The Gunslinger

Game 68 - Red Sox

Red Sox 6, Orioles 3

Record: 41-27

I've been gently urging Mike Timlin to accept the gold watch and settle into a well-earned retirement routine of blasting varmints from the back porch of his ranch for some time now. Once more into the breach, then, this time with feeling, 'cause a 6.16 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in 21 games are evidence enough of weapons of mass destruction for me to proceed.

With apologies to John Belushi, was it over when the Orioles bombed Timlin in the 9th inning of a 5-run game to the point that Terry Francona had to get Jonathan Papelbon to put out the fire? Um, well, yes. Yes it was. And it was over when he game up 6 earned in 1 1/3 innings over 2 games against the Yankees in April. G'nite, sweet prince - may your targets stand still and your shotgun never jam.

Oh, and the Sox won, which is nice, but since I missed the first 6 innings of the game and nearly all the Boston offense, all I got to see was Timlin's implosion. I had a lot more fun following the Mets game. That Whitney dude is a basket case right now.