2008 Red Sox Walk Offs
From SoSH
- 4/29 - In a good old-fashioned pitching duel, Jon Lester and the Toronto Blue Jays' Roy Halladay had worked their way through eight innings of scoreless ball. In one of the finest starts of Lester's career, he allowed just a single hit, punching out 6, before giving way to Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th. Paps worked around a two-out double by Scott Rolen and set the stage for the middle of the Sox lineup.
After Halladay recorded the first two outs quickly, Big Papi David Ortiz launched a foul ball deep into the right field corner that scared Roy enough to walk him. Manny Ramirez followed Papi with a base hit to center that fell in front of Vernon Wells who was playing deep to prevent a double.
Terry Francona allowed Ortiz to stay in and run while stationed at second base following Manny's hit, a move that could have proved costly. However, Wells could not handle Kevin Youkilis' line drive up the middle cleanly and Big Papi rumbled home uncontested for the Sox first walk-off win of the season. The 1-0 victory for Boston gave Roy Halladay his third consecutive Complete Game loss.
- 4/30 - Coming off a thrilling win the night before, the Red Sox took the field on another chilly night in springtime New England. What played out was a near repeat of the night before.
Starting pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Dustin McGowan continued the great display of mound work the Fenway fans had been getting accustomed to. In the 7th inning, it looked like David Ortiz had given Boston the upper hand. Sending a dinger into the right field bleachers, Papi and the Red Sox took a 1-0 lead.
Dice-K left after seven shutout innings, giving way to Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima in the 8th. Delcarmen, coming off a bout of the flu, and a string of disappointing performances, allowed a hit to the one and only batter he faced. Okajima allowed Manny's run to score but limited further damage to keep the game knotted at one.
Jonathan Papelbon once again entered in the 9th inning of a tie game, a move that paid dividends for Terry Francona the night before. With the aid of a quick pickoff of John McDonald at first base, Paps worked another scoreless frame and set up the heart of Boston's order again.
Papi Ortiz promptly singled of new reliever Scott Downs, who would then walk Manny Ramirez to place men at first and second. Mike Lowell was unable to advance the runners with his strikeout before Opening Day hero Brandon Moss stepped in. Having removed Ortiz on this occasion, Francona now had youngster Jed Lowrie at second. Moss ripped one back through the box that would test Lowrie's speed immediately. With a clean play by Vernon Wells in center and a seemingly Slow-Motion Lowrie rounding third, Jed was tagged out at home to preserve the tie for the Jays, momentarily.
With switch hitting Jason Varitek coming to the plate, Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons elected to allow the Left-Handed Downs to face him. It did not work out for Gibbons, as Tek smoked a line drive into center, scoring the hustling Ramirez from second.
- 6/22 - After dropping the first two games of this interleague set against the Cards, the hometown club was in need of a win. And nobody said it was going to be easy.
A rare blown save from Jonathan Papelbon allowed St. Louis to push the game into extra frames. In the extra session, both teams had numerous opportunities to score on the other (the Red Sox having squandered leadoff doubles in the 10th, 11th, and 12th), but the score remained knotted at three. The Red Sox got good relief work from Craig Hansen who punched out three of the five batters he faced.
In the 13th, the man who started the scoring for Boston with a homer in the 7th, Kevin Youkilis, stepped into the box with Mike Lowell aboard. Youk's second blast of the day, and first walkoff homerun of his career gave the Sox the win in a 4 hour, 25 minute marathon.
