Games 123 - 124: We Lost To The Royals?!

Final Scores

Game 123: Boston Red Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 2
Game 124: Boston Red Sox 3, Kansas City Royals 4

“Despite his “hefty lefty” appearance, Wells is an athlete. He can supposedly dunk a basketball and throw a football 70 yards. True or not, I'd take him, Trot and Kapler in a brawl against any starting nine. Anytime, anywhere.”
- Surviving Grady

While I was out rocking out, the Sox were in KC holding the status quo – a win on Tuesday by Wells, still sick from whatever bug continues to try and bring him behind the woodshed and beat the crap out of him and a terrible loss on Wednesday by the Sox offense, who stranded 13 men and left the bases loaded two innings in a row. Boston lost the game in the 11th when Arroyo, pitching in relief, gave up a sacrifice fly to score the winning run. Talking to Robin on Tuesday, it didn’t sound like the win was particularly pretty either, but fortunately for Boston, the Yankees lost yesterday as well, staying 3.5 games back in the AL East. Kevin Millar hit his first home run in forever on Wednesday, ending the ridiculous power drought – now just rinse and repeat about 15 more times, Millar and you’ll be back where you should be at this time of the year. Renteria, perhaps buoyed by the end of his own homer drought, hit the ball very well, going 3 for 5 both nights. Manny disappointed fans by not hustling in a double play situation, but Trot Nixon returned to the lineup, going 1 for 4 on Tuesday and 1 for 5 on Wednesday.

Curt Schilling makes his first start tonight since April 23, going up against Jose Lima, where he’ll have the chance to prove that he’s ready to assume the mantle of dominant starter…or will he? One start certainly won’t be telling about Curt’s real status, no more than one good start meant that Boomer was back on track earlier this summer – like other Red Sox starters this year, the rule of three good starts in a row applies, even if Curt wasn’t coming back against Kansas City, who can be beaten like a rented mule by any team on its game. Knowing this information won’t stop a flurry of media attention tomorrow, no matter how Curt does (and this article by the Herald is remarkable because of its uncommon long view on Schilling’s return) and of course Schilling will focus on it, because that’s the sort of media-loving guy he is.

Game time tonight at 8:05; a big win is in the needing, if not the offing. GO SOX!!!

tags: baseball | red sox | manny ramirez | kevin millar | curt schilling | edgar renteria