 PVs going out to Jonathan Van Every who is undergoing knee surgery this week. Photo taken by Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission. |
If I never see another shattered bat in baseball I’ll be a happy woman. The idea that Nick Green could have been speared by that thing just wigs me out. He seemed to handle it happening to him a lot better than I did watching it happen to him.
But I have no real complaints. The Sox did what I wanted – won the series. This sets up tonight to be, relatively, stress-free for John Smoltz. Sure he might have some butterflies (although I have a difficult time imagining Smoltz with “butterflies”. Maybe vampire bats hopped up on Red Bull.) but tonight is kind of a no-lose situation. Yes, the team wants to sweep and pad their lead in the East…but how nice is it that they can bring Smoltz out for his first major league appearance this year against the Nationals and after a four game winning streak? I’m not conceding tonight’s game at all…I’m just saying a win will be fabulous and a loss will be workable. I’m better with a win but I’m really okay either way.
To say I’m worried about John Smoltz would be an exaggeration. He’s one of my all-time favorite pitchers (I’ve mentioned before how I sat in rainy Fenway to see him pitch while having an allergic reaction to all the clam chowder around me and didn’t leave until he did) and I was thrilled when the Red Sox got him. But I don’t think he’s going to amp it up this season and win 20 games for the Sox. I’m just happy that the team is in a position where they can afford to put him out there and hope for the best while knowing they have a backup plan in case of the worst.
Sox have won 15 games in June and lost 5. They’re 9-5 in Interleague play this year and they’ve won 7 of their last 10 games. They’re 5 games ahead of New York and Toronto (tied for second place) and things look pretty nice from this angle.
Speaking of Toronto, my guy Bronson got his butt kicked by them last night. I was torn. I like the AL East teams to lose and I always want Bronson to win, but having the Blue Jays keep in time with the Yankees is kind of sweet!
The live blogs are much more fun when the team is winning so it was nice we got another one last night! Thanks, again to everyone who stopped by (the contributors AND the lurkers!) and thank you for entertaining me while I do my “job”!
7:05 tonight: John Smoltz v Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann was born the year I graduated from high school. Smoltz was born the year before I was born. Hell, I’d be rooting for Smotlz tonight even if he wasn’t on the Red Sox.
Old dudes rule!