SIR MANNY

Daisuke Matsuzaka had a tough night at Fenway Park Thursday evening. The top of the first inning alone seemed to me to be about 2 weeks long. It wasn't, of course, but by inning's end 5 runs had scored. Daisuke's control was off all night, and from what he said after the game, adjustments will have to be made. But the Red Sox lumber rescued the night. The Sox bunched hits and a couple of walks and scored 5 of their own in the bottom of the 2nd, bringing the crowd back to life. And Manny further charged up the carnival atmosphere in the 4th with a 2 run go-ahead home run. 7-5 Sox. Who'd a thunk it?
But the Mariners were not finished. They tied the game at 7 in the 5th on 2 singles. But all they were unwittingly doing was setting the stage for Manny in the 8th inning. With the wind blowing crosswise, he hit a mammoth shot into the right centerfield bleachers. 8-7 Sox, and that's the way it stayed. Stellar and scoreless relief work by Snyder, Donnelly and Romero kept the score where it was, leading the Sox to yet another victory.
Batting heros? Manny, Wily Mo, who had 4 hits, and the ever steady (at least at the plate) Mikey Lowell. A great win with a big question mark.....is Daisuke OK? I think he'll work this out. There is no excuse for the way he looked in the first. I thought there was something wrong with him physically. Thank goodness that was not the case. But one of our pitchers DID go down. Mike Timlin has been placed on the 15 day DL with right shoulder tendonitis. At his age, that ain't good!
And so we're 18-9, the best record in baseball, and we travel to Minnesota for 3 games in that horrid dome. Taking 2 of 3 there would sure be nice. I linked the Globe article about the game. Just click on the title. Road trip here we come! First place here we are!