Today, I'm full of the love.

Why? Because after Saturday's near-miss, our boys came back to pocket a rollercoaster win yesterday, beating the Mariners 9-7 in 12.

Because Dave McCarty (who for some reason looks more like a prog-rock bassist than a ballplayer to me) came up big with a walk-off two run homer when it was least expected.

Because the Schill-dog threw five and two-thirds of perfection at us.

Because Pokey -- man, oh man, Pokey! -- looked brilliant at short, turning in a coupla defensive gems that had me visualizing Nomar playing second.

Because Keith Foulke blew his first save of the season, then bounced back where too many other closers have crumbled like cookies.

Because Kevin Youkilis continued to mash the ball, getting three hits and no doubt prompting Bill Mueller to reach for the antacids.

Because after the Sox seemed to blow the game in the top of the eighth, the team staged a comeback in the bottom of said inning, capped by Andy Domanique's first major league hit, which tied the game and let all of New England know that it's okay to wig out and guzzle your beer and jump around like you've just won the lottery because this is a team that's got some fight in it and, damn it, they're not gonna go down like that. It just ain't gonna happen.

Because the Nomar rehab watch has officially begun. So he pulled an o-fer. Who cares? We've got love in the house.

Because today is Monday, Memorial Day, and my office is closed and the sun is shining and there's an afternoon game at Fenway Park.

Because we have a new baby, who will be in my arms sleeping through her first game this afternoon.



Because this is the year, man. This is the year.

I've decided to ignore some of the negative aspects of yesterday's 5-4 Sox loss. I'm going to ignore Tim Wakefield's ineffective performance, including three walks, ten hits, five ER's and an error. Shouldn't the knuckler have been "dancing" in windy Fenway and been a little more unhittable? I'm going to ignore Damon's 0-for-5, Youki's 0-for-4 and even Varitek's 0-for-2. I'm going to assume that Mirabelli is OK after coming up lame on his RBI double.

Yup, not going to even mention any of that. I'm a very positive guy. I look at things like more scoreless innings by the bullpen, another monster shot by Manny, and two more hits and a walk by Bellhorn. Most of all, I'm positive that if Ortiz's double hadn't bounced into the stands that Bellhorn would have scored, and the game would have gone into extra frames. And I also know the Sox pen would have outdueled the M's pen and got the win. So, one bad bounce among all the good things, big deal.

In other news..

Nomar will start in Pawtucket tonight.
Trot continues to play pain-free in extended spring training games.

But the best story of all is reported on RedSox.com...

A nice gesture: Prior to Friday night's game, Sox DH David Ortiz put a box in the middle of the clubhouse requesting donations to help aid the victims of the recently massive flood in the Dominican Republic.

Following his second at-bat Friday night, Ortiz came into the clubhouse and found out that Christopher Burks, the nine-year-old son of Ellis, had put $50 dollars in the box. The younger Burks had just received some money from his father.

Ortiz was touched by the gesture of little Christopher, and said it provided inspiration for the grand slam he struck in the fifth inning to lead the Sox to an 8-4 victory.

"I saw him reading the box," Ortiz said. "He's just nine years old. When I heard about that, I was about to cry. He was the first one that came to the box. It made me feel great. I can't believe this ... how a young guy could be that nice. I got kind of excited and my mind was different and everything was different when I went out there, and I hit a home run. Things happen. It kind of changed me."

Burks took pride in the gesture by his son.

"My wife and I, we have four kids, we try to raise them right," said Burks.

Couldn't you just feel it? When Ortiz was thrown out on a close play at first, he was not happy. Clearly, he thought he beat it out. Would you want to pitch to him next at-bat? In the fifth, M's starter Pineiro had to. After being kept off-balance all night, the Sox started treating his breaking balls like pinatas. Varitek flied out deep to left to open the inning. Then, for the second time this week, Millar hit a ball that looked like it should clear everything but ended up being a wall-scraper double. Can you feel it yet? Youkilis follows with a bullet down the left field line, scoring Millar. Reese struck out badly on a breaking ball, but we still love 'ya Pokey. Damon walked, bring up Bellhorn, with Ortiz on deck. Now you're feeling it, right? Bellhorn took a called strike, then walked on the next four pitches. The table was set. Ortiz sent the first pitch into the bullpen, just out of Icharo's reach. His 100th career home-run and second career grand slam couldn't have come at a better time.

