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October 26, 2007
BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer
BOSTON -- Jonathan Papelbon does a lot of things well.
Holding runners is not one of them. The opposition runs at will against the Sox’ flame-throwing closer.
But last night, Papelpon picked off a red-faced Matt Holliday in a key spot in the eighth inning with Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead.
Holliday, the first batter to face Papelbon, drilled a two-out infield single that very nearly struck Papelbon and then almost resulted in injury to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who made a diving attempt to make a play on the ball.
The Rockies were desperate to get the potential tying run in scoring position. And stealing second with Papelbon on the mound generally is successful. He rarely throws over. His motion is long to the plate. He doesn’t slide-step, so as not to detract from his electric stuff.
Holliday, who was 11-for-15 in stolen bases during the regular season, took a big lead and was leaning toward second as Papelbon prepared to face Todd Helton. And then Papelbon clearly surprised Holiday by throwing over to first.
Holliday was a dead duck, out by the proverbial mile, tagged by first baseman Kevin Youkilis in an embarrassing base-running blunder for Holiday and a vital blow to Colorado’s chances at a comeback.
* * *
The bullpen was as fresh as any team could hope for at this point in the postseason.
So Boston manager Terry Francona took advantage of that fact. Smelling a golden opportunity to go up, 2-0, in the best-of-seven World Series, Francona called for his relief corps much earlier than normal.
Leading, 2-1, Francona had left-hander Hideki Okajima and right-hander Manny Delcarmen warming up even as Curt Schilling toed the rubber for his first pitch of the sixth inning.
Schilling was pitching on only four days’ rest, getting the nod in Game Two because Tim Wakefield’s sore shoulder forced him to the sidelines. The Sox would have preferred to give the 40-year-old more rest between starts.
Also, it was a cold night, and Schilling had been forced to sit for three long innings in a row, even if they produced only two runs for the Sox.
So, those facts, plus the rested bullpen and a day off today, prompted Francona to bring in Okajima in the sixth after Schilling was nicked for a one-out single and a walk, pushing his pitch count to 82.
Generally, Okajima enters in the eighth, as Papelbon’s setup man. Or maybe in the seventh. But each out has become more precious as the postseason has gone on. And Okajima nailed down two precious ones in the sixth on a squibber to first by Garrett Atkins and then a three-pitch (curveball, fastball, splitter) strikeout of Brad Hawpe with runners at second and third, preserving the 2-1 lead.
Okajima ultimately worked 2 1/3 innings, retiring all seven batters he faced, whiffing four, before handing the baton to Papelbon.
* * *
Jacoby Ellsbury’s single leading off the sixth was a thing of beauty.
The left-handed hitter lined a pitch that was down and away into center field. Generally, when a hitter goes after such a pitch he rolls over on it, resulting in a grounder that is pulled. Ellsbury, though, didn’t roll over his wrists, which is one major reason he wound up with a line-drive single.
Posted by Art Martone 
at 12:16 AM | Permalink
