Fenway Park Home Cooking Just The Thing For The Boston Red Sox...Sox 6 Tigers 5

For the Boston Red Sox Monday night, it was good to be home in Boston and play at Fenway Park. Boston struck early and were ahead 4-0 by the end of the second. They hit three home runs, banged out twelve hits and used their imaginations to plate runners. The vomiting Brad Penny (acid reflex...he should get that looked at. His esophogus will thank him by not bleeding) was good enough, allowing three runs in six innings. The bullpen had a few shaky moments but Jonathon Papelbon came on with two outs in the eighth inning and saved the one run game. The final score was 6-5. IT WAS A WIN WITH A YANKEE LOSS. The Texas Rangers did not play. Jason Bay stressed the importance of this contest...

“It’s easy to downplay and say it’s just another game,’’ left fielder Jason Bay said. “But the last thing you want to do is lose another one and you keep saying the same thing - ‘Hey, no big deal, lots of season left.’ That whole thing. Then you end up all of a sudden trying to get yourself out of quicksand. Just that one game to stop it sometimes means more than just one win.’’

And Joathon Papelbon had a few words for the assembled media about being an elite closer...

“I thrive on the end of the ballgame and the team looking down there in the bullpen at me and saying, ‘Hey, when’s he going to come in?’ ” Papelbon said. “That’s what I thrive on.”

Jonathon, we thrive on it too. 8 times out of ten, you'll nail down that save and the Sox will win. What could be better? I'll tell you what...nuttin'.

Tonight, the newest member of the Red Sox rotation, Junichi Tazawa, will face Detroit's Porcello. Junichi is in there to take the place of the departed John Smoltz. We wish him the best and I'm sure the Fenway Friendly will give him a BIG cheer when he walks in from the bullpen and on to the mound. Two in a row with crooked numbers would be SO nice.

Have a great Tuesday. You can click on this post's title for more on the Monday night Boston victory Sports Illustrated style. As always, BE WELL.