‘Pen writes script
And you thought the Red Sox bullpen just stunk. No, no. That was a maturation process we were watching the last few weeks according to Jason Varitek.
“It has been for some time now,” Varitek said. “We’ve had only a few weeks to get it to the way it is. It’s been a trying three weeks, but we’ve been able to get through it.”
The Red Sox and Yankees are tied for first in the AL East with two games to go thanks in large part to the much-maligned Boston bullpen. How about that?
Even without the availability of stud setup man Jonathan Papelbon tonight, after he pitched brilliantly in last night’s win over the Blue Jays, the Red Sox got a perfect right-lefty submarine special combo from Chad Bradford and Mike Myers, opening the door for Mike Timlin’s 13th save in a 5-3 win over the Yankees.
“I wish I could throw like them,” Timlin said. “It might take a littler bit of stress off my shoulder.”
It was, according to Myers, “the way it was supposed to be designed.” David Wells left pitching seven strong innings, and watched as a trio of Red Sox relievers, the most criticized group in the city this side of the Mass. Turnpike Authority, sealed his 15th win with two innings of one-hit ball.
“When they do that it sets it up for Timlin. It looks good,” manager Terry Francona said. “It worked well because guys made effective pitches.”
That includes a fantastic 11-pitch battle between Myers and Hideki Matsui, won by Myers with the strikeout. And yes, it includes the one pitch Bradford had to afford his shoulder in getting Gary Sheffield to ground weakly to short. Still, one pitch or not, that’s no small task.
“Any time you get Sheffield out, it’s amazing,” Johnny Damon said.
— Not bad for a place he wanted to blow up once upon a time. David Wells improved to 8-1 with a 3.07 ERA at Fenway Park this season.
“He really enjoys competing under these circumstances,” Francona said. “Some guys in a big game might throw harder with the adrenaline. But he has the ability to command.”
Wells admitted that tonight ranks up with the bigger games he has pitched in his career.
“I’m sure there are a lot of people who doubted this game,” he said. But when you get an opportunity to pitch in this type of game, you’ve got to love it.”
— The loss for New York was just the Yankees’ fourth in their last 18 games.
— If the Red Sox win their final two games, they would match their home win total of 2004 when they won 55 games at Fenway.
Oh, and they would be AL East champions.
Cleveland’s 3-2 loss against Chicago meanwhile puts both the Yankees and Red Sox a game ahead of the Indians in the wild card race.
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