Papelbon now is being asked to preserve wins for a very talented rotation led by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. The three of them are thrilled to have Papelbon on the team.
“I like pressure,’’ said Papelbon. “That’s what makes me tick, man. I’m excited. Pitching in this environment is one that I enjoy.’’
To move forward, he will, for a while, be asked to look back.
Great closers aren’t supposed to blow the biggest game of the year. But that’s what Papelbon did that fateful night of Sept. 28 in the bottom of the ninth at Baltimore.
Holding a 3-2 lead, Papelbon struck out Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds. But Chris Davis doubled, and Papelbon went 2-and-2 on Nolan Reimold - one strike away - before Reimold doubled to right to tie the game. On a 1-and-1 pitch to Robert Andino, the second baseman singled to left to score the winning run.
Moments later in St. Petersburg, Fla., Evan Longoria stroked a game-winning homer at Tropicana Field, putting the Rays in the playoffs and ending Boston’s season.
Asked whether he thinks about that pitch to Andino, Papelbon said sarcastically, “Every day, all day.
“I don’t think about it at all, man. When I was a rookie and I made my first All-Star Game, I had a chance to talk to Mo [Mariano Rivera] and I asked him, ‘What’s the first thing I need to do to make me successful in this game?’ And the first thing he said was, ‘Short-term memory.’
“You have to be able to learn from that situation, but I don’t go out there and think about it all spring. You go over things but you have to be able to turn the page.’’
The Sox’ month-long collapse brought out negative revelations that indicated a lack of commitment by the players.
Papelbon was never part of that problem.
“Everybody has had their own opinion about what went on there,’’ said Papelbon. “Nobody truly knows what was going on. Just because a team struggles or somebody struggles doesn’t mean they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
