Lowell Steals Third

Game Three is best remembered for the contributions made by the rookies, Pedroia and Ellsbury. Between them, seven for ten with seven runs produced, four RBIs and three runs. Not just setting the table, but setting it first and then clearing it later. And we need to make some mention of Dice-K’s two RBIs. This game took place during the Monday morning rush hour in Japan, which may not have been much of a rush hour after all, with everyone glued to their TVs. First time a Japanese player had started a World Series game; first time win, and first time RBIs. All in the same game.

But the Game Three moment I am selecting to memorialize here on mannymontaigne is neither of the above; it’s perhaps one thing from Game Three that no one much discussed in the game’s aftermath, or even after the Sox had taken the championship trophy home to Boston. But it’s a snapshot of 2007, and Boston’s own MVP, Mike Lowell.

Top of the ninth, Sox are back to a four-run lead, and really, with Pap coming out for the ninth, the game’s final run didn’t affect the outcome. Still, the Rockies continued to battle, and the bottom of the eighth had ended with two runners on base, and Matt Holliday flying to left. The point being, that even with a four-run lead, the Sox were not necessarily home free. So Mike Lowell singled to lead off the ninth, and moved to second on a bunt. Then he stole third. Lowell is not the fastest guy on the team, but he might be the most heady. And when none of the Rockies held him close on second, he simply took off for third. Varitek brought Lowell home with a sac fly, and the Sox had their tenth run (the fourth double-figure run production in the last five post-season games). When the game ended 10-5, Pap once again not allowing a run, Lowell’s steal became a non-event. But remember Game Two? Lowell scored the tying run in that game, after he had taken third on Drew’s single to right.

And looking ahead to tomorrow night, Game Four, Lowell will not only homer, but once again will score a run with great baserunning. He’ll come from second base on a single by Varitek, and his wide slide will avoid the tag. He batted .400 for the series; he knocked in the game-winner in Game Two; he homered in Game Four; but his baserunning made a huge difference in both of the one run games in the Series. It was every bit as important as his hitting.

At the end of the year, after all those games, what made the difference that put the Sox into the post-season? As we said about Okajima and Game Two, it’s hard to point to any one guy or any one game that made the difference. But it’s also hard to picture the Sox having the success they did in 2007, especially with Papi and Manny banged up, without Mike Lowell. Thanks God (as Manny likes to say) that we signed him up for the next three years.