Posted on 07/31/2006 8:29:51 PM PDT by demlosers
BOSTON -- Two outs from defeat, the Red Sox instead staged one of their most memorable comebacks of the season, turning the tables on the Indians in the bottom of the ninth and producing a riveting 9-8 victory before a packed house at Fenway Park on Monday.
The Red Sox entered their last at-bat down by two runs. Alex Cora led off with a single to right, and Kevin Youkilis followed with a walk. The stage was set for Mr. Clutch, David Ortiz, who delivered yet again. Big Papi struck a walk-off homer to center off Indians reliever Fausto Carmona, setting off yet another mob scene at home plate, as a sea of white jerseys jumped all over Ortiz.
It was Ortiz's second game-ending hit in three days and fifth this season.
The hope was that David Wells, with his fluid throwing motion and fresh left arm, could breathe some fresh air into the Red Sox on a night he was pitching for the first time in more than two months. But Boomer struggled, giving up eight runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings.
The Red Sox and Indians traded haymakers all night, but the Indians seemed to steal the momentum when Casey Blake hit his second homer of the night off Wells, a three-run shot to left that gave the Indians an 8-6 lead in the fifth.
Kyle Snyder gave the Red Sox a chance, firing 4 1/3 innings of one-hit baseball in which he struck out six.
We're rightfully proud of our ballpark, but I still love to visit Camden Yards when I can.
Hopefully Ryan Howard can become a "Papi
"type player, we need to get him some better teammates!
Were those numbers off the top of your head?
105 RBI's at the end of July is real impressive, but a .289 BA is not MVP worthy. Not when you have an AL catcher hitting around .380.
MVPs do not go to batting champions. They go to guys who hit homer runs and drive in runs.
Batting champions rarely win the MVP, unless they post triple crown worthy numbers.
Joe Mauer is a great young hitter, but he only has 8 homers as of my last check.
David Ortiz probably should have won the MVP last year (he didn't because ARod is a position player).
This year he is far and away the MOST VALUBLE player in the American League and probably in the entire MLB.
He sure does. I was really surprised that the Phils threw in the towel this early and got nothing but salary relief for the trade with NY
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