Let's talk Pedro. Looking at 4 ER's and 8 hits, it looks like a shaky outing, and I guess it was. But, no walks and 9 strike-outs, maybe not so bad. The fact is, Pedro made a few mistakes and he paid for all of them. Two HR's and a couple of key hits from Winn, all on hanging change-ups. When he came back out in the sixth after Ortiz gave him a lead, things didn't look great. A Boone single followed by an Olerud single. Then he gets Aurilia swinging. Seattle send career lefty pinch-hitter Dave Hansen up, and quite honestly, I would have gone to Embree. Pedro got him, and got Winn to ground out to end the inning.

When Pedro came out in the seventh, I started having feverish flashbacks, but again I was wrong, as he set the side down in order. The Sox would add two more in the eighth and Foulke would finish things off. Pedro finally gets some run support and remains perfect against Seattle in his career.

The revolution's here...

Well that certainly sucked.

I don't really want to dwell on what was by far the ugliest game I've seen in some time, but I'll note that in some games, there's a point where the "tone" is set, and you more or less get a pretty good read on how the cards are going to fall. Last night, that point was Kevin Millar taking a called third strike with the bases loaded to end the first inning. Any kind of hit would have plated a few runs and made it a game after the A's scored three in the top half. But this strike out -- on a pitch that was literally right down the middle -- landed in the catcher's mitt with such an ominous "thud" you could hear the joy being sucked out of Fenway like Roger Ebert working a cherry Slurpee.

The role of Kicked Puppy was played by Bronson Arroyo, who we all know is so much better than what we saw. But, sooner or later, everyone has an off night. Last night, it just so happened, was his.

Meanwhile, the Orioles were doing their best imitation of the French during WWII, utterly collapsing in an 18-5 loss that sealed the Yanks' series sweep. Man, do the Crankees own the Os or what? It would almost benefit everyone involved if they'd just automatically assign the Ws and Ls from the get-go and let the guys spend the next three days playing Skee-ball and chasing tail. Because tail needs to be chased, Junior. Yes it does.

Oh well. There's only one thing that can cheer me up right now.



...and for the ladies:



...and for those ladies not into Kerry (but, seriously, how could you NOT be?), Beth from Cursed and First offers:



Tonight, it's up to Petey. And I have a feeling he's gonna make us happy and get all this nonsense behind us. And here's a prediction you can take to the bank: Manny's going yard. You read it here, folks.

Seacrest! Out!

Could things in Red Sox Nation be any better than they are right now? Seriously, 29-17, on a 5-game win streak, Foulke 10-for-10 in saves, Ortiz and Manny bitch-slapping baseballs and of course, supermodels throwing out the first pitch.

Two nights ago they treated Tim Hudson like one of the Hudson Brothers, and last night they banged out enough hits and runs to survive another bad Derek Lowe outing.

In vintage Dewey Evans style, Varitek blasted a three-run homer after an intentional walk to Manny in front of him.

Kevin "livin' la vida Youki" has reached base in all 8 games since coming North on 95.

The biggest controversy Dennis and Callahan could stir up was why the Sox wore Red uniforms last night.

On the dark side...

Stankee pitching continues to struggle. Mussina limped through 5.1 last night giving up 5 runs, and bringing his ERA to an even 5.

Gabe White blew his second save, fourth overall for NY.

Contreras' ERA is over 7, and continues to be the best deal Theo didn't make.

Faithful followers of the Jeter Watch were dismayed when his 3-for-5 performance last night lifted his average to .200 even.

Will nothing stop the Red Sox Express? No. Nothing will. And you would do well to get out of its way as it barrels toward you. The Oakland A's certainly did. Even though Derek Lowe continued to pitch like a guy who'd rather be at home watching "Law & Order: The Hall Monitor Years" (coming soon to NBC!), the A's did everything they could to avoid the "W," including a three-run throwing error by shortstop Bobby Crosby (who also went 0-for-4, just to ensure a post-game wedgie from his teammates).

But enough about the A's. This one was all about the Sox. Again. Varitek knocks in three runs with a monster home run. Ortiz and Bellhorn each deliver an RBI. (And how amazing is it when we're sitting here, watching the games, EXPECTING Bellhorn to get a key hit.) Millar, who couldn't have found his ass with both hands last night, collects two hits. And Foulke shuts the door in the ninth.

Not to mention Youkilis, our new cult hero. He gets a hit, scores a run, picks up an RBI. He's been on base in every game he's played since joining the team. Dude even has his own crowd chant. If he were a comic book character, he'd be drawn by Jack Kirby, with a thickly creased forehead and hands like five Hershey bars stuck to a basketball. If he were a cop show character, he'd be the cool but tough cop, the guy who smokes a lot, loves his mom, and gives suspects a good cock-punching every know and then, just because he can. He is young and exciting and fun to watch. And with Mueller in the M*A*S*H* unit, we're gonna see a lot of the kid. I'm thinkin' he's gonna represent just fine.

