Countdown to the Showdown

I couldn’t be more pleased with the Red Sox Nation as I am after Friday’s game at Fenway.

When Kevin Millar was announced over the Fenway loudspeakers for the first time since signing with the Baltimore Orioles, the stadium erupted in a standing ovation for the former 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox as he strode to the plate. As the hallowed hall of Boston echoes with the applause and overwhelming cheers, I couldn’t see a single fan in attendance that wasn’t on their feet to pay Millar the proper respect. This reception generated ten times the noise Damon received last week in his first return to Fenway, and there wasn’t a Boo to be heard this time around.

Millar tried to play the stoic act, simply taking a few practice cuts next to the batter’s box during the commotion, but couldn’t resist the extreme display of gratitude from the city of Boston, and saluted the stadium for their kindness.

It was a great moment for Boston and its fans. Not only did it give every Sox fan the chills to offer such a great response to a World Series champion that once donned our uniform, it was proof positive that this city, though hard on its players from time to time, can truly appreciate a good player with a great attitude, even after the relationship with Boston is severed.

Millar, like Damon, was lost due to free agency. But whereas Damon shunned reasonable offers from Boston to sign a more lucrative deal with the hated Yankees, Millar was simply set off into the wind, free to land where he may. Even coming back to take the field for another division rival, the Red Sox Nation understands the circumstances surrounding his departure were easier to swallow that Damon’s actions.

I hope sportswriters and players alike who seemingly have an unending supply of criticism for this city and its treatment of professional athletes took notice of Millar’s reception on Friday. I hope everyone saw how he was welcomed back in grand style, even though he was far from the face of a championship squad.

Boston has heroes, ones we freely throw due respect towards. Its when we fail to receive that same respect as fans that we find it difficult to dish it out.

The game that followed Millar’s party was just as amazing, too. Youkilis lead off the game with a bomb over the Green Monster, Loretta showed signs of breaking out of his slump after roping two hits, and Lowell continued to tear the cover off the ball with three doubles on the day.

Schilling pitched a gem en route to his fifth win of the season, going seven strong innings of 3-run ball, striking out 5 in the process. Timlin and Papelbon slammed the door in the eighth and ninth to seal the victory.

The real sparks of the day were provided by, who else, David Ortiz. After Alex Gonzalez tied the game at 3 with a double in the sixth inning, the Sox loaded the bases with two outs. Ortiz quickly fell behind into an 0-2 count, but didn’t chase the next three pitches out of the strike zone. Facing a full count, bases loaded with two outs of a tie game (I’m getting excited just typing this), Ortiz ripped a bases-clearing double down the right field line for the 6-3 lead. Fenway erupted. 99% of the fans in attendance simultaneously lost their voices from cheering.

Ortiz delivered a clutch hit once again. All is right in the Red Sox Nation.

Pitchers for the upcoming Sox-Yankees series have been juggled around a bit, a move Francona says will give the Sox a better chance to come out on top after the three-game stint in the Bronx. New York also skips over Jaret Wright in their rotation, bumping everyone up a day and giving Chacon the start on Thursday. The new matchups are as follows:

Tuesday: Josh Beckett vs. Randy Johnson
Wednesday: Curt Schilling vs. Mike Mussina
Thursday: Tim Wakefield vs. Shawn Chacon

This has quickly become a can’t-miss series between these two teams. Deadlocked in a tie for first place in the AL East, both teams are coming off of sweeps of their weekend series. Boston handled the Orioles, while Texas rolled over and played dead to the Yankees in Arlington. Momentum is favoring no one.

The pitching duels are epic as well. Young phenom Beckett against the Big Unit. Boston hero Schilling facing the streaky Mussina. Dodgy Wakefield tossing opposite Chacon, who lost his only outing against the Sox.

I have to give Schilling a slight advantage over Mussina on Wednesday, as he’s the stronger pitcher in big games. Timmy definitely gets the nod over Chacon in the finale.

But Tuesday’s opener is hard to pick. Beckett has shown flashes of brilliance that warrents comparisons to greats like Clemens, but has already had some bad days on the mound in Boston. Johnson is Johnson, always firing in tough pitches, but has shown his mortal side more often in later years. Regardless of who comes out on top, I’m sure it will be an instant classic pitching duel.

There’s a lot at stake in this early three-game series. We’ll see how new pitchers stand up to the pressure of the biggest rivalry in baseball. We’ll witness how new Boston players handle the same intensity.

And most importantly, we’ll see who comes out in sole possession of first place in the AL East.