Okajima not only served as the bridge between starting pitcher Curt Schilling, a winner for the 11th time in his postseason career, and closer Jonathan Papelbon (first World Series save), he also laid what may be an unshakeable foundation for what could be Boston's second World Series title in four seasons.
Fifty teams have taken a two-games-to-none lead in the World Series. Thirty-nine have gone on to win the championship, including each of the last six seasons, including and the Sox in '04.
The Sox won their sixth straight Series game and fifth straight of this postseason with one never-before seen wrinkle. Papelbon, who had not picked off a runner since he broke into the big leagues in 2006, nabbed Matt Holliday straying off first base to close out the eighth inning. Holliday, who had nearly taken out both Papelbon and second baseman Dustin Pedroia with a line single up the middle that appeared to glance off Papelbon's leg and caused Pedroia to writhe in pain after he landed heavily on the left shoulder he'd dislocated once this postseason, was on board with his fourth hit of the night.
At the plate was Todd Helton, the signature player in Rockies franchise history. But he never saw a pitch, as Papelbon whirled and picked off Holliday.
The Sox, who had raked 17 hits, nine for extra bases, in routing the Rockies in Game 1, managed just six hits last night. But their lone extra-base hit, a double by Mike Lowell, broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth and scored David Ortiz with the run that stood up as the difference.
Sox manager Terry Francona bristles when some ignorant soul calls him "Tony." But that slip of the tongue pales in comparison to the faux pas on a transcript from a media session this week with Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, in which the intent speed typist recording the Q and A somehow heard "Wally Madison" when the question was about "Ubaldo Jimenez."
