I Still Don't Believe What I Saw 20 Hours Ago

Unlike Matt, I am a Simmons guy. Though more out of envy than anything else. Talk about timing. Here's a link to today's column.

And again, here's a link to the Union Leader's new Boston sports correpsondent, Brian MacPherson, who summarized the postgame comments with this post: Asked and answered: Holy @#&%#@#! edition.

I couldn't agree more.

Unreal. They were dead. And perhaps seeing them do this before made resignation to the inevitable loss easier last night. "They can't do it every year," I said. I wasn't alone.

Only the most naive fans (about which there were at least 25,000-plus in Fenway. A bunch had made like Dodgers fans and left after Papelbon gave up the two runs in the seventh.) still believed.

When Papi homered, hope sprang eternal, but you thought, "those two runs really hurt."
Then Drew homered. And Crisp came through with the game-tying RBI (we'll overlook that he ran into an out on the play. It was nice to see some aggressiveness for a change from the Sox. That and he had the best A-B by a Sox player this postseason, fouling off everything until he got something to hit.)

A former co-worker said when the Sox forced Game 7 against the Yankees in 2004, "If they blow this, I've got a real problem with God." That was what I thought of when Masterson came in for the ninth. God bless his Yul Brenner noggin, this kid may be the MVP of this series for the Sox. He has been so solid, and he got the job done again, granted with a bit of seatbelt-fastening.

And Drew again in the ninth. I'm calling a moratorium on Drew bashing. He can GIDP all he wants the rest of the season, however long it lasts.

Can they win two in the Trop? It's a tall order, considering the house of horrors it was this year. But I'll take my chances with even a wounded Beckett and Lester. That's all they've needed before.

And if it does end this weekend, at least they gave us one hell of a Fenway finale this season.

-JDE2