Sports Redux: Don't Mess With the Fist Pump

Friday night's adrenaline-filled Texas/Boston matchup confirmed for us two things that we've suspected: Jonathan Papelbon is human and man, we really don't want to ever tick him off.

While we can't post the photo directly, we can encourage you to take a look at an image of rage from Fenway Park last night. During the top of the ninth, as the Sox were clinging to a 2-1 lead, Papelbon had given up what first base umpire Mike Reilly ruled a hit to Ranger Kenny Lofton. It was a close play at first, with Papelbon tagging the base at nearly the same instant Lofton crossed it - Reilly went with the "if it's that close, give it to the runner" rule of play.

Paps flipped out - or, as the Globe puts it, he "exploded at Reilly, getting inches from the umpire's face before second baseman Dustin Pedroia and manager Terry Francona stepped in to separate them." Were we Mike Reilly, we would have had nightmares of Paps' contorted face last night. Not the young guy's best look.

Even after he cooled down, the pitcher was visibly shaken by the presence of Lofton, who went on to steal second (his fourth stolen base of the night) before Papelbon mowed down Michael Young to end the game, unleash the first pumps and set off a sigh of relief from Sox fans everywhere.

By securing the win, Papelbon completed a strong pitching showing from the Sox lineup. Tim Wakefield (6 2/3 innings,seven hits, four strikeouts, four walks, one run) was moving along nicely until he was replaced by Manny Delcarmen in the seventh inning with two on. A few moments later, Delcarmen found himself with the bases loaded and Sammy Sosa at the plate, but the young talent sent Sosa back to the dugout with a strikeout. The papers today are calling the strikeout a "defining moment" for Delcarmen - we optimistically agree.

Offense? Well, let's focus on the fact that they won and not demand too much. We're hoping that they hit it out of the infield tonight, when 11-1 Josh Beckett goes up against 5-7 Ranger arm Robinson Tejada

-- Newsflash: Celtics coach Doc Rivers doesn't know much about his team. We're simply glad that he's finally owning up to it.

Thanks to Dennis Carroll for letting us use his Papelbon mashup!