SOX DON'T NEED GAGNE TONIGHT, BEAT BALTIMORE 5-4

Eric Gagne was wearing a Red Sox uniform tonight, but didn't get into the game. Jonathan Papelbon did the job instead. It seemed the Red Sox were going to let an easy one slip away against the eminently hittable Steve Trachsel. Trachsel walked five and gave up five hits while striking out only two in six innings. Still, somehow, the Red Sox only scored one run. Here a rundown of Trachsel's six innings of work:

Inning: 1
Situation: Runners on 1st and 3rd with one out
Result: No runs

Inning: 2
Situation: 1-2-3 inning
Result: No runs

Inning: 3
Situation: Runners on 1st and 3rd with one out, and 1st and 2nd with two outs
Result: One run (Pedroia sac fly)

Inning: 4
Situation: 1st and 2nd with two outs
Result: No runs

Inning: 5
Situation: Runner on first with one out and Papi and Manny coming to bat
Result: No runs

Inning: 6
Situation: 1st and 2nd with two outs
Result: No runs

Total: Six innings, ten runners (five in scoring position), one run.

You may have noticed that I stopped after the sixth inning. Thats because after that, Trachsel came out and the Red Sox suddenly remembered how to hit with runners on. They dropped a four spot on the O's bullpen thanks to clutch hits from Big Papi, Youk, and Cap'n Tek. Then with the bases loaded and one out, theeeeeeeey.... got nothing. The four was enough though.

Okajima gave up a solo homer to Miguel Tejada in the eighth, but that was the only hit he gave up. Papelbon didn't give up a hit in his ninth, striking out two of the three O's he faced.

His Craziness, Julian Tavarez, got the start for the Sox and went five innings allowing three runs. A serviceable start to be sure. Kyle Snyder (1.2) and Javier Lopez (0.1) combined for two innings of scoreless relief.

AL East: New York won to keep pace. Tampa beat Toronto. The Sox lead New York by 7.0 games, Toronto by 12.0 games, Dan Rodrick's Orioles by 14.5 games, and Tampa by an even 24.0 games.

Today (Thursday): The Red Sox close up their three game series with Baltimore at 1:05pm EST. Jeremy Guthrie, who tied the Red Sox into knots last time, faces Tim Wakefield.