World Series games 3 and 4

Game 3:

After game 2 where the pitching was brilliant, the bats lit up game 3. The Red Sox scored 10 runs with 0 home runs. Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia were two rookies at the top of the lineup and they combined for 7 hits, 3 runs, and 4 RBI. Even Dice-K got in the mix with a 2-run single in the middle of the 6-run third inning. Everyone was questioning Francona's decision to start Ortiz at first base and sit Youkalis, but Papi had a big RBI hit in the third inning and handled the defensive duties flawlessly at first.

I can't even put into words how well Terry Francona is managing this team. He's pulling pitchers at the right times. He's making his defensive substitutions at the right times. He's making smart decisions even when they aren't necessarily popular with the media. He became the first manager in the history of baseball to win his first 7 world series games. I think his contract is up soon and the Sox better sign him for big money and big years.

Game 4:

The Red Sox are world champions again! This team could do no wrong after game 4 of the ALCS. Once again they got a great outing from their starting pitcher (John Lester). Once again they got timely hitting (Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell). Even another no-name bench player came up with the winning hit (solo home run by Bobby Keilty). When Papelbon came out of the dugout for the bottom of the 9th inning, I was about as calm and confident as a Red Sox fan could possibly be. I knew that the Rockies were beat. It was a sweep just like the 2004 world series, but it felt very different this time around. It was very similar to the Patriots second and third Super Bowl wins...they seemed inevitable. After the 2004 playoffs I felt exhausted as a fan. After these playoffs I just feel happy and proud that the team played so well. I'm also really really excited about the future of this team in the next few seasons. That's for a later post, but for now I just get to savor a second Red Sox World Series championship team in my lifetime. It feels great!