ROMERO ROLLS

WORLD SERIES GAME TWO: New England, down a game after their ace, Roy Halladay, got knocked around, received a major boost from lefty Ricky Romero.

Romero, coming off a 15-9, 3.09 regular season, was in control from the start. He allowed a runner in each of the first two innings: Allen Craig was erased in a double play after walking in the first, and Paul Konerko froze on second base following a second inning double.

Chris Carpenter, the starter for host Pottsylvania, had two good innings before having a rough time until his night ended. Carpenter, who only pitched four games for the Creepers toward the end of the year (1-1, 3.42) following a lingering injury, walked two batters with two out in the first but escaped the jam. He had a perfect second inning, but the Yankee Stompers were ready for the third frame. Yonder Alonso and Michael Bourn singled in succession to lead off, and Andre Ethier went the opposite way for a double to bring home Alonso, but Bourn was held at third.

None out and runners on second and third, and the hitter…MIGUEL CABRERA. Cabrera was struggling in the postseason, but many would argue that issuing an intentional walk is a no-brainer to a hitter that good. And that’s just what Will Clark instructed. Carpenter issued four wide ones to load the bases and leave the job of expanding New England’s lead to Carlos Beltran.

It didn’t work. Beltran struck out. Corey Hart was next, and he met the same fate. So with two away, Dustin Pedroia took a shot—groundout to second. Three opportunities with three good hitters to at least extend New England’s advantage, if not blow the game wide open, and they couldn’t do it.

The consternation within Yankee Stomper management only lasted an inning. Romero set the Creepers down in order in the bottom of the third to get his team back to the plate, where the bottom of the order came through. With Miguel Cabrera on first after a leadoff single, J.J. Hardy got hold of a flat Carpenter slider and jacked it out to left field for a 3-0 lead!

Carpenter finally fell apart in the fifth. A Pedroia single with two on and none out plated Beltran, at which point Clark went to Carlos Marmol. The “Gas Can” allowed Montero to reach on a fielder’s choice (the play at the plate was late and Hart scored), but he induced a groundout and threw wicked sliders to strike out the next two and end the inning.

Romero, meanwhile, was cruising. Aramis Ramirez doubled in the bottom of the fifth but was stranded. Three-up, three-down was the story of both the sixth and seventh. Pottsylvania had a single in the eighth and one to lead off the ninth, but they never got anything going after those two base hits. Finally, Romero ended the Creepers’ flailing by getting under Matt Kemp’s hands for a can of corn to center.

FINAL: NEW ENGLAND 5, POTTSYLVANIA 0

A complete-game shutout, four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts on 120 pitches was the story of Romero’s night as his New England squad tied the Series. The Yankee Stompers now held the momentum going back to Boston for Game Three. In addition, they had another left-handed starter scheduled for the next contest. On the other hand, so did Pottsylvania: C.C. Sabathia.