So... a five game win streak to dispel the demons of a rocky road trip. We're back home now where everything makes sense and Ben Affleck can be forgiven for the craptastic "Reindeer Games." Regarding Affleck, who was in attendance last night, I'm not afraid to give the guy his props. For one thing, he's slept with J-Lo. For another, unlike a lot of these celeb poseurs who show up in the front row at the World Series, he bleeds the Red. Hell, he showed more range as a spectator during the 2003 ALCS than in any of his flicks... cheering his balls off when the Sox were making hay and looking dazed and despondent when the Yanks prevailed.

I'm calling for the brooms tonight. Arroyo will be raring to go after a metza-metza showing his last time out. Even though Mulder will be tough, I've got enough confidence in the Sox bats these days. At least when Kapler and Crespo aren't in the line-up.

And then we get Seattle over the weekend. C'mon, man. Is there no one on this planet who will challenge us?

What more can you possibly say about last night's game? As the Beatles once sang, it's getting better all the time. I'm sure the A's arrived in town hoping to exact a little revenge for last year's Division Series collapse; instead, they became the latest victims of the Sox juggernaut.

Man, you couldn't have scripted a better night. Schilling looked brilliant, Ortiz belted four hits, Bellhorn continued to pose the musical question, "Todd Walker Who?" by driving in five runs. A standing ovation for Andy Dominique in his first major league at-bat. Plus we got Supermodel Gisele Bundchen giving us some quality prance before throwing out the first pitch. Magic!

And then there was Manny. Oh, Manny. How my heart does the flippy-flop every time he takes bat in hand. Is there another hitter in the business who makes it look so effortless? So second nature? We are watching an artist in his prime, boys and girls. Pay attention.

The wooden spoon goes to Kevin Millar, who looked absolutely lost at the plate, going 0-for-4 and leaving -- gulp -- nine men on base. But, hey, when Bellhorn, Damon and Varitek are getting three hits apiece, there's pick-up to spare. Also, you gotta love the fact that nothing seems to get Millar down. Even after a bum night, he's the world's greatest cheerleader:

"Nothing is going to derail this team. We have a team that fights all the way. We have an attitude here that is passed down to everyone. You feel it as soon as you join this team. And with all the guys we have out, that's what you're seeing." [from today's Globe]

-- First and foremost, being Johnny Damon does! not! suck!


-- Everytime I see a close-up of Mark Bellhorn during a game telecast, the first thing I think is, "Hey, he looks just like that guy from the '80s metal band." But which guy is it? Can't quite put my finger on it. It's not Kip Winger. Is it Gary Cherone of Extreme and Van Halen Mach 3? Help me out here.

-- The night the ball went through Buckner's legs, I was sitting in my friend Rich's house watching the game with a few buddies. I was a freshman in college and we all jumped around like smacked asses, waving towels and yelling "wooooooo" long before it was considered something you could do in public. I distinctly remember saying out loud, when the Sox recorded the Mets' second out of the ninth, "I can't believe the Red Sox are going to win the World Series."

-- How is it that "JAG" is still on the air? Does anyone actually watch this?

-- The night of game 6 of the 2003 ALCS, the power went out in our neighborhood. I had no battery-operated radio laying around (so much for terrorism preparedness), so we climbed in the car and drove around aimlessly in the dark, listening to the Sox make an improbable comeback. By the time Trot hit that home run off Gabe White, we were stationed under a light in a McDonald's parking lot, screaming like lunatics. That was a good night.

-- During game 7 of the same ALCS, I was on a business trip, to New Jersey of all places. I sat in a hotel bar with my boss, fumbling with a burger and nervously watching the Sox build their lead. After Millar's homerun, I pumped my fist, drawing the ire of the Yanks fans who had packed the place. I quickly finished my beer and went up to my room, where I paced like a lunatic through the late innings. When Ortizzle greeted Wells with a long home run, I called my Dad in Boston and told him it was over. No way the Sox could lose this one. By the ninth inning's close, I was watching from the bed, too nervous to move. As soon as Boone's shot left the bat, I shut off the TV. The next morning, I sat in a meeting room full of Yankees fans and decided I wasn't saying another word until I got back on home turf.

