2007 World Series Games 1 and 2 - Halfway There

What a great couple of nights. Though we may have lost some sleep and had to endure a couple of groggy mornings at work, I think we'd all agree (at least in Red Son Nation) that it was worth it. Two games, two wins, and we're off to Denver for Game 3.

Game 1 - Blowout

The Red Sox opened the 2007 World Series at Fenway by setting a record for most runs scored in a Game 1 (oh, and another for scoring 10 or more runs in three straight postseason games, too), and to make the blowout complete, Josh Beckett continued his torrid pace by striking out the first 3 batters he saw and 5 of the first 6, improving his 2007 playoff record to 4-0 while giving up only 6 hits through 7 innings pitched, striking out 9 and walking 1. Wowza...


The bats came out as well, as the box score indicates. Dustin Pedroia started off the scoring with a solo homerun to lead off the first. Manny and Papi both got 3 hits a piece before being pulled late in the game, and even Julio Lugo went 3-4. I know we'd heard a lot about the big layoff the Rockies had, and though I'm sure that factored in a little there had to be more to this shellacking than that. This Red Sox lineup is a formidable one, and even if Jeff Francis (4IP, 10H, 6ER, 3K, 3BB) was on point, he'd have had to beat Beckett. Whether it was 13-1 or 3-1, the Sox were going to win that game.

Speaking of terrible Colorado pitching, how about Franklin Morales? He came on in the 5th and managed to allow 7 earned runs while getting just 2 outs. The man even managed to mix in a balk...an accomplishment unseen in a World Series in over 10 years. Good job Franklin.

Other notes include:

• The crowd at Fenway was a very loud and active one, as well there should have been, seeing as how we are talking about the World Series and all. There was lots of chanting, including the popular chanting (heckling) of the pitcher's name (Fraaaaaaanciiiiiiiiis).
• It looked as if everyone had press passes around their necks when in fact they were just lanyards handed out to fans as they came in to hold their tickets (ok, I wanted one too, but I didn't wear it!). I guess everyone gets to feel special every once in a while, even if they had to shell out hundreds to get there.
• The Dropkick Murpheys sang the National Anthem, and then proceeded to bring down the house with a resounding rendition of "I'm Shipping Up To Boston", complete with a troop of young Irish dancers filing out of centerfield. "Tessie" is nice, but this song kicks ass, and whenever it is played in Fenway (mostly while Papelbon is warming up), the place goes nuts.

Anyway, on to Thursday night.

Game 2 - Bullpens 'R Us

Talk about night and day. In a game where both teams combined for just 3 runs, the story was pitching. Curt Schilling was his now-expected and usual postseason-self, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run over 5 ans a third, striking out 4 and walking 2. For all we know, this may have been his last game at Fenway, or in a Red Sox uniform even, though as Nick Cafardo points out it would be hard to imagine otherwise given what he's done and can continue to do (at least for one more year) for this team.

With the victory in Game 2, Schilling became only the second 40-year old pitcher to win a World Series game, and the first player in history to win one in his 20's, his 30's, and his 40's.

After Schilling came Hideki Okajima then Jonathan Papelbon who combined for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. Okajima was tremendous (2.1 IP, 0ER, 0H, 0BB, 4K). Back in late August / early September, everyone thought that the Red Sox brass had little faith that the rookie Japanaese relief man would have enough gas for the rest of the season. That's why they got Gagne, they said. Well, maybe they were right, maybe not, but all I know is that here we now have a very rested Okajima who can come out and perform like he did last night.

"This was the Pap-ajima show tonight...That was just phenominal to watch." -Curt Schilling

Papelbon was his usual intimidating self, and though his line doesn't include it up front (1.1 IP, 0ER, 1H, 0BB, 2K), he made what is definitely one of the plays of the game. He came in to relieve Okajima in the top of the 8th with 2 outs and a runner on first. Papelbon may be known for many things, like being an intimidating presence on the mound, trying to Irish step dance with goggles and a cigar, and looking like the crazy kid from "The Incredibles", but he is not one known for looking over to first, never mind throwing over there. Yet here in this situation before a pitch was thrown he whirled and caught the mighty Matt Holliday way off the bag, ending the inning and the potential Rockies rally in what will be considered one of the best plays of his careeer. TLM looked over to me and said "He never does that." She was right...and we're glad the Rockies thought that too...


Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado's starter, also pitched well (4.2IP, 3H, 2ER, 2K, 5BB), and in fact held the Sox hitless for over 3 innings. It just wasn't enough on a night where Boston's pitching was as on-point as it was.

Though Mike Lowell was the only player in the starting lineup of Game 1 to not get an RBI, he made up for it in Game 2 with not one but two key plays. In the 4th he made a heads-up, aggressive baserunning decision and took 3rd on a J.D. Drew single, putting himself in position to be driven in on a Jason Varitek sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1. Then, in the next inning, he drove in what would prove to be the winning run by knocking a double to left and sending Big Papi home. So wait...why is there so much debate as to whether or not we should keep this guy?