Downer week, but looking up?

OK, I’d just as soon get this week before Memorial Day over with already. Losing 2 of 3 at home to the Yankees was bad enough, but then Friday night I was all geared up for the return of David Wells.  No offense to Lenny DiNardo, but he just wasn’t getting it done as the fifth starter (the Phillies announcers were openly mocking him on the radio broadcast of the Phils-Red Sox game last Sunday, and they’ve seen some BAD pitching, so they oughtta know).  Anyway, Boomer has been re-habbing his right knee after something like 536 surgeries, and he looked good in the early innings. But in the fifth inning, Travis Lee hit a hot smash back up the middle, and it hit Wells in, of all places, the RIGHT KNEE!!!  Are you kidding me?  I couldn’t believe it.  The odds of something like that happening on the poor bastard’s first game back have to be amazing, and you couldn’t help feel that the end of a career was being played out as Boomer lay sprawled on the Fenway infield (Jerry Remy said much the same thing on the NESN broadcast).

 

But wait.  Initial reports from the Red Sox locker room say that the injury is not as severe as may have been expected (I think that’s trainer speak for “the leg is not coming off,”) but there is reason to hope.  He may not be done after all.  Anything short of retirement would be a victory for me, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

The other ‘good news’ to end the week is that the Devil Rays are in town, and even though they’re better this year the Sox still have got to love seeing these guys.  They took Game 1 Thursday night, and looked to be on their way to a second win in the series on Friday night (Pappelbon just came in with 2 outs in the ninth and a 4-run lead; I think we may be pretty safe).  Two more with the Rays over the weekend, and I’m getting my broom out.

 

Can we play 162 games against the O's?

The streak vs. the Baltimore Orioles reached 13 tonight with a nice ‘team’ win. Schilling was a bit shaky, but got the job done, and Papelbon came in in the ninth to slam the door. Meanwhile Manny and Trot both went yard, and the Sox came back after blowing an early lead with Big Papi delivering a key blow in the 6^th.

But the highlight (for me) was a play by Alex Gonzalez in the ninth inning. He went deep in the hole to field a ball hit by the O’s Nick Markakis, and made a quick throw to get the guy by a step at first. Not the kind of play that shows up on the highlights, but I bet Papelbon sure appreciated it. Just a tremendous glove, and an underrated shortstop.

So, we go for No. 14 in a row tonight in Baltimore.