The Philadelphia Story
Guest writer Shadow250397 recites the game from 9/1/03 vs the Phillies
Editor's Note: I was moving into my dorm this day so I was unable to watch most of the game. I caught the last three innings, so I may inject my Mel-ism into it....
Well, I don't get to see many games so it was a priveledge that day that I would get to see the game on ESPN2. The broadcasters went on and on about how the Red Sox had just left from Boston that morning and how they are probably tired and that would affect the outcome of the game.

The starters Jeff Suppan and Brett Myers both seemed to struggle out of the gate. This game would see many lead changes, and was as wild or more wild than the last Red Sox/Phillies game(note: June 21, 2003....F-U Thome!!) that ended with Rudy Seanez and Jim Thome. As Sox fans, of course, we were hoping for a better ending. The Phillies scored 2 in each of the first two innings, putting the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole into the top of the 3rd inning.
Trot Nixon was the hero of the game with a career high of 6 RBI's hit within the game and a single and a grand slam to his credit during this game
Special Thanks to SHADOW250397 for the Game Summary.
The offense wouldn't be phased by that, however, and they went out and scored 4 in the top of the 3rd inning tying the score. The Sox took the lead in the top of the 4th and the score was 5-4. Suppan couldn't hold it though as the game kept going back and forth and the Phillies got 2 in the bottom of the 4th to make it  Philadelphia. The next three innings were fairly quiet. Myers left after the 4th considering he had already thrown 101 pitches. He walked 7 in those first innings. Suppan was able to go two more scoreless innings and was yanked in the 6th inning.
Enter Scott Sauerbeck. Sauerbeck managed to load the bases on a hit and two walks without recording an out. Luckily, he was yanked in favor of Mike Timlin who got all 3 outs without having a runner cross the plate, which was nearly miraculous.

Silva, Plesac, Williams and former Red Sox player Cormier all held the Sox scoreless until the top of the 8th inning. Cormier re-entered the game in the top of the 8th. He let the Sox get 2 runs off of him. Ortiz delivered a two-run double to the centerfield wall to give the Red Sox a 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the 8th inning.

Timlin came back in the bottom of the 8th inning and didn't fare as well as he did in the 7th. Ricky Ledee had hit a pinch-hit homerun the Timlin walked two batters(a rarity for him) and hit another. It was obvious that he had no control. Grady called for Embree. The bases were loaded. Unfortunately, Embree gave up a 2-run single to Jim Thome, and it looked like the Phillies had the final blow and lead the game 9-7
Nixon is greeted by DLowe and Johnny
Take me back to the Promised Land
Well, in Philadelphia, they have a man named Jose Mesa. They should know that no lead is safe. Doug Mirabelli, who came in the game as part of as part of a double-switch in the 8th, led off the 9th with a walk. After a lineout by Johnny Damon, Damian Jackson, who came in as a pinch runner in the eighth, singled to right-center. Nomar Garciaparra then drew an intentional walk. Lou Merloni-- inserted as a pinch runner the last inning-- nubbed a grounder to Philadelphia third baseman Tomas Perez. Tomas Perez had no play on the ball. Doug Mirabelli scored from third and Merloni was on first.

Kevin Millar followed with a walk that tied the score up at 9 a piece. That also ended the day for Mesa. It was time for Trot Nixon to come to bat. Nixon had been hit (what looked to be very hard), in the hand in his last at-bat. Nixon grabbed his hand and writhed in pain as he made his way to first base after the HBP in the 8th. I was glad he was OK. It would turn out he was more than OK. Turk Wendell entered the game. Nixon KILLED Turk's pitch way out into right field for a long GRAND SLAM!!!!!

"It was a slider out over the plate and I was able to put the bat on the ball" Nixon said modestly of the game winning dinger to a local newspaper. Nixon and manager Grady Little that made the Grand Slam possible. And the contributions to the big inning came from just about everybody on the roster "The at-bats in front of me" Nixon said "those guys dictated the entire inning"

"We had great at-bats in the ninth inning that led up to Trot hitting the grand slam" Little added "It seemed OK to finish out the game" Little said of Nixon's hand "but we'll have to check it tommorrow"

The grand slam, coupled with an RBI single in the 3rd and the 4th, gave Nixon a career-high six RBIs in the game. And so, the game ended after a long 4 hours and 4 minutes. It was a great game. I was so happy to  see such a great game and such a great ending since I rarely get to see any games.