SoxandPhils revelations

After yesterday's wrestling snafu, Todd Zolecki redeemed himself with today's post.

Nothing has consistently driven traffic to our humble SoxandPhils blog like people looking for the names of players' intro songs - especially Jayson Werth.

Today, Zolecki listed every Phillies' intro song. We couldn't place our finger on J-Dub's current song all season. Thanks to Zo, we know now it's Right Above It by Lil Wayne. We've also been fascinated by how Carlos Ruiz uses Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight, but we didn't know that his backup, Brian Schneider, uses the same song.

Zolecki still needs to work on his knowledge of wrestling history, but I certainly appreciate this effort.

That wasn't the only SoxandPhils theme in the news today. We've often discussed how injured both teams were this year. SoxandPhils beat writer Scott Lauber takes a look at how the Red Sox are home licking their wounds, while their brothers in pain have survived.

Even our general managers felt a kinship:

At one point during the summer, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and his Phillies counterpart, Ruben Amaro Jr., even had a phone conversation in which they commiserated over their teams’ respective misfortune.

"We were having some trade dialogue," Amaro recalled yesterday, "and I guess we were both woe-is-me-ing for a while."

I wonder what they were talking about ... Werth for Jonathan Papelbon, perhaps? {Ugh, the idea of Papelbon as a Phillie ... awful.}

If you're interested, Lauber has a sidebar listing every injury suffered by a Red Sox or Phillie.

The painful truth

All season Christine and I debated which of our teams was struck with the worse injuries. I still think Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz and Kevin Youkilis trump Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Madson.

Someone with a lot more time on his hands than we do settled the debate with numbers: The Red Sox were hurt more often than the Phillies in 2010, according to a database of teams' DL use compiled by FanGraphs Jeff Zimmerman.

The Red Sox used the DL more than any other team in baseball; the Phillies were fifth. And, when it comes to total days spent on the DL, the Red Sox ranked fourth, the Phillies 23rd.

Case closed. I win. And my team got an early offseason because of it. Christine's consolation prize is another chance to go to the World Series.

15 X 2 = Lots of injured SoxandPhils

Yesterday, Todd Zolecki noted that Ryan Howard is the 15th Phillie to land on the DL. Today, Amalie Benjamin noted that Kevin Youkilis is the 15th Red Sox to make this dubious list.

Thirty injured SoxandPhils. You could literally make a team of gimpy 2010 injured SoxandPhils.

Peter Abraham noted that 10 Red Sox have made it unscathed from Opening Day. That's out of the 48 who have been on the big league roster so far.

Meanwhile, the Phillies traded for Ken Griffey Jr.'s friend, Mike Sweeney, because of Howard's injury.

Today's games: Jon Lester stunk up the joint. In the 9th, Indians 9, Red Sox 1. Phillies lead the Marlins 5-2 in the 7th. There was a rain delay.

A pair of injured All-Star first basemen

No teams have been depleted by injury this year like the SoxandPhils. They've even seemed to be matching each other position by position.

So, should we be surprised that the day after Ryan Howard left a game with injury, that Kevin Youkilis followed suit tonight? They're optimistic that Howard won't be DL'd; it's too soon for Youk's prognosis.

Mike Cameron is also headed back to the DL.

Today, the Phillies are off. The Red Sox trail the Indians 6-2 in the 7th. And Tim Wakefield turned 44.

Dizzying

I can't keep track of the Red Sox anymore. I'm not talking day-to-day standings or anything like that. I literally can't keep track of the roster because it changes so much with injuries.

In the past four days, the Red Sox have added Michael Bowden, Dusty Brown, Manny Delcarmen, and detracted Gustavor Molina, Felix Doubront and Robert Manuel. Fernando Cabrera has come and gone. Several of these guys I have never heard of.

I'm just glad I'm not this guy, Carl Goodreau, clubhouse manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox:

In Goodreau’s 22 years of working in pro baseball, he calls this season the craziest of his career. Numerous injuries have left holes in the Boston roster, leaving Pawtucket to fill in the gaps.

When a player leaves Pawtucket another comes in from another farm team or for rehab. This season, the PawSox have used 49 players. The club record is 70 in 2006.