-- Am I the only person in the world who owns a copy of Brian Setzer's "The Knife Feels Like Justice"? More importantly, am I the only one who admits to loving it?

-- Tonight we get Schilling vs. Hudson. At Fenway. On a Tuesday night. Tell me this isn't the greatest country in the world.

-- Being Johnny Damon still does! not! suck!

But rainy Mondays that are also off-days...what the hell are we supposed to do tonight?

The magic? It's back. After a couple weeks of missed opportunities and infuriatingly silent bats, the Sox are finally firing all cylinders, cooking with gas and [insert your own cliche here]. This past weekend, the Jays were Tokyo and the Sox were Godzilla, mercilessly piling on the hits and looking very much the offensive monster they were last season.

And now, just as they've captured momentum and got the train fired up, we get... the off day. Yeah, I know these guys gotta rest, but these Mondays with no Sox are a fan buzzkill. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Watch "Yes, Dear"? Talk to the family? Polish up my collection of rare Denny Doyle figurines? Er, actually, they are getting a bit dusty...

The Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays with a 7-2 victory behind Tim Wakefield. Ortiz once again came up big with two doubles and three RBI. He is 5-for-11 with 5 RBI since entering a new contract agreement on Friday. Johnny Damon added two hits and two RBI, but Cesar Crespo continued his bid to return to Pawtucket by going 0-for-4 and committing an error. The Sox have an off day on Monday before opening a three game series with Oakland. Schilling goes against Hudson on Tuesday, then a critical start for Lowe against Redman on Wednesday.

Once again, Pedro pitches good enough to win, but gets a no decision. Six innings, five hits, two runs and seven strike-outs. Enter Anastacio Martinez in his major league debut. Nine pitches later the top of the seventh is in the books. Sox take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, pad it in the eighth, Foulke in the ninth and you've got another "W", which is all that really matters.

Manny hit another absolute bomb that landed somewhere on the Mass Pike just short of the one he hit Friday night.

Jeter went 0-for-4 and is now batting .190 for the season as the Yanks blew a 3-1 lead and lost to Texas.

Giambi was put on the 15-day DL with a sprained ankle.

Pokey was unable to drop a bunt on three attempts, but I still love the man.

The Sox MUST sweep today. They have only swept a Tampa Bay series other than the huge Yankees sweep.

The best thing about being a Red Sox fan? It's not the Green Monster or Nomar or the Yaz Robot that scientists are supposedly constructing in a basement miles beneath Fenway Park. It's the way that one day the world can be crashing all around us under the weight of bad vibes, and the very next day -- a mere twenty four hours later -- it's all sunshine and The Partridge Family and sweet, fresh flowers.

That's the way I'm feeling this morning, after watching a game in which everything clicked for the Sox. Pokey got some key hits. Millar's bat seemed fully alive again. Timlin again showed that he's Timlin and should be treated as such. And Manny -- who'd have thought he'd be the single most lovable dude in major league baseball in 2004? -- swatted one to the Park Lunch in Newburyport.

Now we've got Pedro going tonight in a rare Saturday night game at Fenway, which, I gotta admit, are my favorites. And remember the last time Petey faced the Jays on a Saturday night at home?

The magic starts at 7:00pm. See you there.

Great win for the Sox. A shaky start by Arroyo but he's picked up by the bats and escapes with no decision. A monster home run by Manny, key hits by Bellhorn and fan-favorite Pokey Reese and great, OK, perfect relief by Timlin all help get it done.

Warning: here comes a serious rant. So, both kids end up out of the house and the wife and I sneak down to a local bar to watch a few innings and eat some pizza. The game is tied when Manny comes up in the eighth. He swings at a hanging breaking ball and hits a no-doubter over everything. A few tables over sit a couple of 50ish guys, one of their wives, and apparently one of their mothers. One of the guys says, "It's about time". I cringe and look over to see the blasphemer taking a dainty sip from what appears to be a glass of fine merlot. Then he comments, "Well, he hasn't been hitting so great, he needed that".

Now I don't expect everyone to be as passionate and statistically aware of the players as I am, but Manny hasn't been hitting? He entered the game at .357 (4th in AL) with 9 HR's and 26 RBI. If you're trying to impress your wine-drinking friends and your mother (my condolences if that was your wife), stick to talking mutual funds or bowling or something. I later heard him mention something about Bill Mueller (he pronounced it mew-ler), so maybe it was just the merlot talking.

