THE TEAM 990 SHOW HOST BLOGS

Tuesday night's Red Sox 19-17 win over the Texas Rangers yielded more than just a tie for the most runs in an American League ball game; it was the beginning of a new chapter in Beantown.

It was the bottom of the eigth inning. There were two outs. Boston had just tied the game with a Pedroia double after they had blown a 10-0 lead. the mood was very tense in Fenway that night. David Ortiz was the batter and Texas manager Ron Washington wanted no part of Big Papi, who had homered twice on the night and nearly a third time in the fifth inning. They elected to pitch to Kevin Youkilis, who had been inserted into the cleanup spot.

While Youkilis has been a good hitter for a few years now, his power stroke had come alive of late. In the quest to fill the all-important void that Manny Ramirez left when he skipped town, the Red Sox have turned to their most intense and follicly-challenged player on the roster.

Youkilis has always been known as somewhat of a clutch hitter. He is very strong with two strikes in the count and has become a leader on this club. So, when he stepped in after a walk to Papi, he relished the situation. And he delivered. A three-run home run sealed the fate of the Rangers that night, but it also officially signalled the beginning of the Youkilis era as the cleanup hitter. It was Youk's second home run of the game and the fourth time he had homered twice in a ball game this season. This is a very dangerous Kevin Youkilis behind David Ortiz.

When Boston traded for Jason Bay, the Red Sox brass were quick to say he was not the man to replace Manny Ramirez, that he was to simply be Jason Bay. While Bay has delivered as advertised, he has been shuffled from fifth to sixth in the order since his arrival. Boston has used Mike Lowell and even Sean Casey in the fourth spot in the batting order. But with that single swing on Tuesday night, Youkilis cemented where he will be hitting for a long, long time.

And what did he do for an encore? Wednesday night saw Youkilis deliver two key doubles in an 8-4 win over Texas, including one after Big Papi was walked intentionally yet again. The stage is now set for the Red Sox to challenge the Angels and Twins for American League supremacy - and Kevin Youkilis will no doubt be front and centre.

Gamepoints@team990.com

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