Sense and Sensibility

Game 37 - Red Sox

Red Sox 5, Tigers 1

Record: 23-14

If Wednesday's game was Benny Hill, yesterday's was Jane Austen. Proper, perfunctory, not a hair out of place for the Sox. (Betcha didn't come here thinking we'd be dropping 19th Century Brit Lit on you. We're well-rounded like a motherfucker.)

7 innings of Beckett, 1 each of Hansen and Delcarmen (with the latter two retiring 6 of 7 in a hope-springs-eternal effort) paced the Sox, while the offense banged out 13 hits - every starter save for the increasingly-maligned Julio Lugo posted a safety. Neat and tidy, just the way we like it.

Of note, the rumors of Papi's demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated (and, probably in this case, made up for effect). On April 12, he went 0-for-4 against the Yankees to drop his AVG/OBP/OPS line to .070/.231/.140 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. Since that nadir, he's hit .318 with 6 HR and 25 RBI to raise his rates to .239/.333/.440 - still not Papi-like, but we're getting there. He leads the team in ribbies and is even with Manny and Youk atop the HR list with 7. The wringing of the hands, it seems, was for naught.

4 with the Twins over the weekend, and me winging my way to Jacksonville, so this corner of MLC will be quiet until Monday. Don't forget to send some love to the Moms in your lives, boys.