I hope I don't need a restraining order

This morning I asked Christine to make sure she locked the door when she left for work.

Raul Ibanez is angry and coming after bloggers who suggest that his stellar performance this season is artificially enhanced:

"Unfortunately, I understand the environment we're in and the events that have led us to this era of speculation," he said. "At the same time, you can't just walk down the street and accuse somebody of being a thief because they didn't have a nice car yesterday and they do today. You can't say that guy is a thief."

Ibanez said he had never used performance-enhancing drugs.

"You can have my urine, my hair, my blood, my stool - anything you can test," Ibanez said. "I'll give you back every dime I've ever made" if the test is positive.

You can hold on to your stool there, Raul. For the record, I have just advocated testing him. For his own protection. As he is even offering to do so. And I'm a 32-year-old blogging with my wife, not, as Raul describes, "a 42-year-old blogger typing in his mother's basement." {And, we have no readership that would even find out if you did say such a terrible thing about Rauuuuuuul.}

I thought this was all in fun until I read the headline Phillies outfielder might consider taking legal action. I can't afford a lawyer, but I'd love to see him sue if only to see a judge officially rule that suggesting a baseball player is on steroids is not defamation.

Besides, even if Raul were doping, as Manny Ramirez said today, doing drugs isn't the worst thing in the world: "I didn't kill nobody, I didn't rape nobody, so that's it, I'm just going to come and play the game." {Just shut up, Ramirez.}

Tonight's games: The Red Sox are up 6-3 in the 6th. Chien-Ming Wang was knocked out in the 3rd. Tim Wakefield is battling. Every Red Sox has a hit except for David Ortiz, whose seven-game hitting streak is in jeopardy; he does have two walks. I'm still nervous about this one though. ... Cole Hamels didn't have it tonight, giving up four runs on 11 hits and two walks in five innings. Mike Pelfrey is pitching well as the Phillies trail the Mets 4-1 in the 7th.

I think either game may end up with different results.

Update: After I wrote that, the Phillies tied the game 4-4 in the 7th. One run came on a badly botched play by David Wright. Paul Bako made his first appearance as a Phillie - a strikeout with the bases loaded. It was the outcome I expected, but if he came through, I predicted that that would be the end of the Mets' hope for another year. I guess they're still alive.

And, the Yankees scored two more in the 7th - home runs by stupid Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira. Red Sox are up 6-5.