call it clutch

It came in a losing cause, but Bill Hall’s performance against Mariano Rivera on Sunday night is worth a round of applause. At Yankee Stadium on ESPN and in the ninth inning, the Nettleton native singled to knock in the tying run, stole two bases and then scored the go-ahead run as Boston went up on New York 3-2. Jonathan Papelbon, the former Mississippi State ace, came on for the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth and blew his eighth save, an American League worst. New York won it in the 10th, essentially quashing Boston’s slim playoff hopes. Hall has started at six different positions for Boston. Maybe he should try closing.
P.S. Not to be overlooked is Mitch Moreland’s two-homer, five-RBI game for Texas. With seven homers in less than two months in The Show, the ex-MSU standout has virtually assured himself of a postseason roster spot with the Rangers.