If this year breaks the record, I hope some of the next call-ups will be able to play the game. The Red Sox dropped three of four to the Rangers this weekend. Today, Jon Lester lost 4-2.

The Phillies are playing the Cubs tonight on ESPN. I wasn't planning on making it to the end, but it's in the 7th (6-3 Cubs) and it sounds like Trent is getting cranky.

Ben Davis is back in Camden

Ben Davis, our favorite player who we saw in Las Vegas and Camden during the same year, is back in Camden as he tries to return to the the major leagues as a pitcher instead of a catcher:

Davis, 33, played with three major-league teams from 1998 to 2004, batting .237 in 486 games, and has been with eight minor-league clubs since. Not ready to give up baseball, he reinvented himself after the Baltimore Orioles cut him in 2008.

"I was with Baltimore in triple A, and I was just not hitting at all," Davis said. "I had a very good opportunity there to play, and just really didn't take advantage of it.

"I came home and I was like, you know, I don't think any club is going to pick me up to be a catcher. So I figured why don't I start pitching. I know I still had a pretty good arm, and I could probably throw strikes."

Of course, we hope he makes it. We have a soft spot for a guy we followed one year from New Jersey's worst city to the glitz of Sin City. And, Christine always likes players who convert from a hitter to a pitcher and vice versa.

Good lede: Paul Hagan went a little SoxandPhils to kick off a column about how the Phillies can't blame all their problems on injuries:

Their All-Star second baseman, a perennial MVP candidate, is in a cast. Their starting catcher is on the disabled list and the backup catcher is unavailable as well. They're also without their No. 1 starter, best outfielder and an important setup reliever.

And the Red Sox went into play last night tied for the second-best record in the majors despite being without Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek, Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury and Manny Delcarmen.

So, yes, the Phillies have been decimated by injuries.

But, no, that doesn't fully explain why the team that's won the division three straight years is spinning its wheels at the mathematical midpoint of the season.

Good to see that Hagen's reading the blog and knows how badly the SoxandPhils have been injured. And now, it looks like we can add Kevin Youkilis to that list.

Tonight's games: Bad. Sox lost to the Rays. Phillies lost to the Braves.

More hurtin' SoxandPhils

The SoxandPhils injury bug is reaching epidemic proportions. Off the top of my head: Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, Ryan Madson, J.A. Happ, Clay Buchholz, Victor Martinez, Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz are all injured.

Now, Manny Delcarmen has hit the DL. And, Utley's injury is worse than expected: He's gone for eight weeks. And, Ruiz is still showing concussion symptoms. And now, Brian Schneider left tonight's game with a hand injury. At least Dustin Pedroia is not taking his injury sitting down, or standing up.

Not content to sit on his duff, he took grounders on his knees:

"I'm just keeping my [expletive] ready," Pedroia said. "That's all I've got for you. I've just got to keep my arm in shape."

Pedroia — amused that he was at the center of media attention yesterday — clearly cannot stand to be on the disabled list. So, while being driven around in carts, the second baseman is doing all he can to remain sharp, even though he is unlikely to be back for six weeks.

"I'm pretty bored," Pedroia said. "There's not really a lot to do for me right now. I really don't do much. I just sit down, lift weights sitting down. That's about it."

I love the spirit, but won't be happy when we learn about how someone can cause serious injury by taking grounders on their knees.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox are off. The Phillies lost to the Pirates 3-2. Christine is fearing a four-game sweep.

Sore SoxandPhils

We like it when the SoxandPhils emulate each other in good ways - they draft well, they have rivals in New York and, most importantly, the 2008 Phillies followed the 2007 Red Sox as World Champions.

But there's a disturbing trend we'd like to see end. Both teams are getting hammered with injuries this year. The Phillies have had their starting lineup together just seven times, and the Red Sox have probably lost more players. And, they seem to be matching each other player for player. Dustin Pedroia for Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz for Victor Martinez, for example. There's no direct match for Placido Polanco and Clay Buchholz, so Adrian Beltre and Roy Halladay better be careful.

SoxandPhils limbo: Fabio Castro was sent down. That's the second time he's been a Red Sox without getting into a game.

