Wednesday, April 10, 2013

'Hammer' Becomes 'Anvil': Hanrahan 'Sells Out'

Jim Rogash/Getty Images
Tonight's horrific 'end-of-the-sellout-streak' loss was eerily similar to the final game of 2009. Different closer, same result. Two-run lead in the 9th. Bases empty, two outs. Loss. This time the culprit was not Jonathan Papelbon, but the guy with the new walk-on music—'The Hammer' Joel Hanrahan. He was more like the anvil tonight. Hanrahan promptly gave up a home run to Chris Davis to cut the deficit to one. He then loaded the bases, uncorked a wild pitch to tie the contest and finally gave up a three-run homer to cement the loss. Game. Set. Lighted match. Sox lose, 8-5. Wiped out were home runs by Daniel Nava and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, as well as the Fenway debut of Jackie Bradley, Jr., and fine bullpen work by Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa and Andrew Bailey. Wicked bad loss.