BOSTON -- Clayton Mortensen knows he got away with one.
With a 1-0 count on Prince Fielder, and bases loaded in the top of the third, Mortensen grooved an 89-mph fastball over the plate that the Tigers' first baseman ripped down the right-field line, headed towards the seats.
Luckily, for Mortensen and the Red Sox, Fielder's bomb tailed off to the right of Pesky's Pole, and was nothing more than a long strike. Three pitches later, Fielder flied out to center field, and Mortensen got out of an unexpected jam.
Unexpected, because the call to the mound at Fenway Park on Tuesday night was unexpected. Not just with bases loaded and two outs in the third inning, but also before he even got the call-up to Boston on Tuesday afternoon.
"I just got a phone call today -- we were in Rochester -- right before I went to the field," recalled Mortensen after the game Tuesday night. "They said, 'Hey, you're going to go up, in case they make a move or something.' And I was like, 'OK.'
"Right as I got in to Boston, they just told me I was activated and to come to the field. So, just go about your business and get ready to go."
Mortensen got to Fenway a little after 5 p.m., replacing reliever Matt Albers, who was traded just before the 4 p.m. deadline.
Boston Red Sox
Hours after arriving, Mortensen was unexpectedly called into the game, after Josh Beckett walked in a run with bases loaded to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the third. Beckett called the trainer out to the mound after he walked in the run, and then left the game with back spasms.
"It was kind of unexpected, I guess," said Mortensen. "But, I mean, being a reliever, you've got to be ready at any given point in time.
"It wasn't like the most ideal situation I wanted to come into a game. But, I mean, I'll take it man."
"You know, you bring in a guy from the minor leagues, and he gets an immediate call to the mound," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine after the game. "Fielder just misses a home run, as soon as he gets there. But he gets out of that jam, and was sparkling. He was great."
Mortensen allowed one hit and walked three in 2 23 innings, but he didn't allow a run. Thanks to a four-run fourth inning from his offense, Mortensen walked away from the rain-shortened game with the win.
"It's awesome, man," said Mortensen. "I mean, I'll take it. I'm pretty stoked that we got a win out of this. Not just me, but our team got a win. It's big. We're trying to keep this rolling right now."
As Mortensen was replaced by Franklin Morales in the top of the sixth inning, he received a standing ovation from the fans -- the complete opposite treatment given to Beckett.
"I almost couldn't help smile, I'm not going to lie," said Mortensen. "I had to keep my head down for a minute, because it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. That was pretty cool."
Now, with the Red Sox most likely having their newest acquisition -- left-handed reliever Craig Breslow -- Mortensen's stay in Boston could be a short one.
But on Tuesday night, he embraced the moment.
"I completely understand my role, and I embrace it," he said. "I'm glad that I'm that guy that they like to call up and they can count on. So, I mean, if I were to go down tomorrow, then so be it. Go down and keep working, then the next time they call on me to come back up, I'll try to do the same thing again. It's no big deal to me. I've been in this situation before. It is what it is, and you just roll with the punches."