Tonight's games: The Phillies lead the Reds in the 10th; the Red Sox lead the Rays in the 8th.

Sick players, sicker bats

Antonio Bastardo, who unexpectedly helped the Phillies weather the loss of injured Brett Myers, has a doctor's appointment Monday to have an MRI on his shoulder. That can't be a good thing. Off the top of my head: Bastardo, Myers, Brad Lidge, Clay Condrey and Scott Eyre have been injured this year. If I were a member of the Phillies pitching staff, I'd be looking into some insurance policies right about now.

***Update*** Chan Ho Park left tonight's game in Toronto, either struck by a ball or a twisted knee trying to avoid said ball. A month ago, I was nearly hoping Park would get injured - now that he has become a solid bullpen performer, it could be the body blow to the Phillies pitching staff. {No, it won't. They'll be fine, eventually.}

Less surprising, but more disturbing, is Mike Lowell's balky hip. He's had a history of hip problems, but the remedy is the disturbing part. I never heard of the injectable man-made lubricant Synvisc. It just sounds like something that would get you a 50-game suspension.

Meanwhile, Bastardo and Lowell aren't the only things in SoxandPhils-ville that were ailing tonight. Both teams' bats could use a shot of Synvisc. The Phillies were held hitless for six innings by Ricky Romero. They finished with three hits in the 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

"I wouldn't want to be around Charlie tonight," Christine said in reference to the media speculation that Charlie Manuel is getting ready to blow his top at his underperforming team.

Other notes ... Cole Hamels got ejected, and Brad Lidge made his first appearance since coming off the DL. He stunk - two runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. Ironic that the Mike Lowell link contains a reference to Keith Foulke's balky knees after closing for a World Champion team.

The Red Sox bats were not as bad, but they didn't need much with Josh Beckett pitching. He blanked the Braves for seven innings. David Ortiz hit his 8th home run of the year, and the Red Sox beat the Braves 4-1.

Spring surprises

There were mild surprises from each camp yesterday - not that they were unexpected given the histories of the players involved, but surprising in that they happened so quickly.

J.D. Drew's back is hurting, and Kyle Kendrick is the front-runner to be the Phillies fifth starter.

Drew, a hero of the 2007 ALCS and last year's All-Star game, which made it possible for Christine and me to attend the World Series clincher {J.D. Drew is not a hero, I don't care what he did in any All-Star game}, says his stiff back will be fine:

"I'm not concerned that I won't be at full capacity to play," Drew said. "If we had to go out there and play a game today I could do that. It wouldn't be a problem. That being said, I have battled with this the entire offseason, just as far as stiffness goes. Not really mobility as much. You wake up ... you move around, you do a few things, you sit down for a while, you get stiff."

Let's hope so. I like Rocco Baldelli, but given his health concerns, I'm not prepared to pencil him in for 140 starts in right field.

Kyle Kendrick has no health issues, but he struggled toward the end of last season and was regulated to the bottom of the pitching depth chart and eventually to cheerleader during the Phillies playoff run. Despite that, pitching coach Rich Dubee said he has an edge over J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco and Chan Ho Park to be the Phillies fifth starter.

"I can't walk away from 21 wins," Dubee said, referring to Kendrick's 21-13 record over the past two seasons. "To me, he's the leading candidate going in as the fifth starter because of what he's done."

Trashy last word: Everyone is making a big deal of Francisco Rodriguez proclaiming the Mets the team to beat. Yawn. Jimmy Rollins did this in 2007. Carlos Beltran did this in 2008. And even K-Rod already did this two months ago.

The Mets can't top the Phillies on, or off, the field. Phil Sheridan easily dismisses this latest volley:

It was fun while it lasted, but the war of words between the Phillies and Mets won't have quite the same spirit this year. The Phillies' World Series championship kind of makes boasts like Rodriguez's sound even more hollow than usual.

How annoying

Don't break Ryan Madson's remote (it's his favorite gadget), mispronounce Chris Coste's name or watch a horror movie if So Taguchi is in the room. And whatever you do, if there's a baby hurting, don't show him to Pedro Feliz.

Next up in our review of the Phillies yearbook answers is "Nothing annoys me more than ..."

