Hey New York, No Sweep For You!

Please help me--I'm a confused Red Sox fan. The team that inspired me to write my "Really?" rant last night, the one who got shredded by the Yanks two games in a row, who looked like a group of 8-year-old little leaguers playing a top-seeded college team, disappeared and the real Red Sox came to play. At least we hope these are the real Red Sox. The distinction is a little murky this season. Tonight, it was the Yanks' A.J. Burnett who looked like Charlie Brown on the mound, especially in the five-run third inning.

Lester proved to be the stopper the Sox needed with his 7-inning, 2-run, 7-strikeout performance. The two runs came on two solo homers in the 4th inning, a strange inning where he struck out the side, but left two pitches out over the plate for Swisher and A-Rod. The rest of his outing continued his dominant streak that started at the end of last month.

Pedey's walk and Youk's double combined to score a run in the fourth. Two more runs are tacked on in the fifth, with a swing of Hermida's bat with Beltre on second. Burnett was yanked (pun intended) after Hermida's dinger. Sox up 9-2

Delcarmen reverted to shaky city in his inning of relief, allowing three hits and a run, but the run was harmless given the Sox' large lead. Wake mopped up the ninth with a 1-2-3 and the Sox kept the Bronx brooms in the closet.

Elsewhere in the baseball world, Dallas Braden, a.k.a. He Whose Mound A-Rod Invaded, of the Oakland A's tossed a perfect game against, of all teams, the Tampa Bay Rays. Yes, the 22-8--no make that 22-9 Tampa Bay Rays who--well we know what they did to the Red Sox last month. His stuff must have been insanely nasty to stop a seemingly unstoppable lineup. Add him to my Red Sox covet list. His grandmother was at the game for mother's day--Braden lost his mother to cancer when he was in high school--and she had some choice words for A-Rod after the game. How does "Stick it!" sound? You go, grandma!

Back to the Red Sox. Tomorrow, that team from north of the border--and unfortunately also north in the AL East standings--comes to town. Last time the Sox and Jays met, the Sox swept 'em up at the Rogers Centre, despite a nuclear outing by Beckett in the first game. Alas, Beckett is facing the Jays once again this week, on Wednesday afternoon. Lackey goes tomorrow night, followed by Dice-K on Tuesday.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! GREAT JOB STOPPING THE SWEEP!!