One week before in Seattle, Nick Green stood in front of his locker, his voice shaky, and explained how he had thrown away a potential victory. The Red Sox lost to the Mariners that day after Green's errant throw placed the winning run on second base. The next day, manager Terry Francona spoke with Green.
"You didn't want to throw it away, I didn't want you to throw it away," Francona told him. "Now move on. That's the best way to play."
Baseball often presents opportunities for redemption, and Green seized his yesterday in a 12-5, sweep-preventing victory over the New York Mets. Green stood at his locker, his usual smile returned, and explained how, while making his second consecutive start, he delivered a two-RBI single in the fifth inning that broke the dam on offense.
The Sox finished their homestand with a winning record and boarded their charter to Minnesota for the first leg of a 10-game trip alone in first place for the first time this season. More urgently, their starting shortstop directly contributed to a victory rather than helping create a defeat.
"It's big," Green said. "I had forgot about Seattle. It's good to be able to contribute to a win and do good things for your team."
The Sox scored six runs in the two innings after Green's hit, and a loaded box score made him easy to overlook. There was good: Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to a career-best 19 games with a second-inning double; J.D. Drew went 4 for 5; Mike Lowell went 3 for 5 with three RBIs; Kevin Youkilis smashed a game-icing three-run homer.
There was bad: David Ortiz went 0 for 5, dropping his average to .195; staff savior Tim Wakefield earned his sixth win despite allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings.
There was weird: A near-biblical hail storm in the first inning delayed the game for 36 minutes; Mets reliever Ken Takahashi reared back in the sixth and dropped the ball on the back of the mound before hurling a handful of air; Youkilis had a potential home run called foul on the second replay call ruled against the Sox in two days.
"We saw a lot of things today," Francona said, "that you haven't seen in a while."
Narrow your focus, though, and one moment in the fifth inning, more than any other, decided the game: Runners stood on second and third. There were two outs. The Sox trailed, 5-4. Mets manager Jerry Manuel called for a reliever. Green stood in the on-deck circle.
Green's place in the lineup requires explanation, because little is cut and dry regarding the Sox' shortstop position at the moment. Friday night, Julio Lugo made a flat-footed relay throw that ruined a potential double play, and afterward Francona and other Sox offered that the turn should have been completed.
