Still, it's hard to argue with a 9-0 homestand that ends with Curt Schilling earning his 202d career victory while David Ortiz hits his 200th career homer and Coco Crisp makes a catch worthy of the best of Yaz, Fred Lynn, or Jimmy Piersall.
As the late, great Ned Martin used to say . . . ``Mercy."
``You can tell this team feeds off the home crowd," said Mark Loretta (home run, two hits, one defensive gem), who toiled in mundane major league outposts in Milwaukee, Houston, and San Diego before coming to Hardball's Happiest Place On Earth. ``There isn't an atmosphere like this anywhere else in baseball. It gives us a distinct home-field advantage."
The Red Sox are 27-10 at Fenway, where they have sold out 263 consecutive games.
``Guys were upset losing three games in a row in Minnesota," recalled Kevin Youkilis (game-winning RBI, one defensive gem). ``We sort of got mad in Atlanta, but that's where we got our fans back. Then coming home was great. It was a long homestand and we got to enjoy the good times in Fenway Park."
No good time was better than the moment Crisp made his catch-for-the-ages, snagging a heat-seeking missile off the bat of David Wright in the eighth. Running to his right, Crisp dived and while fully extended gloved the ball, which appeared to have already screeched past his outstretched body.
Youkilis said Crisp's catch was ESPY worthy. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he'd never seen a better play under those circumstances. Schilling said it might have been the best catch he'd seen. And a wooden actor in a NESN promo said, (for the millionth time) ``Did you see the catch that Coco made?"
``It was one of the most exciting moments I've ever had on a baseball field," said Loretta. ``Everybody in the infield just raised their hands on instinct."
