It wasn't pretty, but Wake is now within one win of 200 for his career. For that, he can thank the guys in the Red Sox jerseys wielding the lumber. His batterymate Salty led the charge with 4 RBI in a 12-8 win over the battered and beleaguered Mariners. Crawford, Youk, and Gonzo chipped in 2 apiece and Ells and Reddick each knocked in 1. The Red Sox extended the Mariners' epic losing streak to a record-breaking 15 games. Even M's skipper Eric Wedge shaving off his bizarre mustache couldn't reverse their fortunes against the best team in the league.
Aside from getting the win (despite giving up 7 runs), Wake recorded his 2,000th career strikeout. This win was the 1,001st for Tito, the 1,000th coming last night courtesy of Josh Beckett. Commander Kick-Ass commanded again, allowing just one run over 7 innings. The bats wouldn't deny him this time--they put up a 3-spot in the 7th to give him his 9th win on the season. The Red Sox are now 62-37 on the season, 3 games ahead of the Yankees.
Tomorrow, Jon Lester's back from the DL and facing the team he no-hit 3 years ago in the Kansas City Royals. The Royals rank near the top of the league in batting average, but their pitching is another story. Let's hope this means lots of runs for the Red Sox!
The trade deadline is a week from today. It will be interesting to see what, if anything the Sox do. With Lester back and Lackey pitching again on Wednesday, they'll have a better idea on where the rotation stands. If Lester's return is successful and Lackey continues to pitch well, pursuing another starter may not be necessary. They could get a complementary piece for the outfield (like, say, Jeff Francouer) if the price is right, but to give up prospects for an aging rental like Beltran would be stupid. Another bullpen arm is a possibility also.
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