Buehrle Bests Lester...White Sox 5 Red Sox 3

The Chicago White Sox continued their winning ways by rolling over the visiting Boston Red Sox by a score of 5-3. The biggest reason was the brilliance of their starter, Mark Buehrle, who always saves his best for Boston. This is what Dustin Pedroia and manager Tito Francona said about him after the game...

"He was great tonight," Pedroia said. "He was attacking the zone with like nine pitches, it seemed like."

"He didn't struggle tonight," Francona said. "He used every pitch and he worked quick and he changed speeds. That was pitching - in, out, up, down, changed speeds, 3-2 changeup. He pitched well."

I watched him pitch and those were very accurate words. When Buehrle is ON, he is fun to watch, but it would have been more fun if he were pitching against another team. The Red Sox only managed to get four hits off him in his seven innings of work. Their runs came across the plate courtesy of an eighth inning three run home run hit by Pedy Pedroia off Dotel, but that was it...the White Sox bullpen shut down Boston the rest of the way. It was a prime example of good pitching beating good hitting, although good hitting is not a term that can be used to describe the 2008 Red Sox, at least not now with all the nagging injuries. Big Papi has tailed off at the plate ever since his wrist started talking to him and Mike Lowell has been silent with the bat since his hip began troubling him. The shot that was administered INTO his hip joint has helped immensely, but his timing is off. And when that happens, the result usually is a pop up, a fly ball or a strikeout. He's get his stroke back, Papi will too, or it's going to be a long 46 games until the end of the regular season. And last night, the Yankees also lost but the Rays beat Seattle to increase their AL East lead.

Tonight, Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Jose Contreras. The Sox usually do a number on him and a win will even this four game series at one. So let's hope that's exactly what happens. Remember, the Rays' next foe will be the best team in the league, the Los Angeles Angels. To fall farther behind them now would not be a good thing, not at all. Please click on the title for more info on everything Sox. I hope you have a great Saturday and a wonderful weekend, and as always, BE WELL.