Projo Sox Blog

BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - When Dan Wheeler's fastball to Jason Bay sailed high and wide over catcher Dioneer Navarro's glove, the Tampa Bay Rays' reliever felt like the smallest person inside Tropicana Field.

Wheeler's wild pitch allowed Dustin Pedroia to speed home with a run that tied the game in the eighth inning, 8-8. But Wheeler didn't flinch. In fact, he shook off the mistake like all good relief pitchers need to and went on to mow down the Red Sox over the next 3 1/3 innings. His ability to string up zeros helped the Rays gather themselves and they went on to push across the winning run in the 11th inning and grab a 9-8 victory in Game Two of the ALCS.

"I was obviously disappointed in myself to get a wild pitch and let that tying run score, but you can't dwell on that kind of stuff," said the Warwick native. "You have to continue to grind it out and fortunately I was able to do that for the team.''

Wheeler entered Game Two in the top of eighth inning with runners on first and second and no one out and the Rays clinging to an 8-7 lead. He seemed poised to escape the jam when he induced Kevin Youkilis to ground into a double play, but the wild pitch tied the score. Still, Wheeler regrouped and submitted his longest outing since August of 2004. It was the longest postseason outing of his career.

"This was an amazing game," he said. "It was a dog fight. We knew coming into this series what it was going to be like facing these guys. It's been like that all season so I'm just real excited for our guys to continue to battle like we have all year and pull this one out. We really needed this one.''

As Wheeler entered the game, he inherited Pedroia on second base and David Ortiz at first. Wheeler's first pitch was a strike to Youkilis. His second was struck to shortstop and turned into a key 6-4-3 double play.

That brought up Bay. Wheeler fell into a 2-and-0 hole and then uncorked a high fastball that clipped Navarro's glove and flew all the way to the backstop. The wild pitch allowed Pedroia to scoot home and tie the game, 8-8.

"I just kind of got underneath it and tried to do too much with it," Wheeler said of the errant pitch. "I think we're all guilty of that at times. It just happened to be the worst possible time for me."

Wheeler escaped further damage in the eighth and remained in the game for the ninth inning. After retiring pinch-hitter J.D. Drew and striking out Mark Kotsay, Wheeler watched Coco Crisp drive a pitch over B.J. Upton's head that took one hop over the fence for a ground rule double. That brought up Jacoby Ellsbury. Wheeler worked the Sox' leadoff man into a 2-and-2 count and then threw an 89-mile an hour fast ball past a swinging Ellsbury for a huge third out.

Once the Rays couldn't score in the last of the ninth, Wheeler was asked if he could come out and pitch the 10th inning.

"I told them, `Whatever you guys need. Whatever.' I was tired but I felt I could still go out there and make some pitches,'' he said.

Wheeler retired the heart of the Sox' lineup in order in the 10th, striking out Pedroia and getting Ortiz and Youkilis to fly out to center. With the Rays' bullpen stretched to its limit, Wheeler also started the 11th inning. He struck out Bay for one out but when he walked Jed Lowrie, that was it. The Rays finally pulled Wheeler so rookie lefty David Price could match up with Drew.

The game lasted 5:27 but that's not the longest postseason game ever. That `honor' goes to a Houston-Atlanta NLDS game in 2005 that took 5:50. Wheeler pitched in that game, too. He threw three innings for the Astros and held the Braves scoreless.

"It's unbelievable. It's kind of the same thing," he said. "I was pitching in an extra-inning game with everything on the line. That one clinched a division series but for us to pull this victory out was huge.''

Wheeler threw 48 pitches but he says he'll be fine if the Rays need him to pitch again in Game Three Monday afternoon at Fenway Park.

"We have an off-day [Sunday]. I'm a little tired now but I'll be ready,'' he said.

 Tags  Dan Wheeler Rays

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