"That's getting into a whole new realm of things that I don't want to be a part of," said Papelbon, the beneficiary of uncommon good fortune in yesterday's 6-3, 12-inning win over the Mariners when he escaped a first-and-third, one-out situation in the 11th that started with a slow roller that acted possessed when Papelbon attempted to field it.
"That ball was spinning like [heck]," Papelbon said of Jose Vidro's tapper down the first base line that dropped Papelbon to his knees after he was unable to pick it up twice. "The same exact thing happened the last time we were here."
The play, as bizarre in its own way as Manny Ramírez winding up sitting on a ball in left field in Anaheim a few nights ago, left Papelbon with about as much chance of claiming a Gold Glove one day as Ramírez.
"You know, he and [Josh] Beckett think that they should get a Gold Glove, but they stink," said Mike Lowell, who ultimately won this 4-hour-1-minute exercise with a two-run single after Willie Bloomquist, who started the game at shortstop, dropped a one-out liner to center by Kevin Youkilis in the 12th. "Paps whiffed at that ball twice. First, it would have gone foul. Then I don't know if he kicked it, spit on it, kneed it, or whatever. That one, I want to see a replay. I don't think he'll ever talk about a Gold Glove again."
It was hardly a laughing matter when, after striking out Adrian Beltre, Papelbon gave up a line single to Yuniesky Betancourt with Vidro on the move, leaving the Mariners with runners on the corners and one out and prompting a rare visit to the mound by manager Terry Francona to discuss strategy.
The next batter, Kenji Johjima, hit a one-hop smash to Lowell, who started an around-the-horn double play, much to the delight of a fist-pumping Papelbon.
"Perfect," Lowell said. "Johjima and Betancourt always seem to do well against us, no matter whether they've been struggling. We could not have scripted it better."
