After falling in game one of the day/night doubleheader with the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox had their backs up against the wall in game two.
The Tampa Bay Rays had won earlier in the afternoon which pulled them to within a ½ game of the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card standings. And after the Yankees had batted in the 1st inning, things weren’t looking so good for the Red Sox.
The Yankees put up three runs that inning against John Lackey with the Red Sox having to face the Yankees second best starting pitcher this season in Ivan Nova. But Lackey settled down after that horrid 1st inning, something we’ve grown accustomed to here during this awful month of September.
Lackey would leave the game in the 7th, something that hadn’t been seen from a Red Sox starter in a long while, with the lead but also with a runner on base. Unfortunately, Alfredo Aceves allowed him to score and keep the game tied there until the 14th inning.
In between though, the bullpen was outstanding.
Some may say Jacoby Ellsbury was the hero of the game with his three-run blast in the top half of the 14th but I beg to differ. To me, there was one hero and one alone,
And that man is Jonathan Papelbon, who showed Theo Epstein why you can’t let him go in free agency.
He entered the game in the bottom of the 9th inning with runners on first and second and two outs. He got a strikeout of Austin Romine to end that threat and then struck out three of the next four batters he faced.
Had it not been for Papelbon and the rest of the bullpen who pitched after, Ellsbury may not have had the chance to breathe life back into the Red Sox clubhouse and the fans across the world.
The mission is simple for the Red Sox. Sweep all three games in Baltimore and they’re in the playoffs. With the one game lead, a magic numberand three to play, IF they do lose, the need the Rays to lose that night to the Yankees as well.
They’ve got the right man for the job to get the first win in Josh Beckett on the mound. We just need to hope his wife Holly, who is due any day now with their first child, doesn’t go into labor before the game. Hopefully the little future Beckett can hold out until his/her father pushes the Red Sox even closer to the playoffs.
We’ll be back later with this evening’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.
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Report: John Lackey Divorcing His Wife Krista [SOX & Dawgs]
Down to the wire [Boston Globe]
A most valuable player [Boston Globe]
Help, in their hour of need [Boston Globe]
Ellsbury joins 30-30 club [Boston Globe]
Feeling a pulse [Boston Herald]
Strong finish flutters out of Wakefield’s grip [Boston Herald]
Lackey sends, gets message [Boston Herald]
Sox take deep breath [Boston Herald]
Pap’s shining moment [Boston Herald]
Ellsbury, Sox top Yanks in 14th, 7-4 [CSN New England]
Ellsbury adds to MVP-worthy resume in Game 2 [CSN New England]
Lackey lashes out at media getting too personal [CSN New England]
Notes: Ellsbury hits milestones with 30 HR, 100 RBI [CSN New England]
Rapid Reaction: Sox 7, Yankees 4 (14 inn.) [ESPN Boston]
Video: “BBTN” on where wild card stands [ESPN Boston]
Lackey rages about ‘personal’ text message [ESPN Boston]
Beckett may not have caddie Varitek Monday night [ESPN Boston]
Pedroia’s stop: The play that saved the season? [ESPN Boston]
Francona expects stocked bullpen Monday [ESPN Boston]
Drew, Lowrie make impact [ESPN Boston]
Jacoby Ellsbury shows his value in critical Boston Red Sox win [ESPN Boston]
Closing Time: Jacoby Ellsbury, bullpen pace Red Sox to much-needed win over Yankees [Full Count]
Irked John Lackey impresses on mound, fumes off of it [Full Count]
Dustin Pedroia: ‘We’re Going to Come Out and Play Our Butts Off’ [NESN.com]
Final series looms much larger than expected for Red Sox [Providence Journal]
Red Sox Journal: Would Aceves be called to start in one-game playoff? [Providence Journal]
Time short, fundamentals key for Boston [RedSox.com]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the New York Daily News, New York Post, New York Times and The Journal News websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, NYY Stadium Insider.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