Topping the list, seven Phils had peeves related to driving, such as traffic by Brett Myers and taxi cabs by Shane Victorino. The team also doesn't like to be woken up (would that explain June?): Five of them are irked by being roused - mostly by a ringing phone, but Kris Benson was most specific, saying he hates it when his dogs wake him by barking at the pool guy or UPS lady. Five others listed rude eating habits.

Chase Utley said "people who stink." We don't know if that's a knock on some of his inferior teammates such as Adam Eaton or whether he's telling Pat Burrell to take a shower. Utley's very mysterious in some ways.

Other noteworthy answers: a messy locker (Erik Bruntlett), stupid people (Clay Condrey), complaining (Chad Durbin), hatred (Tom Gordon), sympathy (Brad Lidge), loud people (Jimmy Rollins), rain delays (Rudy Seanez) and overall dumbness (Jayson Werth).

Burrell and Ryan Howard didn't have answers.

What annoys me: Adam Eaton. Especially when he gives up eight runs in 3.2 innings and loses 10-4 to the Diamondbacks before a national audience. That's two consecutive clunkers for Eaton. Why was J.A. Happ was demoted again? Oh yeah, Eaton still has a year and a half left on that bargain $24 million contract.

The Mets won and are now a half game back. The Marlins are winning and could join them. As Christine noted, we'll be scoreboard watching tomorrow to see if the Phillies can hold onto their narrow division lead heading into the All-Star break.

What doesn't annoy me: Scoring runs for Tim Wakefield. The Red Sox backed the knuckler to a 12-1 win over the Orioles. All starters had a hit except for Jed Lowrie, who is back up to replace the injured Julio Lugo, who is going to miss four to six weeks. Kevin Youkilis hit a grand slam.

The win, and a Rays loss, puts us a half game back heading into the final day of the pre-All-Star portion of the schedule.

If not the Phillies ...

From the looks of it, the Diamondbacks might make worthy foils to the Red Sox should the Phillies continue to falter and spoil the chances of a Sox-Phils World Series.

{I think Greg conveniently forgot that, like the Phillies, the Sox have a Florida team right on their heels. It will take two teams to win to make it a Phils-Sox World Series.}

Last night, the billed pitching match-up of Dan Haren and Josh Beckett lived up to the ESPN hype. Haren won 2-1. Even though it was a loss, I prefer low-scoring pitching duels and would have loved to watch, except I only caught an occasional pitch because of work.

Tonight the Red Sox, who blew a prime opportunity to come back against the D-Backs in the first game, stole one back with four runs in the 8th to win 5-4.

In other Sox happenings: Kevin Youkilis injured his eye during infield warmups Monday; he didn't start tonight but came in for defense in the 9th. Curt Schilling's surgery went well; he could start throwing in January if he decides to try a comeback. And the Sox are slumping at the polls, especially Jason Varitek, who's now trailing Joe Mauer for the starting spot in the All-Star game.

The Phillies are playing too late for us East Coasters. They're scoreless through three in Oakland.

A night to miss

We had a party to attend this evening, so we missed the Red Sox playing the Cardinals on Fox. We didn't miss much. Daisuke Matsuzaka, returning from the DL, lost for the first time this year, 9-3. He didn't make it out of the 2nd, giving up seven runs in 1+ inning.

The lead over the Rays is now a half game, which is amazing because the Sox have been on a tear despite a rash of injuries. Today's loss snaps a streak in which the Sox have won six straight series - in the last four, they've lost the first game and then won the next two. Also making a move is the Yankees - just 4.5 games behind the Rays for the Wild Card.

The slumping Phillies (three wins in their last 11 games and four straight series losses) still lead the division by one game. Although the disastrous Mets, who I'm sure would love revenge for last year, lurk only four games out.

So in case you couldn't guess it already, the Phils lost again. Brett Myers wasn't awful, but why send a pitcher struggling with his psyche out in the 8th inning of a tie game? Did you expect different results?

