Tex Calls For Help and V-Mart Obliges

My buddies over at Surviving Grady today have a post about last night's thrilling Red Sox comeback in the ninth, and features Tex (aka Donna), seen in the above photo calling on help from above as Victor Martinez was at the plate in the ninth. (Hey, the Vikings won in Indy, too!) Tex is a frequent visitor to this site, and one of the Red Sox most devoted fans in the Lone Star State. (And she's wearing a cool Surviving Grady/Youk t-shirt, too!)

Unfortunately, I had the Texas Rangers feed on the MLB package, so I did not see this scene. But as we all know, Martinez came through with one of the biggest hits of 2009 for the Red Sox, as Frank Francisco got a big time ass hammering, and the Red Sox won, 8-4.

I spent a good part of last night at the Brooklyn Cyclones game in Coney Island (they won) and got home in time to watch Texas take a 4-2 lead in the seventh. Every time I checked my cell phone at the game, the news wasn't good.

Jon Lester allowed a two-run home run to Michael Young in the first, and it stayed 2-0 until the sixth. As I was getting on the subway at Stillwell Avenue and heading home, David Ortiz belted a two-run dinger to make it 2-2.

But it looked like it would be Texas' night, as they added a runs in the sixth and seventh. But the Sox staged an incredible rally in the ninth. David Ortiz and Jason Varitek both reached to get it going, and Jacoby Ellsbury singled in Papi. Clay Buchholz went in to run for Tek. But Dustin Pedroia's drive off the wall in left looked like it would tie the game, but Buchholz got caught in-between second and third and hseittated, and got thrown out at home for the second out.

As Terry Francona was about to be roasted in the papers the next day for putting a pitcher in to run, Victor Martinez saved his bacon, doubling in two runs. Jason Bay singled him in and J.D. Drew slammed a two-run shot to right to make it 8-4. Jonathan Papelbon came on in the bottom of the ninth to lock down the win and give the Sox a much-needed win to start the important six-game road trip.

A loss would have put Texas in the Wild Card lead, but now the Red Sox are up by 1 1/2 games. The Red Sox also acquired Alex Gonzalez, who played for them in 2006, in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for a minor leaguer, and designated Chris Woodward for assignment after the game ended.

Brad Penny takes the mound tonight in Arlington against Derek Holland.