Game

It may not have been the best played ball game but it sure was entertaining and exciting to watch.  Last night the Red Sox beat the White Sox in 13 innings at Fenway and I viewed all 4 hours and 23 minutes.  

Going into the game the Red Sox had won 30 of 35 games and seven in a row.  By the top of the third they were down 4-0 and I was thinking "well, everything good has to end".  They came back to tie it at 5-5 in the 4th, fell behind 7-5 in the 5th, narrowed it to 7-6 in the 7th, and then in the bottom of the 9th, with two outs and two strikes on Wilyer Abreu, he singled home the tying run and we went to extra innings.

The White Sox jumped out to a 9-7 lead in the 10th but the hometown team scored two to even it up.  The White Sox jumped out to a 10-9 lead in the 11th but the hometown team scored in the bottom of the frame to even it up.  The White Sox jumped out to a 11-10 lead in the 12th but the hometown team scored in the bottom of the frame to even it up and then, in the 13th after the White Sox finally failed to score, Caleb Durbin singled home Nick Sogard to win it for our boys.

The Red Sox had been disturbingly bad and even worse, boring, for most of this season, and on June 24 they stood at 32-46, 15 1/2 games behind the division leading Yankees.  I had barely watched an inning all season. Things suddenly changed as the Sox swept a four game series against the Yanks, the start of a 15 game winning streak.

I followed the streak but hesitated to watch a game thinking that if I did so and the Sox lost, I would bear the responsibility (yes, I actually think that way).  Couldn't resist anymore and watched the 14th game in the streak, a thrilling come from behind victory against the Orioles.

The Red Sox have now won 31 of 36 games, the best such streak in the 126 seasons of the franchise. They trail the division leading Rays by 5 games and are now only a 1/2 game behind the Yankees, and have the third best record in the American League.  And they've done it against tough opposition.  During these 36 games, the Sox have swept five series against four division leaders; the Rays, White Sox (twice), Dodgers, and Yankees.

The Sox have been doing this despite missing their best pitcher, Garrett Crochet, since April 25, and one of their best position players, shortstop Trevor Story, since May 14.  In their absence of host of players have stepped up over the past 36 games, many of whom I did not know previously.  Last night, seven different players had RBIs and ten scored runs.