Final Score: Boston Red Sox 0, New York Yankees 5How about that? Francona managed not to keep his starting pitcher in too long, just like he did in the first and second games of this series! Of course, that might be because he got himself tossed (et tu, disassociated rage?) in the seventh inning in the first of two weird situations involving Kevin Youkilis, but we have to look for the silver lining, right? Because besides Curt Schilling's six hit, two run, four strikeout performance this afternoon to reflect back on with some pride - it was his second quality start in a row, after all - there wasn't much that happened today that wouldn't give a good Red Sox fan the beginnings of an ulcer.
First of all: two hits? Two days in a row where "late inning magic" meant just putting the ball where the players weren't for the first time all game? And at least yesterday we had Youkilis's long bomb to liven the contest; today the highlights were Youk getting called out for running out of the base paths on the way to a double play and Youk getting two pitches above the head that an umpire translated into headhunting and a pitcher ejection. Oh, and Mike Lowell is awesome, but it's a contract year (and I'm feeling a little cynical). I guess I'm a little freaked because we just saw exactly how the Red Sox will look when Manny's no longer in uniform. Ugly, right? How much is he going to ask for, again? The White Sox may be the second worst team in the majors, but are we sure these are same Red Sox who executed a massacre in Chicago last week? Because that team could hit.
Here's the real silver lining, though: besides the series against the Yankees in the middle of next month (in Boston), the toughest opponents the Sox have left are Oakland and Minnesota, both within the confines of Friendly Fenway. Every other game is against our AL East also-ran co-conspirators and we've been beating them up better than any other team in the division. A five game lead isn't nearly as secure as an eleven game lead, but this ship isn't sunk by a long shot.
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