There was no offensive explosion, but the Boston Red Sox proved they still had the pitching they needed to get the job done in a close game, pulling off a 2-1 victory.

The Rockies actually struck first tonight with leadoff hitter Willy Taveras reaching after being hit by a pitch by Curt Schilling. In my honest opinion, Taveras was crowding the plate and it was his own damn fault he got hit, but either way, the damage was done. He advanced after NLCS MVP (and regular season MVP candidate) Matt Holliday singled down the third base line. Both runners ended up in scoring position after a throwing error by Mike Lowell, who didn’t seem to know whether it would be shortstop Julio Lugo or Schilling covering at third. Taveras then scored when Todd Helton grounded out to first.

 

The Rockies maintained their lead into the bottom of the fourth. The Sox went down in order in the first and did not even get their first hit until the fourth inning. J.D. Drew was hit by a pitch in the second, and the top of the lineup drew a pair of walks in the third, but the runners were all left stranded. Lowell scored Boston’s first run after taking a one-out walk in the fourth. Jason Varitek hit the sacrifice fly that scored Lowell and sent Drew to third.

 

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Colorado rookie Ubaldo Jimenez gave up a walk to David Ortiz. Never the speediest of runners, Ortiz has been slowed down lately by his knee injury. He advanced to second on a Manny Ramirez single. Lowell came through with a double to deep left field that gave Big Papi plenty of time to get home and score the go-ahead run. That RBI double was the end of Jimenez’s night, and Clint Hurdle handed the ball off to Jeremy Affeldt who quickly gave up a walk to Drew to load the bases. Affeldt was quickly replaced by Matt Herges who got the final out another long bottom of the fifth.

 

Curt Schilling did not last much longer when he gave up a single to Holliday and walked Helton with one out in the top of the sixth. Hideki Okajima was brought in to take care of business. It was pretty early for set-up work, but he kept things under control until it was Papelbon time. Through two and a third innings, he did not allow a single hit. He struck out four, including the final two batters he faced in the top of the eighth. With Holliday due up to bat and a slim 2-1 lead, Terry Francona opted to bring in closer Jonathan Papelbon. Holliday was already 3-3 on the night and wound up getting an infield single. Papelbon narrowly escaped getting hit by the ball. Dustin Pedroia was able to grab the ball and hold Holliday to a single but had no play at first. Papelbon and Pedroia were both lucky to avoid injury on the play, with Pedroia rolling on his wrist and Papelbon doing some kind of backwards somersault while diving out of the way. Papelbon ended up picking Holliday off at first to end the inning.

 

Helton, who was at the plate when Holliday was picked off, struck out when he led off in the top of the ninth. After Garrett Atkins lined out to centerfield, Papelbon struck Brad Hawpe out to deliver the save and a Game Two victory for the Red Sox.

 

Through the series so far, the Red Sox have held the Rockies to just two runs. Schilling, Okajima, and Papelbon combined tonight to allow only five hits and two walks with ten strikeouts.

And, oh yeah- Lasorda for Commissioner.