The 50,000-plus who visited the Rogers Center last night were in for a treat. Alex Rios signed a fat long-term deal, Roberto Alomar threw out the first pitch – bygones apparently being bygones and all forgiven for once spitting in the face of an umpire – and the home boys won a big division game. All this with the Jays festooned in possibly the most hideous and, shall we say, not-so-manly powder blue unis ever dreamed up to be worn by a bunch of grown men. But it gets them a “W” and will likely linger in the minds of Jays’ fans like a lover’s kiss. In April, everything is possible, and yes, everyone is healthy.
The Sox could muster only four hits off starter Shaun Marcum and looked extremely impatient at the plate, walking just once and striking out nine times. It took Marcum just 87 pitches to get through seven, the only bump in the road came off the bat of J.D. Drew, a three-run shot that accounted for what little offense the Sox brought. So it goes, Wakefield gave us a middle-of-the-road Wakefield night that needed more help from the bats than it got. We live to fight again.
Meanwhile, things in the Bronx were much uglier (can’t you just see my smile coming across in these words?). Ian “we can’t trade this guy for Johan Santana” Kennedy couldn’t get out of the third inning before his lack of control did him in. Four hits and four walks led to six Tampa Bay runs and an early shower for Kennedy. The Yankee bullpen combo of Hawkins and Farnsworth chipped in for seven Tampa runs, and when the dust settled it was 13-4. Without the help of hawk or gnat, the Rays beat the pinstripes out of the Yankees.
I look to Red to come up with a superhero to christen the beginning of Clay Buchholz’s season.
