Streaks and Freaks--Peter

That's streaks as in the Sox' latest, which started against the Rays in Fenway yesterday (or, if you want to stretch a point, is now five of six and began in Baltimore over the weekend); and freaks, as in some of the idiots on Fox Sports blog, as well as the Rays manager, who don't seem to understand that this isn't Little League--it's MLB with all the intensity of the moment. Everyone's upset because Coco slid late into second in the 8th and took out the Rays 2d sacker, Iwamura in the process, though Coco was tagged out.

I guess they'd have crucified should-be Hall of Famer Pete Rose for his famous home plate slide and crash into the catcher to score in the All Star game, and would have also screamed to high heaven over God only knows how many slides into defending infielders Hall of Famer Ty Cobb made. It's the game! Get over it! For those who say Coco (or any of the others I mentioned) was 'trying to deliberately hurt' Iwamura, I respond, "Go home and cry on Mommy's shoulder and then have some milk and cookies so you feel better." You're obviously too young to understand the game at an adult level.

What makes these cry-babies seem even more infantile was the fact that the Sox were well on their way to a win at the time--one that would restore them to first place in the division.

Overall, another good team effort, in the same vein as last night's. Tonight, the Sox got 11 hits, with only one, a double from Drew, for extra bases. But, tying these together with stolen bases by JD & Coco, and adding in some damn good pitching, the entire team contributed. Officially, every starter except Dusty and Lugo hit safely. Actually, as replays showed, Dusty also got a hit, a ground rule double down the right field line in their half of the first that was barely fair when it settled in the seats. The first base umpire blew the call, declaring it foul. So much for that hit. Had it counted, the Sox would have taken over the game that much earlier.

On the other side of the ball, Sox pitching wasn't perfect, but it was better than OK. In six innings, JB gave up a single run, struck out five and, once again, didn't walk a batter. That's his eighth time in his last eleven starts that he's walked one or fewer batters. That's not too shabby! Shades of Pedro!

The reason he came out after only 92 pitches is that he'd slipped badly as he planted his foot on the mound, wet from an ongoing drizzle, on a pitch in the sixth. Although he stayed in to finish out the inning and showed no ill effects, Tito and the Sox medical brain trust decided wisdom was, in this case, the better part of valor. With so many other Sox pitchers serving a variety of sentences on the DL, I can't say I disagree. Nothing was to be gained by keeping him in there. Schill, Dice and Buchholtz don't need any additional company right now.

As it turned out, the bullpen did fine. Okajima redeemed himself for his last outing, giving up only a single in an inning of scoreless work, and Hansen finished up the 9th in just 10 pitches. Kind of a continuation of the command he demonstrated last night. However, the most awesome work from the pen was the guy who preceded Oki. Taking the rock to start the 7th, The Other Manny-Delcarmen just about wiped out the Rays with a display that looked like the second coming--of Laserman.

In a total of 16 pitches, the final one reaching 98 mph, he shut down the side on 3 K's. First batter--K! Second batter--K! Third batter--K! Inning over! TOM looked as good as he ever has!

OK--that's the first two of the series against the Rays. Time to break out the brooms tomorrow and keep the Hose in first!