Red Sox team in reaction to Gomes punting his helmet
After nearly 10 hours of almost contentious baseball, it was over. After 10 hours of continuous baseball it would be Johnny Gomes' convivial face immortalized against the Tuesday night sky that would serve as a lasting image of one of the strangest double headers in recent MLB history.
Beginning in the 5th inning of game two, the day was complicated when the sky decided to dump buckets of rain on the ballpark forcing a stinging rain delay. With Boston leading 4-1, the players descended to their respective clubhouses and as time went on, Fenways lower bowl fled the ballpark in search of a roof above their heads to prevent torrent of water plummeting from those clouds above Boston from soaking them to the bone.
It would take nothing short of 3 hours for the game to be resumed yet by the time things got rolling again the Sox front office and ownership had a slight problem. After hours of delay and saturating rain, Fenway was only about two thirds full an image that even if tickets were bought, does not reflect well on a ball park when seen through the distorting lens of a television screen. Recognizing this, right as the rain began to let up, the Sox released a statement to their fans basically saying "After game one is finished, there will be a 30 minute delay between games one and two. Fans still in the ballpark from game one are permitted to stay for Game Two while fans with tickets to Game Two are allowed to come to the ball park early and watch the last 4 and a third innings of game one"
Why this drastic gift? Because regardless of whether or not rain was still falling last night was a miserable one in Boston as temperatures still hung around 70 degrees with a soupy humidity level of just over 65% aka: a pretty stinky time to go to a baseball game. Nonetheless, those of gave up on the opportunity to go to game two are inevitably kicking themselves this morning. Why? Two words: walk off.
Beginning the scoring early on, the Sox struck first, putting one run up in the bottom of the second inning before turning the game and the lead over to their pitcher Felix Dubront who through 8 innings hurled one of the best games of his career.
"I needed this. I needed this to get more confident, trust more in my pitches. I'll go the next game and try to do the same and stay in one page, this page. And stay like that. I'm going to get better results and win games and help the team to win." Dubront said despite getting pulled in the eighth inning and having his bid for a complete game, 3 hit shutout shattered by his own manager.
With Dubront out ace closer Andrew Bailey came into the game and promptly blew it. Allowing a cutting leadoff walk to start the top of the ninth inning, Bailey soon left a pitch over the plate that was easily belted out of the yard to tie the game.
With Dubront out ace closer Andrew Bailey came into the game and promptly blew it. Allowing a cutting leadoff walk to start the top of the ninth inning, Bailey soon left a pitch over the plate that was easily belted out of the yard to tie the game.
"Yeah, I'm throwing the ball down the middle," said Bailey. "I've just got to keep grinding through it and focus a little more. I'll get through it. I've been pitching in this league for a couple years now and had success. I've got to get back to doing that."
Boston was in trouble yet with the game still tied at 1, Bailey locked down getting the remaining two outs needed to move the game to the bottom of the ninth and giving Boston a chance to walk off with just one run. They got 2.
Much like the top of that same ninth inning, the Sox kicked off the frame with a walk this time seeing star top third batter Danial Nave work the count and march down to first base. Now with former Ray Johnny Gomes striding to the box Fenway's faithful rose to their feet waiting desperately to see if all mighty Gomes could win it for Boston: he did. Swinging on the first pitch he saw, Gomes exploded down the first base line watching ever so patiently to see if this one could get out of the yard.
"If its fair it's very gone" Red Sox play by play man Don Orsillo said he voice rising as he and 30,000 other fans in Fenway that evening jumped to their feet. "BUT IT IS GONE, A TWO RUN HOME RUN TO WALK OFF IN GAME TWO OF THE DOUBLE HEADER"
Gomes rounding first, his fist thrust towards the sky and his teammates flooding out of their home dugout. Nonetheless it was his celebration that really makes you smile. Right as he flew down the 3rd base line, Gomes removed his helmet from his balding head and with all his might drop kicked it in the general direction of his jubilant teammates.
"Just kind of witty there at the end," said Gomes. "Walk-off home runs, I think anything can come in play." He said following his eye opening celebration. And really on a day were nearly EVERYTHING came into play, those final 7 words could not be any more correct.
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