Red Sox Day Baseball...Live

The Sox and the Mariners have finished the first. In the top of the inning, Tim Wakefield did not have control of his knuckleballs and gave up two runs. But the Red Sox continued their love affair of crooked scoreboard numbers and that's where we are...5-2 Good Guys. I'll be back. C'mon Timmy.

Still 5-2 Sox going into the bottom of the second. That was more like the effective Timmy. Pineda had a 1-2-3 second so after two, 5-2 Boston. The bottom of the first for the Sox featured at least four wall balls. More, please. Timmy's ready to pitch the top of the third. FLUTTER 'em, Wakes.

One out on a fly ball. Wakes looks better but he and Pineda have thrown a lot of pitches. Wakes with a 1-2-3 inning completes the top of the third. Quickly. Sox up in the bottom of the third. Youk...one out. Great play by Ryan. Papi up. 3-2 count with that one out. Papi strikes out. 2 gone. Pineda, except for the first, looks good. Crawford has his second hit, a single. Here's Reddick. He strikes out for the second time. His hot streak looks like it's ending. After 3, 5-2 Boston.

Wakes starts the 4th with an out, then 2 more! Going into the bottom of the fourth, still 5-2. This game is zipping right along and it's nice to have a three run cushion. But I likes my cushions a little softer, lets say a 7 run cushion. Bottom of the fourth coming up now. Scutaro up with one out. 0-2. It's like a difference between night and day for both pitchers. 2 down with a ground ball Scutie out. Jacoby is out #3. After four, same score (that's rhymed!).

5th inning already. Guttierez walked with one out. No free passes, Tim. Ichiro up. Base hit into right. Men on first and third with one out. Let's turn two! Ryan at the plate. Ichiro fooled and thrown out between first and second! 2 down. Off the wall ball by Ryan and it's 5-3, dammit. Eventually, we're going to need more runs but the half inning is over, the score is 5-3 and the Sox lead off with Pedey, who's looking to extend his hitting streak.

Bottom of the fifth comin' up. One out on a ground ball by Pedey. AGonz is at the plate. Off the shortstop's glove for Adrian's second hit. One out, one on. Youk walks. Men on first and second. Pitching change now. I love the Mariners 'pen because they're usually highly ineffective. Big Papi strides to the plate with one down. Infield ground ball with nowhere the pitcher can throw it. Bases loaded with one down. Carl Crawford at the plate. 2 more runs score with CC's third hit of the day. 7-2 Good Guys. Still one out. Reddick hits a wall ball double. 1 more run in. Salty is up with the score 8-3 Boston. The count is 3-1. Base hit to right! 2 more to make it 10-3. I told you I love the Seattle 'pen. Another pitching change. A five run first and a five run fifth makes for one happy guy and a few tens of thousand others, including Lauren, who's doing this kind of live thing too. We might have to do this again, Lauren.

The inning goes on with Ells up. Top o' the order, my friends. 3-2 to Ells, infield chopper and we already go to the 6th. 10-3 Good Guys. The count is full to Mariner batter number one. Fly ball makes one out. I'm proud of Timmy. Smoak is up. 2 outs on an easy ground ball. The knuckies are fluttering like my heart was. 3 outs! 10-3 Wakes and our Sox going into the bottom of the sixth.

Standing ovation for Wakefield on his 2000th appearance as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Ya gotta love him. Pedey hits a wall ball double and extends his hitting streak to 21!!!! Gonzo up. 2-0. Through the right side, Pedey scores and it's 11-3. NO OUTS. Youk, Lauren's crush, is standing with his hands held high, just like Yaz. He strikes out on an unbelievable curve that started heading for him and then it took a left turn. 1-1 to Papi. One out. Fly ball to Ichiro and there's another out. Crawford is down 0-2. He strikes out to end the sixth. Will Timmy be good for one more? My guess is yes (another rhyme!).

OK, that magic (for Boston) 7th coming up with nine outs to go for the left coasters. Timmy is on the mound for three more outs. He pitches and records out number nine. Remember, if he wins it'll be number 199 in a Red Sox uniform. Holy you-know-what! Single to left with 2 down. One more Timmy, and boy, you'll hear an ovation to end all ovations. Back to back hits...2 on with Aceves starting to warm up. Ichiro at the plate. The count is 1-2. One out. ANOTHER base hit hit. Bases loaded with one out and there it goes...A GRAND SLAM. 11-7 and Aceves is coming in now. If he gets out of this seventh, the eighth might feature Bard, or Aceves if he's effective. And then Paps but I don't want to get ahead of it all. 11-7 is CLOSE ENOUGH!

One out in the top of the seventh. One pitch, one out on a fly ball to Jacoby. 2 down and a swing and a miss. 2-1. Pop up. Pedey ends it with a catch. The bottom of the 7th is coming up. If I had my druthers, Bard, who has been really busy, will only come if he's needed. After the Red Sox do their magic in the bottom of the seventh, I'd put Aceves back in with Paps ready for the ninth (if needed). We'll see.

OK, bottom of inning number 7. Singles by Reddick and Salty. First and third. Pop up by Scutaro. One down. Here's Jacoby. Base hit, a looping one. 12-7 with Gonzo at the plate. Ground ball to first. Going to the eighth...I like it. Will it be Aceves or Bard? I say the former.

OK, the eighth begins with Aceves back on the hill. Kennedy up. 0-1. Nasty pitch makes it 0-2. Foul ball. Ground ball out to Pedey. 2 down. Strike one. Aceves looks GREAT! Pop up in front of Reddick in right. Base hit. One out and a man on first. Kennedy has a 2-2 count. PUNCH him out! Foul, still 2-2. Full count with the score still 12-7 Sox. Strikeout for out number two in the eighth. Carl catches it deep and we go to the bottom of the eighth. Paps time? We'll see after the bottom of the frame.

Navarro strikes out for out number 1. Papi stands in. Foul tip. 0-1. Outside twice...2-1. Now 2 outs and Crawford up with a full count. BALL 4. A one out walk with Reddick standing in. He whiffed and we're ready to start the top of the ninth.

Aceves ready to close this one out. Guttierez has the count 1-1. Base hit to center, a single with no one out. Ichiro up. C'mon Aceves. The count is 0-2. Ground ball to Pedey. One out with Guttierez going to second with a meaningless run. Ground ball to Scutie. 2 outs!!! One more Mr. Aceves. Foul ball...the count now is 2-1. Swing and a miss. 2-2 and the crowd is on their feet as one. Foul ball on the screen. Still 2-2. Why am I se nervous. Peter, look at the score, you dummy. OK, here we go. Ball...3-2. RBI double by Ackley. 12-8. Warm up Paps slowly. Please. 0-1. We need two strikes or a nice little ground ball. Swing and miss again! 0-2 with two outs. Another foul ball...just. Pitch not close. 1-2. GAME OVER! A fly to Carl C. 12-8 final to bestow the Seattle Mariners their team loss record.

Bye now. I hope you enjoyed my live blog but I need a bigger mirror. My HD TV is too heavy to move. Now bring on the Royals for four.