Checking In

I haven't blogged in awhile because of time restraints due to graduate school and a child with pneumonia. I will try to keep up when I have time.

The Sox beat Minnesota tonight after dropping a game to the Twins the night before. Poor relief pitching was on display in both games. Last night saw the Sox blow a 4-1 lead in the eighth, and Nick Massett gave up a homerun to Justin in Morneau to lose it. They won 6-3 tonight, but they had a 6-1 lead in the eighth. The Twins scored two runs in that inning and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth before Bobby Jenks was able to pick up the save.

On the plus side, the Sox's four first inning runs doubled their run support for John Danks, who was outstanding on the hill tonight. Danks allowed just one earned run and actually took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He would have taken it into the sixth if not for a poor call by the first base umpire. Danks worked quickly, and he challenged the Twins' hitters by pitching to all four corners of the strike zone. Darrin Jackson commented that he looked "Burly-esque," which was an apt description of tonight's performance. It looks like Kenny Williams acquired a good one when he traded Brandon McCarthy for young Danks.