After the 8th inning ended, I was hoping the Phillies would make a comeback in the 9th against Francisco Rodriguez, which would be a double treat for us. First, a Phillies win. Second, good news for my suddenly beleaguered fantasy team, which is playing a team with K-Rod on it. But So Taguichi blew it with an error in the top of the inning, and the Angels took a 6-2 lead. After the Phillies pretended to pose a threat against Jose Arredondo, K-Rod came in and ended the game on four pitches.

Cole Hamels goes tomorrow. We're confident they'll win, but the next four...

High-scoring down memory lane

With Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies leading the Cardinals by nearly two touchdowns tonight, I couldn't help but think of Sept. 17, 2007. That night, the Phils staked young Kyle to an 11-0 lead. He was pulled from the game after he gave up three runs in the 6th. The Cardinals outscored the Phils 8-1 in the next two innings, and the Phils' 12-11 lead seemed awfully dicey.

With a bullpen that was awful and depleted, the Phillies thankfully scored one more in the 9th. Things were so bad for Charlie Manuel that Francisco Rosario had to get the last two outs for the save. Other notable relievers in the box score that night included Jose Mesa, Antonio Alfonseca and Kane Davis.

Tonight went a lot smoother in the Phillies 20-2 rout over the Cardinals, started by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hitting back-to-back-to-back homers in the 1st. They had 21 hits total, paced by four from Carlos Ruiz - the first time he's done that. Cardinals IF Aaron Miles pitched a 1-2-3 9th. The teams started throwing at each other, and I think we may see benches clear before the Phillies leave St. Louis.

Kendrick went seven innings for the win on the anniversary of his big-league debut. He's now 16-6 in his career.

Too bad the Phillies couldn't ship some of those runs to Cincinnati, where the Red Sox lost on the road again, 3-1 to the Reds. They were shut down by Aaron Harang. Justin Masterson nearly matched him (6.2 IP, three runs, three walks, four hits, nine strikeouts) but was a tough-luck loser. His first career loss.

More troubling, three days before the Sox-Phils series, Manny Ramirez's hamstring is acting up again. He left in the 7th.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 2005: The Sox swept three in Philly. I remember the series vividly. The defending champs were in midst of winning 12 of 13 to take a 3.5 game division lead. They seemed primed to roll through the league and repeat as World Champions. But they squandered a five-game lead in August and wound up tied with the Empire - again relegated to the Wild Card based on head-to-head record.

The Phillies put up little fight in the series, losing 8-0, 7-1 and 12-8. In the finale, after young Brett Myers was shelled for seven runs in four innings, the Phils made a game of it, tying the game at eight in the 7th, before the champs put them away with four in the 8th. Winners: Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and Mike Timlin (then a Sox). Losers: Jon Lieber, Vicente Padilla and Rheal Cormier (then a Phillie).

While I remember the high I was on after the sweep, I can't remember the individual games. We're pretty sure we went to two of them, but we can't find the ticket stubs.

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.

Phils lick Braves; Sox lick their wounds

Christine was a little cranky tonight as Chris Coste popped up his first pitch in the 9th with the tying run on second and two outs in a 2-1 game.

"When Jamie Moyer gives up two runs, the Phillies should not be losing the game," she said earlier.

But Braves 2B Kelly Johnson dropped the pop-up, allowing the tying run to score; Pedro Feliz, trying to score the go-ahead run, was thrown out at home.

The Phils survived Tom Gordon's scary 9th inning and scored two in the 10th inning, highlighted by Shane Victorino's second triple of the game. The bottom of the 10th was also scary for Christine - who was blaming me for confidently starting a "Phillies win" post - as Brad Lidge put two on. Another hit seemed like it would tie the game, but Shane-O gunned out the tying run at home. Phils win, 4-3.

Will the Gordons match the Griffeys?: One of Gordon's sons, Devaris Strange-Gordon, was drafted by the Dodgers.

In Looneyville: The Sox lost an 8-0 drubbing to the Mariners, ending their 13-game home winning streak. Bartolo Colon had his first poor outing. Only three of his six runs were earned, but he can only blame himself for making two errors.

Suspensions have been handed down for yesterday's fight. Red Sox: Coco Crisp, 7 games; Jon Lester, 5 games; and Sean Casey, 3 games. Rays: James Shields, 6 games; Jonny Gomes, 5 games; Edwin Jackson, 5 games; Carl Crawford, 4 games; and Akinori Iwamura, 3 games.

