Sox come back from Paps' blown save to beat Rays

Sox 12, Rays 6
WP: Snyder (2-2)
LP: Stokes (2-7)
HRs: TB-Gomes, 2 (10), Paul (1)

SUMMARY
The Sox nearly gave away what seemed like a sure victory when Jonathan Papelbon allowed a two-run homer to Jonny Gomes in the 9th to tie the game, but thanks to the Rays' shoddy bullpen, Boston hung six runs up in the 12th and pulled out a tougher-than-expected victory.

#1 STUNNER Julio Lugo 2-5, 2R, 2BI, 2BB, SB
Tough to decide who should get this honor in such a sloppy, stat-infested game, but I guess the man at the top of the order who walked twice with the bases loaded, including a huge free pass to "drive" in the winning run in the 12th, is as good a pick as anyone.

RECAP
Let me start out by saying I don't have the energy--nor the desire--to review this game in its entirety.

Okay, stop the cheering.

The reason being I spent the majority of this hot & humid Florida summer day chasing little dimpled balls all around the course at a charitable golf tournament for my good friend, the late, great 'Chicago' Bob Allen.

After five+ hours in the heat with 120 other golfers, then three more hours at Bob's favorite watering hole celebrating his life, to say I was a little bit spent would be a gross understatement.

Upon arriving home I immediately crashed for an hour and a half, then woke up just in time to catch the start of the game. Little did I know I could've slept another couple of hours and still been able to catch the meat of this crazy contest.

In short the Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead despite the decent performance of Tampa Bay starter James Shields (5IP, 6H, 3ER, 1BB, 7K) thanks to an RBI single by Jason Varitek and a bases loaded walk by Julio Lugo in the second and an RBI single by J.D. Drew in the third.

But the Rays, losers of _ in a row and 25 of 30, chipped away at Sox starter Jon Lester (6.2IP, 6H, 4ER, 1BB, 3K, 2HR), scoring single runs in the fourth and sixth to cut the lead to 3-2.

When Boston added a couple of runs in the seventh on and RBI single by Big Papi against the shift and a sac fly by Manny, it looked like this game was in the bag and I'd be heading off to la la land soon enough.

Not quite.

The Rays touched Lester for a pair of solo shots in the bottom of the seventh, one a moonshot from Jonny on the spot Gomes , the other an opposite field tracer that barely cleared the wall in right by freshly activated catcher Josh paul, and suddenly the Sox lead was sliced to one, 5-4.

No worries though, because with Oki and Paps chomping at the bit to come in and finish this one of, it looked like Boston would hold on, especially after Coco knocked in the sixth run with a
fielder's choice in the eighth after Mike Lowell (4-6, R) had singled to lead off the inning.

After Oki threw a scoreless 8th a rested Paps came on for the 9th, but things got squirrelly in a hurry when Delmon Young led off the bottom of the 9th with a single to center on Papelbon's first pitch.

No problem, he'd just plow through the next three batters and it was enter sandman time for me.

Wrong.

Gomes got a hold of Paps' 2-2 offering and launched it into the seats in left for a jaw-dropping, game-tying homer, and just like that a Lester win turned into a blown save, just the All Star closer's second of the season, and another extra inning affair.

Fucking great.

After both teams escaped two-men-on situations in the first couple of extra frames, the sox finally got deep enough into that horrid Tampa Bay pen, and finally in the 12th inning Boston broke through and put this thing away.

Lowell started it with a one-out single to left off Brian Stokes, he of the 7.90 ERA, and then Tek and Coco followed with walks to load the bases. After nailing Lowell at the plate on a fielder's choice by Alex Cora, Stokes walked Lugo on five pitches to force in the seventh run that broke the tie, and after that reliever Jae Kuk Ryu (who?) gave up a bases-clearing double to Youk and an 2RBI double by Manny, and finally, after a LONG day and night, it was time to put this one to bed.

Meaning myself of course.

After all, I gotta be up bright and early to head to the Trop for the Dice-K/Scott K. showdown.

Those Boston boys better get some sleep, too.

That means you, Youk...stay away from Ybor City!

RECORD: 64-40
AL EAST: Up 9 on NYY (thx, Baltimore!)
STREAK: W-3
LAST 10: 8-2
UP NEXT: *Sun @ the Trop 1:40
*Look for me on TV--I'll be the one wearing the Dice-K tee shirt and Sox cap sitting on the 3rd base line, you won't be able to miss me!