Notes:

Yankees lose, Jeter goes 1-for-4, bringing his average to a lofty .194.
Mulder took a no-hitter into the seventh and completed the shut-out with a 3-hitter.
The Blue Jay that took out Dinardo at first (I forget if it was Hinske, Gomez or Pond, I was so enthralled with the conversation across the room) can expect a little "reminder" from Pedro on why you don't do things like that.

As promised, Johnny Damon will be seen, at least for now, sans-beard. Hope he isn't too tired to play after shaving...

According to RedSox.com, Ortiz will sign a two-year deal with an option. That only leaves Pedro and Varitek, right?

How's the contract year going for D-Lowe? Let's put it this way: pretty soon, Scott Boras will be negotiating for a coupla cups of coffee and some dry socks. Last night, we needed Lowe to kick it Clemens style and rise like a Phoenix to subjugate the lowly D-Rays. Instead, he left the game just two and one-third innings deep after giving up seven runs, looking very much the smacked ass.

Christ, what a horrible game, sick on every level. It was the kind of game that, about halfway through, the mind starts to wander. And mine did. I got to thinking that this team just doesn't look like a team that's gonna go all the way. There are simply too many question marks and not enough of the pleasant surprises that seemed to define last season.

But then I realized that I'm hitting the Panic Button, and I told myself I wouldn't hit the Panic Button, at least not this early in the season. And there's no reason to, really, because D-Lowe is gonna settle into a groove and Nomar will be up and running soon and, hell, Trot might be in Pawtucket by next week, so there's no reason to panic. Not now anyway. But the Button tells me it IS time to panic and it calls to me with all its candy-colored goodness and begs for me to hit it, because the Crankees are on a roll and those Angels out West are a force to reckon and the Orioles aren't going down without a fight this year and Nomar and Trot are very likely on the shelf for the rest of the year but I won't listen to the button, cause I know it's talking smack and it just likes to see me sweat and take the name of Bombo Rivera in vain and I'm just not gonna do that this time because there's no need to panic and no matter how much I want to or need to I'm NOT GONNA PRESS THE PANIC BUTTON.

Or, I dunno. Should I?

Uh-oh.

In other news, a nice game last night, with Manny being Manny and Schill being Schill. Anything less than a W tonight will simply be unacceptable. In fact, I think a six or seven game win streak is just what this team needs right now. We're getting listless with this win-two-drop-one track they seem stuck on. Is it just me or have the past week's games just kinda melted into one another, a shapeless mass punctuated by a few nice hits here and there.

One other thing, does Tino Martinez wear mascara? Or is it just my TV? Must be my TV. Gotta step up to hi-def.

Lastly, props to my brother-in-law Tom, who braved the "death stare" to snap the above photo of Curt Schilling during spring training. Gotta show the love to the vintage Astros jersey, quite possibly the low point of baseball fashion, alongside the 1980 Pittsburgh Pirates "cakebox" hats.

Rob Neyer was a guest on WEEI's Dale and Neumy show on Monday. Aside from plugging his new book, he provided "expert analysis" on why the Sox aren't scoring runs at the prolific pace they were last year.

The quotes;

Rob Neyer: "not hitting as well as they can"
Rob Neyer: "aren't getting on base like last year"
Dale: "offense is woefully behind last year"

The facts;

The 2004 Red Sox are not hitting like they were last year (.267 vs .289 batting average and .436 vs .491 slugging percentage).

They are, however, getting on base much like they were last year. Last year's OBP was .360, this year .348. Last year there were 620 base-on-balls, this year they are on pace for 672.

So, the problem isn't getting on base, its getting home. Why? Here's a few reasons;

Last year the team had 943 strike-outs, this year they are on pace for 1165.
Last year the team had 65 sacrifice flies, this year on pace for 29.
Last year the team had 24 sacrifices, this year on pace for 16.
Last year the team had 88 stolen bases, this year on pace for 78.

Add these numbers up and what do you get? A good argument in favor of playing some small ball.

What a friggin' night for baseball. Randy Johnson redeems himself for what could possibly be the queerest TV spot of all time (you know, dude, that Right Guard bit where he's throwing dodge balls at a bunch of goons) with a muthafriggin' perfect game. The Sox didn't do too bad, either, with Wakefield looking bloody brilliant and Bellhorn knocking a three run homer. There is NO EXCUSE for losing to the Devil Rays. I repeat, NO EXCUSE. Here is where we must feast, lads. Get yer forks.

Also, for those who swing that way, eTopps.com is offering the first Curt Schilling Red Sox card this week. Now I love eTopps, but I cannot forgive their truly dreadful 2004 card design. I mean, those "heads" at the bottom of the card? What up with that?

