Heartbreatker, shoemaker...

Sox Update: Dustin Hermanson, who has been consistently solid all year, did his best Lee Smith impression on saturday night in SD, giving up 2 runs in the 9th, losing 2-1. Obviously it was a shame on multiple levels, mainly because Buehrle pitched another great one - 7 and 2/3rds, 7 hits, 6 Ks. The run support just was not there. This heartbreaker comes on the heels of a fine 4-2 win on friday, in which Hermanson preserved the win for Garland (now 10-2!). Rubber match this afternoon at the PetShop...

This is, in my humble opinion, one of the most important series for the Sox all season. Reason being, I picked the Sox over these same SD Padres in the World Series. It sounded crazy back in the preseason, but not so looney now. Bit on that, Gammons!

Minor League Update:

Charlotte (AAA): Lose 9-5 to Norfolk. Norton was 4 for 5. Anderson (10) and Borchard (9) homered. Again, it was the pitching of Stewart and Munoz that sunk them...

Birmingham (AA): rained out.

Winston-Salem (A): Beat Wilmington 10-9 in 10 innings. Collaro Watch: 2 for 4, but Lee was the story, going 2 for 5 with 2 homers. Valido has 3 hits and 2 RBIs.

Kannapolis (A): lose uneventfully to Columbus, 3-0.

Rookie league begin this week, so look for updates on Bristol and Great Falls.

Baseball phrase of the day: quack quack n. a time honored call made by the players to get the attention of the trainer. A play on the notion that the trainer's healing skills are based in 'quackery.'

I keep forgetting to mention that I watched the US men's soccer World Cup Qualifying wins last week at home over Costa Rica and at Panama. With those two wins, the US basically assueres themselves a place in the top 3 of the CONCACAF, meaning they'll be in Germany next summer. Sure, they still have some tough games - at Guatamaela (the US never plays well in the heat of Mazatango) and Mexico (but its at home. Well, as home as it can be), but they also get home mathces versus weak-ass Panama and Trinidad/Tobago.