Sports Redux: Sox Trounce, Pats Prepare

-- The discussion was running rampant on the WRKO Sox broadcast late Friday night: is Mariano Rivera hurt? Was he simply embarrassed by the performance he gave while the Red Sox trounced his team en route to an 11-4 win? Is there something more?

While the on-air talent was busy ruminating, another question entirely was running through Bostonist's mind: after finally coming up for air after this week's Sockgate, isn't it refreshing to have all eyes on a different team's pitcher's health?

The Yankees continued their AL East basement struggles as they hosted Boston on Friday night - wow, it brings us such joy to string those words together - and Boston got their fourth straight win in the 18-game Rivalry Series. Beyond a dicey (at best) four-run fourth inning for Dice-K and the rest of the Sox, Boston worked through what felt like the majority of New York's pitching lineup to take the lead in the fifth and sealed the deal with the four-run ninth that got tongues wagging about whether former dynamo Rivera is hiding some form of an ailment.

Julio Lugo, who has been wowing with his defensive play as of late, delivered the goods on the offensive side on Friday, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBIs, two stolen bases and a homer - his first in 240 at-bats. Kevin Youkilis added a home run of his own.

The offense was much needed after a terribly rough fourth for Dice-K. Our golden arm encountered a nine-batter, walk-heavy inning, but after getting through the pinch, he bounced back, finishing after six innings with five hits, four runs, four walks, seven strikeouts and, ultimately, the win.

The WRKO reports indicated that many a New York fan had filed out of Yankee Stadium by the bottom of the ninth - if the cheers heard over the radiowaves were any indication, it was indeed a Sox-happy crowd by game's end - and we wonder how the fans are going to for the game this afternoon (remember: 3:55 p.m. on FOX, which means we'll be wishing for Jerry and Don again). No one's particularly used to this - Sox at the top of the standings, Yanks at the bottom. Of course we're loving it, but we wouldn't be surprised to see pitchfork-wielding ticketholders stopped at the security gates in the Bronx.

-- In related Sox news, Jon Lester appears to be coming back in style. The Globe's Amalie Benjamin reported that the pitcher delivered a strong showing in Pawtucket on Friday: five innings, three hits, six strikeouts, no runs. Those are always good numbers, but we're especially jazzed to hear such good news about this particulary man of the mound.

-- Pats fans are sure to be salivating today as they anticipate the NFL draft. Television coverage kicks off at 11 a.m. today on both ESPN, ESPN2 and the NFL Network (the last will feature an appearance by Will Ferrell. If he busts out Ron Burgandy, the NFL Network will suddenly be a worthy foe to"SportsCenter").

What drafting options the Patriots will select remains relatively unknown, as noted by the Herald's Michael Felger on Friday when he wrote that "the most predictable thing about Belichick and Pioli is their unpredictability. And with two first-round picks (Nos. 24 and 28), they certainly have some chips." Belickick told WEEI that "the hay is in the barn" and that he was focused Friday on trying to make a good decision on Saturday. We don't know if "the hay is in the barn" is code for "we're going for a receiver" or what, but we're eager to see who is welcomed onto the team.

-- It can be tough enough to coach on the field, but the coach of the Brighton High School baseball team faced a real threat off the diamond this month. Coach William Mahoney reportedly received a voicemail on April 18 threatening his life. The Herald quotes part of the message, and we realized just how right they were in describing it as "obscenity-laced" when we read the excerpt: “(Expletive) (expletive), come to the (expletive) basketball team (sic), you (expletive.) (Expletive) baseball team. You (expletive) white (expletive). Hope you die, white trash. I am going to shoot you in the head at the next basketball (sic) game . . . baseball game,”

Mahoney was scheduled to testify in court on April 20 as a witness against Brandon Smith, 18 and a Brighton High student. Police say Smith left the message; he and a 16-year-old juvenile were arrested Tuesday and charged Wednesday with witness intimidation and threats to commit murder. The Herald says the voices of both can be heard on the recording.

-- On the Bruins front, Boston have re-signed Hannu Toivone in a one-year, $532,000 deal.

Photo of Rivera taking a lonely walk from flickr user hobbes8calvin.