Boston Squeaks By Colorado 2-1 Take 2-0 Lead in Series
Wednesday night was a laugher, Thursday night was a nail biter but the bottom line remained the same. The Boston Red Sox have held onto home field advantage and take a 2-0 lead in the World Series after defeating the Colorado Rockies 2-1. Although Boston starter Josh Beckett was electric Wednesday the real story of game one was offense, namely the Red Sox who scored 13 runs in the win. Thursday night was an old fashioned pitcher's duel between a 23 year old rookie throwing smoke, and an ancient warrior getting by on deception. And the most important play of the game was a runner caught leaning the wrong way.Curt Schilling at 40 years old is no longer the dominant flame thrower from days of yore. But as we get older and our physical skills tend to be not as sharp we learn to compensate. And Schilling has done exactly that and though he had a shaky start, he proved to be too complex for the Rockies to get a handle on. Schilling allowed Colorado's only run in the first inning, as he hit Rockies centerfielder Willy Taveras on the left hand. Leftfielder Matt Holliday singled sending Taveras to third, and he scored on a Todd Helton groundout.
That was it for Colorado as Schilling settled in and ending up going five and a third innings allowing the one run on four hits two walks and struck out four. Hideki Okajima came in to take the ball in the sixth and was magical throwing two and a third innings allowing no base runners and striking out four.
Colorado starter Ubaldo Jiminez had the Red Sox on their heels through the first three innings. Boston tied the game in the third as third baseman Mike Lowell walked , went to third on a single by J.D. Drew and scored on a Jason Varitek sacrifice fly. Lowell who was the only Boston starter without a RBI on Wednesday night, had the only RBI hit of the game for Boston Thursday. The Sox took the lead in the fifth as Lowell drove in David Ortiz with a double.
Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon came into the eighth with two out and gave up a screaming infield single to Matt Holiday that knocked the pitcher off his feet. But Papelbon made the play of the game as Holliday was leaning too far off first and Papelbon picked him off. Ballgame.
Papelbon got the side out in order of the top of the ninth, and Boston did what they were supposed to do hold home field advantage. After an off day on Friday the Series shifts to Denver. Josh Fogg will try to lead Colorado to their first win while Daisuke Matsuzaka toes the rubber for the Red Sox.
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