celery! get yer six buck celery here!

that post title? i swear i heard some vendor at Fenway yelling that last night while i watched the game online. (yes! online! for some reason it wasn't blocked even though they were playing Tampa! yeah i could have still watched on tv but then i would have suffered through the painful Rays announcers, and instead i got NESN! i digress. what else is new.) i am 99.8% certain that is *not* what the guy was selling but i can't for the life of me figure out what he was actually yelling about.

and there you have it. explanation for a title that makes no sense.

and now... the highlights -- and lowlights -- from the last six games. yeah. i know. bad blogger. let's move along, shall we?

the good that made me smile:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury. just... *wow*. he *so* better not be included in any trade talks (which we know start soon -- i hate this time of year).
2. we managed to split the four-game series with the Rangers, even though games two & three were definitely beat with the ugly stick.
3.with Lugo in the kind of slump even *i* didn't think was possible from him, Cora got some time off the bench. got back in his groove. people have been looking smug, saying he was just a fluke at the beginning of the season, but i think he just needed to get back on the field to show he can produce. Cora for SS!
4. i am no longer cringing when JD Drew steps up to the plate. he's not my Trot. but i can live with him playing in Boston, if he can be consistent.
5. we chased the Rays starter out of the game before the first inning ended last night.
6. finally finally finally! beat Scott Kazmir.
7. learned that JD Drew does have a wicked strong throwing arm from right field.
8. Coco has found his bat.
9. Papi informing Joe Maddon: shift. this.
10. Hideki Okajima getting voted into the All Star Game.
11. swept the Rays. you would think that wouldn't be a such a big deal, given the fact that the Rays are in last place & on an eleven-game losing streak, but usually no matter how bad they're playing, they still manage to always win -- and thoroughly embarrass -- the Red Sox and the Yankees.
12. Kason Gabbard hasn't looked half bad. =)

the obligatory bad:
1. hearing from Wakey that when Dougie's done, so is he. i love that they are a package deal, but i am afraid Dougie will be done before Wake... =(
2. no Youk. again. that's three games in four days that he's been benched with a sore quad. and they are saying he may not play much this weekend in Detroit. =(
3. i'm going to whine for just one second. why can we score 15 runs in one game & yet split a series with the AAAA-quality Rangers, only scoring a grand total of 14 runs over four games?? not funny, guys. not funny at all. >=[
4. Jacoby Ellsbury was sent back to Pawtucket because we need a fresh arm in the bullpen. why can't we unload WMP & keep Ellsbury? =(
5. lost the 78-day reign on the best record in MLB. yeah, i know. most of you are thinking "boo hoo."

no ugly here. just the totally freaking awesome:
1. Ellsbury stealing home on a wild pitch. from *second* base.
2. Coco's grand slam in the first inning last night.
3. JD Drew 2-for-2. in the first inning last night.
4. Joshy retiring the first three batters he faced last night. on Ks. (nine in total over six innings.) so here's the pitcher we couldn't find in 2006!
5. three-run blast in the second for Lowell last night.
6. i have seen some plays turned by our infield (on the nights Cora plays at short) that are the kind of pretty we got used to seeing last year. you have no clue how happy that makes me.
7. "Hideki Okajima: This is the guy we figured we had to take to make Daisuke Matsuzaka happy. Holy sh-t!" "Mike Lowell: This is the guy we figured we had to take to make the Florida Marlins happy. Holy sh-t!" "Josh Beckett is 10-1, motherf--kers: This is the guy we THOUGHT we were trading for last year. So glad he showed up. Holy sh-t!" (Surviving Grady)

the just plain funny:
1. Remy talking about MatsuZOOka. i think he was having some problems with a tied tongue last night.
2. Don claiming Papi scampered home in the third. seriously. *scampering*? i don't think Papi moves in that speed.
3. Pedroia Pocket is so wee. he is the same height standing up as the home plate ump crouching down.
4. the expression on Carl Crawford's face when he's at the plate. he truly looks dim-witted.
5. listening to Remy trying to say Akinori Iwamura.
6. "I think Eric Hinske has officially surpassed Carlos Baerga as the Happiest Red Sox Bench Guy Ever." and "Speaking of Hinske, I have this bizarre desire to see him and Dustin Pedroia sitting on the dugout bench, dressed as Keebler Elves. Is it just me?" (Surviving Grady)
7. for as long as it lasts, this little exchange between Wally and the visiting (unidentifiable) Rays mascot.


oh yeah. in a category all by itself:
and Mike Lowell? killer. smile. just sayin'.

it's off to Detroit for a weekend series before we break for the All Star festivities (which do *not* include Papi's participation in the Home Run Derby, thank the Lord). i hope we saved the bats the boys used to hit last night. Julian tonight. Kason tomorrow against Bonderman -- gulp! and we close out the first half of the season with Matsuzaka on Sunday. time... it sure does fly...