Game 134: UG-LEE DE-FENCE

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 7, Baltimore Orioles 6

“They have always given us fits.”
-Terry Francona on the troubles with Baltimore.

Well tonight I threw a fit every time the ball was hit sharply into play. It’s a win, but not the best effort. To err is human, to give up 4 unearned runs (that 7 so far in this series if you’re counting) on 3 errors is certainly NOT divine. Clement threw a damn fine 8 innings but looked like he was out there by himself for most of it. The first run Baltimore scored was done without the benefit of a hit! Hit by a pitch, wild pitch (bad effort by Tek), the next pitch was a passed ball, then a sac fly. I mean, what the hell is that?? From there, it just got ugly. In the top of the 4th, following a WEIRD bloop double by Tejada (nice try Kapler) Manny just DROPS one. It hit him in the glove, he had it…it looked easy but his thoughts were elsewhere. I bet Manny was thinking:

a) “I wonder what the next song on my Ipod is.”
b) “That mango salsa really IS spicy.”
c) “Does the carpet match the curtains on Millar?”
d) “The area of a regular polygon really does equal (1/2) N sin(360°/N) S2”

Well whatever it was, it most likely wasn't “I’m gonna catch this routine fly ball.” So two men on for Javy Lopez and he ropes a single into center and Damon has it on the bounce. Or more appropriately DOES NOT have it on the bounce. Doing his impression of a croquet wicket, Damon lets the ball roll to the wall and 2 runs score. I think we all know what was on HIS mind.

Meanwhile, the offence was back in action. Ortiz went long to drive in his league leading 119th RBI and the entity that now controls the body of Kevin Millar hit a 2 run shot. In the end the Sox were sitting on a familiar 7 run collection and things looked pretty safe. RIIIGHT. Flash forward to the 9th and the “often used always abused” Timlin is trying to close it out when Rentaria shocks absolutely no one by booting the game ending double play ball. 2 more runs score to make it a squeaker.

Not pretty but it was made with love so I’ll take it. Wrap it up and send it to the ‘W’ column.
This afternoon it's “The Red Sox Killer” Rodrigo Lopez vs David Wells, who just ate his way through a 6 game suspension. Should be fun. Should be filling. GO SOX.