Game 12

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 3, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1

Tim Wakefield has certainly earned a reputation as a Yankee killer, but he's definately a Ray killer as well, improving his record to 11 and 1 against Tampa Bay yesterday. I missed this one too; Nikki and I spent the day walking around our new neighborhood and as I lamented afterwards, the Sox did not see fit to schedule Saturday's game during the day and Sunday's game at night, when it would have been more convenient. No matter; the Sox have now won five in a row and pulled off their first sweep yesterday.

Unlike his last appearance, Scott Kazimir did not have good command and gave up four walks and in the third, a solo homerun to Edgar hit to the triangle that Francona described as "Manny-like" and a two run single to Jay Payton that set the Sox on top. Wakefield, on the other hand, was sublime, giving up three walks and four hits over six innings and striking out five, moving him to third on the all-time Red Sox strikeouts list (ahead of Cy Young) behind Clemens (2,590) and Pedro (1,683) with 1,343. The win moves Wake up to seventh place on the Sox all-time wins list, ahead of Bob Stanley (115) with 116. With his second win, Wakefield seems like he's settling well into the new season and establishing himself as a reliable backend starter. But we all knew that; this is the guy who pitched all those scoreless innings in relief during the ALCS, the guy who's performed pretty much every pitching role the Sox have to offer and done pretty well over all.

Something I noticed yesterday as I was walking around: Park Slope (where I live) is full of Red Sox fans. I had seen a few in my old neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights, but I must have seen ten or twelve Sox hats yesterday. I have a few theories about all of these Sox caps. First, even though the stereotype is that when the Dodgers left for LA, the forming of the Mets picked up a lot of Brooklyn fans who felt abandoned by their beloved team, I'm not so sure that many of them became or have become Red Sox fans instead, especially given the recent renewal of the Yankees/Red sox rivalry (ah, cross-Borough relations). Second, Park Slope is the sort of neighborhood that would attract ex-New Englanders, so maybe many of these people are from the home territories of Red Sox nation. Third, a few of them could be bandwagoners (how elitist is that); I mean, I have to think about which hat I wear, depending on the day and where I'm going, so that the hat I'm wearing looks old enough so I don't look like a bandwagoner too. I have to stop worrying about things like that.

I woke up this morning, having taken a sick day and discovered that today is Patriot's Day, which means the annual doubleheader of baseball and the Boston Marathon - all starting early, with an 11:05 start for the Sox - Schilling versus Bush and Toronto at home. I'll be back later with the full update. GO SOX!!!