Home Sweet Fenway

It had to turn around sometime. The brutal losing streak that found the Red Sox spinning their wheels and shaking their heads at the combination of poor play and outrageous misfortune had them tumbling to the AL East dungeon. All they needed was a friendly crowd and their beloved home ballpark. They needed the support of the crowd, the cheers and reassurances that they are at home now and things will get better. Most of all, they desperately needed to get that first win.

In order to get the comatose offense to snap out of their stupor, they needed a spark. A spark to ignite a long-awaited laser show. Who else but Pedey? After all, he had homered in last 2 home openers. In the first inning, back in his familiar 2-hole, he launched a Phil Hughes offering into the monster seats to cut a 2-run Lackey-created deficit in half. Make that his last 3 home openers! The Sox weren't able to put anymore runs up in the first, but after Lackey gave up another run in the second, the Sox answered with 5--count'em, 5--runs in the second: Three straight hits, by Drew, Salty, and Ells, loaded the sacks. Scoots came up and grounded to short. Salty was forced out at third as Drew crossed the plate. Crawford grounded out, moving Ells and Scoots to second and third. Then came the instigator, a.k.a. Pedey. He singled up the middle and drove in Ells and Scoots. Gonzalez singled home Pedey, who took second on a wild throw by Granderson, then Youk walked. Papi went up the middle for a single and, as Youk got himself caught in a rundown, Gonzalez scored.

Unfortunately, that 5-run inning wouldn't be enough, as John "Givembackey" Lackey would allow three more runs, including an A-Rod shot into the Monster seats, in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. In the meantime, former Sox castoff Bartolo Colon--he who landed on the DL after swinging the bat during interleague play in 2008--kept the Sox at bay until the bottom of the fifth, when the much beleaguered Salty hit a wall-ball double to score Youk, who walked and advanced to third on a Teixeira error on Papi's grounder. Sox up 7-6. Lackey is pitcher of record and could get the win if the Sox stay ahead.

Stay ahead they did, as newly-recalled Alfredo Aceves kept his former teammates off the board, followed by Jenks, Bard, and Pap, the latter two pitching perfect innings. JD Drew added a little insurance when he knocked in Gonzalez and Papi (off a lefty to boot!). Fenway erupted in elation and relief as the Sox notched their long-awaited first win. Defeating the Yankees made it all the sweeter.

Now that they've gotten the first one out of the way, they still have a steep climb out of that hole, but momentum is on their side. Tomorrow afternoon, Buchholz looks to give the Sox win #2. In the post-game press conference, Tito quipped something along the lines of "This is the happiest 1-6 team I've ever seen" Good job, boys! Now let's do it again tomorrow (and the next day, and the next day...etc.)