What Was That?

What was Terry Francona thinking? That because Matsui had another big hit Lowe was finished? ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE! With one out in the top of the sixth and a one run lead, once Matsui hits the triple, why wouldn't you want Lowe to get BW to hit the grounder. He already got him to do it once tonight. Even if Timlin comes in and manages to get the last two outs of the inning, what happens next? Do we expect Timlin to get 5 outs and hang on to a one run lead and then expect Foulke to pitch the eighth and ninth? He made some tough decisions, but this one was just the wrong one. He simply pulled the trigger on Lowe too quickly.

Mr. McCarver, you are the one who is wrong, sir. WAY wrong... He just said that it would be wrong to second guess the decision to bring in Timlin because he got the ground ball. But, he didn't you friggin genius. BW hit a high slow chopper, not a grounder. It probably goes as a groundball in the scorebook, but we know the difference, don't we? Matsui would have been thrown out at the plate if it was a grounder.

Bellhorn made a nice stop up the middle, but then gave the run away when he failed to pickup the grounder in the hole by Tony Clark. Had he just taken his time after he knocked it down, this would still be a tie game. And again, Mr. McCarver I think if Pokey Reese is the second baseman, he probably makes that play. Which also begs the question: if you're dropping Bellhorn all the way to the 9-hole, why wouldn't you just give him the night off and take advantage of Pokey's glove at second. Perhaps it might have made the difference... And perhaps next year we will beat the Yankees.