Dream yourself a dream come true

So it's the bottom of the third inning and Casey Wright is enjoying a 3-0 lead over Matsuzaka, already in my head I'm seeing a redux of the last Matsuzaka start at Fenway, and I'm saying as much to my family. "I know exactly how this is gonna go," I'm telling them. "We're going to make this guy look like Cy freakin' Young, Matsuzaka will get no run support again and we're gonna lose."

Serves me right that no sooner do I say that than Manny launches one. In the slow-motion replay the ball seems to leave his bat at a near 90-degree angle, and it takes all of three seconds to get out of the park. Manny, meanwhile, untwists in that slow way he has when he's really unloaded, bringing his arms back round straight-elbowed in front of him. I know he's posing, but I also feel there's an element there of coming out of a trance before he can begin his shuffle around the bases.

Now, of course, I'm all optimism. All right, they're getting to the kid, I think. OK, now Drew, base hit, and let's get a rally going. Briefly I contemplate getting up for a drink, settling in for the long haul. Already I'm skipping ahead to Mike Lowell, thinking, if he can double Drew in--

And then from the television there is an unmistakable CRACK and the ball is rocketing out toward the deepest part of the field, landing behind the bullpens almost even with the wall at the triangle, edging into Red Seat territory. It is an almighty blast out of the park by JD Drew, and my thoughts of a drink are forgotten. Now I'm just thinking of that Lowell double. There's still nobody out. I feel a bit guilty for being so audacious in the face of the baseball gods, but I'm beginning to think we're going to tie up the ballgame this inning. Theo is shown in his box mouthing "Oh my God."

Which is when Lowell reprises Manny's moon shot, launching another offering from Wright over everything in left. By now it's clear we're watching something special. Fenway is dialing it up to 11 as Varitek comes to the plate. That was a relatively decent pitch Lowell got hold of, not like the fat meatballs for Manny and JD. That gravy train might have dried up, but if Tek can get on base, maybe--

And blam, the fourth home run of the inning is headed for the Monster seats.

The last time what we saw last night happened in the American League was 1963 (interesting bit of trivia: Tito Francona Sr. was involved at the time). It has never happened in Red Sox history. By the time the Captain was touching 'em all, Fenway was at post-season thunder levels. Even on TV it looked like an earthquake of 10.0 on the Richter Scale was going through the place.

After that, for me it's mostly a blur until we get to Papelbon, though I do remember a random appearance by Andy Pettitte, who held the Sox down within a run of the Yanks in the sixth, but Matsuzaka slammed the door on the top of the Yankees order, striking out Damon, getting a groundout from Jeter and another K on Abreu. The Sox waited out the inconvenience of Pettitte and then Lowell hit a three-run jimmy-jack to make it 7-4, Boston off the re-exposed underbelly of Yankees pitching, which came in the form of Scott Proctor.

In retrospect, I can only see the ensuing events as mere setting the stage for another vintage Papelbon performance. Donnelly did a serviceable job after a spent Okajima left 'em loaded, although it was really thanks to the heroics of Dustin Pedroia's leap to glove a screaming liner off the bat of Josh Phelps that the Sox got out of the inning with the save situation intact. Pedroia gets my kudos for that, and also for reminding me so vividly and consistently of Spot the Dog.

You get the sense that this is the kind of scenario Jonathan dreams about anyway: 1-run lead, ninth, Fenway against the Yankees, facing Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Rodriguez.

Damon turned the heat around again, this time on a liner to left. He still scares me--and earns my healthy respect--at the plate. But Jonathan was spitting nails; I'm grow more and more addicted to his youthful energy, the glower under the brim of his cap, the long, smoldering stare in at the plate for the sign.

Another thing I am loving about Jonathan is that he seems to have saved the real pain this series for Jeter. Saturday he went right after him with a 98-mph bullet; yesterday it was three straight pitches, looking, swinging, swinging, see ya later. Jeter mouthed "Wow" as he headed back to the dugout; Jonathan stalked around the infield, awaiting his next victim.

It didn't surprise me that he walked Abreu. Which is not at all to say Jonathan did it on purpose--I just think the Papelbon-Rodriguez matchup was preordained. It had to happen. In the end, A-Rod grounded out to third, a bit of an anticlimax, maybe--I would always rather have seen A-Rod swing and miss so hard he fell down like Dmitri Young against Pedro in 2004--but acceptable.

