Lackey Pitches Well But Delcarmen & Paps Blow It...Sox Win In 13 Innings 8-5

This one should have been a lot easier but it was not to be. Yes, the Boston Red Sox defeated the at-home Seattle Mariners by a score of 8-6 Thursday night but the Mariners scored five runs in the ninth inning to knot the game at six. John Lackey had what most would call his best start of the season, going eight full innings and giving up one little run on two hits. He flirted with a no hitter but the "bullpen," if you want to call it that, in the form of Delcarman and Papelbon allowed the game to be tied at six after regulation play. But Bard, Okajima and Ramirez (!) put up goose eggs in the last four innings, allowing the Sox to score two in the thirteenth to pull it out. By that time I was a little flabbergasted, to say the least. Boston manager Terry Francona summed his team's efforts perfectly...

"That’s a tough way to win but we did. It’s been a long night."

Tito hit the nail squarely on the head. What was a breeze turned into a ninth inning devastating category five hurricane. I'll tell you one thing...Manny Delcarmen is one of the most inconsistent hurlers on the team, bar none. And that's enough about this infuriating Boston win. Here are the pitching match-ups for the rest of this four game set...

Fri. 23 at Sea 10:10pm ET**NESN/Fox NW*** Beckett (1-1) vs. Vargas ( 4-6)
Sat. 24 at Sea 10:10 PM ET** NESN/FxNW*** Lester (11-4) vs. Pauley (0-2)
Sun. 25 at Sea 4:10 PM ET** NESN/FxNW*** Matsuzaka (7-3) vs. Fister (3-6)

We haven't seen Josh Beckett in quite a while and a successful return tonight would do wonders for the psyche of the team. Goddnes knows, they need allthe help they can get. And more.

You can click on this post's title for more on last night's topsy-turvey contest, have a great weekend and as always, BE WELL. I'll see you soon.Go Josh, GO SOX. JUST DO IT!