Game 37

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 4, Seattle Mariners 5

The good news: the Sox aren't playing Seattle for the rest of the year. The bad news: the Mariners took two out of three at home. Wakefield didn't have his stuff yesterday and the Sox were having problems plugging the offensive gap, with nine left on base and ANOTHER double play. The day was dark in New York and there's something gloomy about the broadcasts from Seattle, which made the game that much harder to listen to. On the bright side, Big Papi and Ramirez both hit homeruns, Manny joining 39 other players by hitting 400+ homerun mark. The difference in the game, though, was Mariners' backup catcher Miguel Olivo, who had struggled before yesterday's game...and had a breakthrough day, going three for four with what turned out to be the go-ahead solo homerun in the fourth. Wake went seven and Embree picked up the eighth, so there was no exhausting of bullpen arms.

The lineup has been reset again in what Robin refers to as "the perfect alignment:" Nixon has moved back to batting fifth, where his power, which is coming more and more to the fore this season now that he's healthy, will be more useful. Renteria is now batting second and if he continues to slap singles he'll be doing a great deal of good. Manny is batting cleanup again, putting Ortiz, who I'm told hates batting fourth, in the three spot. Quoth Manuel: "'It doesn't matter where I hit. I'm Manny Ramirez." Now give us the Manny Point. Now old school style. God, I love it.

Depending on whether or not Boomer feels up to it, he'll be back in on Wednesday instead of Jeremi Gonzalez. The Sox aren't pushing Wells so that he's actually ready to come back, which is fine: a.) it's not like Boston is hurting for pitchers right now and b.) it's moving everything closer to that next Big Question, What Are We Going to do When Curt Comes Back? Ok, maybe I'm jumping things a bit, since Schilling isn't even out of his boot yet, but it'll be a weird little contest when the Sox have six pitchers to play with. Maybe a six man rotation? Maybe someone will end up getting hurt again.

The Sox go south tonight to the city by the city by the Bay: Oakland, CA with a match up of Bronson "Golden God" Arroyo versus Kirk Saarloos, hoping to sweep the A's in their home turf like they did last week in Fenway. Late start, though and it's not a weekend this time, so we'll see if I make it to the end of the game. GO SOX!!!