Manny and Kevin Youkilis patched things up, but still no strong indication what that dust-up was about. They say Jacoby Ellsbury is day-to-day.

Sox-Phils interleague history, 1998: Phillies swept two in Boston, then split two at home. I can't believe they played four games home and away without a day off. I don't remember interleague play being set up like that. I digress. I had come down to Trenton from North Jersey for a school function, so Christine and I caught the Wednesday night game at Veterans Stadium. It was our first major league game together; we had been to a couple of minor league Trenton Thunder games previously (when they were an affiliate of the Red Sox, not the Yankees).

What a treat. Steve Avery was knocked out in the third after giving up seven runs. The Sox chipped away at Carlton Lower, but could only manage a not-as-close-as-it-looks 11-8 loss. Gregg Jefferies was the star of the game for the Phils. A general admission ticket cost $5. Other winners in that series were Wayne Gomes, Mark Portugal and Bret Saberhagen. Other losers were Tom Gordon (then a starter), Derek Lowe and Matt Beech, who in subsequent years would be part of a more infamous footnote in SoxandPhils lore.

What the *&^%$?????

You would expect that the mid-game benching of reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins for not hustling would be the story tonight on a blog dedicated to all things Red Sox and Phillies.

Unfortunately, it isn't.

The Red Sox couldn't just quietly finish their sweep of the second-place Rays, who were looking for blood after some questionable plays last night. (I haven't seen them; I can only go by Globe accounts, so I make no judgement.) Coco Crisp accused Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett of a shady block of second base in the 6th inning on Wednesday. He took revenge with a hard slide into 2B Akinori Iwamura in the 8th.

Tonight, James Shields beaned Dustin Pedroia in the 1st. In the 2nd, he nailed Crisp, igniting what looks to be (from Globe photos) a great brawl. Crisp, Shields and Jonny Gomes (who pummeled Crisp when he was held down by C Dioner Navarro) got ejected.

Things got worse from there: Jacoby Ellsbury sprained his wrist in the 4th inning; it bent backward and rolled up like the ground tarp. Then, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis got into some sort of shoving match; it looked like Manny threw a punch. I'm not the biggest believer in intangibles anymore, but I wonder if David Ortiz's injury has contributed to the Sox losing their cool all around.

Oh yeah, Manny left the game in the 7th with a tweaked hamstring. Great.

But the Sox held on for a 7-1 win, sweeping the Rays, who now trail by 1.5 games. It looks like we have a new spirited rivalry brewing. (I'm still rooting for Tampa Bay to keep the Empire out of the playoffs.)

I thought this would be the quirky news of the day: A matinee 5-0 shutout by Cole Hamels was overshadowed by the fact that J-Roll was removed from the game for not hustling. He popped up to short left field. The shortstop dropped the ball, but J-Roll wasn't hustling and remained on first instead of second. Charlie Manuel is getting props; the star shortstop is saying the right things.

There is no explanation. I just didn't do it. It happens every once in a while. Sometimes the manager gets you. It shouldn't happen. I'm not disappointed in myself. I know better. Just go out there and make sure I don't do it again. Nothing to get disappointed about. Something you learn from. Don't do it again.

Draft day: The Red Sox took high school SS Casey Kelly. I once interviewed his dad. The Phillies also took a high schooler, Anthony Hewitt, with their top pick.

Sox-Phils series: We're days away from the Red Sox-Phillies series. It'll be the first time since 2001 that we've gone to the entire series and probably the first time ever both teams have squared off as legitimate World Series contenders. With Red Sox fans grating on people more than ever and Phillies fans emboldened by last year's division crown yet still frustrated by the championship drought, things could get ugly in Philly when the Red Sox come to town.

We thought we'd take a look back at the on-field history of these teams that are sometimes linked as interleague rivals but always linked by me and Christine.

