Habitation
| Game 93: July 8, 2008 | |||
| Twins | 5 |
H: Dennys Reyes (10) BS, L: Matt Guerrier (3, 4-4) |
50-40, 2 game losing streak |
 Red Sox |
6 |
W: David Aardsma (3-2) S: Jonathan Papelbon (27) |
54-39, 2 game winning streak |
| Highlights: Manny being Papi in the eighth inning with a game-tying two-run shot into the Monster seats. |
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Last night’s game wasn’t as crisply played as the first game of the series. Just ask Coco Crisp himself, who dove after a rapidly descending fly off the bat of Nick Punto to begin the ninth, converting a single into a double. Or Jon Lester, who slogged through seven and one-third innings while surrendering nine hits, five earned runs, and three walks.
Even the fans were slacking. A few of them crowded around when Kevin Cash pursued a Carlos Gomez pop fly into the first row of the stands in the fifth. Gomez ended up striking out, as he tends to do, but it would have been a tidy out and one less pitch on Lester’s arm.
The Twins have such an unassuming lineup, much like Minnesotans themselves. They come bearing gifts of green bean casseroles and molded Jello only to make themselves too cozy and put up three quick runs in the fourth. Their fans’ signs are funny: not only do they come with “Circle Me, Bert” creations but politely bemoan how Boston acquired some of Minnesota’s best athletes (Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss, and David Ortiz) to bring success to their new home.
But Boston responded with a four-run eighth. Jacoby Ellsbury started the rally off with a double high off the left field wall that ricocheted into the triangle and Dustin Pedroia followed with an improbable bloop single to shallow right. Pedroia seemed to have to reached into the opposite batter’s box to get the head of the bat on the ball and arc it over his counterpart’s glove. Manny Ramirez carried the torch with a moonshot and Brandon Moss crossed the finish line with a scorching ground ball up the middle to plate Kevin Youkilis.
Moss even stole second on a pickoff attempt with Justin Morneau tagging the empty air at first, something I have never seen before.
A sight for sore eyes are consecutive wins of one-run games.
