Back to normal

The Red Sox and Phillies won in typical fashion; the Sox blew by the Mariners 11-3, and the Philles beat the Braves 6-2.

The Phillies, as usual, kept it close enough, blowing a 2-0 lead in the 6th before putting away Atlanta late in the game. The winning hit was an RBI triple by Chase Utley, of course. Another three and two-thirds shutout innings by the bullpen.

In afternoon action, Tim Wakefield and the bats took care of Seattle with no apparent drama. Jacoby Ellsbury pinch ran, so maybe he'll be OK.

Kevin Youkilis ended his record error-less streak at 1B, and Manny Ramirez homered, somewhat mirroring the different directions they're headed in public opinion. Everyone thought Manny would wind up being the bad guy in their little spat the other night, but it turns out players say Youk is to blame. I guess the Greek God of Walks thinks only He knows the strike zone.

Nonetheless, the Sox appear to have circled the wagons, and it seems like this will be just a footnote in the season.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 1999: The Phillies won two of three in Fenway. We had just graduated from college and didn't have the extra money or vacation time, so we didn't go to any of the games. In the first game, Tim Wakefield, then a reliever, quashed a Phillies 8th inning rally (started by a Ron Gant triple) to save the 6-4 lead. In the finale, Randy Wolf pitched a strong seven and one-third innings, out-dueling Mark Portugal (then a Red Sox). Other winners: Brian Rose and Robert Person. Other losers: Paul Byrd and Bret Saberhagen.