One-run games

The Red Sox were unbeatable for eight innings last night against the Rangers. Texas didn't look bad - it's just that they looked like they could keep playing until after Labor Day and still not hit Curt Schilling. Schilling had given up just one run over the first eight innings when he came out looking to go the distance, but with the score 6-1 in favour of the Red Sox he gave up a two-run home run to Michael Young (Young's second of the game). Although it was clear that Schilling wanted to stay in the game and finish things off, Terry Francona took him out and brought in Keith Foulke. Foulke promptly gave up two more runs to make it 6-5 (wouldn't want Red Sox fans thinking that wins can come easy, right?) before finishing off the job.

There was another classic one-run baseball game played yesterday, but you won't find it in today's boxscores, because it was played in the Paris suburbs. Forced to play the game without a single established pitcher in the lineup, our ballclub gave up 12 runs in the first two innings and it looked like it was going to be a long, hot afternoon in the outfield. However, there was some kind of breakdown in communication at the local operatic society - the fat lady never turned up to sing, so we just kept chipping away at the lead: 12-1, 12-5, 12-8, 13-8, 13-11... We tied this unglamorous but exciting game in the bottom of the seventh and last inning and then won it 14-13 on an unglamorous but exciting walk-off sac fly. Yogi would have been proud :-)