With the exception of a little trouble in the first inning, Josh Beckett pitched outstanding and earned his league-leading 20th win of the season. More importantly, however, he stopped a Red Sox losing streak that was responsible for more gray hairs in the Boston area than the Big Dig. David Ortiz had a big offensive night with a 3-run homer and 4 RBI, despite the fact that he was not even scheduled to play as lefty Scott Kazmir, who is always a problem for the Sox, was starting for Tampa Bay. Jacoby Ellsbury once again made the highlight reel for the week with a diving catch into the Red Sox dugout as he flung himself over the pitcher’s mounds, ultimately ending up against the wall in a tangle of folding chairs. Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek also both homered for the Sox, and even Eric Gagne was able to get all three outs of an inning without allowing a run. The Red Sox took a 3-run lead into the ninth, and then blew it open by putting up a 4 spot in the top of the inning.

Oh yeah, and the Yankees lost a bitter game in which they rallied from 4 runs down in the bottom of the ninth, only to ultimately lose it in the 14th inning to the Toronto Blue Jays. That puts our lead back to 2.5 games and allows Boston to at least exhale a little. Overall, it was a fantastic night for Red Sox Nation.

For whatever reason, Eric Gagne does not fit in Boston. Usually, I like to give players the chance to get acclimated to the new team, especially in a city like Boston. The pressure here is like few other places in the sports world, and so if a new guy struggles initially, I don’t lose faith in him right away. Case in point: Dustin Pedroia. At the start of this season, people were calling for Alex Cora to start over him permanently and had bascially given up on him. Now, he is in the running for Rookie of the Year. However, the situation with Eric Gagne is completely different. First of all, he is not a rookie. He has been in the leauge and has had to deal with pressure situations before (he is a closer, after all). That alone prompts me to allow less time for him to get situated in the new locker room. The main point here, though, is that the Red Sox are trying to make a run into the playoffs. Now is not the time to be testing out new guys to see if they can get over a slump or prove themselves in a new environment. The occasion for that type of patience is long gone, and I feel that now Eric Gagne should be used only in situations where it is not a save opportunity. He simply has not shown that he can pitch in Boston, and unfortunately, we do not have the luxury with our shrinking lead in the AL East to wait for him to come around. I have no doubt that he is a great pitcher with great stuff. Unforunately, he hasn’t been throwing it here. With so many other capable members of the Boston bullpen, this blown lead in Toronto tonight has to be the last straw. It is time we use the guys that got us to this point to carry us through the end of the season.

The hype leading up to the game was immense. Red Sox vs. Yankees, Schilling vs. Clemens, and playoff implications for both teams. The game stayed tight through all 9 innings and both pitchers threw well, but eventually it was Schilling who made the key mistake to Derek Jeter in the 8th by giving up a 3-run home run with 2 outs that was too much for the Sox to overcome. They made it interesting in the 9th by loading the bases with the tying run at third, but this time David Ortiz couldn’t come through and the game ended; allowing the Yankees to inch another step forward in the AL East standings and put the Sox lead to only 4.5 games.

Looking ahead, there is reason to stay optimistic about the outcome of the regular season. The Sox travel to Toronto and Tampa Bay before returning to play out the last of their schedule at Fenway Park. Toronto and Tampa Bay have essentially been home ballparks for the Red Sox this season. With the importance of these last few series essential not only to win the AL East but to hopefully maintain home field advantage throughout the playoffs if possible, I believe that the Sox will respond and take care of business like we all know that they can.

While watching the game tonight, I was in the company of my roommate, who is a Yankees fan (I know I live with the enemy, but you know what they say: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer). She was intrigued by my dedication and passion about the Red Sox. She posed the question, "Why are you such a big fan? Why does it matter so much to you?" At first, it was difficult to answer. After much consideration and rambling thoughts, I came up with an analogy that came about as close as I could to describing the meaning of the Red Sox to me. I have an older brother who used to play both soccer and baseball. I remember always attending his games, and being so proud when he scored a goal or got a hit. It made me feel so special that I was his sister, and somehow I was able to share his glory and his triumph in some way. I feel that this is similar to what I feel when the Red Sox play. When they come back late in a game to rally for a win, and when they gather at home plate in a jumping frenzy of joy, I feel proud that they are the team that I root for. There is a connection felt not only between the fan and the team, but between the fans themselves. As the camera scanned through the crowd to looks of anxious faces on the Sox fans in the 9th inning, I knew they felt exactly as I did at that moment. We are all part of the same family, simply wishing that our brothers can get that base hit and drive in that run that will make us proud and honored to say, "I’m a Boston Red Sox fan."

Perhaps it was a good thing that the game last night went nearly 5 hours, thus preventing me from being able to post on my blog about it until now. With the immediate sting of the loss slightly less painful, it allowed me to find some bright spots in a bitter loss. First of all, Dice-K went nearly 6 strong innings only giving up 1 run, and he pitched out of numerous tough jams. Also, Jacoby Ellsbury continued to prove himself to be a worthy substitute for Manny Ramirez in the outfield (despite ending the game with his strikeout). His production has allowed the potential pressure that could have been put on guys like Ortiz, Lowell, Pedroia, and Youkilis to carry the offense to be avoided.

Of course, it is concerning to see the usually dependable one-two punch of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon blow a 5-run lead. However, I will still have confidence if they emerge from the dugout in right field tonight that they can get the job done. Tonight’s game will tell a lot about the resilience that the Red Sox have to be able to come back from giving up a game on their home field last night.

The Sox have a great start now coming back thus far with a 9-run lead now, but it’s never over ’til it’s over. (Especially when we’re talking about the Yankees and Red Sox)