the sunny side of Boston pitching

who gives up 3 home runs in a game & still comes out the victor?

i cringed & made a couple of snide (from too much recent defeat) remarks to my email baseball buddy, RSN-West...and they are words i will gladly eat ANY day of the week since regardless of the runs he coughed up, Schilling became the first nine-game winner in the AL last night.

The way Joe Torre looks at is: "The mark of a good pitcher is giving up homers with the bases empty and Schilling has done that," Torre said. "He's not going to beat himself. He's not going to walk people. He nade a couple of mistakes with the splitter. That's two homers, He throws a lot of strikes. He makes you beat him." (FOX Sports)

it was good to see the Boston bats alive & well last night. 9 runs on 15 hits, including a 3-run homer by the sadly-quiet-this-season Jason Varitek.

maybe they needed that rainout to end the dry spell? =P let's just hope that they saved something for Wakey tonight. maybe he'll be in luck with the rotation all jumlbed up now after a cancelled game, a double header on tomorrow's horizon & another minor leaguer testing out the hill in the bigs. maybe. i bet *he* isn't holding his breath.

MLB.com puts it as: "The captain and all of his brigade came through, when they most had to." well in my humble-yet-ever-present opinion, they have to tonight as well. they owe Timmy at this point. even if he wants to take it in a professional manner, i continue to feel frustrated for him.

also praying that Lowell, who still isn't back to his lunging-after-balls self with that strained hamstring, isn't too tight from a pitch taken in the ribs...or that Youk's elbow is ok after a pitch nailed him right on the bone. the baseball gods think they are humorous by giving me bats & threatening to take away my lightning infield, where hit balls of opponents' bats go to die. i. am. not. laughing.

in happier, more hopeful pitching news, the Red Sox have acquired *another* pitching Papelbon in the draft. Jon's younger bro, Josh. and rumor has it, Josh has an identical twin, Jeremy, who also pitches. i wonder if this cannon for an arm is genetic? and can we get this third Papelbon? could you imgine? the Sox could have a starter, reliever & closer...yet the whole game the other team faces nothing but Papelbons. one getting tired? that's ok, bring in another. a girl has to have dreams...

tonight. Fenway. the Dougie-and-Tim show. lucky #49. i'm pulling for you Wakey...