. Two weak pop-ups and three strikeouts against the heart of the order. In short, pure dominance.
I would recommend some baserunning drills. For the second game in a row the final out of the inning happened at third. This time J.D. Drew was thrown out when trying to steal third in the top of the ninth. Tom Emanski videos will be looped on the clubhouse DVD player until the situation improves!
