!

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1, 2014                                                                                           PAGE C1

SLUGGER CAPS OFF MVP SEASON

OLIVER'S NINTH-INNING GRANNY BOOSTS SOX

BOSTON - AGAIN: !

WHAT ELSE IS TO BE SAID AFTER THE RED SOX CAPPED A 3-RUN NINTH-INNING COMEBACK OFF TORONTO CLOSER TYRONE WRAY WHEN LIKELY MVP DARIUS OLIVER RIPPED A GRAND SLAM TO GIVE BOSTON AN 8-5 WIN.

"HEY, IT WAS GREAT TO WIN IT THAT WAY," SAID OLIVER, WHO HIT HIS 36TH HOMER (SECOND IN THE AL) AND ADDED TO HIS LEAGUE-TYING RBI COUNT WITH 128 ON THE BLAST. "BUT WITHOUT (EVERTH) CABRERA, (KENETH) SAMPLE AND CARLOS (BELTRAN) GETTING THEIR BIG HITS, I'M NOT IN THAT POSITION."

WITH TORONTO CLING TO A 5-4 LEAD AFTER CABRERA, SAMPLE AND BELTRAN COMBINED TO GET ON BASE AND SCORE OR DRIVE IN TWO RUNS, TORONTO HAD ITS PICK OF POISON WITH RUNNERS ON SECOND AND THIRD AND ONE OUT.

TORONTO MANAGER DUECE CALLEY DECIDED TO TO WALK CAMERON BROWER (.328, 34, 113) TO PITCH TO OLIVER.

"WHAT CAN I SAY?" CALLEY PONDERED POSTGAME. "BROWER WON THIS YEAR'S ALL-STAR GAME WITH A HUGE HIT AND OLIVER IS PROBABLY THE LEAGUE MVP. I'D DO IT AGAIN."

BOSTON (79-57) ADVANCED TO A TWO-GAME LEAD OVER TAMPA AND THREE GAMES OVER THE YANKEES AS SEPTEMBER OPENS AND THE RED SOX WILL FILL UP THEIR DUGOUT WITH CALL-UPS.

"I REALLY LIKE THE POSITION WE'RE IN," SAID GM LEE GANNON. "WE'VE GOT A LOT OF HELP ON THE WAY, SO WE HOPEFULLY DON'T HAVE TO OVERUSE OUR STARTING PITCHERS JUST TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS."

BOSTON, COMING OFF A THREE-GAME SWEEP OF THE YANKEES, PLAY THE RUBBER MATCH AT 1:05 P.M. TODAY AGAINST TORONTO, BEFORE A TRIO OF SHOWDOWN GAMES AT TAMPA.