1997: This was "pre-C" (pre-computer with decent Internet and pre-Christine). So to me, this series was probably just a box score in a Yankee-covering newspaper, no different from games against the Twins or Mariners. In a June series featuring two teams more than 15 games out, the Sox swept at home. Winning pitchers were John "Way Back" Wadsin, Aaron Sele and Jeff Suppan. Losers were Ricky Bottalico, Scott Ruffcorn and Curt Schilling. The Red Sox won the first game in the 10th inning when Ricky Bo hit Troy O'Leary with the bases loaded. Attendance ranged from 25,000 to 27,500.

[Photo credit: Boston Globe]

Catching up on yesterday's news ...

Daisuke Matsuzaka remains undefeated, as the Red Sox waited until the bottom of the 9th to lose against the Mariners. Dice was long gone by then; apparently his shoulder has finally fallen apart from all the pitches he throws. Funny, he logged only 65 in four innings last night - pretty efficient for him.

The game was not without drama, however. Manny, as promised, hit No. 499 to build excitement for No. 500. I'm certainly thrilled and hope it comes when the team continues to struggle on the road.

Question: It looks like the Red Sox may be well represented at the All-Star game. Will they play like the awful road team they are or the dominant home team? I've considered Yankee Stadium their home away from home since 2004, so look for them to trump the NL and have the World Series open at Fenway.

I will admit it would be embarrassing to see so many Sox on the squad. Kevin Youkilis deserves it; Dustin Pedroia isn't undeserving, but you could easily pick someone else, and David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Manny Ramirez also aren't undeserving, but their history factors in a lot. Oh well, these things even out over time - remember when Scoot Cooper was our only selection?

{Greg is so obnoxious. Sounds just like a Yankees fan.}

The NL released their vote tallies today. The Phillies' moms need to learn from Chase Utley's how to stuff the ballot box.

Today's milestones: Congratulations. A whole-hearted congratulations on this significant accomplishment - Adam Eaton's first win of 2008. He actually pitched six solid innings in the Phillies 6-1 win over the Rockies tonight. ... ESPN is showing all of Manny's at-bats as he tries for 500. So far, he's 0 for 1. No score in the 3rd. ... Finally, congrats to Wally the Green Monster, who was named by Maxim as the baseball mascot most deserving of a punch to the groin.

Also tonight, we stepped out for a walk and to get some dinner. What did I miss? The Phils' five-run 5th inning. Oh well, as long as they keep winning - I can always watch the highlights later.

Remember him?

Thus far through the Phillies season, much focus has been on the good (Chase Utley, Pat Burrell and the bullpen), the bad (Ryan Howard and Adam Eaton) and the injured (Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino).

But one day soon (I bet tomorrow) people will realize that the last man on the mound when the Phillies clinched last year sucks this year. Brett Myers got shelled for seven runs (six earned) in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks today, raising his ERA to 5.33 and his opponents' batting average to .288.

If he wants to pitch himself back into the bullpen, I don't think that's the way to go.

And thanks, Ryan Howard, for deciding to wake up and get a meaningless hit and RBI in the ninth inning. (We have Brandon Webb on our fantasy team.) {I was rooting for an eight-inning, 15-strikeout game before a Phillie won it on a home run in the ninth off a reliever.}

Josh Beckett, meanwhile, acted like an ace and shut down the Detroit Tigers, nipping the losing streak at one.

He already was jinxed!

Josh Beckett was a late scratch with a stiff neck. What? Not fair, the 2007 MVP jinx already nailed him. It should go back to work on Alex Rodriguez.

On the commute home, I heard replacement David Pauley retired the side in order. Then, a lead-off homer for Jacoby Ellsbury had me thinking it would be a special night. Alas, when I logged on I was surprised to see the Sox up 7-6 in the 9th. Of course they won again - that's six in a row, and nine of 10. I'm getting dangerously close to the mindset that they're unstoppable. I'm due for a humbling.

The Phillies have also won three in a row, so hopefully they've turned a corner. Good comeback win tonight. We loved the comical scoring in the 9th inning of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard immediately after. It looked like the scene in Major League, but in the movie it was the fast guy right behind the slow guy. How was it the other way around tonight? Pat Burrell continues his contract drive with three RBIs. He now has 21 in April - 22 on the season - and is one away from tying Von Hayes' franchise record of 22 April RBIs. And the Phils finally made it over the .500 mark.