Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Devil Dogs

What an end to what will no doubt be remembered as the feel good game of the year! The Red Sox certainly gave the fans a plethora of reasons to stand. From before the game even began, the Fenway Faithful were on their feat to cheer the return of Jon Lester. Lester earned the standing ovation with 7 strong innings of 2-hit, 1-run ball.

The Fenway Faithful again rose to their feat to pick up their newest member, Eric Gagne. Gagne was at first booed when he went 3-0 to the first batter. Gagne however did manage to fight his way back and strike out the side. And before he could get the last strikeout, the Fenway fans stood up and gave Gagne a warm bid of support.

And finally, with the Yankees losing 12-0 to the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox managed to capitalize. With one out in the bottom of the 9th, Mike Lowell tied the score at 1-1 with his 16th home run of the year. Kevin Youkilis then struck out, but determined not to let this opportunity slip away, Red Sox captain Jason Varitek followed him with a long double. Varitek was then promptly driven in by Coco Crisp on an RBI single.

On the downside however, backup outfielder Wily Mo Pena continued to struggle at the plate, going 0-2. After a promising season last year, Wilo Mo Pena has hurt the team this year. His lack of plate discipline and fielding ability make him a less than ideal backup outfielder. The good news however, is that Bobby Kielty is starting to turn things around in Pawtucket.

The Red Sox should be calling Kielty up any time now. After going hitless in his first two "rehab" starts, Kielty has since gone on a 5 game hitting streak. Overall, he's hit .269/.367/.538 at the Triple-A level. Kielty would have been particularly useful in a game like today's against a tough lefty. Last year, Kielty hit .325/.358/.607 against left handed pitchers in 117 at bats.

The Red Sox have now gone 16-8 in their last 24 games but many questions still remain. Can Jon Lester manage his walk totals and be effective down the stretch? Is Eric Gagne going to turn things around? No one knows for sure, but we'll all know in good time.

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