Red Sox 07 Game 59

Final
Press Pass l Box
Game 59						1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9				R		H		E
				BOS (38-21)		1		0		0		0		0		0		0		0		0				1		4		1
				OAK(31-28)		0		0		0		0		0		0		0		0		0				0		1		1
			W: C. Schilling (6-2, 3.49); L: J. Blanton (5-4, 3.60) HR: BOS: D. Ortiz (11).

► Hero - Schilling 8 2/3 of no hit - enough said
► Goat - none

Idle thoughts

I didn't get a chance to post a preview today as I got a late start this morning. Those 10:00 p.m. starts were just killers, so, instead of being up prior to 5:00 a.m., it was more like 6:00 a.m. which allowed me to post the recap and that was all.

With a 3:30 start today I was only able to listen to the game on WEEI until I arrived home. Needless to say I was quite happy when Papi went deep in the first inning. From listening to Geffner and Castiglione it was obvious that both Schilling and Blanton were wheeling and dealing their way through the line ups.

In fact it was so obvious that I sat in the driveway listening until the fifth inning was done so that I would not miss a pitch when I got home. Both pitchers continued to dominate the batters until the seventh when Drew (finally) led off the inning with a single, followed one out later by Varitek's single to center that allowed Drew to reach third. Of course, this being the Red Sox, losers of four straight and 6 of their last seven, they stranded Drew at third.

Curt was still in a groove though as he continued to set down the A's with the error in the fifth with two outs by Lugo being the only blemish of his perfect game. The top of the eighth it looked like the Sox might get another chance for a run when Youkilis walked after a ground out by the struggling Lugo. Ortiz, with the shift on, laid down a bunt to the third base side but the throw to second was wide.

Youkilis for some reason thought he was Coco, and jumped up and took off for the uncovered third base. Youkilis is no Coco though and was chased down by Scutaro for the second out. On to the bottom of the eighth.

Schilling dispatched the A's in quick fashion only to watch his team go down quickly in the top of the ninth. From the Sox sites I was visiting it was obvious that a lot of people were paying attention to this game. Myself, I was getting psyched.

First batter up hits a ground ball up the middle that Lugo grabs and fires to Youk and my excitement is starting to swell. Second batter hits a ball almost in the same spot and again Lugo grabs it, double pumps and throws a high one to Youkilis, who makes a high stretch and I am thinking wooo wooo. Then it was Fragging Unbelievable as Shannon Stewart lines the first pitch past Cora and the no no is no more. Fortunately, Curt was able to gather himself and two pitches later the 29th batter popped up to Cora in foul territory.

A much needed win. I did a little research and I see that Schilling, in his Red Sox career has had 10 chances to stop losing streaks of three or more. In those ten games Curt is 5 and 3 with the team being 6 and 4 in those games. Schilling puts the stop in stopper.

Chow!