I know I do it a lot. But, when I look at cards from the 1999 season, I'm always stunned that this team made it to the ALCS. How Pedro didn't win the MVP that season is beyond me. But, more on that later. Let's look at the card, shall we?
I always like to start looking at scorecards by checking out the pitchers box. What high powered match-up did I get to see this day?
Pat Rapp.
Yes, it was the rare Escobar-Rapp showdown. Rapp was followed by Lowe, Corsi, and Gordon. In a game the Red Sox won. Seriously. Rapp even pitched pretty well, striking out seven over six innings for a quality start.
So, how did the lineup fare? I use the term “lineup” loosely. Look at those names. No mar was the lone star, and he actually went hitless on this day. (I guess Varitek became a star, but he certainly wasn't one when he was wearing #47.) How did they win? One big inning contained two walks and three hits. That accounted for four Red Sox runs, and was the difference in the ballgame.
The hero on the day? Has to be Darren Lewis. He went 2-3 from the lead off spot, scoring a run and driving in two others. That would account for all the runs the Sox needed.
The goat? Let's go with the aforementioned Nomar. The 3-6 batters all went hitless on the day, but you really expect and need more from Garciaparra. He has to come through.
But, the Sox were able to work around it on that day. The offense did just enough to support a pitching staff that did just enough. That's all it takes sometimes.
And the scorecard shows how it happened.
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