When the regular season concludes in early October and the Red Sox either enter the postseason or pack up and go home, Aug. 3 may be looked upon as a watershed.
Either the day's news that Kevin Youkilis is out with a thumb injury that could require season-ending surgery will sink the ship … or the galvanizing 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians that came in the wake of such news will serve as a catalyst for a stretch run to remember.
Of course, it could be somewhere in between, but there has not been a more up-and-down day for the club all year. The fact that it ended on a high note may be all that matters.
Youkilis's absence opened the door for the return of Mike Lowell, who homered on the first pitch he has seen since June 22 while 37,714 gave him a standing ovation. Lowell called it "one of the more special moments of my career."
Meanwhile, Josh Beckett had his best start since returning from the disabled list last month, throwing eight innings for the first time this year and providing further proof that he is completely recovered from a lower back strain.
Finally, in an incident that may do just as much to pull the Red Sox together as any result on the scoreboard, the club went toe-to-toe with the Indians in a lengthy bench-clearing incident in the bottom of the eighth inning. Beckett, manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell were among those with smoke coming out of their ears.
Put it all together and you had quite an emotional ride.
"There was a lot of excitement," Francona said.
Lowell's blast gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the second. Like balm on a burn, it also served to erase the sting of the Youkilis news that had cast a bit of a pall over a club that simply cannot get everyone healthy at the same time. The symbolism of the home run was not lost on anyone who has seen Lowell left in limbo for nearly a week while the organization decided what to do with him.
"Probably only in Boston," Francona said. "He brought the house down. I guess it's safe to say that was an immediate impact. Good for him."
It was all Beckett would need and was enough to put a smile on his face after the game, despite being ejected moments earlier for losing his cool in the near-brawl.
"When you see a teammate, or in this case one of my best friends I've ever made in baseball, go through a season like this, especially with things that could be, he's handled it great. Obviously, that was a great moment," Beckett said of Lowell.
Beckett hit two Indians batters early in the game. Cleveland retaliated twice, throwing one pitch behind David Ortiz and another at Adrian Beltre. It was the second attempt to even the score that emptied the benches.
After Beckett was restrained in the first little go-around, Francona and Farrell caused a second stir when they went after Indians third base coach Steve Smith. If you looked closely, you could see the skipper burning off a little steam, the kind that can develop when star player after star player goes down with injury.
"I just got a little aggravated," he said. "[I'll] cut back on the Red Bull a little bit tomorrow."
Francona may not need such energy when Wednesday rolls around. Speedster Jacoby Ellsbury will finally be activated from the disabled list, a move that gives Boston an instant jolt and may bolster the lineup just enough to help counter the loss of Youkilis.
Then again, the win over the Indians may have done just that.
