Starting Off September Right

I’m sure the Sox are just about as tired of playing in games where players about get belted with pitches that lead to bench clearing staring contests as I am sitting on my couch watching them.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera threw a head-high, high and tight pitch on Dustin Pedroia that ended up behind his head after he was distracted by Coco Crisp just enough to balk him in. Crisp was on third base in the top of fourth inning and got just enough of a lead between third and home to get Cabrera off balance to the point of balking on the previous play. It was really a thing of beauty to watch.

Immediately after Francona and other players from the visiting dugout protested the pitch which led to umpire Mike DiMuro handing out warnings to both benches that started the whole situation into a tailspin. Boston was pissed because they got a warning, Baltimore flew off the handle because Boston was complaining. It boils down to Cabrera being pissed that he balked in a run and being frustrated with his team being one of the worst since after the All-Star Break, and losing 10 (before they lost the game last night) in a row at Camden Yards.

You can look at situations like this in one of two ways, either baseball players are a bunch of whinny pussies (which, next NBA players, are some of the biggest) or overly protective of their heads being used as target practice for pitchers that can throw upwards of 98 miles an hour, and rightly so. Speaking specifically to last night’s situation, Crisp’s lead off third and causing the balk was a great play and only someone with his type of speed can pull off. Sure, it's a tricky underhanded way to score a run, but it's legal. Cabrera’s temper got the best of him and in his mind, the best way to send a message to Boston’s bench to not make clean plays to score runs was to throw a 95 mph fastball behind Pedroia’s head.

Meanwhile, in the baseball world that matters, Boston did go on to win the game 4-0 and finish their first seven games in September with a 6-1 record. New York kept pace beating the Royals more soundly than the score showed. The final was 3-2, but the Yankees left the bases loaded in the sixth and the seventh and easily could have made the game 7-2 or more. I’m not looking for the Royals to win a single game the rest of the series with Andy Pettitte pitching tonight and Chin Meng Wang pitching Sunday. Boston is going to have to sweep the Orioles, bottom line. Well, I take that back a little. It would be nice if they swept the O’s. Good news for Boston is they’ll return to Fenway on Monday for a series against the Devil Rays and the Yankees will stay out for the second leg of their nine game road trip and travel to play Toronto.

-Jon Lester had a strong road outing last night against the O’s, pitching seven shut-out frames.

-Kevin Youkilis set the American League errorless streak at first base last night also. He has played in 179 games at first with no errors and should be on his way to a Golden Glove. The all time record is currently at 193 straight and held by Steve Garvey which could fall this season. Garvey was on an episode of Baywatch once.

-On the comeback trail, Manny Ramirez should take some swings this weekend which would show he is in the final stages of recovery after a strained left oblique left him on the sidelines since August 28^th.

-Prospective Boston pitching phenom Clay Buchholz pitched three more innings of shut-out baseball in relief in Thursday’s game against last Saturday's no-hitter victim Baltimore.

-Dice-K will be seeking his 15^th win this season tonight against Jon Leicester of the Orioles.