The Fork in the Road....

It was another typical start for Dice-K yesterday.  Although Dice did make it six innings yesterday, so a little progress in that department.  For the game, Dice again did not allow a run, his second start in a row doing that.  Dice-K had only four hits, but five walks, and he had to pitch out of more than one jam. Somehow Dice-K made it all work for him again, living on the edge, but knowing how to pitch around it I guess.  The win gives Dice 10 wins @ the All-Star Break, so he will have a lot of chances to improve from his 15 win season a year ago.

  The Sox offense looked like a team ready to go on a hiatus yesterday, they never found a grove.  Although it may have been due to the fact they were all tired from running the bases yesterday.  All in all the Sox had 14 baserunners in the game, but only managed to get two of them to cross home plate.  Luckily the O's hitters had the same problem, as they stranded 13 baserunners, including two on in the 9th against Jonathan Papelbon.

  The Sox bullpen had a full afternoon's worth of work, and for the most part they responded.  For whatever reason, Terry Francona brought in Hideki Okajima to face the O's, and of course he was shakey as ever.  Okajima had to be rescued by Manny Delcarmen with two outs in the 7th.  Delcarmen pitched the last of the7th and the 8th inning pretty clean.  Little Manny got a big assist from J.D. Drew through, as Drew caught a ball that was destined to be extra bases.  Jonathan Papelbon got career save # 100 yesterday, but man did he earn it.  The O's got to Papelbon for three hits in the innings, and Papelbon needed a little saving himself by Dustin Pedroia to get out of the inning without further damage being done to him.

  The Sox managed to go 5-1 on this homestand, and the red hot Rays managed to drop all seven on thier roadtrip, so that combo puts the Sox back in first, by a 1/2 game over the Rays.  The Sox end @ the break the same place they have the last four season, in first in the A.L. East.  The Sox also have 57 wins, which is tied for the most in all of the Major's.