Red Sox vs Diamondbacks

(crappy picture of a beautiful sunset courtesy of my cell phone)

6/24/08

Sox 5 Diamondbacks 4 

In attendance: Paul

Forget about 1918 or any other curse- the Jimbama Red Sox losing streak has finally ended! As previously reported the Sox had a dismal record when I attend games- 2-8 since the beginning of the 2007 season. This looked like it was going to be more of the same, but the Sox managed to come back in dramatic fashion. 

I didn't even think this game was going to be played considering the bizarre weather that rolled through earlier in the night. I left work at 5:00 to somewhat dark skies but nothing too ominous. By the time the red line came above ground over the Longfellow Bridge, it was like armageddon- black skies and wild wind and rain. It basically looked like someone was spraying a hose against the side of the subway car. But as quickly as it moved in it made its way out, so Paul and I dodged some downed trees and started our walk over to Fenway where the game was only delayed by 45 minutes. 

From the beginning this looked like the Sox lineup that I had resigned myself to witnessing in person- limp and lifeless, scratching out a few hits with nothing else coming of it. Masterson pitched well for the Red Sox, but gave up 2 home runs which led to the 5-0 Dback lead going into the 8th. And out of nowhere, the Sox picked up steam and started putting together hits- Lugo, Ellsbury, Pedroia, my long lost brother Mike Lowell, and even Varitek, who was previously in a miserable slump. By this time it had gotten very cold up on our rooftop seats, so we moved down to the grandstand, where it was slightly warmer. The view from the rear grandstand may be lousy (poles blocking your view and an overhang that blocks the view of any ball hit more than 10 feet in the air), but it is a fun and incredibly loud place to be for a Sox rally. 

So we're looking at a 5-4 lead, and Jonathan Papelbon coming in to close out the 9th. Papelbon enters to "I'm Shipping up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, which you may recognize as an excellent music cue at the beginning of  "The Departed", or if you're from Boston, the song that you heard a million times during the 2007 Red Sox postseason and are completely sick of. But I have to say, when Papelbon comes out in the 9th to protect a 1 run lead and that song is blasting through Fenway, you would have to be unconscious to not get fired up. Anyway, Papelbon closed out the game, Sox got the win, and my streak was broken. 3-8 is nothing to get too excited about but i'm happy for now.