Wakes, Papi Power And 'Pen Pals

Tim Wakefield pitched last night with a bad cold, but it didn't show. His knuckleball danced and pranced for 7 shutout innings, and in the top of the 6th Big Papi accounted for the winning run by slamming a low fastball into the upper deck. A rocket, pure and simple. The ball was in the stands before you could say the words Big Papi. Wakefield made that run hold up for his 7 innings. He likes pitching under a roof. From the Courant......

"Wakefield won at the Metrodome for the first time since Aug. 7, 2005. He is 12-4, 4.01 in 23 career games against the Twins and 7-3, 3.95 in 11 starts in the dome.
"I love pitching inside," Wakefield said. "I love pitching here."

We love it too, Tim, although that ugly Dome has been a source of past troubles for the Sox. But not last night. And after Romero and Donnelly held the Twins at bay in the 8th, Paps came in and set them down 1-2-3 in the 9th. Coco Crisp, who has really come around at the plate and in the field, took a home run away from Justin Moreau in that final frame. So, as you can see, this team is running on all cylinders. And with a record of 19-9, ten games over .500 with less than 30 played, the Sox have the best record in baseball. A tough match-up looms for Tavarez today, as he faces the Twins' tough lefty Santana. But he's faced a string of other club's best pitchers so far this year, and come out on top a couple times. The 7PM first pitch is on NESN. Thank you Carol! It is a night game. GO SOX. Oh, and click on the title of this post for more on the game. Thanks.

Oh, I didn't mention a blog that I recommend...the blog's name is Collective Thoughts, and her blog is one of the most SPECTACULAR looking blogs you'll ever see. Click on her link, on my link list. It's on the right side, as you scroll down. And at the very right top here, ABOVE the Top 100 Baseball Box, you can click on a link that is in Japanese, the only one in Japanese (I think, I hope!) You can see my blog translated into that lovely but very confusing language. And YOUR'S TOO. Just click on your link on my list after you clicked the Japanese link, and there you are, in full Japanese glory. RSN lives in Japan, and I do have many readers from that far eastern land, the land that gave us the Darkman, and the soon to be better Daisuke! Red Sox Forever.
Right now, my readers, it sure looks like we are JUST FINE! And I love it...enjoy this wonderful weather (here in the northeast) weekend. WE DESERVE IT!!