BOSTON – Hideki Okajima remains magnificent in the postseason.
The Red Sox’s rookie left-handed reliever from Japan tossed 21/3 hitless and scoreless innings in Boston’s 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the World Series last night. In his six playoff appearances, he has allowed no earned runs in 92/3 innings, giving up five hits with nine strikouts.
“Last year I pitched in the Japanese World Series and I have some experience in a big stage like this, so I was confident out there,” Okajima said last night. “I felt real good out there.”
Okajima struck out four batters, including his final three hitters – Ryan Spilborghs, Willy Taveras and Kazuo Matsui.
“Okajima was perfect, just absolutely perfect, every single pitch,” Curt Schilling said. “And that’s a hell of a lineup to go through.”
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Mike Lowell said he thinks the 2007 Red Sox lineup is better than the 2003 World Series champion Marlins.
Lowell, the former Marlin and Boston’s third baseman, said yesterday before Game 2 that Boston’s offense is tougher, thanks to David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
“This lineup is much more formidable than the ’03 Marlins in the sense that with the two guys in the middle, you have two guys other teams are absolutely scared that they can hit the ball out of the park,” Lowell said. “So I think there’s a big difference, but there’s some similarities where the key is to have professional consecutive at-bats, and I thought we had that in ’03.”
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Thirty-nine of the 50 teams that have been up 2-0 in the World Series have won it, with the last team to lose it the 1996 Braves.
The Yankees won that series in six games.