Thorny
| Game 21: April 26, 2007 | |||
 Red Sox |
5 | W: Josh Beckett (5-0) S: Jonathan Papelbon (7) |
14-7, 2 game winning streak 5-2-1 series record |
| Orioles | 2 | H: Danys Baez (6) H: John Parrish (5) BS, L: Chris Ray (2, 2-2) |
11-11, 4 game losing streak 4-4-0 series record |
| Highlights: Beckett joined Pedro Martinez (2000) and Cy Young (1908) as the only Red Sox pitchers to have a 5-0 record in April. |
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Glimpses from the Baltimore Orioles’ television broadcast booth with Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer.
Fourth Inning
Thorne: J.D. Drew breaks up the no-hitter with a nubber up the middle.
Palmer: If I recall correctly, Drew also broke up the no-hitter that Felix Hernandez was throwing against the Red Sox up in Boston in the opening series.
Thorne: Drew didn’t really break up that no-hit game. It was actually a powerful gust of wind that blew the ball past the infielders and then stopped suddenly, dropping it just in front of the outfielders.
Palmer: Is that a fact?
Thorne: Oh, yes. I heard it directly from Wally the Green Monster. He says it happens every couple of years.
Palmer: Gary, Wally is a mascot in a thickly furred costume. How in the world could he have felt a breeze?
Thorne: Knocked his mascot head clear off, it did. Made a kid in the front row cry.
Eighth Inning
Thorne: Bases loaded for Wily Mo Pe�a. Parrish walked Ramirez and induced a fly out from Drew. See what happens when there’s no wind aiding him. Then Ray took the mound to get the last five outs but gave up a ground-rule double into the left field stands. Perlozzo called for the intentional walk of Varitek to get a force at each plate.
Palmer: Smart move by Perlozzo, but now it’s up to Ray to get Wily Mo to slap a grounder to any infielder, or back to himself. Pitcher’s best friend, the double play is.
Thorne: Swing by Pe�a... and he crushes it. Grand slam. Deep to center, far. Right into the Red Sox bullpen. They’re celebrating. Red Sox take the lead, 5-2.
Palmer: Ray seemed to get nervous after he fell behind the count and just let too much of his fastball over the plate. If there’s anyone you shouldn’t do that to, it’s Wily Mo.
Thorne: I was talking to a Boston clubhouse source and he tells me Pe�a is actually an android.
Palmer: An... android?
Thorne: Yes.
Palmer: As in, not human?
Thorne: Yup, Wily Mo Pe�a is a robot. I was talking to Ino Guerrero and he let me in on that little tidbit. They roll him into a triple-wide locker after games, oil his joints every two weeks, that sort of thing.
Palmer: I’m... just astounded by this. It can’t be—
Thorne: Why do you think he has such incredible strength? Also, his fielding algorithms aren’t correctly programmed yet, but once they are, say bye-bye to Crisp.
Palmer [away from mic]: Can someone do something about this?
Ninth Inning
Palmer: So, Papelbon enters the game to secure the win for the Red Sox.
Thorne: This will Papelbon’s seventh save attempt. He’s converted six this season so far and blown none.
Palmer: Just a spectacular young pitcher. He was to have been a starter, but the Red Sox looked at the options in their bullpen for closer and saw no one that could do the job. If Papelbon doesn’t have any health issues, this is a coup for Boston.
Thorne: There won’t be any health issues. He’s an android, too. He doesn’t bleed.
Palmer: [Sounds of headset mic being slammed down, footsteps, and door slamming.]
Thorne: And Corey Patterson strikes out to end the game and the series. The Orioles have been swept by the Red Sox and now they make their way to Cleveland for a three-game series. This has been Gary Thorne for MASN.
