Saved in ninth

In his 29th appearance of a stunning 2006 season, the peerless rookie came up with that statistical oddity that exists in baseball, the closest one comes to winning and losing in the same night. His name on the scoresheet looked like this: Papelbon (BS, 1), (W, 1-1). That would be a blown save and a win. He had neither blown a save nor recorded a win this year but notched both in the Red Sox' crisp, 2-hour-18-minute, 4-3 beating of the Texas Rangers before 36,133 at Fenway.

On the way to getting the ball to Papelbon, the Sox, as a team, and Tim Wakefield, in particular, had cruised for most of the evening. Wakefield, with the exception of Michael Young's two-run blast in the third inning, was a model of efficiency in one of his finer starts of the season, maneuvering through seven innings in 95 pitches. The four hits he allowed tied a season low and though he's just 1-1 in his last three starts, his ERA in those games is 2.05. His season ERA, despite his 4-7 record, is just 3.93.

He exited in position for the win, ahead, 3-2, after seven innings, with all of the game's runs coming on two swings: Young's two-run blast and Trot Nixon's three-run homer with two outs in the first. After Young's ball left the park, Wakefield set down 13 Rangers in a row until Brad Wilkerson's double to right with two outs in the seventh.

``Wakefield threw a great game, worked extremely fast, got us in and out of the dugout," Nixon said.

Wakefield was offered the chance to go back out for the eighth, but his back has felt stiff for about a week, and his pitch count was high enough that he didn't want to push it. So, manager Terry Francona, who might as well pull a name out of a hat these days when he needs relief help in the eighth, opted for Craig Hansen, who hadn't pitched in the majors since October and hadn't pitched anywhere since starting for Pawtucket a week ago yesterday. The 22-year-old gave up two ground-ball singles while recording two outs.

With runners on first and third, Francona called upon Papelbon, who jogged in with 20 saves in 20 chances. His reward was Hank Blalock, whom Francona later called ``maybe one of the best fastball hitters in the league." Papelbon knew as much, but ahead, 1 and 2, he went with Doug Mirabelli's preference.

``Dougie called the elevation fastball," Papelbon said. ``I was thinking split-finger there, but I thought maybe Doug had seen something I didn't see. So I went with Doug. I'm not saying Doug made the wrong call, because he didn't. But I definitely feel like it's a learning experience. Tonight I learned something and it didn't cost me a whole lot."

That's because he finished the inning, sat on the bench, and watched as his offense came together when it had to in the bottom of the eighth.

For most of the night, the Sox had opportunities but had accomplished little. In the first, Coco Crisp (three hits) led off with a single and advanced to second on Mark Loretta's single. They had remained in place as David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez made outs, but came around on Nixon's sixth homer of the year and third in nine games.

But that had been it for timely hitting. The Sox had one hit in each inning between the second and the seventh, but couldn't plate another run. Through seven innings, the Sox were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position against Texas starter Vicente Padilla, who allowed nine hits and fanned six.

However, Rangers reliever Francisco Cordero began the eighth by walking Ramírez, his 1,000th career base on balls. Nixon then singled to right for his fourth hit, tying a career high and advancing Ramírez to third. Nixon's hit improved him to 11 for 20 in his last six games with three doubles, a homer, five RBIs, five runs, and five walks. Monday in New York he reached base four times, scoring three runs.

``That was nice to see," Francona said of Nixon's production. ``Trot looked to me like he's trying to get hot, even in New York. That would really help us."

Mike Lowell made sure to get Ramírez in, immediately flying to right to score Ramírez for a 4-3 lead. And that gave Papelbon a surge of adrenaline.

``No doubt, no doubt," said the 25-year-old. ``Manny got it going, Trot got it going, the guys picked me up. That gave me a little extra incentive to go out there and pick us up again.

``I took the ninth inning as a save opportunity even though, technically, it wasn't. I knew coming into the ninth inning that it was going to have to be all or nothing."

Did it show? Well, he blew away Mark DeRosa, swinging, at 96 miles per hour. He fanned Brad Wilkerson with a diving splitter. Rod Barajas then singled, and pinch runner Jerry Hairston swiped second. Papelbon, though, reached back against No. 9 batter Ian Kinsler. By this time, the rain that was supposed to wash out the game was falling steadily. But Papelbon's grip, on the game and the ball, never wavered. He ran a fastball by Kinsler at 95 m.p.h. His 31st strikeout in 30 1/3 innings this season sealed the win.

``I really think Wakefield deserved that win," Papelbon said. ``I don't feel like I deserved that win. That says a lot about our ball club, the way we played tonight."