Mike Lowell's dramatic homer in his return from the disabled list squares off against the pitching gem of Jon Lester, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon in the Best 2010 Red Sox Game That Aired on NESN competition.
As the trade deadline approached, fan favorite Mike Lowell waited to see if he would be sent packing by the Red Sox. After the deadline came and went, he was still rumored to be a candidate for a waiver-wire move, all the while remaining on the disabled list despite being ready to play for several days. The days and weeks of uncertainty made Lowell’s return to the lineup against Cleveland on Aug. 3 a much-anticipated event for fans who wanted to show how much they appreciated still having him in a Red Sox uniform. Perhaps fueled by the standing ovation, Lowell deposited the first pitch over the Green Monster. The two-run homer electrified the crowd and proved to be the decisive blow in a 3-1 victory over the Indians. Lowell, who soon after announced that 2010 would be his last season, hit 223 home runs in his career. This second-inning shot against Cleveland is one he, and every Red Sox fan, will remember for a long time.
Mere hours after Josh Beckett lost in Yankee Stadium and the Red Sox fell to seven games back of their division rivals, Jon Lester picked up the slack in a matinee finale in the Bronx on Aug. 9. The left-handed ace pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings but left with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. Enter Daniel Bard. The hard-throwing reliever needed just six pitches to overpower Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher, who both were victims of swinging strikeouts. Closer Jonathan Papelbon recorded a four-out save, finishing in style by striking out the side in the ninth. With the tying run on second and Mark Teixeira at the plate as the winning run, Papelbon got him to chase a slider away to seal the 2-1 victory.
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