Chicago – Two pitches.
That’s all it took for the Boston Red Sox to lose their swagger and tiptoe back to the edge of despair.
In less time than it takes to devour a bowl of clam chowder, the Red Sox went from even to emergency, falling 5-4 Wednesday night to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Separate, yet distinct scenes explained the desperation, the frustration of facing three consecutive elimination games in the American League division series. Standing against a brick wall in the bowels of the stadium, cameras shining in his face, starter David Wells spoke of “wanting to kill” manager Terry Francona for removing him in the seventh inning.
Tucked inside the clubhouse a few feet away, second baseman Tony Graffanino talked openly about his error, saying, “I screwed up. It was my fault.”
For a franchise that has a bad history with missed groundballs, Wells and Graffanino will forever be linked by two painful pitches in the fifth inning.
Graffanino whiffed on a potential double-play dribbler from White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe and Wells delivered a sloppy curveball that White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi deposited for a three-run home run. Now the Red Sox need a brink job to save their season.
“Of course I thought we would (get a double play). It was a scribbler hit right to (Graffanino),” Wells said. “But you have to regroup. Then I give up the home run. End of story.”
This was a most unlikely ending given the beginning. Wells was embracing the spotlight like a long lost love, harnessing a Chicago offense that struck for five home runs in the opener. Manny Ramirez found his swing, driving an impossible pitch to left, scoring two runs. Jason Varitek delivered an RBI single, peppering White Sox shaky starter Mark Buehrle.
“It wasn’t like we came out flat,” White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “They just came out swinging.”
Those bats, so feared, so capable of ripping the game open by the seams vanished, were rendered useless by six-out closer Bobby Jenks.
That left the outcome, as with most October nights, hanging on pitching and defense. Neither has been a particular strong suit for the Red Sox in their title defense. But Wells isn’t prone to hiccups, his body and his experience in complete contrast to wide-eyed and sweaty-palmed Game 1 loser Matt Clement.
“I felt like I was in control,” Wells said.
Wells doesn’t walk people, so any rally will be earned. Graffanino, however, put Wells in a slump he was never in. With Joe Crede on first, Chicago having already shaved the deficit to 4-2, Wells threw a curveball to Uribe. He hit it as if using a pool stick, cueing it toward second base.
Needing to hustle to execute a dousing double play, Graffanino charged and the ball scooted through his legs.
“As soon as it happened, I told Boomer, ‘Please pick me up,”‘ Graffanino said.
Iguchi, whom White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has called his team’s most valuable player, is a decent hitter, though not known for his power. He hit 15 home runs during the regular season. None was as big as the ball he launched into the left-field bleachers off Wells, a smash he said, “that makes me very happy.”
Graffanino looked as if he had lost a puppy as Iguchi rounded the bases. He ran his hand through his hair three times, rubbed his forehead. Nothing could soothe the nightmare that descended on the veteran, on the world champions.
“It crushed me,” Graffanino said. “Everybody who plays this game messes up, and today it was me. It’s not over yet, though. And we aren’t going to quit.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
