2007 Red Sox Walk Offs

From SoSH

• 5/13 - After a rather listless performance for eight innings against the young Baltimore hurler Jeremy Guthrie, the Red Sox sprung to life after a misplayed popup gave them a glimmer of hope. Boston trailed 5-0 with one down in the 9th when Orioles Manager Sam Perlozzo lifted Guthrie after having thrown just 91 pitches. What ensued can only be described as miraculous.

Danys Baez entered the game for Baltimore after Ramon Hernandez dropped Coco Crisp's pop fly in front of the plate and quickly allowed a run scoring double off the bat of David Ortiz. Wily Mo Pena then stepped in, after replacing Manny Ramirez in the field the previous inning. Wily Modesto laced a single through the left side, forcing Perlozzo to the pen again, this time summoning his closer, Chris Ray.

Ray walked his first two batters, J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis, each of which were well deserved. The Captain, Jason Varitek, then clubbed a double into the right-center field gap, putting the Sox within a run at 5-4. Eric Hinske was walked to load the bases, bringing Alex Cora to the dish. Cora chopped one to second, and the play at the plate that forced Youkilis out would have been big news had this game ended differently, but the blown calll didn't matter, as the O's had plans of blowing it all themselves.

With the sacks packed, Julio Lugo stood in with two strikes and two outs, looking to send the Fenway Faithful home with a stunning comeback win. It wasn't pretty, but Lugo grounded one towards first with old friend Kevin Millar snaring it and flipping towards the covering Ray. Whether it was Lugo's speed or Ray taking his eye of the ball, the Orioles were unable to record the out, with the ball bouncing off the tip of Chris Ray's glove. In the mayhem, Hinske scampered home from second, giving the Sox an unbelievable walk-off win.

• 8/14 - Devil Ray pitching, led by starter Scott Kazmir, shuts out the Sox for the first eight innings. In the ninth, closer Al Reyes comes in to preserve a 1-0 lead but fails, as Mike Lowell comes to the plate with one out and hits a 2-0 fastball into the Monster seats to tie the game. Two batters later, captain Jason Varitek hits a ground-rule double into the left field corner, setting the stage for a game winning single to right by Coco Crisp.

• 9/12 - Big Papi got back to his old tricks on this September night at the Fens. Old friend Al Reyes would play his part too. Trailing 4-3 in the ninth, David Ortiz assumed his role once again as the Best Clutch Hitter in Baseball History.

Having already belted a 3-run jack earlier in the game off Devil Rays starter Edwin Jackson, Papi was in position to drive in all the runs in a Red Sox win that keep the Yankees at bay. Surely enough, the big man came through, sending a soaring fly ball into the first row of stands in the deep right field corner of Fenway Park.

The blast was Big Papi's 10th walk-off homerun as a member of the Boston Red Sox and 11th of his career.