11 wins, 6 wins, 9 wins...go figure. (Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor and used with permission)
My personal triumph last night was staying up to watch the entire game. Â I was probably all hepped up from watching CC Sabathia give up five home runs to the Tampa Bay Rays and my adrenaline kept me going through the Red Sox game.
Admittedly, at one point around the seventh inning or so, I started to fall asleep and heard a very loud “Lets’ go Red Sox!” chant coming from the television. Â For a moment, I honestly thought I was dreaming. Â I shook myself awake and realized it was very, very real. Â Red Sox fans representing LOUDLY at Safeco. Â Well done, folks, well done.
Sorry to see Justin Smoak take a Jarrod Saltalamacchia bad hop to the face. Â Salty looked shaken up and watching Smoak bleeding on his way to the dugout was worrisome. Â Word is a broken nose and a CT scan today to make sure they aren’t missing anything. Â No way to watch a player leave the field. Â Hopefully he’s all right.
John Lackey is now tied with Jon Lester for most wins on the team (11)…and has more wins than Josh Beckett (9) and Felix Hernandez (10). Â Yet the folks who vote for the Cy Young winner still use wins as a way to determine the best pitcher. Â Insert facepalm here.
In spite of their being not the best stat to judge a pitcher, wins are fun. Â Wins that assist in giving the team an entire game in the standings are even more fun. Â Wins that come when the starting pitcher isn’t exactly sharp? Â Tremendously fun. Â Now tonight we wait until 10 ET to watch Felix Hernandez pitch against Josh Beckett. Â A match made in prime time heaven, starting well after your average ballgame. Â Given the lack of coverage it will be getting in real time, we’ll probably be getting a pitching match for the ages.