I have lived in Boston for more than 17 years. For eight of those years I lived in the Fenway and was within walking distance of the ballpark. After going to 18 games in 2000, I went to at least one game a month between 2001 and 2008. After moving out of the neighborhood, my trips to Fenway became less frequent. I'd go to two or three games a year and then over the past couple of seasons I'd only go to one game a year, usually on Patriot's Day in mid-April.
Over time I have become less comfortable in crowds. I hate having to constantly stand up and sit down to make room for inebriated fans who don't give a damn about the game. So this year I was in no hurry to get to a game. But I knew I couldn't stay away forever.
It had also been years since my roommate Christopher Kain had gone to a game. My initial thought was to go the last game of the year on October 1st. But Chris said September 30th would be better. As it turned out he chose well because it gave us the opportunity to see the Red Sox clinch the AL East.
The weather was less than ideal. After a week of 90 plus temperatures, today it was raining and the low 50's, if that. But the rain had subsided by the time we arrived at Fenway. But the Red Sox would not have an easy task as they would face the AL West champion Houston Astros and their 100 wins.
Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz and Astros starter Lance McCullers, Jr. were locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel until the fourth when the Sox scored two runs on a Hanley Ramirez single and a Rafael Devers double. In the fifth, the Sox added three runs on a Andrew Benintendi single and a two run double by Mitch Moreland.
Pomeranz was absolutely brilliant. He thought he could have gone nine. But Sox manager John Farrell gave him a quick hook after he surrendered a lead off single to Jose Altuve in the sixth. I thought it was the wrong move. It was only the third hit Pomeranz had given up and he only threw 82 pitches. It didn't help matters that Sox reliever Carson Smith gave up three straight singles to Carlos Correa, Evan Gattis and Yuliesky Gurriel plating two runs.
It was left to David Price to put out the fire. Brian McCann's liner went off Moreland's glove but it richocheted into Brock Holt's glove who fired the ball back at Moreland to retire McCann. Price then fanned Cameron Maybin, but walked pinch hitter Tyler White before getting George Springer looking to end the inning. Price has pitched very effectively out of the bullpen.
The Sox added some insurance in the seventh on a solo home run by Mookie Betts to extend the lead to 6-2.
The weather was cold, miserable and it rained throughout the game. But nobody was leaving. Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth. After striking out Gurriel he gave up a solo home run to McCann and a double to Maybin. The natives got restless, but I said the Red Sox were like Tina Turner. They never do anything nice and easy. Kimbrel settled down and struck out Tony Kemp and Springer to end the game and clinch their second consecutive AL East title, the first time that's been accomplished in franchise history. The Red Sox will travel to Houston to face these same Astros to begin the ALDS on Thursday.
I only went to one Red Sox game this season, but it might very well be the most memorable one I've ever attended.
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