Finally, as of the seventh inning, the Cranks and Angels are locked in a scoreless tie out in Anaheim. I will now go to sleep, and pray that in the AM my good pals at NESN Sports Desk will be telling of a NY loss.

From espn.com:

Some Red Sox players have voiced complaints about the team's commercial jet, The Hartford Courant reported May 18. "Our plane, it's hard to sleep on," closer Keith Foulke told the newspaper. "So it's hard to get your rest. Then you're showing up at 3 or 4 in the morning. It's tough. It's a 757. It's a big plane. But we're still sitting in coach seats." Manager Terry Francona and the coaching staff sit in first class.

Note to Foulke, et al: Win the friggin' World Series, and you'll get your own Team Spaceship, complete with pilots Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan (in matching leather spacesuits, might we add) and a wise-cracking, beer-dispensing Robot who knows "a guy" in Vegas and can hook you up like that (finger snapping sound goes here) whenever you're in town.

Until then, I'd say suck it up and just focus on winning some ball games. But that's just me. And we all know what a jerk I am, 'specially after a few belts.

In other news, RIP Tony Randall.

Johnny Damon recently made the following comments to Jeff Horrigan of the Herald;

``Our schedule has been awful and we've been playing really bad, so the day off is going to be huge,'' Damon said.

The fatigue, he said, is obvious to everyone.

``We're tired and when you get tired, you start making mental mistakes,'' Damon said. ``A few more errors come into play, your defense isn't as sharp and you start swinging at pitches over your ear. We're tired, but we can get through these next three days and we'll be fine.''

Mr. Damon, you'd better come Tuesday against the lowly Devil Rays with a 5-5 effort and a few stolen bases. Then maybe we'll buy into your theory of how tough it can be playing a kid's game for a few hours a day and making eight million dollars doing it. OK, maybe not.

After Thursday's debaucle, the Red Sox of the first month of the season returned to get a split of the four-game Toronto series. Good starting pitching, Arroyo back in the rotation where he belongs, the bats coming alive and the bullpen starting a new scoreless innings streak (currently 5 and-a-third).

Friday started out shaky, with the Red Sox looking like they might give another one away. Lowe pitched OK, struggled with location. Step in Embree and the bats, a six-run eighth, and the series is even 1-1.

Saturday. Bronson Arroyo and Kevin Youkilis. Ball game.

In the series finale, Pedro pitched good enough to win, but was plagued by lack of run support once again. The Red Sox hitters scattered eight hits but were basically ineffective against Halladay.

Off day today. Sleep tight, Johnny.

From espn.com: "According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox's recent sloppy play is a clear indication they are getting worn down and desperately need their upcoming day off May 17 -- the team's first scheduled off day in three weeks. 'Our schedule has been awful and we've been playing really bad, so the day off is going to be huge,' Johnny Damon told the newspaper. 'We're tired and when you get tired, you start making mental mistakes. A few more errors come into play, your defense isn't as sharp and you start swinging at pitches over your ear. We're tired, but... we'll be fine.'"

Call me insensitive or just a plain ol' jerk, but stuff like this piece, from espn.com (quoting the Boston Herald), really steams my toffee. These guys are professional athletes, paid boatloads of dough to play a boy's game for little more than half the year. I don't want to hear that you get tired or worn down. I want nothing short of Steve Austin-esque performance from Opening Day to the parade down Tremont Street. Winter's for sleeping, dude.

Everybody knows Nomar loves to swing at the first pitch. Say what you want about it, but he is a career .340 hitter when he swings at the first pitch. That is an anomaly. The rest of the team should not follow his lead. Last night, the Sox batters swung at the first pitch 10 at-bats, the result was 2 hits. When taking the first pitch, they ended up 11 for 30 (.366) with 3 walks. The other obvious benefit is to make the pitcher work. Especially against Batista, who has had blister problems and was checked at the mound last night for one. And he is 6'2", 195 and throws mid-90's, make the guy work and get to the bullpen.

That being said, last night it probably didn't matter what they did at the plate. Their pitching and defense was abysmal. Sometimes a team will have games where every hitter is just "on", regardless of the opposing pitcher. That was Toronto last night. The Sox will take at least two of the next three in Skydome.

The Schilling watch is on. Is he hurt? What was the confrontation with Francona about in the dugout? Why has he been wrapping his ankle? My question is, how smart was it to let him pitch a complete game, throwing 120 pitches, in May (his last outing) with a six run lead (8 run lead in the 9th)? Not very.

Posada's nose broken by errant throw.

