Manny Walk-Off Home Run Powers Red Sox To Victory Over Angels For 2-0 ALDS Lead

****THE MAGIC MANNY MISSLE MOMENT****

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, two men were on base, at first and third, there were two outs and Manny was striding towards the plate after Big Papi David Ortiz was again (and again) intentionally walked. The score was tied at three, and if ever there was a time for a "MANNY MOMENT," this was it. And then CRACK, BOOM, and Manny hit an absolute bomb OVER EVERYTHING in left. It was a walk-off three run home run, a true "Manny Moment," his first walk off homer since he joined the Sox and his first ever post season one. Needless to say, the team poured out of the dugout and the bullpen to join Manny as he reached home plate, and jubilation was in full force, on the field and everywhere in Red Sox Nation and Red Sox International. Said the man himself.....

"It's been a long time I don't do something special like that," Ramirez said. "I haven't been right all year round. But I guess, when you don't feel good and you still get hits, that's when you know you're a bad man."

You MIGHT be a "bad man," Manny, but you're OUR "bad man," and we love you. In terms of pitching, Daisuke Matsuzaka did not have a good night, going only 4 2/3 innings, throwing 96 pitches and allowing 4 runs on 3 hits and an unnecessary 3 walks. He was not sharp, but the Boston bullpen showed why it's the league's best, going the final 4 1/3 innings without allowing a hit. Kudos go out to Javy Lopez, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, who seems like his 10 day rest really helped, and Jonathon Papelbon, who earned the victory. Great job guys!

The club wings to California to join Josh Beckett and game #3 starter Curt Schilling, already there, who will try to make it a three game sweep Sunday afternoon. Oh, I almost forgot, the Indians again beat the visiting Yankees 2-1 in extra innings to forge ahead 2 games to none. The bug invasion must have bothered Yankee reliever Joba Chamberlin, but what he showed to me is this....the man the Yankees and their fans pin their 8th inning hopes on has a lot of growing up to do.

Please click on the title of this post for more on the Manny missle, and enjoy this off day Saturday. Bask with me in the glow, the warm fuzzy memories of last night's walk-off win, which seemed like a dream to me upon first awakening this early weekend morning, but which was all too real, or surreal, depending on how you look at it. Any way you view it, Sox fan or not (?), it's what baseball 2007 Red Sox style is all about! GO SOX! FOREVER. AND EVER. To be continued, for the story is far from over. 2 down, 9 to go for immortality.