numbing the pain

i can't talk about the last 2 games agains the Yankees. they are too painful to reflect on. i would rather get crushed or shut out than to win close games when we leaves runners stranded in the double digits.

and Papi...oh Papi. what happened to the days you came to the plate with 2 outs & bases loaded & you were actually a threat? 4 Ks tonight. Even A-Gon got on base. Papi...you hurt me tonight.

but i can't dwell on this. Coco will be back soon. and we won't see DiNardo anytime soon.

and tonight i am posting only observations i have made during this series. all the game analysis you're going to get here tonight is in the first two paragraphs...

1. why do these guys get 2 strikes...step out of the batter's box...and talk to their bats? like this is going to make a difference in the next swing? i have 3 things to say that amount to one thing:
"Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come." "Hats for bats, keep bats warm." "We should've got the live chicken." ---> unless you are a voodoo-practicing giant named Pedro, there's not much talking to the bat is going to accomplish. =P

2. WHAT is the deal with Youk's tongue forever hanging out of his mouth over that at first base? it's a wonder he doesn't bite the tip of it off what with all the diving plays he makes.

3. i really feel bad for Matt Clement. that ball he took in the head last year is going to haunt him for the rest of his career. he walked out there with an air of confidence tonight. took the hill. had some command. and then gets drilled in the calf with a ball hit back at him & i saw him come apart at the seams. the Yankees got inside his head & he wasn't the same. it broke my heart to see him drop to the ground when a ball was hit up the middle a few innings later. he's afraid. and i don't blame him one bit. but it's a crying shame. he's not the pitcher he was a year ago.

4. Coco should be back the beginning of the week if all goes well. this will move Youk back in the lineup a bit but his reliability will give us some much-needed depth later in the batting order. i will miss Youk at lead off but i think teamed up with Lowell, they might get some production going & start posing a threat beyond the heart of the order.

5. Manny being Manny. i've heard of running a stop sign but wow did he just plow past the waving arms of the third base coach to score the go ahead run at one point. he's lucky he didn't run him right over. i guess when Manny decides he's coming home, he doesn't care who thinks otherwise. but all in all, a respectable series for Manny with 4 homers & 10 RBIs. Manny is back to being Manny.


6. that is some kind of impressive infield the Red Sox have this year. i can't fault them for anything. they play with heart. they play to get dirty. they dive. they leap. they spin & fire. double plays. hits denied. leading the Major Leagues with defensive performance. you'd think these guys had played together their whole careers. they are a thing of beauty to watch out there, even in a loss. they are so fluid & so in tune. reminds me of another Terry Cashman song, "Baseball Ballet":

'Round the horn
Let's get one
Ya gotta cover every base
Men in motion
Each corner's Power, Speed and Grace
'Round the horn
It's like a dance
Have you looked at it that way?
Infield artists synchronized
Baseball in ballet

'Round the horn
Let's get one
Ya gotta cover every base
Men in motion
Each corner's Power, Speed and Grace
'Round the horn
Let's get to the diamond, it's the stage
Comin' home now
Bring it in
Baseball in ballet