When asked whether he thought it was a dirty play, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said: "That's nothing I can comment on, really."

The Red Sox went down swinging last night, swinging and missing. Mirabelli, Varitek and Bellhorn each struck out in the ninth, ending a rally that scored two in the bottom of the ninth. It wasn't enough, the Sox dropped this one 6-4, giving the series win to Cleveland.

Thirteen runners left on base. A starting pitcher left in too long. Sounds familiar. Can somebody please tell Terry Francona he has the best bullpen in baseball? It's OK to use the pen before the seventh inning, Terry. Everyone on the planet could see Wakefield was struggling. This reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on...

Manny, becoming an American citizen does not make you a faster runner. Caught stealing the other night, gunned down at the plate last night.

Meanwhile, the Yankees were getting spanked by Anaheim 11-2.

Thank you, Pedro. You've given us real Sox fans another four day hiatus from the doom-and-gloomers. Four glorious days without hearing the "he's lost his fastball" and the "what's Pedro whining about today" pearls of wisdom. I must admit, it didn't look good in the first two innings. Possibly one of the most bizarre line-scores you'll see: 2 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 earned runs and 6 strikeouts. Huh? Follow that up with 5 perfect innings, solid defense behind Pedro and timely hitting (most notably a 2-run, pinch-hit triple by McCarty in the 8th) and you've got a Red Sox victory. Pedro didn't get the win, but I doubt you'll hear anybody complain.

Notes: Manny is 0 for 3 as an American citizen...Foulke struck out 2 in a perfect ninth...Ortiz and Kapler each homered and had 3 hits...Yankees are down 4-2 to injury-ridden Anaheim but delayed by rain in the 4th

That crashing sound you heard was Byung-Hyun Kim getting tossed back into the bullpen after failing once again to put up a respectable showing. And against the Injuns, no less! Anyway, Arroyo, at least right here and now, seems better suited for the starting rotation anyway, so this could all work out perfectly. To be honest, I was more disappointed in the bats. This offense seems eerily reminiscent of past line-ups that came up big one night, only to be silenced the next. Inconsistency. It doesn't help that against the Sox, the Indians batters seem to channel the ghosts of Toby Harrah and Andre "Thunder" Thornton.

But tonight, we get C.C. Sabathia's cap, which is far more interesting than C.C. himself. See how it cocks to one side. See how it seems to magically stay in place, despite its precarious "gangsta" positioning. Oh, C.C.'s cap... you make it all worthwhile.

Also, there'll be a game.

Who's head will the Fenway Unfaithful be screaming for first, Lowe's or Francona's? You stake your "Number Three" starter to a 2-run lead, and you think it will last more than an inning. No. On a series of mental mistakes and bad decisions, Derek and Terry gave the two runs right back. Lowe starts off by walking the eighth hitter, Relaford (one of 3 walks against the 8 and 9 hitters). On a would-be double play, Pokey can't make the relay to first because, well, Lowe isn't covering. As it turns out, the runner at second is safe because Pokey came off the bag early. That would turn out to be a blessing for Lowe, who would not get charged with earned runs when they eventually scored. Lowe gets the next two batters but that brings up Sweeney with first base open, who is hitting 400+ career against Lowe. Maybe time for an intentional walk, with 0-for-7 versus Lowe Matt Stairs on deck? Nahhhh. Lowe works the count to 1 and 2, then serves up a bases clearing double, tie ball game. For the record, Stairs flied out harmlessly. Now let's talk about the sixth. A single to Randa followed by a sacrifice bunt and a fly-out. Man on second, two out with the eighth and ninth hitters due up. Uh-oh. Lowe walks BOTH Relaford and DeJesus (who is batting .043 this year). Berroa singles in the go-ahead run, bases are still loaded and Beltran coming up. Francona has seen enough. Thank you. Now you know Williamson or Embree is coming in to stop the bleeding, and the Sox will put up a few more runs, right? Right? Wrong! Enter Mark Malaska. Now, the guy has done great this year, but do you really want him facing one of the best hitters in the AL in a critical game situation? Especially when Beltran, who is a switch-hitter, is better batting righty? Needless to say, a bases clearing double. Bad decisions. And how about Lowe's antics during all of this? The swearing, the banging of the glove, the ripping off of the shirt? Come on. Maybe Francona had to pull him in the sixth to change his diaper.

After a spectacular showing on Saturday, in which Curt Schilling shut down the Royals and Pokey Reese belted two home runs -- one an inside the park job that no doubt left viewers as breathless as the Pokester as he finllay slide across the plate -- the Sox simply got dumped on Sunday.

