Moment 2: Back from the Dead.

October 16. Tampa Bay at Boston.

Honestly? I thought it was over. The Red Sox were down by seven runs with seven outs left in the game. I'd turned the sound on the television off long before. I was only half paying attention to the game, while the other half of my brain was composing a eulogy for the season. But one should never lose faith in Dustin Pedroia's desire to not lose.

Through six innings Scott Kazmir had allowed two hits, both of them singles. He also walked three, hit Varitek with a pitch, and threw a wild pitch but that was it. Nothing. Bupkis. It seemed like a perfectly logical time to go to the bullpen, especially given how well they'd pitched last season.

First out of the 'pen? Grant Balfour. The first batter? Jed Lowrie--who hit a double to deep right. Oooh! Extra bases! Exciting! Oh, wait. Never mind. Varitek and Kotsay both harmlessly flew out to center. But then my Covelli (I told you he was great) got a single and Jed moved over to third. But still first and third, two out, bottom of the seventh, up by seven-it's not a really dangerous position to be in. Except for when the next batter is Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia got a single, knocked Jed in and moved Coco to third. And then David Ortiz hit a home run to right. And maybe, maybe I could listen to a little bit of Chip Caray. Maybe.

Balfour was replaced by Dan Wheeler. Wheeler temporarily staunched the bleeding by getting Youkilis to fly out to right. Papelbon (who had allowed two runs-both of them Manny Del's-in the previous inning) got it together and struck out Aybar, got Navarro to fly out to center, and struck out Gross, both of them swinging. Wheeler, however, couldn't keep it together when he came back out. First, he walked Jason Bay. Then he gave up a home run to JD Drew. 7-6. Pressure on. Wheeler responded by getting Lowrie to fly out and having Sean Casey strike out for Varitek. Once again having two outs wasn't particularly helpful for the Rays. Mark Kotsay doubled to center. And then Covelli dug himself in. He wasn't going anywhere but first base and he wasn't going there without a hit. He saw nine pitches in that at bat and he sent off foul ball after foul ball before he got one he could hit to right. A little single, just a little single. It brought Kotsay safely around from second because of some heads up base running by Coco. Tied game.

Justin Masterson was called upon to relieve Jonathan Papelbon. He gave up a single to Bartlett, got Iwamura to fly out to left, but then walked BJ Upton. Heart in throat. One out, two on, and up to the plate sauntered Haverhill. Carlos Pena *tilde implied* does not ground into double plays. He hit into six of them in 490 at bats last season. It may have been through sheer will power that Masterson got Haverhill to hit the ball at Pedroia. Pedroia tossed the ball to Lowrie for one, who passed it on to Kotsay for the second. Crisis averted.

For the bottom of the ninth, Maddon went with J.P. Howell as his pitcher. Howell started off by getting his two outs: Pedroia grounded out to third and Ortiz struck out. Tampa's bullpen struggles continued as Youkilis hit a single to third and moved to second on an error by Longoria. They IBB'd Bay. But then JD Drew hit a the ball over the head of Gabe Gross. Drew roared. Youkilis scored. And the series went back to Tampa Bay.

Ultimately, it wasn't to be. The Sox had one more win in them before the Rays went on to play Philly. But they didn't go down without a fight. And that was easily the most exciting game that I have ever half-paid attention to for the vast majority of it. And so it is moment number two of 2008.