Wily and Josh

Tonight the Red Sox won a game they probably should have won, though for a while it didn't seem like it... Let me explain. By the eighth inning, the Sox had had 13 baserunners and had scored one run. Fortunately for them, they had the bases loaded. Unfortunately for them they had Wily Mo Pena coming to the plate. So far this year, Pena has... well, I can't remember any hits he has had. I'm sure he's had some, somewhere, but they escape me at the moment.

Actually, Pena had had a hit earlier that game, a well struck double in the left center field gap. Anyway, my memory aside, Pena came up against Chris Ray, the O's closer. This is the same Chris Ray who gave up a game losing grand slam to Alex Rodriguez earlier this year. So, Ray falls behind in the count and thinks, "I need a strike. I'll throw Pena a fastball." Now, remember, much like Pedro Cerano from the movie Major League, Pena can't hit a curveball. Not now, not ever. But, a fastball, well, he hit it very much. Having obviously never seen Major League, or Wily Mo Pena for that matter, Chris Ray decided that he should throw a fastball. And he did. And Pena hit it 70 miles. Like we couldn't all see that coming.

A 4 run homer, or as the kids call them, a 'grand slam' homer. The O's 2-1 lead switched to a 5-2 lead for Boston. That one swing, combined with eight semi-masterful innings from the major's first 5 game winner, Josh Beckett, put the Red Sox in the win column tonight.

AL East: The Red Sox 5-2 win over Baltimore gave them a sweep of the two game mini-series in Baltimore and gives them the most wins (14) of any team in Major League Baseball. They also have the best winning percentage of any team in baseball, at .667. The win increased their lead over Baltimore to 3.5 games. Their lead over the division as a whole only grew a half game to 3.0 though as Toronto's win in New York vaulted them over Baltimore for second place. The Yankees have now lost (can you believe this?) six in a row. With their loss, and the Red Sox win, the Yankees fall to 5.5 behind Boston and last place in the division. Tampa is also 5.5 back, but above NY due to a slightly higher winning percentage.

Tomorrow: The Red Sox make their first trip to the Bronx to take on the reeling Yankees. Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Andy Pettitte. Game time 7:05pm.