Five Hits JUST Enough...Boston 2 Kansas City 1

The Boston Red Sox made five hits work for them Tuesday night in a 2-1 victory over the visiting KC Royals. It was the fifth
straight victory for the first place world champions. Justin Masterson made his second big league start another good one, going six and one third innings, giving up one run on three hits, walking three and punching out five. He threw 91 pitches in that span, and was quickly sent back to Pawtucket to make room for tonight's starter, Bartolo Colon. More on him later. Terry Francona had this to say about his young starter...

"He threw two pitches," Francona said, "the two-seamer and the slider. To lefties, he didn't throw a lot of changeups tonight, and they were getting out over the plate and looking a little comfortable. But he works quick, got a lot of ground balls from righthanders, and got us pretty deep into the game."

Peter here, and that's right. He got us into the seventh inning, and that's when the bullpen, which has been really good or really bad, came into the game. Javy Lopez struck out the one batter he faced and Little Manny Delcarmen finished the seventh with a hit and an inning-ending strikeout. And then it was Okie and Paps time to get through the last two innings. Okie, "the Darkman" who might be hurting, pitched carefully, knowing that Papelbon was primed and ready in the 'pen. He ended up recording two outs, but he also walked two and gave up a lead-off double. So in comes savior Paps, confident, to quench the Royals possible uprising. The bases were loaded, it was a one run game, and the situation, in one word, was TENSE. Papelbon responded with a resounding fist pumping strikeout, and the eighth inning ended with the crowd standing as one, screaming as if their lives depended on it and getting ready for what would be an uneventful and scoreless ninth with two more strikeouts. Great job Paps, great start Justin, and heal, Okie. If you're hurting, let the training staff give you the time to get better. We will need you in the coming months. If not for you in '07, there would have been NO World Championship. PERIOD.

So today is another day at Fenway. The Red Sox are finally ten games over the .500 mark at 29-19, which is not only the best record in the AL, it's the BEST RECORD IN ALL OF BASEBALL. I guess it's fitting. And tonight's start (7:05pm EDT on NESN and Sox radio network stations) is a huge one for the future of our club. We do not have a "set in stone" fifth starter, but by Thursday morning, we might. It's Bartolo Colon, the Pillsbury Dough Boy, ready to make his first major league start in a long time, ready to face Brett Tomko (2-4) 5.32 era. This is what the skipper had to say about Colon. P.S. I've never liked the guy, but if he can regain 75-80% of his former dominance, he will help the Red Sox immensely. That's why tonight is SO important. Here's what Tito had to say...

"I really am," manager Terry Francona said when asked if he was looking forward to what the former Cy Young Award winner will do in his Sox debut. "We've spent a lot of time getting him ready."

Peter here, my Constant readers, and I do hope he's ready. I have faith he can give us six, hopefully seven strong innings, and so far, the KC Royals have in no way figured out Boston pitching. Let's keep it that way! Click on the title for the Boston Herald Red Sox homepage, and have a wonderful Hump Day. The Herald has a great picture/slide show chronicaling Lester's (and ours) magical night. We're across the finish line and we're sliding towards the weekend. My hopes and prayers go out to Ted Kennedy, who has a horrible form of brain cancer located in the worst part of his brain. Inoperable? Maybe, and that's so sad. On that note, take care of yourselves. Life is fleeting, so use every second, every minute of it. And just try to stay happy. As always, BE WELL. I love every one of you. And I always will.