| 12 August 2009
On Monday I listened to caller after caller on WEEI cry about how this team has "no heart."
Everyone of those people can now kidly jump off the Tobin.
Go ahead... I'll wait...
I wasn't sure what to expect during this brief homestand against the Tigers, but I knew the Fenway Faithful had the potential to ignite this team... Monday's battle to the finish seemed to prove that theory, but then the Tigers plunked Youk for the second day in a row last night and the "fire" that so many said was lacking erupted into a bench clearing brawl.
Youk had no choice to charge the mound, but I was nervous about losing one of our better hitters once the inevitable suspesion comes down. But Jason Bay is back people and he smashed a 3-run ding dong right after the fight that evened things up and set the table for another big win.
Bay has three homers in his last four games after taking some time off to rest an ailing hammy... and it looks like he also spent some time clearing his head, because he seems to have found his April stroke again.
And so has Mike Lowell.
Two ding dongs off the bench!?! You gotta love it when the guy many expected would be the big loser in the Youk/Papi/V-Mart rotation, steps up and reminds everyone that he can still rake when they put him in the lineup.
If Ortiz doesn't sit tonight with a lefty starting for Detroit, Tito might find a flaming surprise on his doorstep when he gets home.
Lastly, Junichi Tazawa can officially have the No. 5 spot in my rotation. Six Ks in five innings and one earned run? I hope Penny and Buccholz were paying attention.
He'll likely be set back to Pawtucket when Wake is ready next week, but I see no reason not to give him another shot in Texas on Sunday.
Bottom Line: Mark last night's game as the day this season turned around. We'll be neck and neck with the Yankees by the end of the month... if not sooner. Promise.
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