It's sad, too, because on paper, this one was a no-brainer. KC Pitcher Darrell May was 0-4 with a 7-something ERA, facing an offense that had finally come to life, scoring 31 runs over the past four games. But damned if they couldn't get anything going against May. The pinnacle of frustration was Bill Mueller's weak ground out with the bases loaded, capping a 13-pitch at bat that saw at least one foul ball go home run distance. Not helping the cause, one of Friday night's heroes, Bellhorn, put up an 0-for-5. Man, do I miss Todd Walker.

Also, here come the Yankees.

Where do you start with a maginificent vistory such as the one witnessed last night at Fenway? Man, this one unfurled like so many of those games last year, where an almost certain loss magically transformed into a late-inning, last-at-bat, come-back-from-an-almost-insurmountable-deficit victory. An incredible diving stab by Pokey to save a hit in the seventh inning. Mark "the Man" Bellhorn coming up big with a game-tying, two-run homer in the ninth. Tek coming off the bench and delivering a game-winning double. Manny chugging around the bases like he was chasing the ice-cream man down Tremont Street, and hitting the plate with mere seconds to spare. This was a good one, a reminder of the magic that we'd witnessed for the better part of 2003. If this is the shape of things to come, then things are good. Hell, even the presence of Dante ("out number three") Bichette in the house couldn't keep us down.

Adding to the sheer lunacy, my sister and cousin were the "Not Your Typical Fans" of the game, interviewed by NESN's Dan Roache during the telecast. Noted imbibers, they seemed well-behaved during their fifteen seconds of fame. As another family member observed, it was a good thing Roache got to them early.

And what could make all of this even better? Crankees lose! Yeah, you heard right.

I know what you were thinking, 'cause I was thinking it too. But after giving up a first pitch dinger, Paydro settled down rather nicely, and the Sox came out of Cleveland with a split. We'll take it, sure. And, man, Ramirez is a friggin' hitting machine. The team's been riding his broad shoulders for so long, it's good to see peeps like Millar (4 for 4) actually swing a decent bat as well. Maybe everything is starting to click. Maybe. Maybe.

Also, what up with Sabathia? Not his pitching, which is good, but the way he wears his uniform. Extra baggy, with his cap in a sorta cock-eyed tilt on his head. Man, that's gangsta.

Icing on the cake: Yankees lose....Theeeeeeee Yankees lose.

Poetic justice. Look it up. Bronson Arroyo lost his starting role to B.K. Kim for no reason, other than Kim is being paid starter money. Kim goes out and absolutely sucks, Arroyo comes in out of the pen and gets the win. I couldn't have scripted it any better myself. The time is long passed to call the Kim acquisition a mistake. They have given this guy every opportunity to make a place for himself on this team, and he has failed miserably. As a closer, as a long reliever and now as a starter. The arguments that he is only 25 years old and he throws such unorthodox stuff mean nothing. The guy sucks. Unless he can play the outfield and hit, get rid of him.

Now let's get to who really is "the man". David Ortiz. I would sign this guy today. This guy does everything Manny does for a fraction of the cost. What are we waiting for?

On another note, the Yanks won last night on a pinch double by Tony Clark. Remember Clark's brief stint with us a coupla years back when he couldn't have hit a T-ball if he was swinging a zeppelin? Well, he's hitting now. Yeah.

Also, Clemens continues to tear up the National League. He's 6-0 and throwing like he could go another ten years. On last night's Fox Sports New England, Dickerson and crew were throwing out the possiblity of the Rocket coming back to Boston to play one final year, as if leading the Sox to a series would be the ultimate capper on a magnificent career. Well, it would, but I can't imagine it would happen. Still...

Well, the home-town team really bounced back after the 2-1 loss on Monday. Chapter 2 in the book of misery is the big-ninth-inning-rally-that-fell-just-short. All we need for the exciting climax tonight is to go into the ninth with a lead and have Foulke cough it up. The bright spot last night was the bats coming alive, at least for an inning.

OK, we're 0-for-May and have gone through a complete rotation without a win. Is there anybody, even the most die-hard optimist, that thinks B.K. Kim is the "stopper" that will put an end to this? Not me. Not based on a 5 inning start against Tampa Bay. It seems much more likely he'll be flipping off the Cleveland fans at some point when they are cheering for him to stay in the game. We'll see.

Despite another pathetic start by Contreras, the Yankees pounded out 17 hits to rally back from a 7-1 deficit and win their seventh straight. Uh-oh.