And the sweep was complete.

I don't care what month it is or who's hurt. Boston's got a lighter spring in its step this morning.

P.S. Dear ESPN, thank you for replaying the four homers using the ESPN Deportes call. This is why you are still better than FOX.

Comments

[Iain]

By the time the Captain was touching 'em all, Fenway was at post-season thunder levels.

It was ridiculous, in a very good, all-you-can-do-is-laugh way.

[maxwell horse]

I would like to say I "enjoyed" last night's game, but that would be untrue. Because really, that was the most white-knuckle, edge-of-my-seat game I can remember seeing ever. (That might not mean a lot though, since I'm a relatively new baseball fan.) By the time we got to the Hollywood-like ending where the game's most dangerous closer faced off against the game's hottest hitter I couldn't believe I hadn't already had 50 heart-attacks.

This entire series has been insane. If it weren't for the fact that it's the beginning of the season still, I'd honestly say that this was as crazy and dramatic as anything from the '03 or '04 post-seasons. I taped Friday's and last night's game, and will definitely be rewatching them many times.

A few notes of concern:

Dice-K didn't look very good out there. I hope to God that they can work with him to get his performances to be more consistant and eliminate those control problems.

Coco was out with an injury. Man, did this occur because of his falling into the bullpen during Game 1? What luck this guy has. And it looked like he was finally breaking out of his slump too. To make matters worse, WMP, whom a lot of people (myself included) really thought should be playing when Coco was slumping, looked TOTALLY clueless. Not only at the plate but in the outfield too. I wouldn't have said this a week ago, but right now, today, "I really hope Coco is okay and can pick up right where he left off from Saturday."

Papelbon was awesome. The best ending we could've hoped for in this series with him facing off against A-Rod. But I hope to God there are no ramifications from him working so hard in the last 4 of 5 games. They'd better give him at *least* the next 2 games off. Preferably 3.

[Sammy]

Beth, one correction and one comment:

Correction - you wrote "..there still nobody out," but in fact the incredible 4HRs began when there were 2 outs.

Comment - I love that we swept, but in reality, it was ugly and all our top pitchers were hit fairly if not very hard. Not complaining, but Schill, Joshie and Dice-K vs. some rookie emergency starters filling in for the M.A.S.H. unit that is the Skankees pitching staff....whatever, but I'll take 12-5 on a Monday morning anytime!

[beth]

thanks for the correction sammy. i actually wrote this whole post last night with the game still fresh in my mind and lost it all. i KNEW i'd goof on something having to rewrite it from scratch this am.

as for the rest, there are downsides, drawbacks and potential pitfalls anywhere you turn here, but i refuse to focus on them at this point. of COURSE our pitchers got hit hard--look at that lineup! they still kept the yankees "between the 20s" as they say in football--lots of hits, maybe even lots of runs, but we were always one run better.

as for papelbon's workload, i'd rather see him used twice in this series than any other. you know how apocalyptic those games were--clearly if andy pettitte is making a relief appearance things are not normal. And Jonathan didn't go more than one inning either time, which was the big thing last year. i also think the biggest problem was that jonathan was not entirely truthful about how he was feeling w/ his workload last year, and didn't have as much support around him in the bullpen as this year. so far i'm not all that nervous about him yet.

as for daisuke, i will admit some concern there. however, he's still very raw and it's clear if julian tavarez feels he has to explain jamming a-rod inside he's unfamiliar with american lineups, umps, and their respective styles. it's also clear he's smart and has the stuff to put it all together. i know how hard it is to remember--i was freaking out over these games too, but it *is* only April. So far with better run support he'd be 4-0.

[Animesh]

The Fenway tour is always dienfreft depending on when you go, if it's right before a game, if there's construction going on, etc.Sometimes you get to walk on the warning track, sometimes not. But every one I've been on took me into the press box, and the EMC club behind the plate which includes a lot of memorabilia and all the plaques of the Red Sox HoF members. But yeah I don't think outsiders are allowed in the clubhouse/locker room. I think you can go in the dugout, but I remember on my last one they were covered with wood since they were ripping out seats in that area. Overall it's a good tour if you've never been to Fenway but for me it's just an excuse to walk on the field since I tour the place every time I go to a game there, which is very often, and since I know all the info they give on the tour already.