Coupled
| Game 30: May 6, 2007 | |||
 Red Sox |
4 | W: Curt Schilling (4-1) H: Hideki Okajima (8) S: Jonathan Papelbon (10) |
20-10, 1 game winning streak 8-2-2 series record |
| Twins | 3 | L: Sidney Ponson (2-4) | 16-15, 1 game losing streak 3-5-3 series record |
| Highlights: The Red Sox improved to 5-3 in one-run games. They have a day off until their next series, a three-game stand in another dome, the Rogers Centre. Schilling turned in his fifth quality start, Okajima was solid, and Papelbon seemed to have fully recovered from his blown save. Who needs Clemens? | |||
The following was inspired by NESN’s long-lingering observance of Manny Ramirez and Julian Tavarez in the dugout.
Ramirez, a bit jealous of all the attention Tavarez had been lavishing on Daisuke Matsuzaka, had the day off and decided to spend it with his recently estranged friend.
MANNY: Finally got a day off! Come sit by me, esse. Let’s watch the game together.
JULIAN: I get every four days off, mang. I’m gonna go talk to Dice about the cut fastball thing.
MANNY: [Pouts.]
JULIAN: [Sighs deeply.] Fine, fine. [Sits down next to MANNY on the bench.]
MANNY: [Hugs Julian.] Yay!
[The pair snack on sunflower seeds together, occasionally flipping the shells at one another as the first inning wears on.]
MANNY: Ha! Papi got hosed at home!
JULIAN: He runs like a windup toy, tiny little steps.
MANNY: [Yells to PAPI.] Eh, Papi! You not supposed make the final out at home!
PAPI: You mean never make the first or third out at third.
MANNY: [Looks quizzically at JULIAN.] Is that how it goes?
JULIAN: You asking me? I’m the one that tried to pick a runner off second when the ball was dead.
MANNY: The ball died? Isn’t it already dead?
JULIAN: [Sighs.]
[The sixth inning plays out before the pair.]
MANNY: Oh, yeah! That little guy can hit.
JULIAN: Pedroia? Yeah, he’s got ground-rule double power.
MANNY: [Looks confused.]
JULIAN: It’s a joke, esse.
MANNY: Oh, okay!
[The duo watch as Pedroia’s run is erased by Cora tagging up and getting nailed at second on Papi’s fly to left in the sixth inning.]
MANNY: What just happened?
JULIAN: [Begins to try and explain but thinks the better of it.] Papi was just part of another weird double play. Here, have more sunflower seeds.
MANNY: Okay!
[Schilling gets into a spot of trouble in the seventh.]
JULIAN: That Redmond is owning Red Light.
MANNY: He freaked after he gave up that single.
JULIAN: Rub my head for good luck.
MANNY: [Rubs his friend’s head.] Hey, it sort of feels like the interior rug of my 1967 Continental. Mang, I miss that car. [Continues to rub JULIAN’S head.]
JULIAN: Um, Oki just got Morneau to ground out to end the inning. You can stop now.
MANNY: But it feels just like my car....
