Scoots To The Rescue!

The Sox sure like to make things interesting. There wasn't even supposed to be a bottom of the ninth this afternoon. Buch had come into the top of the inning with a 3-run lead and Pap was warming in the 'pen just in case. The young righty had shut out the Tigers for 8 innings and it looked like he was on his way to his second complete-game shutout of the season. Or, at the very least, a complete-game win. He began the inning having thrown 98 pitches. The first batter, second baseman Will Rhymes hit a grounder to second that took a bad hop on Lowrie for an infield hit. Then, Buch walked Ryan Raburn and Tito went out to the mound to get him. In comes Pap. He strikes out Brennan Boesch, but Miguel Cabrera, a serious contender for the Triple Crown, hits one off the monster for a two run double. Then Jhonny Peralta singled up the middle to bring home the tying run. Blown save! Buchholz denied his 12th win after an excellent outing, his shutout gone. Pap managed to get a double play ball out of Jeff Frazier and escaped the inning without allowing the go-ahead run.

Fortunately for the Sox, they were at home and had the last at-bat. Lowrie leads off the inning with an infield single to third. He is pinch-run for by McDonald and Eric Patterson steps in the batter's box. Patterson attempts to bunt several times, but ends up working the walk, putting two men on with no outs. That's it for reliever Brad Thomas, who took over for Verlander in the 8th. In comes rookie Robbie Weinhardt, with their closer Valverde unavailable after throwing over 60 pitches Friday night. Scoots is up. He tries to bunt the runners over to second and third and fouls off the first attempt. Then he lays down a textbook bunt toward third base and the rook's throw to first ends up in right field. McDonald scores easily from second and the Sox have back-to-back walkoff wins.

Tomorrow, the Tribe comes to town for a 4-gamer before the Sox head off to the Bronx for a crucial series against the Yanks. Ells and Pedey don't have an exact timetable for their returns, but they should be back in the next week or so. It would be great to have at least one, if not both of them back for the Yankee series. In the meantime, Lowell is still in limbo after finishing his rehab assignment. The Sox will need to make a decision on him very soon. It's too bad they weren't able to trade him before Saturday. They may end up having to activate him and then place him on waivers. If they activate him, who disappears to make room for him?

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! CONGRATS ON ANOTHER WALKOFF!!!!