Sunday silence

Red Sox, Martinez dismiss Dodgers

June 14, 2004|Globe Staff

Seldom are 35,000 fans heard demanding a curtain call after a great defensive play, but in the case of Pokey Reese, he's heard it at Fenway Park before and if his Red Sox teammates and manager Terry Francona were to make an educated guess, they think the acrobatic infielder will hear it again.

Reese never came out for a bow before the bottom of the seventh, but his spectacular leaping grab of Dave Roberts's liner in the top of the inning, which ended a Dodger rally and protected Pedro Martinez's three-run lead, certainly warranted one.

"I tried to get him to go out there and take a bow, but he wouldn't do it," said Kevin Millar. "It was unbelievable."

In the end, Reese's play, with two on and two out, right after Nomar Garciaparra had muffed Alex Cora's grounder -- though it was scored a hit -- was perfect timing on a night when Martinez wasn't overpowering, but very good nonetheless, in a 4-1 Sox win over Los Angeles. "I can dunk [a basketball]," said Reese, "but I think that was about as far as I could go. It was a big play because if I don't make it, Pedro comes out of that game. Pedro looks like the Pedro of old, so I'm happy I was able to help him out there."

Francona only saw Reese's catch on replay because he thought the ball was heading to the gap and he was looking down at some notes and contemplating his next move. "It's not shocking," the manager said. "He impacts the game defensively all the time."