Reddick delivers as Red Sox win in extras after solving Rivera

The Red Sox celebrate another thrilling finish at Fenway. This time, the fireworks were supplied by young Josh Reddick. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Some say baseball is boring. I have friends who believe this. Some games are, some teams are, but the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry is far from it. Sunday night’s series finale was a prime example why.

The Yankees were ahead 2-1 entering the ninth inning, trying to take back sole possession of first place in the American League East and win the three-game series. Mariano Rivera was on the hill, with Red Sox fans hoping for some late-game magic. Would it come there way?

Rivera is the most dominant closer the game has ever seen, and he hasn’t been beaten by many teams. For most opponents, his ultimately being successful is a forgone conclusion entering the save situation. He can be that baffling. But if the game is close against Boston, there’s a feeling in the air that a save could be blown. This is always the case against Boston, and especially facing the potent lineup the Red Sox currently have.

He hadn’t blown one against them this season, but that was about to change. Marco Scutaro lifted a cutter deep to left, and it only stayed in the park because of the Green Monster’s daunting and sometimes unlucky height. It was his fourth hit of the night, tying a career-high. None were out, and the Red Sox were in business. Rivera has heard those words before.

If Boston could execute, which they hadn’t done in previous innings, they could notch a tie or even win. The top of the lineup was ready to make up for missed chances, as MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury stepped in. A first-pitch sacrifice bunt did the trick, moving Scutaro to third. A sacrifice fly two pitches later by fellow MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia notched what a packed Fenway thought possible. Tie game.

The contest was well over four hours old. SportsCenter was slated to begin at 8 pm Pacific Time. It was now well past nine, and extra baseball was going to be played.

Ever since I went to see Boston get walloped by Tampa Bay last September, my experience watching them play has been forever enriched. Even in being blown out, the fans were extraordinarily passionate into the late innings. They were chanting, screaming jubilantly when meaningless eighth-inning runs crossed the plate, and singing “Sweet Caroline” at a deafening decibel. If they were this enthusiastic in loss, just think how raucous they were when Phil Hughes stepped to the mound to face some of their more intimidating bats in the bottom of the tenth.

The Yankees’ pulling of Rivera after only nine ninth-inning pitches, with an off-day on Monday, was odd. As a result, the team’s chances of pulling through greatly decreased. Little faith was put in Hughes. After all, on Twitter, Boston Globe columnist Gordon Edes was taking guesses for which Red Sox would end it in dramatic fashion.

The obvious choice was David Ortiz, who has been a thorn in the Yankees side for many, many years. He entered the box with one out in the frame, and nearly lived up to the prediction, lacing a ground-rule double to right. A pinch-runner ensued in the form of Mike Aviles, Carl Crawford, who entered 9-12 in the series, was intentionally walked, and the stage was set for young Josh Reddick.

Reddick, their now permanent right-fielder with veteran J.D. Drew on the shelf, had never had a game-winning hit in the majors. He, who has been swinging a hot bat all season long, was due, and Hughes was his usual self: hittable.

A curveball was looped over the outside corner, and the 24-year-old left-hander grooved it into left-field. Hugging the line, it dropped fair. Brett Gardner fielded it and was about to thrown the ball in, but it was no use. Aviles had scored. The celebration, the third of its kind this week, had begun.

“I got a first-pitch curveball, and it was over the plate, and I didn’t really miss it,” Reddick said. “I watched the way he had pitched to Papi, and the pitches he started him off with, and I got ahold of it, and …”

He was as happy as can be. And one of the first players to congratulate him was Drew. This was telling; an incredible moment. Drew, who has said he may retire at season’s end, is clearly on his last legs. Reddick has fresh ones, and he has become a pivotal force anchoring the lineup’s back-end. Drew knows all of this, and he knows he has been replaced. He couldn’t have been by a better person and talent. In joyfully rushing at Reddick, it is clear he knows this, too.

The torch had already been passed long before, but something similar took place in this short scene. Reddick, the present and future in right field, had cemented his role in the greatest rivalry of all. And Drew enjoyed every second.